04/03/2010

First House Price Fall Since June

UK house prices have fallen for the first time seven month, according to research from the Halifax bank.

A report found property values fell by 1.5% in February following a continuous increase since June 2009.

Despite this fall, the average price is 8.0% above the trough reached in April 2009, the bank said.

Martin Ellis, Halifax housing economist, said: "There has been a decline in the underlying rate of house price inflation – measured by a comparison of the latest three months with the previous quarter – over the last few months."

He suggested an increase in the number of properties available for sale has helped to slightly reduce the imbalance between supply and demand.

"At the same time, the bad weather in the first two months of 2010, together with the return of the lowest stamp duty threshold to £125,000, are likely to have had an adverse impact on housing demand."

Mr Ellis added: "The combination of these factors appears to have helped to curb the upward pressure on house prices."

(PR/BMcC)

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