House price increase could be sign of slowdown - Halifax

The latest edition of the Halifax House Price Index shows house prices rose by 1.4% last month, while annual house price inflation at 5.5% remained broadly unchanged from the last two months. The annual rate is expected to increase over the next few months, as modest price rises compare with slight falls this time last year. The Halifax then predicts the annual rate to fall later in the year as prices rise at a slower pace than in the second half of 2005. The report predicts house prises to rise by 3% in 2006, broadly in line with the expected rise in retail price inflation, with Londo...