House price gains fall says Halifax

Last month saw house prices increase by 0.9%, while the total rise in the first quarter of 2006, was just 1.6%, a smaller rise than the 2.3% gain in the last three months of 2005. The standardised average house price is now £175,215. This brings the annual rate of house price inflation to 6.2%, which although showing a strengthening in price growth compared to the 3% in the third quarter of 2005, it is still significantly less than the 9.7% of this time last year. Halifax says the latest figures suggest the level of housing market activity may be levelling out following a marked improvem...