Housing market shows signs of a slowdown - ODPM

Its latest figures suggest annualised house price inflation fell to 8.3% by the end of 2003, from 9.7% in the November. The rate of inflation shed some 3.8% from October. However, Northern Ireland experienced faster inflation, up from 3.4% in November to 5.9% by December, while England saw inflation fall to 7.7% from 9.2%. That said, property prices did rise, and the average UK price tag on a house hit £162,689 in December, up from £159,480 in the previous month. The ODPM says the average price paid by first-time buyers reached a £127,474 in December. IFAonline