31
Dec
Nationwide finds house prices up in December
The latest house price index from Nationwide shows a 0.4 per cent
rise during December 2010.
Described by the building society as a "modest" increase, the
seasonally-adjusted price index shows the month saw the decline of
the previous two months arrested.
Martin Gahbauer, Nationwide's chief economist, explained that house
prices have remained broadly stable over the course of the
year.
"When house prices are trending down only modestly rather than
decisively ... it is not unusual to a see a mixed pattern of
monthly declines and occasional increases," he said.
Mr Gahbauer added that it would be "premature" to suggest that
house prices are now set to rise off the back of the December 2010
figures.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' November UK Housing
Market Survey, which was released two weeks ago, showed that the
housing market remained stable during November 2010, with spokesman
for the group Ian Perry describing the level of sales as
"subdued". 