House prices continue to cool - Halifax

The figures conflict with Wednesday's Nationwide figures, indicating a 0.5% increase in prices for February. Halifax says that the annual rate of house price inflation dipped to its lowest mark since December 2001, to 12.1% in February, from 13.7% in January. Meanwhile, the average property price now stands at £162,816, with prices showing an increase of 0.8% since July 2004, according to the bank. Martin Ellis, Chief Economist, says: “This continues the mixed pattern of monthly price rises and falls recorded since last summer and is consistent with a gradual slowdown in house price...