Brokers forecast 5% house price growth in 2010

A total of 74% of the 268 intermediaries surveyed by Platform, the intermediary lender of The Co-operative Bank, say prices are set to rise by anything up to 5% this year. A similar number of intermediaries expect interest rates will rise by a maximum of 0.5 percentage points to 1% by the end of the year, while two thirds (66%) expect 2010 to be a good one for business. Despite the positive outlook, half of those surveyed expressed concern about the availability of funds, while 39% believe dual pricing practices will continue to be a major challenge for the sector. The FSA's Mor...