House prices fall for third straight month

The lender's latest House Price Index shows property values dropped by 0.6% in June, following a 0.5% slide in May and a 0.1% decline in April. This meant prices in the second three months of the year were 0.1% lower than the first quarter. More properties coming on to the market and less activity from house buyers caused the fall, the Halifax says. The average UK property, it adds, is now worth £166,203. Halifax housing economist, Martin Ellis, says: "[June's drop] continued the slowdown in house price growth since the beginning of the year following the moderate recovery in pr...