LONDON (Reuters) – Asking prices for homes on sale in Britain posted the largest monthly fall on record in December but are likely to rise by between 4 and 5 percent next year, property website Rightmove said on Monday.
The 3.3 percent drop took prices of property coming onto the market to an average of 258,424 pounds ($405,907) this month, according to Rightmove’s House Price Index.
Britain’s housing market still seems to be heading for further price gains next year, Rightmove said, even after its strong recovery lost some momentum in recent months due to meager wage growth and tighter mortgage regulation.
Asking prices in 2014 rose by 7 percent for the year and Rightmove said it expected growth to continue in 2015, although at a slower pace.
Further price growth is likely to be driven by a shortage of homes for sale in popular locations and a shake-up of Britain’s taxes on house purchases that was introduced by finance minister George Osborne this month and will mean lower so-called stamp duties for most home-buyers.
Read more at Reuters
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