Mortgage lenders and property agencies have just released their latest figures for the UK housing market displaying some conflicting results but the overall mood from analysts appears to be one of optimism for improvements in housing market activity.
Property prices are on the rise again according to the latest survey by the Rightmove property agency website. They reported the largest average monthly house prices rise in two years during February to leave the average residential house asking price in England and Wales at 201,600.
In their report, Rightmove put the record asking prices down to a shortage of sellers and increasing demand, especially a return of buyers at the lower end of the market which should have a knock on effect further up the property ladder.
However Miles Shipside, Rightmoves commercial director, sounded a note of caution, Sellers must not get too ambitious or the recovery could run out of steam as affordability is over-stretched again.
The Rightmove findings seems to stand in contrast to the figures recently released in the FT House price index, which shows that the, recovery of house prices since the Autumn has been extremely...