The Nationwide Building Society house price index showed a fall in property prices of 2.5 percent in May, making them almost 4.5 percent lower than this time last year.
Despite the falling numbers, when compared with two years ago house prices are still higher now than they were then. This reflects the dramatic price rises the country has experienced and may make existing property owners feel a little better since they can see that the value of their home is still very strong.
A Nationwide Building Society spokeswoman supported this view, feeling that the price reductions were of limited concern to home owners in the short term. As she pointed out it is only those who bought at the very peak of the prices who may feel a little concerned at the moment, though even then property in the medium to long term has always proved to be a good investment.
As of 17 June the Nationwide Building Society mortgage rates will be increased by up to 0.5 percent on a number of their products.
New customers taking fixed rate or tracker mortgages, as well as those remortgaging, will face higher interest rates, a situation that the nationwide Building Society is blaming on the increased cost of borrowing between financial institutions. Looking at the broader picture the interest rate on a 2 year fixed rate mortgage with a five percent deposit is around 1.4 percent more than it was just a year ago.
A Nationwide Building Society spokesman defended the changes, explaining how their costs had increased and left them with no other option but to pass on some of that cost to their customers. They were not alone in increasing their rates either, with many other big name lenders increasing their rates too.
A survey carried out by the Abbey National mortgage department suggests that the general view is of house prices stopping their fall within the next 12 months.
Speaking to estate agents the Abbey National found 61 percent of them believing that the prices would bottom out within 12 months, while the majority of homeowners expect it to be even quicker, the concensus being around 7 months. Even the most pessimistic homeowner cannot envisage price falls lasting longer than a year.
With this market view in mind around 80 percent of property owners are happy to wait and let the prices fall a little more before committing to a move. The Abbey National also found a small number of people planning to make the most of the price falls by stepping in to buy and grab a bargain.