UK House prices fall more slowly

House prices in England and Wales fell at their slowest annual pace in almost two years last month while confidence in the price outlook turned positive for the first time since May 2007, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' house price balance rose to -18.1 in the three months to June, its best reading since September 2007, from -43.8 in May. Analysts had forecast a much more modest improvement to -40.0.

New buyer inquiries increased for an eighth consecutive month and at their fastest rate since the survey began in 1999. At the same time, there were fewer homes being put up for sale. baca selengkapnya