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Scotland and southeast England markets tipped to remain strong
Outside of London, property markets that sizzled last year will be the hottest this year, but with one notable exception - Northern Ireland.
Analysts agreed that Scotland had Britain's best performing property market last year.
According to Halifax, Scottish property prices rose 13 per cent last year. Southeast England also posted strong gains, but property markets in northern England and the Midlands were weak.
Halifax forecast that this pattern would be repeated this year.
'Small price rises are expected in the south and Scotland, while modest falls are predicted in northern England and the Midlands,' said Halifax chief economist Martin Ellis.
Northern Ireland will suffer a sharp reversal of fortunes - last year's high price rises will turn into falls this year. Nationwide Building Society forecast that values there would drop 5 per cent  this year, making it Britain's worst performing property market.
House price increases had far exceeded earnings growth in Northern Ireland, making it Britain's least affordable market for first-time buyers, Nationwide reported, so a period of retrenchment was necessary for the market to reach equilibrium.
At the local level, estate agency Knight Frank believes that towns with economic growth potential will make the best places for home-buying this year. Liam Bailey, head of residential research at Knight Frank,  recommended Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire,  southeast England. 'The city is doubling in size,' Mr Bailey said. 'It is very buoyant, because it has the land for business parks which provide the jobs. The pre-let and vacancy rates at these business parks are  encouraging.'
Lucian Cook,  research director  at Savills  estate agency, said property markets in   southern English towns of Bath and Guildford  would perform well because they were popular with London commuters.
Also in the south, Mr Cook said that rural housing markets in the Vale of Pewsey,  in Wiltshire,  and the Test Valley  in Hampshire,  would continue strongly, because the supply of homes was tight and affordability issues were not as great as they were elsewhere in Britain.



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