The Department of the Environment says new house prices rose by just over 11% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier.
But its housing statistics bulletin says the rate of increase has slowed, with new house prices in the first quarter up just 0.8% from the previous quarter, while the price of second-hand houses fell 1.3% in the period.
The Department said it did not yet have figures on house completions this year, but based on an 11.5% increase in loan approvals, the indications were that activity continued to be strong.
