UK Property has fallen 18% and the pound by 25% against the dollar, so a 400k house last year now costs 246k if you're paid in US dollars. Que the US, Middle and Far Eastern cash buyers...

Justin, Dammam, KSA

Sterling is down 30% ( = cost of imports rising rapidly) and the BoE is printing money at a record pace, how long before inflation REALLY takes off? To protect their shrinking savings people will rush into property - they always do - the next housing boom will be arriving in about 6 months time.

Richard, Frimley, Surrey

Amusing to see how many of you think you are all fortune tellers. Nobody knows what will actually happen, but logic leads to a levelling off and recovery eventually. Many original prices were too optimistic so a lot of the falls in prices are not actual falls in achieved sales, only asking prices.

Tom H-B, South Belgravia,

Stretch yourself to take a 1% interest mortage on the house of your dreams and watch your dream crash and burn as in two years interest rates go up ten times when inflation kicks in.

Low interest rates might be a reason to buy a new sofa. They should not be a reason to buy a house.

Michael, London, UK

Property got us into this mess, so on the balance of probability, it aint going to get us out .

ronnie, Bridego Bridge, Uk

Of course, it's doesn't take Einstein to figure you that the prices of property are in a free fall. I put 20% down on every property that I have ever purchased. Prices are dropping like a rock bu no one has 20% to put down right now.

Paul Bahre, Granby, CT, USA

The real fall in selling prices last year was around 15% not 8%, we sold at 20% down on peak prices and 3 other couples we know sold this year at similar discounts. Suspect like all stats these are gently massaged to get the most optomistic result for the vested interests. Next year will be -20%

Steve, London, UK

If sterling starts to free fall next year (Labour's addictive borrow-and-waste cycle), property may start to look attractive to east europeans!
So property prices may indeed only fall by 10% in 2009.

peterj, aberdeen, uk

Three x income and 25% down is where mortgages should have been all the time. Breaking those rules have been one of the big reasons we're in the mess we're in now, on both sides of the Atlantic.

alice, salado, us/tx

Wishful thinking propertyfinder. Buy-to-let people have all been burned and where on earth will first time buyers find the huge deposits now required by our helpful banks?

Martin Wallace, Auchterarder,

There is absolutely no way that anyone should trust a property site of any kind that relies on estate agency advertising to survive. The banks won't be opening their doors for loans again until the end of 2010, and it is completely irresponsible of these sites to say otherwise.

Frank, London,

Bargain hunters and BLT's buying properties! The worst over! Yeah right! BLT's are a dying breed having caught not just a cold but pnemonia! And as for bargain hunters, it's 3x income for borrowers now! Another 25% at least before house prices reach bottom!

sophie smith, london, uk

Sorry but with the economy falling fast I think only a 12% fall is far to small.

Gavin, London,