By Tony Booth

According to a new report by the highly respected credit reference agency, Experian, house prices will fall throughout most of the UK over the next 18 months.

But the prediction is that the level of damage on profitability will largely depend on where property investments are held.

It suggests the fall in property values will be disproportionate and irregular - and conversely, some areas of the UK are likely to see property prices continuing to rise.

Whenever the housing market is suffering a period of uncertainty, the press have a field day, making contrary predictions that are aimed at selling newspapers to an ever more nervous general public.