What's all the excitement about? It's the Government's official completion figures for December... the figures that are based on somebody showing somebody else the money, rather than what a vendor dreams about getting or a number pulled out of an estate agent's watch pocket. And December's particularly interesting because - as far as the Rat and Mouse is concerned - it gives us that true 2008 house price inflation figures, which was... 9.1%. (We got there, by the way, after a December rise of 0.4%.) That 9.1% figure is down from a July peak of 12.3% and represent a year low; and the three-month figures (10%, from 10.5% in November) also suggest a softening market. Now, back to the 2007 predictions. The looked something like this:

Which just goes to show what an almost unimagined peak prices are currently teetering on. A couple of Decembers ago, the Rat and Mouse called the above list "a big bunch of bulls", and yet only the very, er, bullishest came close. Well done, Assetz, the entire Rat and Mouse staff will be raising a toast to you tonight, on expenses, at one of London's swankiest champagne bars. (To see what Assetz have predicted for 2008, go here.)

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