HOUSE prices in North Yorkshire are levelling out - but remain higher than anywhere else in the North East and Cumbria region, it was revealed today.

The average price of a home in North Yorkshire is now £76,450 - more than any of the ten areas in the region surveyed in the latest quarterly Northern Rock house price survey - and is about £11,100 above the regional average.

But the signs of slowdown in North Yorkshire's house price boom from October to January are now clear, with the average price increase of 1.9 per cent comparing with the previous quarter's rise of 2.9 per cent, but year on year the annual increase has been 7.8 per cent.

Four-bedroom detached house prices actually fell by one per cent to £133,350, although this is still the third highest average in the region and other house categories produces above-average increases.

North Yorkshire's average for three-bedroom semis showed the biggest climb, of 3.8 per cent, and two-bedroom terraced houses also did well, climbing by 3.3 per cent.

Almost as expensive as North Yorkshire is Newcastle, where average house prices now stand at £75,350. The cheapest homes are in Sunderland, where the average property costs £58,400.

Updated: 11:05 Monday, February 04, 2002