Following an eventful few months in the property market are we set to see an end to dropping prices and the promise of house prices rising again? It's not so much an if but surely a when, and with lenders starting to become more flexible the rise may only be around the corner. So for the client coming to the market what do they do, is the market falling, rising, static, are prices increasing, decreasing or just stagnant? How are you best placed to judge your property and it's true market value?

Well if the media are right then prices are rising, and many are now predicting the possibilities that prices may grow in 2009, but are they right and who do we listen too?

Recent articles from major lenders like Halifax and Nationwide conflict in opinions and who are we to challenge their reports and optimism for the forthcoming months in the property market. Halifax believe that prices have fallen by 22.4% since August 2007 and predict that we have only 6% to go, while the Nationwide sees a drop of 18.4% with 6.6% left to drop in the same time frame.

The UK's largest lender Lloyds have predicted that house prices have only a 6% drop left and by year end could see a price rise. This forecast comes as commentators become increasingly optimistic about the outlook for the UK economy.

With better rates and percentage of prices compared to earnings showing first time buyers are now coming back to the market as the affordability falls to its lowest level since 2002. Property currently stands at 4.26 times earnings compared to its peak in July 2007 at 5.84. With first time buyers now coming back to the property markets this helps fuel property requirements and demand and likewise the buyer numbers for each property thus making properties more valuable.

With more confidence now apparent in the housing market, and experts sounding more upbeat, the economy stabilising and the stock market now up 27% higher than it was in March, it seems the signs are good and that prices may well rise later in the year.