Northern Ireland's house prices rose by more than 20%

Prices rose by 22% in 2005 according to the latest survey by the University of Ulster.

The average home now costs almost �146,000. The biggest increase were in the prices of apartments, terraced houses and townhouses.

One of the authors of the report, Professor Stanley McGreal, said that the rise is causing real difficulty for first time buyers.

"The growth in prices means that only a quarter of house sales are now below the �100,000 mark and that raises concerns about the ability of first-time buyers to enter the market," he said.

Average regional prices Belfast: �151,432 Coleraine/Limavady/North Coast: �174,134 East Antrim: �109,335 North Down: �166,175 Lisburn: �169,147 Antrim/Ballymena: �136,260 Derry/Strabane: �137,949 Mid-Ulster: �151,510 Craigavon/Armagh: �127,092 Mid & South Down: �154,147 Enniskillen/Fermanagh/South Tyrone: 160,726

In Belfast, the overall average price of �135,782 has increased by just over 20% in a year. The average house price in the south of the city is �171,904.

East Belfast had an average at �151,432; the west Belfast average was �107,165 and north Belfast's �103,384.

The highest rise, and highest average house price is in Coleraine, Limavady and the north coast, with a rise of 36% to an average price of �174,134.

However, in east Antrim the overall average price of �109,335 reflected a smaller increase of just over 8%.

The average price in north Down rose by 25% to �166,175; Lisburn almost 20% to �169,147; Antrim/Ballymena 30% to �136,260; Derry/Strabane 28% to �137,949; Mid-Ulster 17.6% to �151,510; Craigavon/Armagh 15% to �127,092; Mid & South Down 23% to �154,147; Enniskillen/ Fermanagh/ South Tyrone 30% to �160,726.

The average apartment in Northern Ireland now costs �129,456, a rise of 33% on 2004 while terraced and town houses rose in price by 28% to an average of �113,311.

Detached houses cost on average �211,882 showing a rise of just under 17% over the year; detached bungalows rose by 21.75% to an average price of �187,776.