The latest house price index from e.surv confirms what many regional agents have been whispering for months: the North of England's remarkable run of price growth is beginning to lose momentum. According to the index, annual price growth across the North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humber has softened to an average of around 4.2%, down from highs of 5.5% to 6% recorded in the same regions less than a year ago. While still comfortably outpacing London's anaemic 1.3% annual growth and the South East's 1.6%, the deceleration signals that even the UK's best-performing regional markets are not immune to the twin pressures of stretched affordability and elevated borrowing costs.