Property Sales Slipped

The number of property transactions in England and Wales slipped to its lowest in five months in January, tax authority data showed on Tuesday.

HM Revenue and Customs said the number of property transactions fell to 133,000 in January in seasonally adjusted terms from 154,000 in December, revised from an originally reported 153,000. That was the lowest level since August 2005 when the Bank of England cut interest rates to 4.5 percent; a move that many analysts said gave a boost to the housing market at the end of last year.