THE latest house price survey out today provides a mixed bag of fortunes for so many.

It is no surprise that places like Ebbw Vale and Pontypool continue to see rises as high as 11 per cent as they play catch-up with the rest of the country.

Of course that's good news for existing homeowners but isn't so good for local first time buyers who will now find themselves struggling to get enough money together for a deposit on a new home.

And according to the Halifax, house prices in Newport have seen a fall of three per cent in the last year making the average home now worth £146,467.

Only last month we reported on another survey which predicted Newport would be the country's leading hotspot for price rises in 2008.

We have no doubt that this apparent downturn reported by the Halifax is nothing more than a blip.

With all the investment under way in the city, the interest in the area on the back of the Ryder Cup and the number of people relocating here to work, we can't see how prices can do anything but go up over the next few years.

We believe the area will continue to be a safe bet for as long as the housing market holds out and today's survey shouldn't be too much cause for concern for property owners in Newport.