House prices in the UK fell for the thirteenth month running in July as confidence continues to be dented by further price declines, a leading property website revealed today In its monthly survey of the sector, Hometrack said house prices in July fell 0.2 pct from the previous month, taking the average house price down to 161,300 stg against a peak in June 2004 of 167,700. Over the past 12 months, house prices have fallen 3.7 pct Despite further house price falls, Hometrack said activity in the market is still increasing, albeit at a slower rate than the last few months as the number of buyers onto the market fell. Sales agreed rose by 3 pct compared with 3.5 pct in June and 7.6 pct in May Though the market is not showing any signs of recovery, John Wriglesworth, Hometrack's housing economist, reckons that the key factors that determine the health of the market, such as high employment, rising household incomes and low interest rates, remain positive "What seems to be missing is simply buyer confidence," he said. "Hopefully once an interest reduction has occurred, confidence will be given a boost," he added. An interest rate cut is widely anticipated next month as the Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee responds to disappointing economic data The minutes to the July meeting of the MPC showed four out of the nine members voting for a quarter-point cut in the key repo rate to 4.50 pct.