Flash estimates for the fourth quarter show that prices of private homes in Singapore rose 1.8 per cent, compared with 0.6 per cent in the previous quarter.

For the year, the price rises have slowed. Overall prices were up 2.8 per cent, compared with the 5.9 per cent recorded for 2011.

Among the three different regions, the suburban areas showed the sharpest increase. The outside central region's prices edged up sharply by 3.4 per cent compared with 1 per cent in the third quarter.

The other two regions also registered higher price increases than in the third quarter. Core central region's prices were 0.8 per cent higher, compared with 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.

Prices in the rest of central region were 0.9 per cent higher, compared with 0.8 per cent in the the previous quarter.

Flash estimates are based on caveats lodged in the first 10 weeks of the quarter.