LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The boss of Britain'ssecond-biggest mortgage lender Nationwide said the UK housingmarket was "healthy and strong" and he expected house priceinflation to continue at about 3-4 percent, although there couldbe a cool-down in the London market.
"It (the UK housing market) is healthy and strong, but it'snothing to raise your eyebrows. It's nothing that I'd describeas extraordinary," Nationwide Chief Executive Graham Beale toldReuters on Friday.
"We've seen this year annualised house price inflation ofabout 3-4 percent and we'd expect that to continue."
He said the London market could cool from recent pricegrowth of just over 10 percent, however.
"My expectation is you will see a dampening of prices (inLondon) as there comes a point when it (the price) overwhelmsthe growth in wages," he said.
Beale was speaking after customer-owned Nationwide said its profits jumped by more than a quarter in its latest sixmonths, driven by record mortgage lending. (Reporting by Steve Slater; Editing by Mark Potter)