<p>House prices rose 0.9% during March according to figures released today (April 2) by Nationwide Building Society.</p> <br><p>Nationwide described the move as a "surprise bounce" which reduced the annual rate of fall by 1.9 points, easing from -17.6% to -15.7%. This brings the price of a typical house to £150,946.</p> <br><p>Commenting on the figures, Nationwide's chief economist Fionnuala Earley, said: "While the rise in prices in March is welcome, it is far too soon to see this as evidnce that the trough of the market has been reached. The Bank of England has already taken strong measures to ease the tensions in economic and financial markets by cutting rates and commencing quantitative easing. However it will take time for these to work through into the housing market before we can expect a sustained recovery in house prices."</p> <br><p>Earlier in the year Halifax reported that house prices rose 1.9% in January, but this was swiftly more than offset by a fall in February.</p> <br><p> </p>