Asking price growth slows for homes in England, Wales-Rightmove

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Asking prices for homes on sale in England and Wales rose by 1 percent in the month to early March, the slowest increase for the time of year since 2012 and another sign of a cooling in the housing market, property website Rightmove said on Monday.

Rightmove's House Price Index showed a 5.4 percent year-on-year increase in asking prices in the period between Feb 8 and March 7, down from 6.6 percent a month earlier, it said.

Other measures of the housing market have shown price growth slowing from gains of about 10 percent in mid-2014, reflecting tougher controls on mortgage lending introduced by British regulators worried about the risk of price bubble.

Rightmove also said its survey found a rise in interest among investors considering using their pension pots to acquire a buy-to-let property when rules on how such savings can be used are relaxed in April. (Reporting by William Schomberg)