By Rachel Wait

Many of the mortgage issues that have dominated the headlines in 2011 are also likely to be relevant in 2012.

One of the major questions will be whether base rate will rise and how this will impact mortgage rates. Predictions for this vary considerably, with some saying base rate will rise in 2013, while others claim it won't increase until 2015. But whatever happens, a base rate hike in 2012 is looking unlikely.

However, base rate isn't the only thing that affects mortgage rates. The Bank of England has already warned that lenders have failed to keep mortgage rates in line with higher wholesale funding and other costs. As a result, mortgage rates may have to start increasing next year.

Having said that, increases are unlikely to be pushed through until lenders know whether funding conditions will continue to worsen and overall, it seems unlikely that mortgage rates will rise significantly in 2012.

House prices will, unsurprisingly, be another topical subject. It's likely to be another year of ups and downs and certain areas will be more affected than others - London, for example, will remain more resilient, while the north is likely to see the largest falls in house prices.

Overall, across the UK, house prices are likely to end the year lower - expert estimates are anywhere between 2% and 10% down.

Meanwhile, landlords are set to profit again in 2012 as the buy-to-let market is likely to continue to grow, with demand for rental properties remaining high, resulting in higher rental prices.

Sadly, there are unlikely to be any significant developments for the first-time buyer market. Although some lenders may continue to offer deals to help first-time buyers get onto the property ladder, generally-speaking, high deposits and tighter lending criteria are set to remain problematic.

Note that these are only predictions about what could happen in 2012 - without a crystal ball we can't tell you exactly what will happen.