Home owners can expect house prices to stop falling mid-year, but only after the Reserve Bank of Australia ends its fastest monetary tightening in 30 years, and they will have to wait longer before property prices start rising.

A survey of 31 economists by AFR Weekend suggests a 15 per cent decline in the value of properties from top to bottom, according to the median forecaster. Only six respondents are more optimistic, predicting a smaller loss.