Cyprus property sales slipped back in June, according to the latest figures.

The country’s Land Registry offices reveal that a total of 543 contracts were deposited for the purchase of properties, 8 per cent lower than June last year.

But there is some positive news to be found: property sales across the first six months of 2012 were 4 per cent higher than the first half of 2011. This slight increase is most likely due to the rush to beat the Property Transfer Fee deadline, suggests Cyprus Property News, which has since been extended to the end of the year.

Domestic sales showed similar promise in June, with 15 properties sold across the month, 4 per cent higher than June last year, and 2,910 transactions completed in the first half of 2012, 12 per cent above the first six months of 2011.

Internationally, though, the market is still sliding. Sales fell in all areas by 36 per cent in June compared to last year, with Larnaca hardest hit by a year-on-year drop of 68 per cent.

Over the first six half of this year, overseas sales reached 800, 18 per cent down on the first half of last year.