The housing finance market performed strongly in June, but analysts cautioned against reading too much into the numbers. Housing market figures have been volatile in recent months because of changes to stamp duty arrangements in New South Wales and Victoria.According to Australian Bureau of Statistics housing finance figures released yesterday, the value of housing finance commitments rose 2.4 per cent in June (in seasonally adjusted terms).The number of owner-occupier housing loans rose 1.3 per cent. This is the highest monthly increase since December last year.While the numbers look positive, Westpac senior economist Matthew Hassan said in a note that state government policy changes are likely to have affected them.The New South Wales Government's full stamp duty exemption for buyers purchasing off the plan or building new homes expired on July 1.The Victorian Government discontinued a bonus scheme for buyers of new homes at the end of June.Hassan said: "All of this makes interpreting the June figures more difficult than usual."The figures show that the number of loans to first-home buyers rose strongly, while loans for the purchase of established houses and refinance has been falling.The proportion of first-home buyers was 18.3 per cent - up from 17.8 per cent in May, and a low of 16.4 per cent in March.Average loan size continued to increase, after hitting a 12-month low of $282,900 in February. Average loan size in June was $295,500.The average loan size for first-home buyers was $289,400.