The housing finance market has recorded nine months of steady growth, making up the ground lost when it went into a sharp decline in late 2010 and early 2011.There were 46,953 owner-occupied dwelling commitments in November 2011 (in seasonally adjusted terms), according Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday. That figure was up 1.4 per cent on the previous month and up 6.1 per cent over the past six months. The market reached a low in March last year, when 40,809 owner-occupied dwellings were financed.The value of commitments in November was $13.8 billion - up 2.2 per cent on the previous month and up 3.4 per cent over the past six months.The average loan size was A$294,800, which has fallen three per cent from a 12-month high of $303,900 in July last year.First-home buyer activity continues to increase. First-home buyers made up 20 per cent of the housing finance market in November - up from 19.1 per cent the previous month and a low of 16.3 per cent last July.