The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics housing finance figures, published yesterday, confirm the prevailing view that growth in the mortgage market has settled down into the mid-single digits.Lenders made housing finance commitments worth A$20.3 billion in February - 5.7 per cent higher than the $19.2 billion of commitments made in February last year.Total outstandings (owner-occupier and investment loans) stood at $1.1 trillion in February - 7.9 per cent higher than total outstandings in February last year.The month-on-month figures showed a sizeable drop. In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of owner-occupied housing finance commitments fell by 2.5 per cent from January to February. The value of these loans fell four per cent.Much of the drop was recorded in New South Wales, where the Government has removed the stamp duty exemption for first-home buyers whose properties are worth more than $500,000.Average mortgage size continues to fall - down from $291,500 in January to $282,800 last month. Average loan size has fallen for the past seven months from a high of $303,900 last July.The number of borrowers taking fixed rates grew from 11.4 per cent in January to 11.9 per cent last month. Back in August fixed-rate loans accounted for only 5.9 per cent of the total.The value of investment housing finance went up 4.4 per cent month-on-month. However, the investment lending figures are volatile, even in seasonally adjusted terms, and the $6.8 billion of investment loans sold in February is in the mid range for the past 12 months.