The housing finance market continued its steady recovery in September, but the business lending market may have stalled again.According to figures released by the Reserve Bank yesterday, housing finance balances grew by 0.4 per cent in September and by 4.8 per cent in the year to September.The annual growth rate has picked up, from 4.7 per cent in August and 4.4 per cent at the start of the year.Housing finance balances were made up of loans to owner-occupiers, which grew by 0.4 per cent in September and by 4.2 per cent over the year to September, and loans to investors, which grew by 0.6 per cent month-on-month and 6.1 per cent over the 12 months.There were A$885.6 billion of owner-occupier loans outstanding in September and $427.1 billion of investor loans.Business loan balances fell 0.1 per cent in September, after increasing by 0.1 per cent in August. Balances grew by 1.1 per cent in the year to September. The annual growth rate has slipped from 1.3 per cent in July and 1.4 per cent in August.There were $741.3 billion of business loans outstanding in September.Personal loan balances have picked up this year, although the growth rate remains very modest. Balances grew by 0.3 per cent in September and by one per cent in the 12 months to September. At the start of the year balances were shrinking.Australian Prudential Regulation Authority figures published yesterday also show housing finance balances increasing by 4.8 per cent in the year to September. APRA's figure for growth in business lending is higher than the RBA's, at 2.5 per cent over the past 12 months.APRA's figures also show that household deposit growth is still running comfortably ahead of lending, at 7.9 per cent over the 12 months to September.