The rise in home prices in major Chinese cities accelerated last month, a survey showed yesterday, as the government suggested it might not take further steps to tighten the market.
The average price of new homes in 100 major cities rose 7.94 percent year-on-year last month, up from an increase of 7.4 percent recorded in June, according to the independent China Index Academy (CIA).
14-MONTH GROWTH
That brought the average cost of new homes to 10,347 yuan (US$1,689) per square meter, said the CIA, which is owned by Soufun Holdings (搜房), China’s largest real estate Web site operator.
Month on month, the price increased 0.87 percent, marking the 14th straight month of growth and accelerating from June’s 0.77 percent.
The academy said the pickup in prices last month was led by rising uncertainties about the economy, which eased concern about new measures aimed at tightening the property sector.
STEADY PROGRESS
The CIA expected policies governing the sector to stay steady in the coming months, credit control to be “reasonable” and prices to continue to rise as a result.
“In the next half of the year or over an even longer period of time, the stabilizing macro environment will help release further demand for homes and sales, and prices will be in upward momentum,” it said.
SENSITIVE ISSUE
Property prices are a sensitive issue in China and authorities have sought for more than three years to control their rise.
Measures have included restrictions on purchases of second and third homes, higher minimum down-payments and taxes in some cities on multiple and non-locally owned homes.
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