Core Insights - The Chinese real estate market continues to experience a downward trend, with the average price of second-hand residential properties in 100 cities hovering around 15,088 yuan per square meter, marking the 23rd consecutive month of month-on-month decline [1] - A staggering 98 cities reported price drops in March, with over 90 cities experiencing declines each month for the past 10 months [1] - The number of second-hand housing listings has surged, with cities like Chongqing exceeding 270,000 listings, Tianjin over 190,000, Suzhou around 177,800, and Beijing approximately 147,000 [1] Group 1: Market Conditions - The real estate market is facing a paradox of over 100 million vacant homes while many families with genuine housing needs are unable to afford properties [3][5] - The vacancy rate is reported to be as high as 21.8%, with estimates suggesting that the number of vacant homes could accommodate 300 to 400 million people [3] Group 2: Affordability Issues - In second and third-tier cities, the total price for a 90 square meter property ranges from 1.5 million to 2 million yuan, while in first-tier cities, it escalates to 5 million to 6 million yuan [5] - Local residents typically earn between 3,000 to 6,000 yuan per month, making home ownership a significant financial burden [5] Group 3: Proposed Solutions - Former Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Qiu Baoxing suggests creating a comprehensive mechanism to combat speculative buying and establish a corresponding tax system [7] - The proposed policy framework includes providing affordable housing and shared ownership options to low-income urban families, which could redirect some market demand and encourage speculators to exit [9] - Implementing a property tax or vacancy tax could increase the cost of holding properties, thereby discouraging speculative behavior and promoting more rational use of housing resources [10]