Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the current state of housing loans in major banks amid declining housing prices, highlighting the significant loan balances and the rising non-performing loan rates in the context of a cooling real estate market [2][14]. Group 1: Housing Loan Balances - The "Big Six" banks have substantial personal housing loan balances, with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and China Construction Bank (CCB) each exceeding 6 trillion yuan, while Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) is close to 5 trillion yuan, and Bank of China (BOC) is just over 4 trillion yuan [3][4]. - As of June 2025, the personal housing loan balances for the "Big Four" banks (ICBC, CCB, ABC, and BOC) have decreased compared to the end of 2024, with ABC seeing a reduction of 49.16 billion yuan and CCB a decrease of 42.36 billion yuan [12][13]. Group 2: Loan Quality and Non-Performing Rates - The asset quality of housing loans remains strong, with non-performing loan (NPL) rates for personal housing loans significantly lower than overall loan NPL rates. For instance, ICBC's personal housing loan NPL rate was only 0.86% as of June 2025, compared to an overall rate of 1.33% [6][7]. - However, there is a noted increase in the NPL rates for personal housing loans across the "Big Six" banks from the end of 2024 to June 2025, indicating a trend of rising asset quality pressure [6][14]. Group 3: Market Trends and Implications - The decline in housing loan balances among the "Big Four" banks reflects the end of the booming real estate market, suggesting a shift in lending dynamics as housing prices remain low [12][14]. - Despite personal housing loans being a relatively safer loan category, the increasing NPL rates signal potential challenges ahead for banks as the real estate market continues to struggle [14].