Shenzhen's average housing price exceeded 20,000 RMB (3,030 USD) per square meter last month, up 6.6 percent over December, according to city urban planning and resources commission statistics.
Selling for an average price of 20,168 RMB per square meter, a total of 4,128 new apartments were sold last month, a total floor area of 340,000 square meters, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
A total of 3,472 apartments, each with a floor area less than 90 square meters, were sold last month, while 220 apartments each with a floor area more than 144 square meters were sold.
The average price of the pre-owned housing last month rose 2.95 percent over December to 18,997 RMB per square meter, according to Centaline Property statistics.
A total of 9,712 pre-owned apartments were sold last month, with a total floor area of 810,000 square meters. However, sales of new and pre-owned apartments declined last month, the Daily said.
Insiders were divided on the effects of a new series of policies to curb runaway housing prices, which were issued by the State Council on Jan.26.
According to the new policies, buyers of second apartments had to pay a down payment of no less than 60 percent of the total price in addition to higher mortgage rates.
An analyst with the Century 21 Real Estate, Yang Xiaohui, predicted the new polices would push down housing sales in Shenzhen and housing prices would fall.
However, Liu Yu, deputy manager of Shenzhen Guofang Land and Real Estate Evaluation and Consultancy Co., said the new policies would have a limited effect on the housing market.
Liu said that, under the influence of the new policies, housing prices would not fall because owners were probably becoming more reluctant to sell their apartments.
On the other hand, the apartment rents would probably rise further, Liu said.
(Li Hao)
