Housing market expected to cool under strict purchasing limits (5)

Aside from purchase limits and property taxes, the government also vowed to provide 10 million subsidized affordable apartments nationwide to low-income families this year. That figure roughly translates into half of the housing floor space sold on the market in 2010.
But for families who have money, property is one of the few available investment options whose long-term gains can beat inflation.
Chinese residents have traditionally favored saving over consumption and investment when it comes to the disposal of income. But a survey conducted by the People's Bank of China, the central bank, late last year found that more respondents have opted for investment than keeping their money in banks.