DATA from the State Statistics Bureau show that new-home prices in most large cities across the country halted their upward trend last month, while Shenzhen’s new-home prices saw a month-on-month decline of 0.5 percent, the Daily Sunshine reported.

    According to the report released by the bureau on recently, among 15 first and second-tier cities in China, 11 of them — including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Fuzhou, Xiamen and Zhengzhou — have seen a decline of 0.1 to 0.5 percent in new-home prices in January.

    Additionally, new-home prices in three first and second-tier cities — Beijing, Hangzhou and Chengdu — remained stable last month, while new-home prices in Guangzhou increased by 0.6 percent compared with December. However, the growth rate had been declining for four consecutive months, the data showed.

    The report also noted that the growth rates of pre-owned home prices in many large cities have exceeded the growth rates of new-home prices, but the housing prices of both new homes and pre-owned apartments in third-tier cities were generally steady.

    Statistics from Centaline Property show that 318 new apartments were sold in Shenzhen in the second week of February, marking a growth in trading volume of 73.8 percent. The average transaction price was 52,043 yuan (US$7,567) per square meter, a week-on-week decline of 3.5 percent. (Zhang Yang)