Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

Thanks to a series of government macro-control policies to cool off the overheated real estate market, Lou, a Suzhou resident, wanted to take the opportunity to buy low-priced housing in the city. However, he was disappointed.
In the surrounding cities of Suzhou, more investors slash prices to sell properties, but the prices in Suzhou are quite stable, Lou said with disappointment.
Compared with other cities in the Yangtze River Delta Region, Suzhou hasn't seen rapid home price increases for the last two years. Most people purchase homes for living rather than investment purposes.
Second-hand home sales are booming in Suzhou. There is a growing demand for used homes this month, especially those with an area between 70 and 100 square meters, said an industry analyst, adding that the prices are stable.
The new housing market in Suzhou is balanced. A total of 4,717 apartments have been sold via the Internet since last month, with a trading volume of nearly three billion yuan (US$360 million).
However, in Nanjing and Hangzhou, more properties are unsold.
There are fewer investors in Suzhou and the local real estate market is comparatively healthy, the analyst pointed out, adding that efficient regulatory policies in the city help improve the real estate market.