More fears of a China real estate bubble that is now veering toward an eventual meeting with a pin have emerged after the latest round of housing reports show the government’s efforts to slow things down have met with only modest success. From Lillian Liu of Finance Asia comes this report on the latest worries and the likely outcome.

It isn’t a question of whether China’s property market is a bubble, but when it will burst.

Xiao Wan bought a 65-square-metre apartment near the North fourth ring road in Beijing last year. He couldn’t even recall clearly the room layout but remembered it was the first decent enough apartment that he found fairly affordable. He hastily signed the purchasing documents, but has never lived there and does not plan to.

The 27-year-old lives with his friend near the third ring road in China’s capital city. He bought the apartment as an investment, which so far is panning out. “I bought it for Rmb15,000 ($2,214) per-square-metre; it now can be sold at Rmb25,000,” he said. “It’s good just having it.”

Wan is not alone. Many homebuyers nowadays in China consider their property assets as part of their long-term savings plan, as well as a hedge against inflation.

Why property? China’s tightly run financial system leaves only three places for its zealous savers to put their money. Bank deposits are one option. But they yield 2.25%, less than the 3.1% rise in May’s consumer price inflation. The equity markets are a second choice. But stocks have been performing poorly; Shanghai’s benchmark index was one of the world’s worst performers in the first half of 2010. (And the bond market is underdeveloped.) Even with its high transaction costs and manic price moves, property has become the preferred investment choice for everyone from young married couples to middle-aged factory workers trying to ensure their retirement.

For those of you keeping track at home, that would be a gain of about 67 percent over the last year for Xiao Wan and untold billions for his fellow real estate investors.

(more…)