On the 28th, Wang Juelin, deputy director of the Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD), stated that the procedure for introducing purchase restriction measures is as follows: First, MOHURD provides standards, then local governments report to the ministry based on their own situations, and subsequently relevant measures are introduced. "Local governments issue their own purchase restriction policies and measures; they are not designated by MOHURD, but rather MOHURD urges local governments to introduce them."
Journalists learned that negotiations between MOHURD and second- and third-tier city local governments regarding purchase restrictions are still ongoing. MOHURD has reached an 'agreement' with about 20 second- and third-tier cities to 'introduce purchase restriction measures.' However, the specific list of cities cannot be fully determined before the measures are officially announced, so it remains undisclosed. It is understood that this negotiation work is expected to be completed by the end of August, after which local governments will begin issuing their own formulated purchase restriction policies starting in early September.
In the five criteria for expanding purchase restrictions released in mid-August, "localities may adjust the detailed standards appropriately based on actual conditions." In the eyes of Li Tiangang, director of the Real Estate Center at Shandong University, this represents flexible execution of a strict policy. By allowing local governments to modify control standards, there is concern that the effect of the expanded control could be 'discounted.'
The impending expansion of purchase restrictions has already drawn significant attention in Shandong's real estate market. Zhu Jiang, general manager of Shandong World Union Yigao, speculated that applying the five criteria, most prefecture-level cities and above might fall within this scope. "With so many cities eligible, the selection process is intriguing."
Journalists learned that the观望情绪 among homebuyers has intensified, and in many cities, numerous projects have increased group-buying discounts ahead of the expanded purchase restrictions. On the 27th, a homebuyer in Zibo told reporters that he learned of a project in Zibo offering a group-buying discount of one thousand yuan per square meter, with several hundred units available, marking an unprecedented discount scale. Additionally, several seaside housing projects outside the restricted area have frequently contacted potential customers via text messages, using "not subject to restrictions" as their promotional theme.
Journalists learned that some cities in Shandong have preemptively implemented price caps before the official announcement of the expanded restriction list, hoping to avoid being included in the expanded restrictions. Li Tiangang believes this indicates local governments' opposition to purchase restrictions. "Fundamentally speaking, the vast majority of local governments still have not escaped the constraints of land finance." Under the tax-sharing system, local governments lack robust quality tax sources, yet infrastructure construction and social security improvements require substantial funding. "After purchase restrictions, difficulties in land transfers, slower increases in land prices, or even unsold plots directly lead to financial challenges for local governments," making local governments' resistance to purchase restrictions understandable.