Cost of housing to fall but no 'hard landing' expected

Beijing - The nation's high housing prices will meet a downward inflection point in the third quarter of the year but the sector is not expected to suffer a "hard landing", according to a report released on Saturday by the Beijing-based Renmin University of China.

More Chinese cities saw lower price growth for commercial homes during the first six months of the year amid strict measures aimed at tightening the property market and lowering housing prices, noted a report by the Institute of Economic Research at Renmin University of China.

"Some cities experienced a downward trend in property prices in the January-June period, though without a significant drop," the report said.