Robust demand lifts home prices in June

Lower interest rates, down payments help the market stabilize; first-tier cities fare best

New home prices in major Chinese cities rose month-on-month in June for the second straight month, a private survey showed on Wednesday.

The average price in 100 cities rose 0.56 percent month-on-month to 10,628 yuan ($1,715) per square meter, the China Index Academy, a research unit of SouFun Holdings Ltd, said in a report.