Women hold up half the sky, but men own homes

Why do housing prices keep hovering at high levels, if not continuing to soar in Chinese cities?

Over the past couple of decades, pundits have come up with a number of reasons or jokes to explain the phenomenon. One of the most famous ones, the "mother-in-law theory", blames it on the loving lady who pressures her would-be son-in-law into buying a house before marrying her daughter. There is also the "kept-woman theory", which says many young mistresses now demand a house in their names from their men, fueling property prices.

You may laugh away such ideas as being frivolous and unproven. However, on a more serious note, they show the desire and vigor of many Chinese women who strive to own a place they can call their own. Homeownership is widely accepted as the centerpiece of personal financial security after housing assets became the dominant component of Chinese household wealth. More than half of the wealth creation in recent years is due to the appreciation of home prices.