Have home, won't sell

Despite booming real estate prices in Beijing, Wang Ke, a 32-year-old bank clerk, recently bought a 98-square-meter flat off the Third Ring Road.

"Demand (for homes) has been strong," said Wang, who is three months pregnant with her first baby. "My parents will help in looking after the newborn baby since my husband and I both have to work, and the current 60-sq-m apartment with only one bedroom and one living room is too small for the five of us."

Wang said the couple has been considering buying a more spacious flat since last year, but waited in the hope that the policy environment will turn homebuyer-friendly and prices will ease.