Policy changes force rethink

Miao Wenjun, a 32-year-old IT system equipment distribution manager, is thinking of abandoning her plan to buy an apartment in central Shanghai after a year of hunting for the ideal residence.

In late 2016, Miao, a native of Hefei, Anhui province, got her household registration, known as hukou, in Shanghai after working for 10 years in the city, which meant she was qualified to buy a home in the city under Shanghai's housing policies.

The first thing she did was selling her apartment in her hometown to raise 1.2 million yuan ($174,100) for the down payment for a property she would like to buy in Shanghai.