Hometowns steal housing thunder from metropolises

Migrant employees use Spring Festival holiday to ponder investments in lower-tier cities

Spring Festival has come and gone, and China's property industry is pondering if the real action is in lower-tier cities, away from the hustle-bustle of metros like Beijing and Shanghai.

Typically, property sellers record peak sales around Spring Festival (which fell on Feb 5 this year). But an industry report is giving them sleepless nights.