Home market is back on terra firma

Fresh curbs in four cities settle fears of runaway prices and property bubble

Friday's housing curbs by Beijing and three major cities are part of the larger effort to rein in China's real estate industry where home prices tended to skyrocket of late, threatening to create a property bubble, experts said.

On Friday, Beijing raised the down payment requirements for buyers of a second home from 50 percent to 60 percent of the full price.