Buyers Bet Wen Can’t Keep Prices Down as Home Sales Gain

Sales at Sunac West Chateau, a residential project in Beijing, surged almost 50 percent in June as the developer opened new buildings to attract buyers betting on a recovery even as the government pledges to keep a lid on the housing market.

“In the first half of the year, it was like gazing at flowers in a fog,” said Lou Yanqing, deputy sales manager of the project, using a Chinese expression to describe the uncertainty over the government’s policies to curb house price gains. “We’re seeing some sunshine now, and going forward there’s a big chance that the clouds will clear,” she said.