Forums > Living in Kunming > Housing Prices Back on topic...
Tiger, I not only match your sentiments on Eye of Spring's prime location, but I'll raise you.
EoS is essentially above the MRT station. If deemed a walking distance, it is a downstair descent.
Like the eye of a storm, the 'Eye' here denotes center of Spring City. Not the all-watching Mordor scanning Frodo variety.
Wherever KM's current CBD is designated, EoS along with Hang Lung's Spring 66 are destined to become the CBD epicenter. Four skyscrapers strong. Situated above possible triple MRT interchange station. Chinese may refer to such 'golden' locations as 金华地段.
Where our path diverge, however, is buyers' demand.
I've been to residential sale openings/开盘 where buyers push and shove while yelling at one another. Resembling famished survivors of post apocalypse battling for last morsel of tudou, or "po-ta-toe" in hobbit context.
In contrast, EoS sales office was practically empty like a LV store sans Chinese shoppers. Sales agents outnumber potential buyers 5 to 1.
Most telling was sales' unenthusiast demeanor when a few onlookers arrived at the sales center. A telltale sign the developer is neither intent on releasing units from their steel beam grip, nor incentivizing smiley-go-getter-inducing commission for their sales team. Apparently the team got the memo.
I may have been fooled by seagull hearsay, but that quiet church mouse congregation ain't pulling one on anyone. Particularly not the likes of infamous Wenzhou real estate speculators group (温州炒房团).
Professional/career 炒房者 like them are known to prepurchase in bulk without batting eye nor being present in body on 开盘 day. They would wire money days in advance, like entering cheat codes in the digital monopoly game. Claiming Boardwalk, Park Place, and the four Railroads before tossing the dice.
温州帮 and similar speculator groups scout nationwide for locations with optimal growth potentials. Maybe these savvy, real estate prospectors are cognizant Km real estate market is relatively slower, carry higher opportunity costs.
They've either gobbled up EoS without public knowledge, or made a hard pass knowing that flipping 10-20 million yuan per apartment unit is a risky endeavor w/ limited upside. Because how many buyers have 20-40M to buy one unit? Not many. Not the amateur 炒房 masses. Perhaps more in Shanghai, but less here. The wealthy would rather opt for garden villas, like ones of suburbia dream homes in American movies. Moreover, Km is still a long way from a Manhattan-esque metropolitan draw.
Remember, 40k/sqm "起." Meaning, "starting price" for possibly the worst, lower units directly facing the opposite taller of the two skyscrapers with limited view. As consumers in China, we should all be vigilant with the small font "起“ character.
Like I said earlier, perhaps Junfa developer is misleading the actual unit sizes to prevent speculators from flipping their smaller and cheaper units at early stages of construction, so as to reap more themselves later in development.
Register Now! Compulsory Kunming-wide ebike registration ends April 15
发布者I saw the new Alipay Hello ebike taxied by side of road the other day. Tried to scan the barcode to test ride the battery powered baby, but it was already on loan to someone else.
You can see pictures of it, rates, and ebike whereabouts on your Alipay app > Hellobike miniprogram on main screen > 电动车 (third tab).
Promotion offers for maiden launch are as follows:
79cny/7 days
238/month
Buy 2 months for 1 month free (~5.5/day)
You can also buy them for over 2 grand, which imo is a bit pricey.
This may be a great means of transportation for short-term visitors. No red tape license seems to be necessary. Though not many ebike vehicles around town nor during his water testing phase.
Snapshot: A trip to Kunming and beyond in the 80s
发布者When I walked down the new Nanqiang Street the other day,
I smiled at the ancestors captured in time.
The continuation of shopkeepers, who embodied the hopes of their fathers. The same fears shared by mothers a generation prior.
While grappling with impermanence, their ancestors smiled back.
The ultimate foundation where our feet stood and smiles met were untainted by age.
Authenticity is a matter of perspective of the beholder.
Snapshot: A trip to Kunming and beyond in the 80s
发布者The evanescent appeals of old Kunming may only be captured in bygone memories and these still photos, but new blood is being transfused.
This is no more evident than Nanqiang Pedestrian St. (南强步行街, GPS 25.034788, 102.714101) where young entrepreneurs are setting up an eclectic taste to this particular pedestrian street near Nanping Jie.
Under rows of lanterns and lights, semi-portable food stalls and novel handicrafts vendors are mixing new flavours to our KM night market scene. A must visit for foodies. The early 20th century Sino-Vietnam train theme is cool.
I expect this site under development to be very popular among younger locals and visitors alike.
Kunming hospital in search for a cure for paraplegia
发布者I am rooting for Pierre, Aline, Stephane, Virginie, Michael, and all participants of this clinical trial.
Christopher Reeve is still my all time favorite Superman. More super for flying toward his kryptonite, not away.
The first of gaggle of gulls has arrived
发布者A viral video will ruffle some feathers.
Unruly visitor at Haigeng Daba was captured grabbing the feet of a gull and not letting go, perhaps hurting the poor bird as it finally escaped. Balantant incidents like these seem to reoccur annually to
our birds.
The perpetrator was reprimanded by other bystanders. Imo, the image of his face should be processed in the police facial recognition database to be formally charged and fined, social credit scored reduced what not.
This type of citizen involvement neighborhood watch may diminish future assaults on our seasonal cohabitants.