I don't believe Nanning is a bubble at this point in time. I haven't seen any apartments here that cost more than 10k/sqm, and 5k is the standard.

Switching topics, I registered with the police today, and was the first foreigner to ever do so. It was an arduous process.

True. I was actually referring more to the Tier 1 and some Tier 2 cities. There's still a lot of room to run in some cities further down the tiers. The main thing to watch is the apartment price rises vs the rise in incomes. When the former completely outstrips the latter by orders of magnitude, trouble is down the road somewhere. This happens around the world, just like gravity. There are no exceptions and this will happen in China also.

Having seen this from the development side, one of the biggest problems has been the cost of acquiring land rights. By the time the developer pays the government for this (official price plus whatever extortionate backhanders are involved), then add in the cost of relocation of existing residents which is normally 2nd largest cost, there is no equation that financially makes sense other than to build higher-end housing which a huge proportion of the locals that actually need new housing, can't afford. It's a vicious and self-perpetuating cycle. On the non-residential side, market metrics and due diligence as one would do in the west before Go/No-Going a decision, is not a driver. Politics and being able to crony up some lending from friendly bankers is. Which is why you see so many projects that make absolutely no sense.

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Nice big pool and we know you like to swim. Is this your new apt complex? One good thing about being in Nanning is the climate is more conducive to outdoor swimming for much more of the year than Shanghai.

Not only is the pool in my complex, but the entrance is literally 10 meters away from our doorway. I really like it!

The thing is, pool or not, I still don't enjoy going outside during the heat of the day. While Shanghai is also hot this time of the year, the smog layer really helps prevent those direct sun rays from penetrating me.

Switching topics, taxis are really hard to fetch here, and the buses don't seem to have aircon.

Maybe get the car you were trying for earlier in Shanghai? Or at least an electric bike.

I think they banned electric bicycles as they realized the bikes circumvented the law to ban motorcycles based on theft which in actuality was a ban based on "face".

Most cities still have plenty of electric bicycles. In most cities they aren't treated in the same category as motorcycles, at least the pedal style (more bicycle-like vs scooter/moped-like). I don't know specifically about Nanning.

There are many here.

The vegetation around the pool makes it look like a tropical garden....and the pool is huge. Wow! I think moondog is going to like his new place.

I thought this was more like a typical street in China.

It is a typical photo. However, the operable word in your sentence is "street." The electric bicycles are not in your photo because they are not in the street. Electric bikes generally are in the bike lanes and going down the sidewalks.

beat me to it jiejie!

The electric bikes are immensely irritating. Our campus has a ban on motorbikes, but it's entirely irrelevant when many of the electric bikes can manage 20-30 mph, and moreso, are ridden by complete idiots.

tb

Bicycles aren't really banned, just no need
for them when you have Audi A8s.

Chang'an Jie

1986




2012

DH was watching CCTV and shouted out that Shanghai is sweltering at over 100 degrees F! We are just toasty in San Francisco. Other parts of the Bay Area are sweltering, too. moondog's pool looks so inviting.

anacapamalibu: thanks for the then and now pictures.