BBC News - High cost of property hits China's middle class

BBC News - High cost of property hits China's middle class

For the past two decades, property has been one of the foundations of China's phenomenal growth. But there are ongoing worries that the market may be overheating. So should you buy at any cost?

Stephanie Chen lives and works in Shanghai Pudong. She is an architect, and at the end of 2009 decided to buy her first property.

Like many in China's middle class, Stephanie worried that if she did not get on the property ladder, prices would continue to rise so quickly that she would be priced out of the market.