Yi Anguo thought about buying a house. At the time, real estate prices in Dongguan were just over 3,000 yuan per square meter, and advertisements for properties with zero down payment and monthly installments of six to seven hundred yuan were everywhere. If he rented out a property, the rent would be enough to cover the mortgage. Furthermore, as a transmigrator, Yi Anguo was certain that housing prices would rise in the future, making any purchase now a guaranteed profit.
However, buying in Shenzhen seemed more cost-effective than buying in Dongguan. Firstly, Shenzhen had better educational resources, meaning his daughter could receive a superior education there. Additionally, housing prices in the areas outside Shenzhen's special economic zone were no higher than in Dongguan, hovering around 3,000 yuan per square meter. Yet, the potential for appreciation was much greater in Shenzhen, and the rental income would be higher.
After receiving the 10,000 yuan transfer fee from the sub-lessor, Yi Anguo moved his personal belongings into a temporarily rented single room. He then took his daughter to Shenzhen, sightseeing while beginning to investigate the local real estate market.
Yi Anguo was very familiar with Shenzhen, having worked in both Shenzhen and Dongguan before his rebirth. The city's development and changes were enormous and could be described as advancing by the day. This was especially true for real estate, with new high-rise residential communities popping up everywhere.
Yi Anguo was primarily interested in second-hand homes that came furnished with appliances. This would spare him the hassle of renovation and allow him to rent them out immediately. They were affordable, practical, and offered better value for his money. For example, a 100-square-meter apartment in Buji's Nanling Garden was selling for only 180,000 yuan. Yi Anguo clearly remembered that twenty years later, the average price in Nanling Garden would soar to over 32,000 yuan per square meter. A 100-square-meter apartment would be valued at more than 3.2 million yuan, an increase of roughly eighteen times. Of course, this wasn't the highest rate of appreciation; some properties increased in value by thirty or even forty times.
Smaller units were even cheaper. A two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment of about sixty square meters could be bought for 110,000 to 120,000 yuan. He could buy five of them outright for only 600,000 yuan, and their value would appreciate by at least twenty-five times in twenty years. He could live in one and rent out the other four. At current rental prices for apartments in residential communities, each would fetch at least a thousand yuan per month. Even a two-bedroom, one-living-room farmhouse in the countryside cost five to six hundred yuan, and the living conditions were incomparable. The four apartments would bring in four to five thousand yuan a month in rent. In this era, living in the outskirts of Shenzhen with a young daughter would be completely pressure-free.
The recent pandemic had just passed, and property developers were running massive sales promotions with unprecedented and highly attractive deals. They advertised waivers of the initial down payment, move-in-ready homes, free premium renovations, complimentary furniture and appliances, cash bonuses of 30,000 yuan, an extra 2 to 10 square meters of usable space, residency permits, and enrollment eligibility for prestigious schools. Buyers could also enter a lottery where the grand prize was an additional 5% discount. Developers were using every promotional tactic imaginable to sell their properties.
The prices themselves weren't expensive. Outside the special economic zone, the average price was around 3,000 yuan per square meter, with the cheapest going for just over 2,700. Inside the zone, however, it was much costlier. While there were cheaper options from three to four thousand yuan per square meter, the average was four to five thousand, with nicer places going for five to six thousand. Higher-end properties could cost six to eight thousand per square meter. The most prestigious properties in prime, central locations were naturally the most expensive, with some exceeding 10,000 yuan per square meter, though the city center average was around 7,000, and slightly farther areas were about 6,000.
Yi Anguo was incredibly tempted by it all, lamenting his lack of funds. If I had the money, I'd buy an entire residential complex. Would I even need to work for the rest of my life? I could just lie back and relax. I could spend my days in flip-flops, shorts, and a tank top, carrying a large ring of keys, just going around collecting rent. I can just imagine those pretty young tenants pleading with me, "Oh, Mr. Landlord, I don't even have money for food right now. Could you give me a few more days? I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I have the money." Or, "Mr. Landlord, could you lend me 200 yuan? I have no money to eat. I'll pay you back when I can." Just thinking about it is wonderful!
"Daddy! I have to pee!"
Just as Yi Anguo was lost in his wild fantasy, his daughter, Yi Xinyi, suddenly shouted.
"Oh! Daddy will take you to find a restroom. Hold it in, okay? Don't have an accident!" Yi Anguo said hurriedly. He frantically searched for a suitable place and noticed the Blue Coast sales office not far ahead. He immediately scooped up his daughter and ran over.
The Blue Coast sales office was lavishly decorated. Two rows of saleswomen in matching uniforms stood on either side of the entrance. When they saw Yi Anguo enter, they all bowed in unison and chimed, "Welcome to Blue Coast."
"Excuse me," Yi Anguo said with an embarrassed smile. "I'm not here to buy a house. My daughter needs to use the restroom. Could you please tell me where it is?"
"The restroom is over there," one of the saleswomen said, pointing. However, no one offered to lead the way.
Yi Anguo didn't mind. They were saleswomen, and since he wasn't a potential customer, they had no obligation to serve him. He nodded, said, "Thank you," and carried his daughter toward the restroom.
Just then, another saleswoman stepped forward and hurried to catch up with them. "Sir, allow me to show you the way. It might be difficult with your daughter, as our restrooms are separated for men and women."
"Thank you so much!" Yi Anguo said gratefully. If the restrooms were separate, it would have indeed been awkward. He couldn't take her into the men's room, nor could he go into the women's.
He glanced at the saleswoman and noticed how young and pretty she was, with a very innocent look. She wore her hair in a ponytail and had on the standard uniform: a short skirt that revealed a pair of long, fair legs, and high heels. She had a great figure and stood at least 1.7 meters tall. To be hired as a saleswoman here, she was certainly attractive.
Outside the restroom, Yi Anguo said to his daughter, "Xin Yi, go with this kind lady to the restroom. Be a good girl, okay?"
After they came out, Yi Anguo thanked the saleswoman once again.
"You're welcome," the saleswoman replied with a smile. "Your daughter is very sweet, adorable, and well-behaved."
"By the way," Yi Anguo asked casually, "what's the minimum down payment to buy a house here? And what's the lowest monthly payment?"
"Our homes at Blue Coast start at 6,400 yuan per square meter. We require a ten percent down payment, but we're currently running a promotion to waive that initial payment. The monthly payment depends on the size of the house you buy and the specific floor plan you choose," the saleswoman explained.
"Furthermore, our developer is offering a cash bonus of 1,000 yuan per square meter. So, if you purchase a 100-square-meter home, you'll receive a cash bonus of 100,000 yuan. We're also holding a lottery event. Every buyer gets to participate, and the grand prize is an additional 5% discount on the purchase price.
"So, while our list price is 6,400 yuan per square meter, when you subtract the ten percent down payment we waive, it's effectively a ten percent discount, bringing the price to 5,760 yuan per square meter. On top of that, we give you a cash bonus of 1,000 yuan per square meter. After all that, the price comes down to just 4,760 yuan per square meter. It's an absolutely fantastic deal.
"And one more thing, these are move-in-ready homes. They come with premium renovations and are fully furnished with all appliances. You can literally just bring your suitcase and move in."
"Buying a house here really does sound like a great deal," Yi Anguo said. "If I wanted to buy several houses, or even dozens, could I still get the ten percent down payment option?"
He then added, "I've seen many places advertising zero down payment. I even heard that some people buy a house without spending a single cent and actually get tens of thousands of yuan in cash back. Do you know how that works?"