China lowers downpayment requirements for second homes

China announced minimum down payments for second home purchases using provident funds will be lowered from 30 to 20 percent on Monday, provided the buyers have fully repaid their mortgage loans on the first home.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the People's Bank of China jointly announced that Chinese citizens who wish to buy a second home will have access to the lowered down payment ratio starting on Tuesday.

According to the announcement, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen can make their own decisions about the minimum down payment ratio of second homes on the basis of the national policy.