Beijing sees 7.6 pct housing price decrease in 2012

 BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has seen an increase in the number of residential¹ apartments sold in the city and witnessed a drop in prices for newly built homes in 2012, the Beijing Real Estate Association said on Sunday.

The capital sold about 230,000 residential apartments, a 36.9 percent year-on-year increase, statistics released by the association said.

The average price for newly built residential apartments was 20,700 yuan(about 3322 U.S. dollars) per square meter. The figure was a 7.6 percent year-on-year decrease from that in 2011.

Statistics show that in 2012 about 90 percent of all houses sold in Beijing were bought by first-time housing buyers.

Chen Zhi, secretary general with the association said it shows the effect of the government's firm stance on property market control.

Chen predicts that Beijing's market will be generally stable in 2013 as more low-cost housing and new apartments are introduced.

Beijing has imposed a raft of measures aimed at reining² in house prices since April 2010.

The government has vowed³ to keep in place measures such as higher downpayments, bans on third-home purchases and property tax trials.

1 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

2 reining   

勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的现在分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理

参考例句：

• "That's a fine bevy, Ma'm,'said Gerald gallantly, reining his horse alongside the carriage. "太太！好一窝漂亮的云雀呀！" 杰拉尔德殷勤地说，一面让自己的马告近塔尔顿的马车。
• I was a temperamental genius in need of reining in by stabler personalities. 我是个需要由更稳重的人降服住的神经质的天才。

3 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。