In fact, after this year's Spring Festival, news of a loosening of Xiamen's purchase restriction policy had already circulated, but no official notice had been issued. Exactly one week after Fujian Province introduced the "Eight Measures of Fujian" market rescue policy, the detailed rules of Xiamen's home purchase preferential policy were officially released.

       "After the document was issued, it gave reassurance to some homebuyers who had been taking a wait-and-see attitude," Guo Zhongzong, vice president of the Xiamen Intermediary Association, told the Daily Economic News reporter. Last weekend, the number of homebuyers coming to inquire increased noticeably, and some buyers who had previously met the conditions but were uncertain about the policy have been placing orders one after another.

       Zhang Ziji, chief analyst at Xiamen Housing Price Review Network, believes that the loosening of purchase restrictions in Xiamen this time is mainly reflected in expanding the market's customer base. The number of homes under a buyer's name is determined only by the number of first-hand homes owned in Xiamen; properties elsewhere are not counted. Purchase restrictions outside the island are canceled and no medical insurance or social security payments are required; local registered households that already own two homes on the island cannot buy on the island, but there are no purchase restrictions outside the island. As a result, the threshold for non-local homebuyers has been greatly lowered.

       However, Zhang Ziji believes that although the customer base appears to have expanded, this will not necessarily drive a significant rise in transaction volume. Products currently on the Xiamen market lean more toward upgrade buyers; at the same time, constrained by price factors, more and more first-time buyers are being forced out, while upgrade buyers are restricted by mortgage lending limits. Mortgage lending limits have not yet been relaxed, meaning the shackles on the housing market remain.

          "We are also waiting to see whether banks will offer further preferential policies," Guo Zhongzong said. Although purchase restrictions have been relaxed on a large scale, banks have still not followed up with relevant implementation plans, and most homebuyers are still waiting for a relaxation of mortgage limits.

       At present, Xiamen banks are still applying 5% to 10% above the previous benchmark interest rate. At the same time, although Xiamen's detailed rules also include implementation of differentiated mortgage policies, there are no specific details; they only state in general terms that "commercial banks shall increase support for affordable housing construction projects, support the acceleration of ordinary commercial housing construction, continue to implement differentiated housing credit policies, optimize approval processes, and effectively improve the level of financial services."

        Zhang Ziji believes that the Xiamen housing market is currently relatively healthy; if mortgage limits were fully relaxed, it would inevitably trigger a rise in transaction volume and prices.