Legal sources

Buying a home in China costs more than the price and the down payment. The buyer pays deed tax (契税) and a registration fee. The seller pays personal income tax on transfer unless the five-year only-home exemption (满五唯一) applies, and if they have owned the home for less than 2 years, VAT and its surcharges as well. A commercial loan follows the loan prime rate (LPR) plus a spread, and members of the housing provident fund (公积金) can borrow part of the price from the fund at a lower rate. National rules set the tax rates and the minimum down payment; each city may set a higher minimum, its own provident fund limits and its own home purchase restrictions (限购). Each default below cites its law or notice, the article and the date last verified, or is marked as a market convention. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen are covered so far; for another city, national rules apply and you enter the city's values. Titles and document numbers are as published, so you can look up the official text.