For the record, empty real estate is the norm over here in China. The government dissuades capital exodus, a strategy which is also partly assisted by cultural and linguistic challenges. The result has been that many people have simply bought, developed, and sat on real estate right across the country, a huge proportion of which is empty. The really poor people (most people) cannot afford anything, and even if you do "buy", it's only a lease from the government for under a hundred years. In other words, even if real estate is perceived as a safe haven, in fact it's not. Nobody's comfortable. Everyone's constantly on edge. The older generation, despite opening their eyes to the world, cling desperately to their children as insurance against the coming winds of change. (And the 'typical' family structure: 4 grandparents, 2 parents, 1 child.)