Chapter 165 Buying a House

Chapter 165 Buying a House

"I don't like apartment buildings, I prefer courtyard homes."

Zhang Kaining was exasperated, "What's so great about those run-down courtyards? It's just like living in the countryside. We came to the city to live in high-rise buildings and modern houses."

Ye Xiaoxiao ignored him.

Zhang Kaining kept talking, "Do you know about the new developments by Xusheng Real Estate and Hongxing Real Estate? They're reportedly building the largest and most comprehensive residential development in China, which will be sold to the public. We can buy one too."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Hongxing Real Estate?"

Isn’t that Han Xing’s company?

"Yes, the two most powerful real estate companies in the entire capital are Hongxing Real Estate and Xusheng Real Estate."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

Given Han Xing’s connections, he would definitely get advance information on where to build commercial districts and where to build subways.

He’d have to be an idiot to lose money.

"You seem to know a lot about this, do you want to buy a house too?"

Zhang Kaining: "I want to buy a house and then have my parents move in with me."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Then you might consider courtyard homes in the city center. It's more convenient for the elderly."

Zhang Kaining: "No way, I’m definitely buying an apartment."

Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t see eye to eye with him and stopped persuading him, rode off on her bike.

Zhang Kaining didn’t understand Ye Xiaoxiao’s persistence, and Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t explain it to him.

They parted ways.

At that time, the run-down houses in the city center didn’t stand out much because there weren’t many high-rise buildings around for comparison, and the houses weren’t that dilapidated. Many courtyard homes were just regular yards.

Most were fully occupied, and a few were empty, but it was hard to find the owners.

Ye Xiaoxiao saw a few old-timers sitting at the entrance of the alley, playing chess.

"Hey, do you all live around here?"

The old-timers saw it was a young girl and nodded, "Yeah, miss, are you looking for someone?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I was wondering if any of the courtyards here are for sale. I want to buy one."

One of the old-timers exclaimed, "There are plenty of empty courtyards here, but the owners might not want to sell. A lot of them are ancestral homes, and folks want to hold onto them."

"Can you find the owners?"

"You can track down the owners of the empty ones. The ones without owners have already been assigned."

Another bystander chimed in, "Isn’t Old Li looking to sell his place? His yard is quite large, a traditional three-section compound."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Why does he want to sell?"

"He’s spooked. A few years ago, because the courtyard was too big and nice, it got seized. It was only returned to him in recent years after his case was overturned, but Old Li is too afraid to live there now. He’s always afraid the place might get taken away again, so he'd rather sell it for some money."

Ye Xiaoxiao asked, "Mr. Liu, can we contact Mr. Li now?"

The man who had just spoken stood up, "Come on, I'll take you to find him."

Buying and selling property these days is no easy task; if it were that easy, a phone call would do the trick.

And if we miss this opportunity, we might not find him again.

Ye Xiaoxiao got up and left with Mr. Liu, pushing her bicycle.

This lane is known as Lotus Lane, with clean streets and well-maintained surroundings.

"Is Mr. Li still living in the courtyard he’s selling?"

"No, no, Old Li lives elsewhere; his courtyard is vacant."

Ye Xiaoxiao realized, it’s a well-off family.

The helpful guide, Mr. Liu, led the way. Mr. Liu went to a door and called out to Old Li.

"Old Li, come out quick, someone’s interested in buying your courtyard."

Mr. Li came out of the courtyard.

"Who’s interested in buying the courtyard?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "It's me."

Mr. Li looked at Ye Xiaoxiao, "Young lady, don’t kid around, I have to sell this courtyard for at least a few thousand yuan. Can a young girl like you afford that much?"

"Mr. Li, I’m not joking, I really want to buy a house. Can we take a look?"

Truth be told, Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t too concerned about seeing it because she didn’t actually need a place to live; she was more interested in the location.

There’s likely no chance of demolition here, but early renovation is an option.

Mr. Liu said, "Old Li, just take her to see it, what if she buys it?"

Mr. Li: "Alright, let me grab the keys."

Mr. Liu said to Ye Xiaoxiao, "You go with Old Li to check it out, I’ll head back to my chess game."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Thanks, Mr. Liu, I appreciate your help."

Mr. Liu: "Ah, no need to thank me."

Ye Xiaoxiao and Mr. Li went to see the house.

It wasn’t far from where Mr. Li currently lives. It was clear that no one had lived there for quite some time. The main gate was still clean, but once inside, the courtyard was in serious disrepair.

Mr. Li was also a bit embarrassed, "I haven’t maintained this house since I got it back. The house and windows need repairs, but rest assured, the beams and pillars here are made of good materials and can last for hundreds of years."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked around, Mr. Li wasn’t exaggerating, but this courtyard isn’t just in need of repairs; it needs to be rebuilt.

Mr. Li probably felt quite embarrassed; he thought the house wouldn’t sell.

Nowadays, there are fewer people buying houses, and who buys a house not to live in it? But this courtyard can't be lived in without repairs.

With such a large courtyard, fully repairing it would likely cost as much as buying another house.

But Ye Xiaoxiao was very satisfied because the courtyard was large, and such a big piece of land could be worth a lot more in the future.

She didn't show a particularly satisfied expression and asked, "Uncle Li, how much are you asking for this courtyard?"

Uncle Li hesitated and said, "Six... six thousand."

Ye Xiaoxiao asked again, "Can the paperwork be processed? There won't be any disputes, right?"

Uncle Li replied, "No, no, as long as you're sure you want to buy it, we can proceed with the property transfer immediately."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded, "I'll talk it over with my family. If they agree, I'll bring the money tomorrow."

Uncle Li understood that such a decision couldn't be made by a young girl alone and quickly agreed, "Alright, go back and discuss it with your family. Come find me tomorrow with the result."

"Okay."

Ye Xiaoxiao's earlier statement was also a lie. It wasn't convincing for her to buy the place alone, so she planned to bring Song Xiaoguang to view the property together the next day.

After returning, Ye Xiaoxiao called Song Xiaoguang. When Ye Xiaoxiao told him she wanted to buy a courtyard, Song Xiaoguang immediately agreed.

The next day, Song Xiaoguang came, and Song Guoxian and Song Guangjing were in the car too.

"Master, Uncle Guoxian, why did you two come along?"

These two were usually very busy.

Song Guangjing said, "You're buying a place; I had to come and check it out."

Ye Xiaoxiao touched her nose, worried that the elders might not be satisfied.

Song Xiaoguang followed the address Ye Xiaoxiao gave him and arrived at Lotus Lane.

Seeing Ye Xiaoxiao bring so many people, Uncle Li was relieved.

At least she was serious about this.

When they arrived at Uncle Li's yard, Song Guangjing didn't know what to say.

"This is the yard I picked," Ye Xiaoxiao said.

Song Guoxian said, "This place is a dump..."