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Two murders touch off fears about 'cursed' houses
By Xu Fan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-29 09:27
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The second family tragedy in a residential complex in Daxing district has instilled fears in older homeowners that their neighborhood might be "cursed".
On Sunday morning, 38-year-old Zhang Wuli killed his wife and 10-year-old son in Qing Cheng Ming Yuan community, one of the most expensive apartment complexes in the district. A similar tragedy occurred one month ago in the same community, when Li Lei, 29, killed six family members including his two sons on Nov 23.
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A middle-aged resident surnamed Liu said he was trying to avoid the topic about his community when chatting with his friends since the two murders .
"When I unconsciously mentioned my community, my friends looked so weird and frightened," Liu said.
Some residents living in the same building where the latest murder occurred said they planned to sell their apartments. They hoped the local media stopped reporting the two murders as they were worried the second-hand real estate price would fall dramatically, according to Beijing Times.
"I'm afraid the resale prices will fall sharply. After all, two cold-blooded murders occurred in just one month. Many potential buyers are already frightened and may change their ideas," said a salesman at a local real estate agency.
However, some younger residents have reacted differently.
Candy Zhang, a 27-year-old resident, told METRO she didn't feel frightened or affected as the two murders were not committed by people from out of the community and it has been an otherwise safe area.
"After all, our community has an excellent living environment. If the housing price slumps, I may consider buying a second apartment for myself," she said.
Zhang Xiaolong, a salesman at a local branch of Lian Jia real estate agency told METRO that despite the worries about "cursed houses", Qing Cheng complex is still attractive to potential buyers because it is close to extension plans for the recently opened subway line 4.
"It's only 10 minutes walk away from the subway station. This will help stabilize prices," he said.
