China will continue to experience economic woes in its housing sector. New home prices in cities outside the major conurbations have remained stagnant in the face of oversupply. While prices did improve in so-called first tier cities (such as Beijing and Shanghai) and some second tier cities (such as Dalian and Harbin), new land purchases are down by a third. Housing prices in third- and fourth-tier cities, which are categorized by their lack of population, GDP, infrastructure and cultural or historical significance, have decreased continuously. Oversupply in housing stocks will mean third quarter measures to stimulate home buying will fall flat in the fourth quarter. The sum of this will stymie China's efforts to build up an inland consumption base during the quarter. Investment into real estate development is so unattractive that construction by floor space continues to decline by 16.8 percent on an annual basis.