Confronted with a shortage of land to build on in the Bay Area, housing developers are getting caught up in the same kinds of bidding wars that have frustrated home buyers.
The beds and couches at Ikea are communal nap spots in China. Photographer Kevin Frayer captured the phenomenon for Getty Images. Eight of the world's 10 biggest Ikea stores are in China, where the home goods store is expanding to accommodate the growing middle class.
The U.S. housing recovery is still going and international buyers are giving a huge boost, with the Chinese leading the charge.Chinese buying was up more than 70% to $22 billion -- nearly 1 in 4 dollars of all foreign purchases, according to the National Association of Realtor