For Minh Duc, a home in Hanoi would have meant a heavy loan. So he built a house in his hometown in Hung Yen instead. Now he travels more than 50 kilometers round trip every working day. He wakes at 5:30 and reaches his office in about 45 minutes when traffic is light.
In 2024, the couple spent about 2.5 billion dong on a two-story house of nearly 200 square meters. The land was a gift from his parents, and they did not need a bank loan. Earlier, Duc had looked at Hanoi apartments of 60 to 65 square meters, priced around 2 billion dong. With a combined income of about 30 million dong a month, buying one would have meant a large mortgage. Another reason was family: his parents are nearly 70, and he wanted to stay close to them.