HCMC home bought for 120 taels of gold leaves my aunt with 50% loss

Houses in that area are now priced around VND5-6 billion (US$194,000-232,000), while 120 taels of gold (1 tael = 37.5 grams or 1.2 ounces) are worth over VND12 billion. This means my aunt has lost 50% of her investment.

While stockpiling gold is simple, investing in real estate is challenging and often depends heavily on luck.

Reader LQL

The reader shared their thoughts in response to a recent debate on whether investing in land would offer higher returns than gold and which is the preferred asset class. While a survey with over 1,000 responses from readers revealed that more than 50% favored land investment, many still lean towards the precious metal.

Reader John Pham:

"A smart, business-minded person can use money to make more money. An average person who works hard and lives frugally should consider putting their extra savings in a deposit account to earn some interest or buy gold.

Buying gold has its advantages. Gold tends to increase in value over time and when you need cash, you can sell it immediately. Holding gold also encourages better saving habits."

Reader Manhhungrb:

"There were periods when property prices plummeted and hardly anyone was buying. Then prices peaked, only to quickly fall by 50-70% in many places. The market then froze for years.

In 2021 and 2022, some provinces saw a real estate boom followed by a sharp drop in prices, which have yet to bounce back. One major drawback of real estate is that when you urgently need money, it is difficult to sell even with deep discounts."

Reader Van Hoang:

"In the long run, buying gold has never resulted in a loss. Land investment, however, is much more unpredictable. Many are often swayed by a few success stories, believing it is easy, but they do not see how many people have had to sell all their properties at huge losses and go into hiding to escape their debts."

What are your thoughts on this topic?

*These opinions were translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.