They have something similar in Vietnam. I was in HCMC and from the place we were staying you can see huge developments of row houses (very nice ones though).

They have something similar in Vietnam. I was in HCMC and from the place we were staying you can see huge developments of row houses (very nice ones though). At night time, not a single light to be seen. Get closer and they are all finished on the outside, but empty on the inside. And this development was finished years ago. It's basically an investment. All the homes had been sold, likely for prices approaching $1M USD (it was pretty close to city center), but it was purely an investment. The property taxes in Vietnam are very low, so the carry costs are a rounding error. No need to rent it out (that would take more money to finish the interior!). Plus local laws require houses be built - you can't buy land intended for residential homes without building something. And it's a great investment! It's probably the only asset the government respects ownership of, it's a tangible asset unlike equity in a stock market ripe with fraud.