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Here are some questions to consider when deciding if buying or renting is the right choice for you:在决定买房还是租房最适合你之前,或许可以先考虑以下这些问题:( h5 J' f2 J1 k# S
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6 d1 I# S: V {7 h$ A4 r1 GHow long do you plan to stay in your home? "There are high transaction costs associated with buying and selling a house," says Dean Baker, co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, so home buyers should plan to stay put for at least four to five years.
+ O$ k$ o9 t+ U/ Q你打算在新买的房子里住多久?经济与政策研究中心(Center for Economic and Policy Research)联席主任迪安·贝克(Dean Baker)说,“买卖房产交易费用很高,”因此如果打算购房的话,至少要打算住个四五年才划算。
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* _* n, V% T5 A K- IThe reasoning? The costs for buying and then selling a home -- which can include a real-estate agent's fee, a transfer fee, closing costs, and inspector and surveyor fees -- could add up to about 10% of the sale price, or roughly 1½ years worth of rent. 'If you average that over 10 years, it is not that big a deal,' says Mr. Baker. 'But if you average it over, say two years, you're paying an awful lot of money to own a house for a short period of time.'% K$ ^% P& Z8 Z+ v5 A; c
原因何在呢?买了房子再卖掉所需的费用──包括房产中介费、过户费、买卖手续费、验房师和估价师的费用──杂七杂八加在一起大约是房价的10%,或者大致相当于一年半的房租。贝克说,“如果你把这个费用分摊到10年,那就不算什么大数目,不过如果要分摊到比如两年,那就意味着,你要为短时间拥有一个房子付出很大的价钱。”) i- a9 H: a# q
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1 S" n+ t& J% d% M6 u: tCan you handle the monthly expense? While a monthly mortgage payment may be comparable in some cases to a monthly rent, there are other expenses to consider.* K1 e. S0 W/ h% ]
每月所需费用你可以承担吗?虽然有些情况下,月供跟你每月租房的费用差不多,不过买了房子之后,除了月供之外,还会产生其他一些费用。
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To get a feel for the financial burden you'll be taking on -- and to see if you can handle it -- 'practice' making payments. Each month, set aside projected mortgage and property-tax payments, maintenance costs, utilities and any other home-related expenses into a separate savings account, says Gary Smola, a certified financial planner with financial-educational firm Financial Finesse.0 r2 \1 V( N# M7 e- @4 x a
要切身体会买房后的经济负担──也是为了看看你能否承担得起──“演练”一下每月还款吧。理财教育公司Financial Finesse的注册理财规划师加里·斯莫拉(Gary Smola)说,可以每个月把预期的月供、房产税、维修费用、公共事业费及其他与房子相关的费用单独存入一个账户。
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, `$ S' w. Y$ s) nWhat's the price-to-rent ratio? Home prices have come down significantly in some areas of the country, but 'nobody knows what tomorrow's going to bring in the housing market,' says Daniel Morris, a certified public accountant in San Jose, Calif.
& G6 W" c) j7 U0 E' G+ N房屋租售比如何?加利福尼亚圣何塞的注册公共会计师丹尼尔·莫里斯(Daniel Morris)说,在美国有些地区,房产的价格跌得非常厉害,不过“谁也不知道房产市场下一步走势如何。”
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|. C* B% r( ATo determine whether it makes more financial sense to buy or rent in your area, compare home sales prices with the cost of renting a similar place. H% w/ C- X. {2 ~% C n9 C6 ]
要想判断你所在地区是买房划算还是租房划算,可以将房价与同类房屋的租价做一个比对。7 h6 U9 k9 J6 [+ E" a2 O& H3 Q3 o
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Divide the price of the home by the total cost of rent for one year. If the result is more than 20, 'I'd be very concerned that the price [of the home] might fall more,' says Mr. Baker, and you should consider waiting to buy. If it's 15 or below, he says, 'you're probably reasonably safe' with prices holding steady or growing.
2 Z( f) Q+ e) t2 \贝克认为,如果将房价除以一年的租价得出的结果大于20,“我就会担心房价极有可能还会再跌,”你就应该考虑再观望些时候了。他说,如果结果小于等于15,“买入应该还是相当安全的,”因为房价会保持稳定,甚至还会上升。
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What is your job and relationship status? Twentysomethings are still getting a grasp on their futures and a constantly changing lifestyle might require the flexibility of renting.
6 {" \6 r0 K1 o. w5 a你目前的工作如何,跟伴侣的关系如何?二十几岁的人群还是在事业打拼阶段,个人生活方面也经常会有变动,也许还是租房这种灵活的方式更适合他们。. b& t# H5 u; Z9 B
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: a# ^1 k( D% Y# {But 'if your career stability is strong, you are comfortable doing what you\'re doing and you are committed in some form to your lifestyle,' Mr. Morris says, buying a home becomes a more attractive option.! k# W- P) }9 m8 \4 s0 c
莫里斯说,不过,“如果你的工作非常稳定,你对现状非常满意……个人生活方面也相对稳定,”那么买房就是更有吸引力的选择。& q) x, p1 _$ E
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