買房之前:你需要知道的5件事
Buying a house is an exciting but scary step. Home ownership means making an investment in your future, but it also means committing to stay put, at least for a while. Before you make that commitment, you should ensure you are making an informed decision, and not one based on how beautiful the home is or your desire to be on your own.
買房子是令人興奮卻又讓人慌亂的一步。房屋所有權意味着對你的未來做了一次投資，此外也表示將承諾紮根於此，至少也會是一段時間。在你做出承諾前，你應該明瞭你正在做一項明智的決定，而不是因爲房子是多麼漂亮或是你渴望能獨立。
1. Your Financial Situation
你的財務狀況
Just because you qualify for a loan does not necessarily mean you should take a loan. On the other hand, if you don't think you can qualify for a loan, you might be mistaken. When you consider buying a home, sit down with a professional--a loan counselor at your bank or a representative from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, for instance--and discuss your options. Have tax and income documents ready, as well as a list of your expenses and a copy of your credit report.
僅僅因爲你夠資格去貸款也不意味着你應該貸款。換句話說，如果你認爲自己沒有資格申請貸款，那你可能誤解了。當你在考慮買房時，和專業人士一起坐着談談你的選擇——比方說銀行的貸款諮詢顧問或是美國住房和城市發展部的辦事員。準備好稅收和收入的文件證明，以及開銷清單和一份信用報告。
According to CNN Money, you should try to find a home that is two and a half times your yearly salary. So, if you have a yearly salary of $40, 000, you should not choose a house that costs more than $120, 000. However, if you have large loan payments or other expenses, you may not want to, or be qualified to, go that high. Ask the professional to help you get a good picture of your earnings, expenses and how they would change if you bought a home.
根據CNN財經頻道，你找的房子房價應該是你年薪的2.5倍。所以，如果你年薪40,000美元，你不應該選成本超過120,000美元的房子。然而， 如果你有大額貸款或其它開銷，你可能不會想或是沒有資格去申請那麼多的貸款。諮詢專業人士，讓他們幫你明瞭你的收入、支出，以及如果你想買房收支應該做哪些調整。
房屋概況
A beautiful home on several acres of green yard might look appealing, but that pretty picture could be hiding problems that will cost you thousands of dollars and hours of lost sleep in the long run. According to the American Association of Realtors, you should find out as much as you can about the home before you buy.
帶有幾畝綠地庭院的漂亮房子可能看起來很有吸引力，但這美麗的畫面背後可能隱藏着諸多問題，從長遠來看，這些問題將花費你上千美元，以及引發不少失眠。據美國房地產經紀人協會的建議，在你買房前，你應該找出儘可能多的關於這個房子的情況。
Even issues that have been repaired can give you insight into what problems you might be facing a few years down the road. Get a home inspection and carefully go over the results with your inspector. If anything in the home makes you suspicious, don't hesitate to order another inspection from a different company.
即使問題已經解決，在接下來的幾年時間裏你可以對將來要面臨的問題做到心中有數。對房子做檢查，認認真真地和檢查人員審視檢查結果。如果你對房子有任何疑慮，毫不猶豫地請另一家公司再做一次檢查。
街坊鄰里
A wonderful home isn't much good if it is in a terrible neighborhood, so find out as much as you can about the neighborhood before you buy. Talk to potential neighbors about any issues the area has been facing, and check to see if there is a neighborhood association or club. Scan newspaper police blotters to see if there is a large amount of crime in the area, and interview principals and teachers at the area schools, if you have children. You might also seek out PTA members or parents of children at those schools to learn more about the climate inside them.
如果處在一個糟糕的街坊鄰里環境中，有好房子也未必是好事。所以在買之前，儘可能找出關於街坊鄰里的信息，越多越好。跟將來的鄰居談談小區正在面臨的問題，看看有沒有鄰里協會或俱樂部。看看報紙上警情通報，瞭解在該地區是否發生過很多罪案。如果你有孩子，拜訪一下該地區的學校校長和教師。你也可以尋找家庭教師協會成員或是在這些學校裏學習的孩子們的父母，以此更多地瞭解學校裏的氛圍。
The aesthetic appearance of the neighborhood is also important. You probably would not want to move into a home where yours is the only house on the street that is not falling down.
外觀的美感同樣重要。你也不想搬到在整一條街上就只有你家的房子不搖搖欲墜的地方吧。
隨屋之物
It is customary for home owners to leave some major appliances, like the refrigerator and dishwasher, when they leave the home, but if you see anything else that you like, check if it is for sale. Some sellers won't mind throwing their furniture or decorations in with the home since they are moving anyway.
按照慣例，當業主賣房時，他們會留下一些主要的家用電器，如冰箱、洗碗機，然而如果你看到房子裏還有你喜歡的，問一問它們是不是可以出手。一些賣家不介意把傢俱或裝飾留着，反正他們都要搬了。
Make sure you and the seller understand exactly what is coming with the home before you sign the contract, and list the items on the contract if it makes you feel more comfortable. Also, confirm the land boundaries and whether outdoor structures, like portable sheds and above-ground pools, will be included before you sign on the dotted line.
在你籤合同前，明瞭你和賣方完全達成統一都有什麼是隨同房子一起出售的，如果你覺得可以的話，在合同裏把這些條目列舉出來。此外，在簽名處簽上你的大名前，確認好房子邊界以及是否包括室外結構，如便攜式棚屋和室外水池。
“惱人”因素
For instance, the American Association of Realtors notes that extra traffic and noise caused by a school might not be something you are willing to deal with. Further, consider how having a difficult-to-remodel home will affect you in five years. Visit the home you are planning to buy as many times as you can; stay overnight if possible. Look for anything that would bother you on a daily basis, and if you find something, look for another home.
每個房子都有它的煩惱：在樓梯上沒邁出三步就咯吱咯吱響了，或是鄰居家的貓喜歡在你家的門廊上懶洋洋地躺着。即使你搬到了嶄新的房子裏，新房子和新的定居點肯定會有一些惱人的地方。不過在買房前，要盡你最大努力瞭解哪些是惱人的小問題，哪些又是原則問題。例如，美國房地產經紀人協會指出，你可能沒有心力去處理因學校而引起的額外交通量和噪聲問題。再者，考慮一下在今後五年時間裏，一棟很難改造的房子將會如何影響你。參觀你打算要買的房子，能去多少次就去多少次；如果可以就在那過夜。找一找在日常生活中有哪些會影響到你。如果你發現了一些問題，那就再去看其它房子。
