2013年美國樓市五大動向

創紀錄的低利率

????低利率當然也助推了住房市場的復蘇。過去幾年，30年期定息按揭貸款的平均利率已降至新低。雖然12月份尚未結束，2012年平均利率為3.68%，低于2011年的4.45%和2010年的4.69%。

????當然，利率不可能永遠這么低。因此，有些人擔心如果未來利率上升，可能再度推低房價。但如果美聯儲（Federal Reserve）堅持己見，短期內應該不會出現這樣的情況。美聯儲在最近的一次會議上不尋常地表示，只要通脹保持低水平，就會維持現行利率不變，直到失業率降至6.5%之下。按照美聯儲的預測，這意味著利率將保持低位直至2015年。

首次購房者

????2012年美國住房市場的反彈有目共睹，但不是所有人都搭上了這趟順風車。很多首次購房者都錯過了這次機會——他們要么是處于失業，要么是拿不到住房貸款，或者兩者兼而有之。

????這些首次購房者通常年齡在25歲至34歲，在經濟衰退后的幾年來經歷的失業狀況比其他大多數成年人更糟。一年前，年輕工作者的失業率為9.2%，所有成年人的失業率為8.7%。最近，這個差距已經收窄。11月份，年輕工作者的失業率已經降至7.9%，而所有成年人的失業率為7.7%。

????如果這股趨勢持續，或許能幫助首次購房者重新入市購房。

????譯者：早稻米

Record-low interest rates

????Cheap money has certainly helped the housing market recover. For the past few years, average interest rates on 30-year-fixed mortgages fell to new lows. With December remaining, rates this year averaged 3.68%, lower than the average 4.45% for 2011 and 4.69% in 2010.

????To be sure, rates can't stay low forever. Which is why some have worried a return to higher rates could push home prices down again. But if the Federal Reserve has its way, that won't happen any time soon. In an unusual move during its last meeting of the year, the central bank's policy-making board decided to leave rates untouched until the unemployment rate falls to 6.5% so long as inflation stays low. Which means, according to the Fed's predictions, rates will likely stay low into 2015.

First-time buyers

????The housing market's rebound was hard to miss this year, but not everyone rode the wave to better days. Missing were first-time buyers -- many of whom were either jobless or couldn't get a home loan or both.

????Those who tend to be first-time buyers, 25 to 34-year-olds, suffered far worse joblessness than most other adults in the years following the recession. A year ago, unemployment among young workers was 9.2% versus 8.7% for all adults. The gap has narrowed recently. In November, unemployment among young workers had fallen to 7.9% versus 7.7% for all adults.

????If the trend continues, this might help bring first-time buyers back into the market.