創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的低利率

????低利率當(dāng)然也助推了住房市場(chǎng)的復(fù)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(jié)束，2012年平均利率為3.68%，低于2011年的4.45%和2010年的4.69%。

????當(dāng)然，利率不可能永遠(yuǎn)這么低。因此，有些人擔(dān)心如果未來利率上升，可能再度推低房?jī)r(jià)。但如果美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)（Federal Reserve）堅(jiān)持己見，短期內(nèi)應(yīng)該不會(huì)出現(xiàn)這樣的情況。美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)在最近的一次會(huì)議上不尋常地表示，只要通脹保持低水平，就會(huì)維持現(xiàn)行利率不變，直到失業(yè)率降至6.5%之下。按照美聯(lián)儲(chǔ)的預(yù)測(cè)，這意味著利率將保持低位直至2015年。

首次購(gòu)房者

????2012年美國(guó)住房市場(chǎng)的反彈有目共睹，但不是所有人都搭上了這趟順風(fēng)車。很多首次購(gòu)房者都錯(cuò)過了這次機(jī)會(huì)——他們要么是處于失業(yè)，要么是拿不到住房貸款，或者兩者兼而有之。

????這些首次購(gòu)房者通常年齡在25歲至34歲，在經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退后的幾年來經(jīng)歷的失業(yè)狀況比其他大多數(shù)成年人更糟。一年前，年輕工作者的失業(yè)率為9.2%，所有成年人的失業(yè)率為8.7%。最近，這個(gè)差距已經(jīng)收窄。11月份，年輕工作者的失業(yè)率已經(jīng)降至7.9%，而所有成年人的失業(yè)率為7.7%。

????如果這股趨勢(shì)持續(xù)，或許能幫助首次購(gòu)房者重新入市購(gòu)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.