????擁有一套自己的房子是每個(gè)人的夢(mèng)想。不過(guò)自從美國(guó)房地產(chǎn)市場(chǎng)崩盤(pán)以來(lái),，房屋銷(xiāo)量直線下降,，喪失抵押品贖回權(quán)的人也達(dá)到了創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的人數(shù)。很多人不禁質(zhì)疑,，這樣的夢(mèng)想到底還值不值得追求,。《時(shí)代》雜志（Time）去年刊登了一篇文章,，戳穿了買(mǎi)房有理的迷思,。而美國(guó)的決策層也開(kāi)始懷疑，對(duì)于許多人來(lái)說(shuō),，租房是不是要比買(mǎi)房更劃算,。
????美國(guó)人已經(jīng)開(kāi)始糾結(jié)租房還是買(mǎi)房的問(wèn)題，但是四處收購(gòu)便宜房產(chǎn)的外國(guó)買(mǎi)家卻迫不及待地想要抓住一絲美國(guó)夢(mèng)。他們現(xiàn)在正在美國(guó)房市最不景氣的佛羅里達(dá)和加利福尼亞等州大肆收購(gòu)房產(chǎn),。專(zhuān)家表示,，外國(guó)買(mǎi)家的進(jìn)入，可能起到幫美國(guó)穩(wěn)定房市之效,。
????美國(guó)房地產(chǎn)市場(chǎng)崩潰后的這幾年里,，外國(guó)買(mǎi)家的置業(yè)行為一直是這個(gè)慘淡的市場(chǎng)里少有的亮點(diǎn)之一。據(jù)美國(guó)房地產(chǎn)經(jīng)紀(jì)人協(xié)會(huì)（National Association of Realtors）的數(shù)據(jù),，去年（從去年3月算起,，到今年3月結(jié)束）外國(guó)人共在美國(guó)購(gòu)買(mǎi)了價(jià)值820億美元的房產(chǎn)，比前年的660億美元有了大幅提升,。美國(guó)的近鄰加拿大是這支外國(guó)買(mǎi)家隊(duì)伍的主力,，貢獻(xiàn)了23%的銷(xiāo)售額，緊隨其后的是中國(guó),，其次是墨西哥,、英國(guó)和印度。阿根廷和巴西加在一起,，貢獻(xiàn)了銷(xiāo)量的5%,，比去年增長(zhǎng)2%。
????當(dāng)然,，僅靠賺外國(guó)人的錢(qián),，并不見(jiàn)得就能使美國(guó)房市起死回生，畢竟外國(guó)人買(mǎi)走的房產(chǎn)只占了房市總銷(xiāo)量很小的比重,。不過(guò)對(duì)于佛羅里達(dá)州和加尼福利亞州來(lái)說(shuō),，事實(shí)已經(jīng)證明，外國(guó)富豪和投資人的購(gòu)房行為已經(jīng)對(duì)當(dāng)?shù)禺a(chǎn)生了重要影響,。外國(guó)人買(mǎi)走的美國(guó)房產(chǎn)40%坐落在這兩個(gè)州,。房地產(chǎn)網(wǎng)站Trulia在研究了國(guó)際買(mǎi)家對(duì)美國(guó)房產(chǎn)的偏好后表示，尤其佛羅里達(dá)的珊瑚角,、羅德貸堡,、邁阿密、那不勒斯,、邁爾斯堡,、基西米（迪士尼的老家）、奧蘭多和杰克遜維爾等地,，更是國(guó)際買(mǎi)家最鐘情的去處,。佛羅里達(dá)州賣(mài)出的住宅有20%被海外買(mǎi)家收入囊中，其中大半是加拿大人,。
????佛羅里達(dá)的房?jī)r(jià)在2006年達(dá)到歷史最高值,。后來(lái)由于失去抵押品贖回權(quán)的人很多，該州房?jī)r(jià)劇烈縮水，方便了國(guó)外買(mǎi)家趁虛而入,。此外美元疲軟,，尤其是相對(duì)加元走低，也刺激了越來(lái)越多的加拿大人到美國(guó)的風(fēng)景名勝和城市近郊買(mǎi)房,?？梢哉f(shuō)在美國(guó)買(mǎi)了房子，這些“老外”的美國(guó)夢(mèng)就有了一個(gè)落腳之處,，不過(guò)在不同人眼中,，美國(guó)夢(mèng)的意義也不盡相同。大多數(shù)國(guó)外買(mǎi)家都是用現(xiàn)金購(gòu)房,，他們并不把美國(guó)的房產(chǎn)當(dāng)作生兒育女,、頤養(yǎng)天年之所，而是把它當(dāng)成一個(gè)度假的去處,，平時(shí)就租出去,。
????這些國(guó)際買(mǎi)家重新定義了美國(guó)夢(mèng),。如果說(shuō)他們使弗羅里達(dá)房地產(chǎn)市場(chǎng)避免了進(jìn)一步崩盤(pán)的災(zāi)難,，興許有點(diǎn)夸張，但他們至少穩(wěn)定了該州房市?，F(xiàn)在在邁阿密,，雖然買(mǎi)房還是比租房更劃算，不過(guò)國(guó)外買(mǎi)家的大量涌入,，也使許多人對(duì)租房產(chǎn)生了更大的興趣,。房地產(chǎn)網(wǎng)站Trulia的最新房?jī)r(jià)與房租比率由七月份的6躍升至七月份的12（該比率低于15，則意味著此地買(mǎi)房比租房更劃算）,。一般來(lái)說(shuō),，在一個(gè)健康的房地產(chǎn)市場(chǎng)里，買(mǎi)房和租房的經(jīng)濟(jì)成本應(yīng)該是近乎相等的,。所以該數(shù)值的變化有著重大的意義,。
????加利福尼亞州也從外國(guó)購(gòu)房者那里獲得了很多好處。加州的房?jī)r(jià)在2007年達(dá)到歷史峰值,，最后一路下跌,，到2009年觸底時(shí)，房?jī)r(jià)已經(jīng)下跌了59%,。不過(guò)和佛羅里達(dá)不同的是,，加州的救星是近來(lái)一直在全球大肆購(gòu)房圈地的中國(guó)人。為了給過(guò)熱的經(jīng)濟(jì)降溫,，中國(guó)政府提高了利率,，收緊了借貸標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，導(dǎo)致中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)的購(gòu)房成本上升，很多炒房者被迫到國(guó)外淘金,。加州最吸引外國(guó)人的城市是洛杉磯,、舊金山、比佛利山莊和圣地亞哥,。
????其中圣馬利諾市是獲益最多的城市,。多虧大量外國(guó)買(mǎi)家（大多數(shù)是中國(guó)人）涌入該市的富人區(qū)購(gòu)買(mǎi)住宅，因此在美國(guó)的房市崩盤(pán)時(shí)期,，該市經(jīng)濟(jì)受到的沖擊并不大,。去年圣馬利諾市的平均房屋價(jià)格是有史以來(lái)最高的，超過(guò)了150萬(wàn)美元,，比前年上漲了1.6%,。對(duì)于中國(guó)大陸人來(lái)說(shuō)，住在這個(gè)地區(qū),，就是身份和財(cái)富的象征,。無(wú)怪乎這個(gè)90年代以白人為主的社區(qū)，現(xiàn)在50%以上都是亞洲面孔（其中尤以中國(guó)人居多）,。
????外國(guó)投資者并不能拯救美國(guó)的房地產(chǎn)市場(chǎng),。但據(jù)資本經(jīng)濟(jì)公司（Capital Economics）最近發(fā)布的一份報(bào)告顯示，如果中國(guó)和印度等大型經(jīng)濟(jì)體持續(xù)發(fā)展,，外國(guó)買(mǎi)家買(mǎi)走的房產(chǎn)占美國(guó)房地產(chǎn)銷(xiāo)量的比重也會(huì)越來(lái)越大,。
????美國(guó)夢(mèng)未死——它只是變了個(gè)樣子。
????譯者：樸成奎 |
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????Since the U.S. housing market went bust, plummeting home sales and record foreclosures have prompted many to question the decades-old belief that owning a home is an aspiration that all should aspire to. Last year, Time magazine published an article debunking the merits of homeownership, while federal policymakers began wondering if many might have been financially better off renting versus buying.
????But while those in the U.S. question homeownership, foreigners in search of properties on the cheap have been all too eager to grab a slice of the American Dream. And to re-define it in a way that experts say could help stabilize housing markets in a few states with some of the nation's most troubled housing markets – namely, Florida and California.
????In the years following the real estate implosion, foreign purchases have been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy market. In the 12 months ending in March, international sales in the U.S. totaled $82 billion, up from $66 billion in 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors. Canada led the way, making up 23% of sales to foreigners, followed by China, Mexico, the U.K. and India. Argentina and Brazil combined reported a 5% increase in foreign sales, up 2% from last year.
????Admittedly, the trend isn't likely to turn the U.S. housing market around, since sales to international buyers still make up a small percentage of total sales. But for Florida and California, home purchases by wealthy foreigners and investors have proven significant. More than 40% of all international sales happen in the two states. In Florida, Cape Coral, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Naples, Fort Myers, Kissimmee (home of Disney World), Orlando and Jacksonville are some of the most popular U.S. cities among international house hunters, according to residential real estate website Trulia, which tracked international views of U.S. properties online. Roughly 20% of all residential sales across the state come from buyers abroad – the majority of which from Canada.
????It helps that home prices in Florida, with its high share of foreclosed homes, have fallen dramatically from their 2006 peak. What's more, a weaker U.S. dollar, especially against the Canadian dollar, has made snapping up properties in resort and suburban areas even more irresistible. But what it means to own a slice of the American Dream differs vastly for international homebuyers, who see their investments (paid for mostly in cash) as less of a place to raise a family and retire and more of a vacation home available for rent.
????However they've defined or re-defined the American Dream, international buyers are at least helping stabilize Florida's housing market, if not saving it from further collapse. In fact, while it's still more affordable in Miami to buy, the influx of foreign buyers has made it more appealing to rent. Trulia's latest price-to-rent ratio jumped 112% from 6 in January to 12 in July (ratios below 15 are places where it's cheaper to buy than rent). This is significant, since typically a healthy housing market puts renting and owning on more equal footing.
????California has also gained from foreign buyers. Home prices dropped by 59% between peaking in 2007 and bottoming in 2009. Unlike in Florida, the housing market across parts of the golden state has found a savior of sorts in the Chinese investors who have been gobbling up properties globally. This comes at a time when the costs of buying in China has risen as the country's government raises interest rates and tightens lending standards to help cool off the racing economy. Among the most popular California cities to foreigners: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Beverly Hills and San Diego.
????One community that has gained most is San Marino, which has largely been sheltered from the housing bust amid an influx of mostly Chinese house hunters snapping up properties in the relatively wealthy residential community. Last year, San Marino recorded its highest annual median home price ever – topping $1.5 million, up 1.6% from the previous year. To Mainland Chinese, the area is often associated with the rich and wealthy. So it's no surprise that the once predominantly white community in the 1990s has dramatically changed to be more than 50% Asian (primarily Chinese).
????Foreign investors won't save America's housing market. But according to a recent report by Capital Economics, if large economies such as China and India continue to develop, foreign buyers could increasingly account for a greater share of U.S. home sales.
????The American Dream isn't dead -- it's just changing. |
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