第二十七课 如何谈论房子

A:Hey, Greg, how much is your house worth?

A：嘿，格雷，你家房子值多少钱？

B:Well, the estate agent valued it at ￡ 250,000.

B：噢，房屋中介估算大概值25万英镑。

A:Is that a lot一I mean, in comparison to the market?

A：这算很贵吗？我是说跟市场价格比较而言？

C:I think it's an outrageous amount, actually. I mean, look at it's only a two-up-two-down! It only cost us ￡ 63,000 when we bought it back in 1997. Hcxjse prices have spiraled since then, though. I think we were lucky to get it when we did. I feel really sorry for young couples these days—they just can't get a foot on the housing ladder.

C：事实上，我觉得这是天价。你看，我家只有楼上楼下各两间房。1997年我们买它的时候只花了63000镑。房价从那时起就节节高升，我想我们很幸运当时买了它。我觉得现在的年轻夫妇很可怜，他们是买不起房的。

B:I know. It's awful. The point is that so much foreign capital has flooded into the country because there are so few restrictions, and anyone with the money can buy property here—there are no rules on residency or nationality—so you get all these foreign speculators buying up property and pushing up the prices.

B：我知道，真的很糟糕。关键是英国对外国资金的限制很少，所以很多外国资金流入英国，任何人只要有钱就可以在英国买房地产。很多外国投机商都到英国炒作房地产，把房价炒得很高，因为英国对购房者的居民身份和国籍都没有要求。

C:Yeah. And young people here are priced out of the market.

C：对啊。所以英国的年轻人因为房价太高而被挤出房屋市场。

A:Well I certainly couldn't afford a house here. I'd have to club together with some friends to buy one.

A：噢，我绝对负担不起。我得跟朋友们集资，才能在这里买得起房屋。

B:Well, you could do that. In fact,that's what lost of young professionals do they'll get together,buy a house and have their own rooms and share the kitchen and bathroom. Then, when they want to leave the others buy them out.

B：对啊，你可以这样做。事实上，这里有很多年轻的上班族集资合买房屋。他们有自已的房间，然后跟其他人共用厨房和浴室。如果有人想退出，其他人会把他的股份买下。

A:So, how do you go about buying a house, then?

A：那要如何才能买到房子呢？

C:Gosh. It is so stressful, buying a house. They say that It's the next most stressful thing to a divorce. You have to spend ages searching websites and estate agents' windows. Estate agents have a really bad reputation here一they're just cowboys.

C：天啊，买房压力真的很大。大家都说买房的压力仅次于离婚。你得花很多时间在网络上及房地产中介商处搜寻好的目标。在英国房地产中介商可算是声名狼籍，他们就像一群牛仔。

B:Yeah. It's quite hard, actually,and a lot of the stages overlap, put first you need to decide where you want to buy property, taking into accxxint what you can afford, local amenities and so on. You need to save up a deposit, like 5% of the value of the property. You can go direct to a building society or use a mortgage broker. Ycxi have to fill in a very detailed mortgage applicaton, stating your occupation and your salary and your savings and debts. The bank carries out a credit check to assess you as a risk and to see whether you are creditworthy or not and, after you've shown bank statements and pay slips to show that you have a secure income they'll give you a decision in principle'.

B：对啊，买房的确很累，有很多重复步驟。首先你得要决定买在哪里，同时得考虑你付得起多少钱，还有周围的生活设施等等。你还得存一笔钱当保证金，一般是房价的5%。你可以直接去房屋抵押贷款协会或其它抵押中介去抵押，先要很详细地填写抵押申请书，注明职业、收入、存款及债务。银行会做信用调查，评估你的信货风险，了解你的信用状况。在确认过你的银行对账单及薪水单，证明你有固定收入后，他们会核发“原则同意抵押”的决定。

A:Why, "in principle"？

A：为什么是“原则同意”呢？

C: Because once you have found a property you want, you make an offer and, if the vendor agrees on the price, you ask him to take it off the market. Thats when you go back to the mortgage lender and tell them which property you want to buy. The lender can always pull out if they think it's too risky.

C：一旦你找到理想的房子，你的报价被卖方接受时，你会要求卖方将房屋从销售市场上收回，然后你把你想买的房屋的资料提供给货款方。货款方如果觉得你所选的房地产价值与抵押金额相较太冒险时，他们随时可以否决同意抵押的决定。

B:You also need to locate a property solicitor to carry out the conveyancing一that's the legal aspects of the process and draw up any agreements. You need to instruct the solicitor to act on your behalf, and contact the vendor's estate agent and solicitor and liaise with your mortgage lender. He will start contractual proceedings.

B：你同时还需要一位房产律师处理不动产转让手续，处理所有的法律程序及草拟合同。你需要指派律师代表你行事，同时与卖方中介、律师以及你的贷款银行保持联系。律师会准备签约事宜。

C:Yeah,and you also have to find a surveyor and ask for a home-buyer's report or a structural survey to be carried out to check that the house is in good condition. The mortgage lender will carry out an independent valuation of the property,and you will be required to pay for a mortgage survey. Only when the mortgage lender sees the property valuation and reexamines your application will they release the money through your solicitor.

C：对了，你还要请一个房产检视员帮你作一份买屋报告或房屋结构报告，确认房屋的状况良好。你的贷款银行也会作一份独立的估价报告，并会要求你付这份报告的钱。当银行看到估价报告，并再次审核你的申请表后，才会将抵押款汇到你的律师的账户。

B:Haha. Then you're in debt for the next twenty years, and they can always take the house back if you don't keep up with the mortgage payments.

B：呵呵，之后的20年你就得背负房债，而且如果你付不出按揭，银行可随时把房屋收回。

A:Yes, but at least it means that you get the house now and, as long as you keep working, and house prices go up you'll be all right.

A：噢，可是至少你现在拥有了房屋，只要一直有工作而且房价一直涨，那就没问题了。

C:Ah! That's the whole points. Don't get sick or lose your job!

C：哈，这才是问题所在。你绝不能生病或去掉工作！