Can you handle the monthly expense? While a monthly mortgage payment may be comparable in some cases to a monthly rent, there are other expenses to consider.
你能承担得起每月所需的费用吗？虽然在有些情况下，月供跟你每月租房的费用差不多，不过买房后，还会产生一些其他费用。
To get a feel for the financial burden you'll be taking on and to see if you can handle it---"practice" making payments. Each month, set aside projected mortgage and property-tax payments, maintenance costs, utilities and any other home-related expenses into a separate savings account, says Gary Smola, a certified financial planner with financial-educational firm Financial Finesse.
要切身体会买房后的经济负担一一也是为了看你能否承担得起——“演练”一下每月的还款吧。理财教育公司的注册理财规划师加里·斯莫拉说，“每个月，把预期的月供、房产税、维修费用、公共事业费及其他与房子相关的费用单独存入一个账户”。

What's the price-to-rent ratio? "Home prices have come down significantly in some areas of the country, but nobody knows what tomorrow's going to bring in the housing market," says Daniel Morris, a certified public accountant in San Jose, Calif.
房屋租售比如何？加利福尼亚州圣何塞的注册公共会计师丹尼尔·莫里斯说，“在美国有些地区，房产的价格跌得非常厉害，不过谁也不知道房产市场下一步走势如何。”
To determine whether it makes more financial sence to buy or rent in your area, compare home sales prices with the cost of renting a similar place.
要想判断在你所在的地区是买房划算还是租房划算，可以将房价与同类房屋的租价做一番比较。
Divide the price of the home by the total cost of rent for one year. If the result is more than 20, "I'd be very concerned that the price (of the home ) might fall more" says Mr. Baker, and you should consider waiting to buy. If it's 15 or below, he says, "you're probably reasonably safe with prices holding steady or growing.
贝克认为，如果将房价除以一年的租价得出的结果大于20，“我就会担心房价极有可能还会再跌，”你就应该考虑再观望些时候了。他说，“如果结果小于等于15，买入应该还是相当安全的，因为房价会保持稳定，甚至还会上升”。
What is your job and relationship status? Twenty somethings are still getting a grasp on their futures and a constantly changing lifestyle might require the flexibility of renting.
你目前的工作如何，跟伴侣的关系如何？80后人群还处在事业的打拼阶段，个人生活也会经常发生变动，也许还是租房——这种灵活的方式更适合他们。
"But if your career stability is strong, you are comfortable doing what you're doing and you are committed in some form to your lifestyle, "Mr. Morris says, "buying a home becomes a more attractive option."
莫里斯说，“不过，如果你的工作非常稳定，你对现状非常满意…个人生活也相对稳定，那么买房就更具吸引力”。