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Despite rising home prices in many markets, buyers can still find plenty of deals in foreclosures and other distressed properties.
雖然美國很多市場的房價都在上漲，買房人還是可以在止贖房和其他不良房產當中找到不少劃算的機會。
Foreclosures and short sales, where homes sell for less than owners owe on their mortgage, accounted for 43% of residential sales last year, according to data released this week by RealtyTrac, a real-estate data firm. Short-sale purchases increased 4% from a year prior, while sales of homes in pre-foreclosure ─ that is, in some stage of foreclosure before a home is repossessed ─ increased 6%.
據房地產數據公司RealtyTrac發布的數據，止贖房和售價低于貸款余額的短售房(short-sale)占去年住房成交量的43%。短售房成交量較上年增長4%，預止贖房（即處于被銀行收回之前某個止贖階段的房產）成交量增長6%。
Fueling these increases are big discounts for the taking. In many markets ─ including Chicago; Daytona Beach, Fla.; and Santa Barbara, Calif. ─ buyers were able to purchase distressed properties during the fourth quarter of 2012 at an average discount of 30% to 50% off what they'd pay for a regular, nondistressed home, according to RealtyTrac. In many cases, these discounts are available in markets where real-estate prices as a whole appear to have bottomed out, experts say.
推動成交量增加的，是隨處可見的大幅折讓。據RealtyTrac數據，2012年第四季度，在芝加哥、佛羅里達州代托納海灘(Daytona Beach)、加州圣巴巴拉(Santa Barbara)以及其他很多市場，買主能夠以比普通非不良房產平均低三到五成的價格買到不良房產。專家說，在那些房價似已總體反彈的市場里面，很多時候買房人同樣可以拿到這樣大的折扣幅度。
Cheap finds come at a time when many buyers are facing a tightening housing market. Real-estate listings have been dropping, pushing up prices of regular homes in many markets. As a result, listing prices of regular homes have been picking up.
此時很多買房人面臨的情況是房地產市場變得緊俏起來。掛牌待售的房產數量一直在減少，推高了很多市場普通住房的價格。因此普通住房的掛牌價已經在往上升。
In contrast, with distressed properties, buyers still can save hundreds of thousands of dollars. Working in their favor, in part, is that banks are more willing to unload homes as short sales than in previous years. Some banks are offering homeowners who are behind on mortgage payments cash in exchange for selling the home in a short sale. (Bank of America, for instance, has been offering as much as $30,000 to qualifying homeowners since last year.) That's led to more short sales selling at a discount. And after years of a growing backlog of foreclosures, more of these listings are hitting the market, says Daren Blomquist, vice president with RealtyTrac, as courts process more of these cases. (Many states require court approval before a home can be repossessed by a bank.)
相比之下，購買不良房產仍然可以省下數十萬美元。一定程度上對買房人有利的是，銀行比前幾年更愿意將房產作為短售房拋掉。有些銀行為貸款逾期的業主派發現金，讓他們把房屋以低于貸款余額的價格賣掉。（比如美國銀行(Bank of America)去年以來就在向符合條件的業主派發最高三萬美元的現金。）這導致折價出售的短售房多了起來。RealtyTrac副總裁戴倫??布洛姆奎斯特(Daren Blomquist)說，在經歷止贖房持續多年的積壓之后，隨著法院處理的止贖案件越來越多，越來越多的止贖房正在投放市場。（很多州要求銀行在收回房產之前須得到法庭許可。）
Experts warn that purchasing a distressed property is not typically an easy process. Buyers could end up waiting four months or longer to find out from a bank whether their offer on a short sale has been approved. And real-estate agents say bidding wars have intensified, with purchase prices of distressed homes often surpassing asking prices. In Charlotte, N.C., for instance, purchases of bank-owned properties (those that the banks have repossessed) increased 109% in the fourth quarter of 2012 from a year prior, according to RealtyTrac. Mike Hege, a real-estate agent with Pridemore Properties in Charlotte, says these homes often receive offers from 20 different buyers. Buyers should also consider the condition these properties are in and how much cash they'll have to spend for repairs.
專家提醒，購買不良房產的過程通常不會順利。買主可能要等上四個月甚至更久，才能從銀行那里得知他們的短售房報價是否已經獲批。中介說，不良房產的競價也是越來越激烈，成交價常常超出掛牌價。比如在北卡羅來納州的夏洛特市(Charlotte)，據RealtyTrac數據，2012年第四季度銀行持有房產（即被銀行收回的房產）的成交量較上年同期增長109%。夏洛特市房地產經紀公司Pridemore Properties的經紀人麥克??黑格(Mike Hege)說，這些房產常常會收到20個不同買主的報價。買房人還應考慮這些房產的狀況如何，以及將需要花多少錢用于修繕。
Even with such price pressures, buyers can find big discounts on distressed homes in several markets.
即便有這樣的價格壓力，買主還是可以在多個市場以較大的折扣幅度買到不良房產。
Here are five cities where homes are still cheap.
以下五個城市的房價仍然便宜：
Santa Barbara, Calif.
加州圣巴巴拉
Average short-sale price: $283,825
短售房均價：283,825美元
Average discount vs. nondistressed sales: 42.69%
相比非不良房產的平均折扣幅度：42.69%
Santa Barbara experienced the biggest increase in short-sale purchases, which rose 107% during the fourth quarter from a year prior, nationwide, according to RealtyTrac. Real-estate agents say buyers returned to the market late last year in search of deals as home prices appeared to bottom out: the median sales price of all properties in the city was roughly $600,000 at the end of 2012, down from about $700,000 in 2010 and approximately $800,000 in 2008, according to listings site Trulia.
據RealtyTrac數據，圣巴巴拉2012年第四季度短售房成交量較上年同期增加107%，在全美范圍內增幅最大。房地產經紀人說，去年年末買房人回到市場尋找機會，是因為房價似已見底：掛牌網站Trulia數據顯示，2012年年末圣巴巴拉各類房產的中位數價格為60萬美元左右，低于2010年的70萬美元左右和2008年的80萬美元左右。
Many of these buyers encountered limited inventory, so they broadened their search to short sales, says Rick Hannay, owner broker of Avalar Real Estate of Santa Barbara. In total, there were just 436 listings in Santa Barbara in December, down 20% from a month prior and down 31% from a year prior, according to Sotheby's International Realty.
圣巴巴拉Avalar Real Estate公司的業主經紀人里克??漢內(Rick Hannay)說，很多買主遇到存量有限的問題，所以他們將搜尋范圍擴大至短售房。據蘇富比國際房地產公司(Sotheby's International Realty)數據，12月圣巴巴拉僅有436套房產掛牌，較前一個月下降20%，較上年同期下降31%。
Buying short sales also came with another perk: bigger discounts. Short sales in this market sold at a 43% average discount compared with regular listings, according to RealtyTrac. The discounts could have been bigger were it not for bidding wars, says Hannay. It's common for short sales to receive up to a dozen offers within their first few days on the market, he adds, which results in a purchase price that's higher than the listing offer.
購買短售房還有另一個好處，即折扣幅度更大。據RealtyTrac數據，這個市場的短售房成交價相比普通住房的平均折扣幅度為43%。漢內說，要是沒有競價，折扣幅度可能還會更大。他還說，短售房推向市場之后，常常在幾天之內就收到多達十幾人的報價，導致成交價高于掛牌價。
Phoenix
鳳凰城
Average short-sale price: $149,094
短售房均價：149,094美元
Average discount vs. nondistressed sales: 37.84%
相比非不良房產的平均折扣幅度：37.84%
Buyers have been rushing into Phoenix in search of big deals. Short-sale purchases increased 43% during the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with a year prior, according to RealtyTrac. It's not just investors who are behind the trend. Owner occupants are also competing for these properties. Given the competition, experts say, buyers looking to pick up a short sale will have a better shot if they come to the table with an all-cash offer.
已有大批買家涌入鳳凰城尋找良機。據RealtyTrac數據，2012年第四季度鳳凰城短售房成交量同比增加43%。這個趨勢的背后不僅是投資者，自住買房人也在爭搶這些房產。專家說，考慮到這種競爭，如果采用現金全款支付方式，買家將更有機會買到短售房。
But real-estate agents warn that the window of opportunity to snatch up distressed properties at real discounts is closing. Short-sale inventory is falling: There are currently 3,700 short-sale listings in Phoenix, down 56% from a year ago and down 76% from two years prior, says Brian North, cofounder of Green Street Realty, a boutique brokerage in Phoenix that specializes in short sales.
但房地產經紀人提醒，在鳳凰城以實實在在的折扣幅度買到不良房產的機會即將消失。鳳凰城短售房存量正在下降。鳳凰城專做短售房的精品經紀公司Green Street Realty的聯合創始人布里安??諾斯(Brian North)說，目前鳳凰城有3,700套短售房掛牌，較去年減少56%，較兩年前減少76%。
And buyers are more likely to encounter bidding wars, which will likely drive the purchase price up, he says. They should consider how much work the property will need in repairs to make sure that the short sale will be cheaper than buying a regular listing.
而且他說，買主遭遇價格爭奪戰的可能性變得越來越大，而競價又有可能推高成交價格。為確保所購短售房比普通住房便宜，買家應當將房產的修繕需要費多少工夫這一因素考慮進去。
Las Vegas
加斯維加斯
Average short-sale price: $124,555
短售房均價：124,555美元
Average discount vs. nondistressed sales: 33.4%
相比非不良房產的平均折扣幅度：33.4%
Despite being ground zero for the housing bust, there are a lot more short-sale listings to come to Las Vegas, says Paul Rowe, director of short sales at Shelter Realty, a real-estate brokerage based in Henderson, Nev. Nearly 8,000 homeowners in Vegas are currently in default on their mortgages, according to RealtyTrac ─ and their properties could turn into short sales or foreclosures. '[Short sales] aren't going anywhere for another two to three years,' Rowe says.
內華達州漢德森市(Henderson)房地產經紀公司Shelter Realty短售房總監保羅??羅韋(Paul Rowe)說，雖然拉斯維加斯直接受到樓市泡沫破滅重創，但仍會有很多新的短售房上市。據RealtyTrac說，拉斯維加斯按揭違約的業主將近8,000戶，他們的房產可能會變成短售房或止贖房。羅韋說：“（短售房的上市）還要再持續兩到三年。”
That could give more options to buyers looking for a deal. There are roughly 16,600 listings in Las Vegas, down 24% from a year ago, according to the Department of Numbers, which tracks real-estate data. While that's pushed up prices roughly 17% over the past year, prices could reverse course if there's an influx of short-sale listings.
這有望給正在尋找良機的買房人以更多的選擇。據跟蹤房地產數據的Department of Numbers公司的數據，拉斯維加斯掛牌待售的房產約有16,600套，較上年減少24%。雖然房價受此影響在過去一年上漲了17%左右，但如果有大批新的短售房上市，則房價有可能掉頭回落。
Cleveland
克利夫蘭：
Average REO sales price: $57,782
銀行持有房產成交均價：57,782美元
Average discount vs. nondistressed sales: 56%
相比非不良房產的平均折扣幅度：56%
Cheap prices have helped give a boost to home sales in Cleveland. Buyers looking for rock-bottom prices turned to bank-owned properties ─ also known as real-estate owned or REO properties, homes that lenders repossessed after foreclosure ─ which were selling for less than $60,000 on average during the end of 2012, a 56% discount off regular listings in the city. During the fourth quarter of 2012, there was a 141% increase in buyers purchasing these properties from a year ago ─ the largest purchase spike for REOs nationwide, according to RealtyTrac.
低廉的價格從一個方面提高了克利夫蘭的住房銷量。尋找低價的買主把目光投向了銀行持有房產(REO)，即銀行在終止業主贖回權之后收回的房產。2012年年末克利夫蘭REO房產的成交均價不到六萬美元，比該市普通房產低56%。RealtyTrac數據顯示，2012年第四季度克利夫蘭REO房產成交量同比增加141%，增幅為全美最大。
Experts say deals are unlikely to go away soon. Home sales have been dropping since mid-2012, according to data from Trulia.com. And many existing homeowners are facing foreclosure. One in 10 homeowners in the Cleveland metro area was 90 days past due or in foreclosure in the fourth quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
專家說，購房良機不太可能馬上消失。Trulia.com 的數據顯示，2012年年中以來克利夫蘭住房成交量一直在下降。而很多老業主面臨著止贖的可能。按揭貸款銀行家協會(Mortgage Bankers Association)的數據顯示，克利夫蘭都會區有十分之一的業主貸款已經逾期90天或已被終止贖回權。
Of course, while real estate is cheap, buying property in Cleveland isn't without risk. While the city's unemployment rate is lower than the national average, job losses have contributed to home price declines.
房價便宜歸便宜，在克利夫蘭買房當然也不是沒有風險。該市失業率低于全國平均水平，失業也是導致其房價下跌的原因之一。
Charlotte, N.C.
北卡羅來納州夏洛特
Average REO sales price: $111,260
銀行持有房產成交均價：111,260美元
Average discount vs. nondistressed sales: 43%
相比非不良房產的平均折扣幅度：43%
Sales of bank-owned properties shot up 109% in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to RealtyTrac. Real-estate agents say investors and individual buyers who want to occupy the homes are behind the sales. Hege, of Pridemore Properties, who specializes in REOs and short sales, says he sold roughly 20 bank-owned homes last year, about double the number in 2011.
據RealtyTrac數據，2012年第四季度夏洛特市REO房產成交量猛增109%。房地產經紀人說，推動這種銷量的力量是投資者以及希望買房自住的個人。Pridemore Properties公司專做REO及短售房的黑格說，他去年賣了20套左右的REO房產，約為2011年的兩倍。
Cheap pricing is creating an opportunity for buyers who are relocating from pricier markets, like New York and Boston, he says. After selling their homes, these buyers often have enough cash to buy a home outright in Charlotte, he says.
他說，低廉的房價為人們從紐約、波士頓等高房價地區搬遷過來創造了機會。他說，這些人在賣掉自己的住房之后，常常有足夠的現金在夏洛特市全款買房。
The state is also home to several other markets with big spikes in REO purchases, including Winston-Salem and Greensboro. According to RealtyTrac, those homes sold at an average discount of 49% and 40%, respectively, compared with regular listings during the fourth quarter.
北卡羅來納州另外多個市場的REO房產成交量也出現了大幅增加，如溫斯頓-塞勒姆(Winston-Salem)、格林斯伯勒(Greensboro)等。據RealtyTrac數據，2012年第四季度這兩個城市REO房產的平均成交價比普通房產分別低49%和40%。
