$1 dollar for a house in Detroit?

Only $1 dollar for a house in Detroit?

底特律的便宜房現在正被炒得如火如荼,甚至有些低端的房產開價只要1美元,需求頗為旺盛.但是房地產中介告誡說,在頭腦發熱把錢投到買便宜房子之前,要先做一些調查以免今后碰到意想不到的麻煩.

Detroit bargain properties are hot right now, with low-end homes being listed for as little as $1 dollar and demand is intense. But real estate agents caution that it's worthwhile to do some research before plunking down any money on these homes to avoid unexpected complications.

很少有人能像阿爾伯特•哈基姆那樣了解底特律的房地產,他的專長就是房地產買賣.他自信自己手里擁有的低于1000美元的房地產是當地最多的.

Few people know this as well as Albert Hakim. The Metro Detroit-based realtor specializes in real estate-owned properties. Hakim believes he handles more of these bargain homes listed under $1,000 than any other realtor in Michigan.

盡管當前底特律的房地產正吸引著大量海外投資者的目光,但是哈基姆表示外國人和外地人在購買底特律房地產時,往往對房地產交易的復雜性知之甚少.他說,"他們太天真了！"

Despite the high level of interest from abroad, Hakim said foreigners and other outsiders are often clueless about the complexities of buying a home in Detroit. "They're so naive!" he said.

他還說,很多潛在的投資者忽視了購買這些便宜房子的總費用.一些房子的售價可能只有1美元或者100美元,但是最后買房者付的錢要遠遠大于這個數字.因為買房者的花費還包括城市檢查、房產稅和其他一些費用,全部費用加在一起會讓這些房子的價格飆升到上千美元.除此之外,這些便宜房子可能還需要大規模的翻新、重新鋪設管道、電線等,這些費用又會把房子的總價抬高.

He added that many potential buyers are ignorant of the total costs involved in buying distressed properties. While a home might be listed for $1 or $100, Hakim said in reality buyers end up paying quite a lot more. Costs associated with city inspections, property taxes and other fees can raise the total price of a bargain home to the low thousands. Such homes may also require extensive reconstruction, new plumbing, electrical rewiring and other work that adds more to the final tab.

詞語解釋：

如火如荼 （rúhuǒrútú） hot; growing vigorously

告誡 （gàojiè） caution

天真 （tiānzhēn） naive

房產稅 （fángchǎn shuì） property taxes

(Source: myechinese.com)