With housing prices down significantly in many parts of the country and interest rates low, it may be an affordable time for twentysomethings to buy that first home.

In some instances, the price of owning can be comparable to renting in the long run. But a lot of uncertainty still remains about the housing market and the economy -- making the decision to buy more complicated.

Nicole Stivers, a 24-year-old who works in public relations in Contra Costa County, Calif., purchased her first home with her fiancé in February. They were able to capitalize on what she calls a 'perfect storm' -- job stability, a desire to settle down, a surge in home foreclosures and the $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.

Still, the move was not without its concerns. 'Would we be able to afford this if we both lost our jobs? Do we have enough for a down payment? Do I have enough for moving? It's really nerve-racking when you're first doing it,' says Ms. Stivers.

Here are some questions to consider when deciding if buying or renting is the right choice for you:

How long do you plan to stay in your home? 'There are high transaction costs associated with buying and selling' a house, says Dean Baker, co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, so home buyers should plan to stay put for at least four to five years.

The reasoning? The costs for buying and then selling a home -- which can include a real-estate agent's fee, a transfer fee, closing costs, and inspector and surveyor fees -- could add up to about 10% of the sale price, or roughly 1? years worth of rent. 'If you average that over 10 years, it is not that big a deal,' says Mr. Baker. 'But if you average it over, say two years, you're paying an awful lot of money to own a house for a short period of time.'

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.

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.

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.

To determine whether it makes more financial sense to buy or rent in your area, compare home sales prices with the cost of renting a similar place.

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.

What is your job and relationship status? Twentysomethings are still getting a grasp on their futures and a constantly changing lifestyle might require the flexibility of renting.

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.

如今全美很多地方的房价都有了大幅下跌，银行的利率又很低，似乎正是80后们购置人生第一套房产的好时机。

有些情况下，买房跟长期租房的花费相差无几。不过楼市和经济依然有很多的不确定因素──所以要做出决定还是挺复杂的事情。

妮科尔·斯蒂弗斯（Nicole Stivers）现年24岁，在加利福尼亚康特拉科斯塔县（Contra Costa County）从事公关工作，今年2月跟未婚夫买下了他们的第一套房产。她称目前的现状为"完美风暴"──他们两人工作稳定、希望安定下来，目前有大量的房产丧失止赎权，而且初次购房者可享受8,000美元的税收减免──他们正好可以抓住这一时机。

当然，他们做出这个决定也不完全就是高枕无 的。妮科尔说，"如果我们双双失业，还供得起房吗？我们的钱够首付吗？我的钱够搬家吗？头一次买房可真是伤脑筋。"

在决定买房还是租房最适合你之前，或许可以先考虑以下这些问题：

你打算在新买的房子里住多久？经济与政策研究中心（Center for Economic and Policy Research）联席主任迪安·贝克（Dean Baker）说，"买卖房产交易费用很高，"因此如果打算购房的话，至少要打算住个四五年才划算。

原因何在呢？买了房子再卖掉所需的费用──包括房产中介费、过户费、买卖手续费、验房师和估价师的费用──杂七杂八加在一起大约是房价的10%,或者大致相当于一年半的房租。贝克说，"如果你把这个费用分摊到10年，那就不算什么大数目，不过如果要分摊到比如两年，那就意味着，你要为短时间拥有一个房子付出很大的价钱。"

每月所需费用你可以承担吗？虽然有些情况下，月供跟你每月租房的费用差不多，不过买了房子之后，除了月供之外，还会产生其他一些费用。

要切身体会买房后的经济负担──也是为了看看你能否承担得起──"演练"一下每月还款吧。理财教育公司Financial Finesse的注册理财规划师加里·斯莫拉（Gary Smola）说，可以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。

房屋租售比如何？加利福尼亚圣何塞的注册公共会计师丹尼尔·莫里斯（Daniel Morris）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。"

要想判断你所在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个比对。

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。

你目前的工作如何，跟伴侣的关系如何？80后人群还是在事业打拼阶段，个人生活方面也经常会有变动，也许还是租房这种灵活的方式更适合他们。

莫里斯说，不过，"如果你的工作非常稳定，你对现状非常满意……个人生活方面也相对稳定，"那么买房就是更有吸引力的选择。