【明報專訊】IT IS universally acknowledged that interest rate changes are a barometer of the economic situation and that they affect the investment environment. However, though the US Federal Reserve has raised the interest rate three times since the year before last, Hong Kong has not followed suit despite the Linked Exchange Rate system. The situation being such, short-term speculators might think that there is still enough room for manoeuvre and that they will not be affected by the latest development. But to those planning to commit their money to a long-term investment (such as buying a new home), the interest rate has become a source of uncertainty and heightened the risks. People who are eager to buy their own homes should examine the situation comprehensively and think twice before they act.