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prediction

Interest Rate Prediction for 2013

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It is that time of year again…  Here is my mortgage interest rate prediction for 2013

Minneapolis, MN: I expect long-term 30-year fixed rates to remain +/- about 3.50% for the first 6 months of 2013, with a slow but steady increase the second half of 2013 – but with the 30-year fixed rate remaining under 4.00% the entire year.

I also expect to see property values to slowly rise, with the average home increasing in value about 3% nationwide.  While that doesn’t sound like much, it is well within long-term historic appreciation levels.

 

Mortgage Interest Rate Prediction for 2012

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ST PAUL, MN: As the new year begins, there are no shortage of so called “experts” telling us what to expect for mortgage interest rates in 2012.  Mortgage interest rates closed out 2011 at some of the the lowest rates of all time. Some expect those interest rate trends to continue through the first quarter and beyond. Others expect a rapid increase in mortgage rates.

Who’s right and who’s wrong? A quick look through the newspapers, websites and business television programs reveals “experts” with opposing, well-delivered views. It’s tough to know who to believe.

For example, here are some predictions for 2012 :

  • Home prices will rise in 2012 (Freddie Mac)
  • Home prices will fall in 2012 (CBS News)
  • Mortgage rates will rise in 2012 (American Banker)
  • Mortgage rates will fall in 2012 (LA Times)

The issue for buyers, seller, and those wishing to refinance their existing mortgage loans in Minnesota and nationwide is that for many people, it can be a challenge to separate a prediction from fact.

When an argument is made on the pages of a respected newspaper or website, or is presented on some financial cable show by a well-dressed, well-spoken talking head, we’re inclined to believe what we read and hear. This is human nature. However, we must force ourselves to remember that any analysis about the future — whether it’s housing-related, mortgage-related, or something else — are based on a combination of past events and personal opinion.

Remember, predictions are simply guesses about what might come next, nothing more.

I am constantly amazed to hear politians, reporters, and other “so called experts” who have never written a mortgage loan ever in their life tell me how things work in the mortgage business. More annoying yet, is that are a lot these are the same people who makes the laws!

DON’T HOLD OFF buying a new home or refinancing your existing home because some “expert” says interest rates may drop sometime in the future. Mortgage interest rates are CURRENTLY at all time historic lows. Forget the experts! Jump in today, take the deal, and smile!

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