Michael BeckerMortgage banker, Happy Mortgage, Lutherville, Md.It looks like we are going to set another record low for the 30-year fixed mortgage this week. How much lower can mortgage loan rates go? I'm not sure they can go much lower. Even in a deflationary environment, there is a floor, and I think we are fast approaching that floor. ... Earnings season is coming up in the next few weeks and should earnings surprise on the upside, you could see investors move away from bonds and into equities. This could cause mortgage rates to spike. For now though, deflationary concerns rule and mortgage loan rates will stay at their low levels.
Dan GreenWaterstone Mortgage, author of TheMortgageReports.com, CincinnatiWhy stop now? Mortgage markets continue their 13-week rally.
Mitch OhlbaumLoan officer, Bank of America, Los AngelesDown. I didn't think I would be saying that this year, but it seems so. With the 10-year Treasury at 2.95 percent, we have fallen almost 110 basis points in just the last few months. Inflation expectations have fallen to 1.88 percent, which is below the Fed's line of sight at the critical mark of 2 percent. Consumer confidence has fallen and everything has gone with it. While I like to normally buck the trends, this time I have to agree with the traders, and 97 percent of them agree that long-term rates will fall. Are we going to see 4-percent home loans?