Annie's Blog

FORECASTS THAT FED WILL INCREASE RATES

“BE WILLING TO MAKE DECISIONS.” General George Patton. And that’s exactly what the Fed did last week at their regularly scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting. But just what did they decide…and what do their decisions mean for home loan rates?

The Fed said they are going to ration out the remaining commitment of Mortgage Backed Security purchases through the first quarter of 2010. There will be no additional buying, but instead, a longer weaning off of the program. There was some speculation about the Fed increasing the amount of buying above the $1.25T committed to, and last week’s statement is the Fed’s nice way of saying “no.” They will not be buying more in quantity, but what they will do is attempt to provide a smoother transition to normal market conditions.

It is a given that once the Fed ceases its purchases, that interest rates will climb significantly higher…most likely back above the 6% area. So instead of a hard transition with a large bump in rates, the Fed is attempting to allow rates to gradually rise. This means that waiting to purchase or refinance will very likely mean a higher interest rate.

(SOURCE: CRESCENT MORTGAGE NEWSLETTER)