Last week was the worst week for mortgage rates since late-2009. The inflation data didn’t help, but the Federal Reserve moved the news twice last week.

We saw the FOMC minutes move the market mid-week as the Fed expressed continued economic optimism. Separately, they made a surprise change to the discount rate increasing it to 0.75% from 0.50%

This Week’s Mortgage Rate Predictions

We return to normal this week with the news dominating the market movement. It makes sense to keep a keen eye on the results of the Treasury auctions, another $100B+ week, as well as Fed Chair Bernanke’s statements before Congress Wednesday and Thursday. The big news includes:

• Tuesday : Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Consumer Confidence
• Wednesday : New Home Sales
• Thursday: FHFA Home Price Index, Initial Jobless Claims
• Friday: Existing Home Sales, Personal Consumption Expenditures

Mortgage rates are at a crossroads where they might tick ever so slightly lower, but they’ll eventually move much higher. In order to get the best rate on your home loan approval, it is best to start soon.

There is very little to suggest that rates are going lower and there is a lot to suggest that rates are going higher. When they do, it is very unlikely that we’ll see rates this low again anytime soon.

The economy is definitely improving and there is no need for the Fed to continue to spend so much money to keep rates this low.

If you want to check back on this week’s mortgage rate predictions, it should be an interesting week.  Expect changes to Chicago mortgage rates with a significantly better chance of higher rates rather than lower rates.