What Goes Down Must Come Up

What goes down must come up. Interest rates are still at historic lows, but we expect them to rise this year and next. But why, and by how much? What will be the impact on consumers and on the real estate market? What should investors do? Let’s explore the answers to each of these questions.

After a three-year period when the Federal Reserve cut interest rates to their lowest level since 1958, Americans have become far more willing to load up on debt, and banks have become far more willing to let them.

The economic recovery ha.....