Mortgage interest rates have been flirting with record lows for the past several months, giving buyers an unprecedented opportunity to lock in what are likely to be the lowest rates ever. Today, in its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for April, Freddie Mac offered this prediction: "Expect 30-year fixed-rate mortgages to gradually increase in the second half of 2012 to about 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent by the end of the year." Hold the panic. Though an increase is likely on the way, even at 4.5 percent, mortgage rates will still be at unbelievable lows.

Here's a link to the full report, which includes a wide range of economic and housing reports for April.