Mortgage rates could remain stuck above 6% for the next several years, according to newly released projections from the economists at the Mortgage Bankers Association .

MBA Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni presented the forecast at the group’s annual conference in Las Vegas on Sunday, projecting that 30-year fixed mortgage rates will remain roughly in the range of 6% to 6.5% through the end of 2028.

“As we move over the next couple of years, we think it’s more likely that long [term] rates are going to go up rather than down, given the fiscal pressures on the economy,” Fratantoni told the conference, referring to the impact of rising federal deficits on bond markets.

That’s a grim forecast for prospective homebuyers , who have already suffered through three straight years of mor

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