Looks like the Government intends to drive mortgage rates down to 4.5 percent. I have mixed feelings. It should help soak up some of the surplus housing, but it seems to me that it is bad news for investors. Who wants to invest in mortgages generating 4.5 percent? And, if you are buying a house as an investment, it seems to me that buying when interest rates are at their nadir is not the smart thing to do. When rates inevitably go back up, the house you bought as an investment becomes less affordable to potential buyers. Chances are it will take a L-O-N-G time before you will be able to turn a profit. As a potential buyer with cash, I'd rather see interest rates head UP . . . that would drive the initial purchase price DOWN. Anyway, I wonder whether Paulson/Bernanke have thought through all the collateral effects this time.