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Need a mortgage rate prediction? I am a regular participant in the Bankrate.com Mortgage Rate Trend survey and this week's survey may help you.

The Bankrate.com survey is for conventional, conforming mortgages only. It does not apply to FHA mortgages or jumbo mortgages. Nor is the survey specific to Cincinnati or Chicago.

for a real-time rate quote.

Here's the group's mortgage rates predictions:

• 50% predict mortgage rates will increase
• 29% predict mortgage rates will decrease
• 21% predict mortgage rates will remain unchanged

I expect mortgage rates to increase.

My advice not be appropriate for your individual situation and I'm not always right. Ultimately, you may find your time better spent learning how to suck at Facebook than reading my analysis.

Either way, here's what I told Bankrate.com:

"The reality of the Fed's mortgage market withdrawal sets in this week."

This is going to read like a recap from last week, but let's review the highlights.

When the economy hit the skids in September 2008, the government made a massive intervention.  In addition to formal stimulus from Congress, the Federal Reserve did what it could to loosen up the credit markets.

One of the Fed's most well-known programs was its commitment to buy $1.25 trillion in mortgage-backed bonds in the open market. Internal studies from the Fed say the program lowered rates by 1 percent last year.

The program ends March 31, 2010.

Now, logic dictates that if the Fed's presence had rates down 1.000 percent in 2009 -- all things equal -- the Fed's absence will have rates up by the same 1.000 percent in 2010. The question remains, "how soon until it happens?"

The Fed has been weaning markets off the program, dropping purchases to just one-third of its March 2009 peak purchase levels. And while it's been doing that, there's been fewer originations to create new supply.

For this reason, some analysts think fears of a Fed pullout are overblown; that rates won't rise by a full percent. And that viewpoint may ultimately be proved correct.

For now, though, the prudent thing to do is to treat the situation like NFL referees treat an instant replay request -- stick with the original call until you've got sufficient evidence to overturn it. Right now, that evidence doesn't exist. It won't exist until April.

Naturally, you don't have until April.  You need to know what to do right now so here it is.

Get locked.

Mortgage rates have receded from December's highs and have been sitting in a pocket for about a week. At some point, Wall Street will start pricing bond for the Fed's MBS exit and you don't want to be on the wrong side of that window.

Locking mortgages is a game of timing and, for that, you may need some help.

If you don't have a loan officer you can call up for advice, know that you can always call me. Or, , whichever is easier. I handle all of my own email and I would happy to get your mortgage rate lock ready for you. The key is to be ready before the market changes and that's what I do best.

Also, my bank has good, low rates. Just ask me about it.

Dan Green is an active loan officer. Email or call 513-443-2020. Dan is on Twitter at @mortgagereports.