We all know that home values have continued to decline as a result of unprecedented foreclosure and short sale activities through out the country. These actions have also resulted in huge housing inventory. It is a fact that lower interest rates would substantially increase consumers' buying power. But the question to you Active Rain pundits is, Do you think that lowering mortgage rates from a near 50-year low of 5.5% down to 4.5% (1 full percentage point) will help spark a new surge in lending, sell more houses by luring many more potential homebuyers, clear existing backlog of housing inventory, stop the slide in home values and prices and start creating new jobs as the experts believe? Or, do you think it wouldn't make much of a difference since the rates are already low? As a certified mortgage planning specialist, I reserve my comment and wait for your wise comments, instead.