More consumers harbor low expectations for home prices and the economic outlook today than at any time this year, Fannie Mae revealed in a survey it released Monday.

In conducting the monthly study, titled the Fannie Mae National Housing Survey, the GSE said it posed questions to some 1,002 Americans about a variety of topics, including homeownership, mortgage rates, economic distress, and consumer confidence.

According to Fannie, only 18 percent of survey respondents fielded hopes that home prices would increase into 2012 – the lowest such number reported by the National Housing Survey. By contrast, 25 percent of respondents believe that home prices will decline.

The mortgage giant found more Americans in the survey believing that home prices will fall by 1.1 percent over 2012, the steepest such sentiment on record and the fourth consecutive month for it this year.

Ten percent of Americans felt the economic situation made it a poor time to sell one’s home, compared with 68 percent, who deemed today the best time to buy a home.

Only 33 percent of respondents felt that mortgage rates would increase over the next year, a number that fell 12 percent from last month and registers as the lowest on record for the National Housing Survey.

Whither the good news in a bleak survey? The GSE reported that 63 percent of Americans would say yes to a new home in a move-up, contrasting with 32 percent of respondents who favor rental properties.

“Despite a decline in negative economic headlines during September – in contrast to their ubiquity during the debt ceiling debate in August – consumers continue to demonstrate very negative attitudes,” Doug Duncan, VP and chief economist with Fannie, said in a statement. “At the same time, the share of customers expecting mortgage rates to go up dropped sharply to the lowest level we have recorded, likely influenced by the news that the Federal Reserve will attempt to keep interest rates low for years to come.”

“The lack of a sense of urgency to buy homes, given expectations for further declines in home prices and continued low mortgage rates, coupled with general pessimism regarding their own personal finances and the economy, bodes poorly for the recovery of the housing market,” he added.

Regarding the general economy and household finances, 77 percent of survey respondents agreed with the idea that “the economy is on the wrong track,” reflecting a 1-percent fall from August. Sixteen percent of Americans believe the economy is on the right track.

The survey found fewer Americans expecting declines in their financial circumstances over the next year, with figures dropping for the first time in a number of months to 19 percent this month from 22 percent last month.