They blame the increase in mortgage rates for a lot of that drop - off. (realtormag.realtor.org)
At the end of 2015, we reported that many economists and housing analysts were predicting a gradual rise in mortgage rates during 2016. (homebuyinginstitute.com)
Closing Date ~ You can lock in a mortgage rate for only a limited time period (usually 90 days or less). (dmkrealestate.com)