“Rising interest rates pose a dilemma for people who love their mortgage more than they hate their house. A sustained period of rising rates could freeze homeowners with rock-bottom mortgages who otherwise might want to trade up for bigger or better properties. Such situations, which economists call “rate lock,” could weigh on housing demand in 2017, economists said.”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/rising-mortgage-rates-could-threaten-housing-demand-in-2017-1481457602