REAL ESTATE

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Down: Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.23% this week, down from 8.42% last week, according to a national survey released by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. It was the lowest since July 3, when rates averaged 8.14%. The 8.42% average last week was the highest since rates averaged 8.62% in early March 1995. On one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.97%, down from 6.01% last week. Fifteen-year mortgages, a popular option for those refinancing mortgages, averaged 7.76% this week, down from 7.93% a week earlier. The rates do not include add-on fees, known as points.