BANKING & FINANCE - Dec. 19, 1992

Fixed-Rate Mortgages Lowest in 2 Months: Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.19% this week, the lowest in two months, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. said. It was the third decline in four weeks and returned the 30-year rate to levels not seen since mid-October. The rate hit a 19-year low of 7.84% in early September but had been rising steadily until the start of December, when it reached 8.32%. On one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.44%, down from 5.47% last week. The rates do not include add-on fees known as points.