REAL ESTATE

30-Year Mortgage Rates Fall: Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 7.88% this week, down from 8.23% last week, according to a national survey released by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. It was the lowest level since April 4, when rates averaged 7.78%. Rates generally have been falling since July 11, when they averaged 8.42%, the highest since 8.62% in March 1995. On one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.89%, down from 5.98% last week. Fifteen-year mortgages, a popular option for those refinancing mortgages, averaged 7.40% this week, down from 7.75% a week earlier. The rates do not include add-on fees known as points.