REAL ESTATE

Fixed-Rate Mortgage Drops: Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.06% this week, down from 8.16% last week, according to a national survey released by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. It was the lowest since Aug. 22, when rates averaged 7.93%. Average rates reached 8.34% on Sept. 5, the highest since the 8.42% peak in early July before rates began to fall. On one-year adjustable-rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.70%, down from 5.82% last week. Fifteen-year mortgages, a popular option for people refinancing mortgages, averaged 7.58% this week, down from 7.68% a week earlier. The rates do not include add-on fees known as points.