BANKING
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Mortgage Rates Lower: Thirty-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.53% this week, down from 8.64% last week, according to a national survey by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. It was the lowest since rates averaged 8.47% during the week ending Jan. 17. On one-year adjustable rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.93%, down from 5.97% last week.
