THE ECONOMY

30-Year Mortgage Rates Fall: Thirty-year mortgage rates fell to 8.14% this week from 8.28% last week, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. reported. Freddie Mac said the decline came in the wake of a surge this spring that brought rates from 6.94% in mid-February to a yearly high of 8.42% in the week ended July 12. Some mortgage experts say long-term mortgage rates will begin to rise during the rest of the year. Freddie Mac also said the average adjustable mortgage rate fell to 5.83% from 5.90% a week earlier. Fifteen-year mortgage rates averaged 7.64%, down from 7.81% the previous week.