BANKING

Mortgage Rates Dip: The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. reported that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 8.23% this week, the lowest level in six weeks. That was down from an average of 8.34% the week before. Rates sank to a 19-year low of 7.84% in early September and, until this week, had generally been increasing. On one-year adjustable rate mortgages, lenders were asking an average initial rate of 5.47%, down from 5.52% last week. The rates do not include add-on fees known as points.