Last year at this time, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.85 percent.

A year ago at this time, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.17 percent.

Last year at this time, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.57 percent.

Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages, which hovered around 7 percent before starting to rise, averaged 7.69 percent this week.

Though interest rates are predicted to creep up as the economy improves, the realtors association expects that fixed-rate, 30-year mortgages will average 6.5 percent for 2003.

Fixed-rate mortgages are now averaging 9.81 percent, their lowest level since early 1987.

Fixed-rate 30-year mortgages averaged 10.19 percent to 10.22 percent in September, generally higher than in the first half of the year.

One-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 8.50 percent this week, down from 8.56 last week.

But in January, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 7.03 percent, down from more than 9 percent a year earlier and the lowest since February 1994.

It was the highest rate since fixed-rate mortgages averaged 10.61 percent last May 19.