Briefly

* Interest rates on 30-year fixed mortgages dipped to an average of 5.68% last week from 5.71% a week earlier, while 15-year fixed mortgages fell to an average of 5.11% from 5.14%. One-year adjustables averaged 4.18%, up from 4.15%.

* U.S. housing starts unexpectedly plummeted 13.1% in November, the biggest drop in nearly 11 years, as starts slid to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.771 million from 2.039 million in October, the Commerce Department said Thursday.