US HOUSING SHOWS SIGNS OF STABILIZATION BUT REMAINS WEAK US mortgage applications rose 3.4% last week, their first increase since August, as 30-year mortgage rates eased to 7.41% from 7.50%. However, September new home sales slipped to 676,000 annualized units from 680,000, while the median selling price fell 3.9% year over year. Housing inventory declined slightly to 8.4 months of supply, still indicating a weak market.(彭博社)