Cost of Living, Consumer Confidence in U.S. Probably Dropped

"Rents, which account for about 40 percent of core consumer prices, have been restrained as the foreclosures push more houses into the rental market. Still, apartment vacancies in the U.S. dropped in the second quarter from the previous three months, the first quarterly improvement in two years, according to Reis Inc., a real estate research firm. The improvement signals rents may soon stabilize."