An article on msn.com in early August contended

An article on msn.com in early August contended that consistently high gas prices will have a rising influence on house buyers’ decisions. The article, “Could Rising Gas Prices Kill the Suburbs?,” calculated that at $3/gallon gas, a 50-mile commute costs $6,200 more per year than a 10-mile commute — all costs factored in. That’s the same cost as carrying an $80,000 mortgage, except with the mortgage one gains equity — not so with car expenses. Forty-five percent of people polled online said that gas prices are now a very important factor in choosing where to live.