Well, there are now wars on several fronts.  Of course Ukraine, and the Republican civil war in our House of Representatives.  Now,  Hamas terrorists are creating havoc in Israel  with their attack in Gaza.  Look for a decisive response and watch how the price of oil changes.   A glance at the right column on petroleum prices shows that the $100/barrel price precipitously dropped to $84/barrel from a week ago.  Interesting what this will be on Monday.  Interested in buying or selling your home?  Notice that mortgage rates are now at around 7.5%, and seem headed for 8%.   Read this to understand how mortgage rates differ from long-term interest rates . Way back towards the end of 1981 it was up to 18.39%.  This was during the Great Recession.  Then, a gradual drop over two decades, and the  30-year mortgage rate  was was down to 2.67% at the end of 2020.  The past 34 months saw this sudden escalation. We all place a bottle of mayonnaise or catsup in a refrigerator after opening.  But do