As crude oil crossed $80 a barrel Thursday, the Wall Street Journal ran an interactive poll with its readers.

What sustained price for gasoline would cause you to cut back on other household spending?

The graph above shows the on-going results of the non-scientific study. You can chime in, too, at http://forums.wsj.com/viewtopic.php?t=805.

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Headlines today read that the value of gold is nearing its all-time high (adjusted for inflation). The lay person would ignore this story, but those in the know understand that the price of gold is usually reflective of the state of the global economy.

The spot price of gold tells a lot about [...]

Mortgage rates “come from” one place only: the prices of mortgage bonds as determined by investors.

The higher the price, the lower the corresponding return, or rate.

Bonds — like stocks — are traded as securities. An investor may buy Microsoft stock if he thought the company’s future looked bright, and he may buy [...]

Line 901 of a mortgage settlement statement is commonly confused for a closing cost. It’s actually an “advance payment” on the mortgage.

Often called a per diem by mortgage professionals, line 901 itemizes a borrower’s prepaid mortgage interest charges due at closing. The total amount due equals the daily rate of interest multiplied by [...]

Weak employment data pushed mortgage rates lower last week, creating opportunities for home buyers and home sellers.

Against expectations of 110,000 new jobs created in August, last Friday’s Non-Farm Payrolls report showed a loss of 4,000 jobs.

The story made headlines all over the country this weekend. Here’s why it matters:

An employed person earns [...]

This morning, the government reported that the U.S. economy lost 4,000 jobs in August. Led by losses in manufacturing and in construction, this is the first time since 2003 that the economy has failed to add jobs in any given month.

Markets had been expecting a job gain of roughly 110,000, but many players [...]

Water isn’t just for flavoring anymore — how about for coloring?

For about $20, homeowners can buy a device that “colors” water blue right from the faucet. Using LED lights at the point of exit, the lights penetrates the water stream and makes for an interesting conversation piece.

The device has a [...]

We’ve talked a little bit about how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming loans are largely left out of the mortgage market mayhem in the press.

To help define “conforming”, we’ve talked about average credit scores, salaried income, and average assets. We’ve also addressed loan size as a defining characteristic.

The conforming loan limits [...]

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke at the annual Fed symposium in Jackson Hole Friday. His remarks did little to soothe those involved in real estate-related markets.

The Fed is aware of economic issues related to housing and mortgage debt, Bernanke said. But, he implied that the Fed wants more evidence that inflation has slowed [...]