When gas was cheap, people drove until they could afford the houses

My cousin, who is really smart about these things, used to buy houses progressively farther from the city. The price would go up, she would sell, and move a little farther out....
But now that pattern is reversing. The outer suburbs may be abandoned unless telecommuting takes hold.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89803663