Oil just hit $100 a barrel for the first time since May - what does that actually mean for the real financial math of downsizing in Denver right now?

Oil prices hit $100 a barrel this week for the first time since May. That number gets treated as an energy story, and it is. But it's also a cost-of-living story, and that matters directly to any Denver homeowner running the numbers on what downsizing actually pencils out to right now. Here's the practical reality: when energy costs spike, they don't just show up at the pump. They show up in heating bills, in the cost of goods, and in the carrying costs of a home that's larger than what they currently use. For a homeowner sitting on significant equity in Denver, that's not an abstract concern. It's a real line item that can quietly erode what felt like a comfortable cushion. The clear-headed version of this decision isn't 'should I sell before things get worse.' It's understanding what the full cost picture looks like right now, including what you'd actually net from the home, what you'd carry in a smaller or different property, and what Colorado's tax treatment does or doesn't do for you compared to where you're considering going. Selling a home because oil is $100 is a bad plan. But ignoring what persistent cost pressure does to a any household watching monthly expenses closely is also a bad plan. The people who come out of this in a steady position are the ones who've run the real numbers before they feel pressure to act, not after. What's the one monthly cost in your current home that's grown the most in the last two years?