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House prices have soared in the pandemic boom – with the average home an astonishing £44,000 more expensive at £260,000, according to Nationwide. But mortgage rates are rising, the cost of living crunch is hitting hard, and the idea of a post pandemic Roaring Twenties seems very distant right now, so is a reckoning for Britain’s property market on the way? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert dive into the housing market to look at why homes are now the most expensive they have ever been when compared to wages – and what could send them even higher or tip them into decline. They also look at the mortgage market, where the best bargain basement fixed rate deals have long vanished and rates have been rising rapidly. But while they might be going up, mortgage rates are still very cheap and the Bank of England is weighing up loosening some lending rules, so where does that take us next? Simon also has some advice for anyone whose mortgage fix is up for renewal this year. Spoiler alert: it’s to start looking into a new fixed mortgage now. And a reader question – and yes, this was a genuine one – of whether taking $1 million-plus in payment for a property in the Caribbean in crypto is a good idea? And finally, credit cards are dead: it’s all about buy now, pay later… or is it? There’s a new Avios-earning Barclaycard out and Lee’s excited. Find out why by listening to the end.

.. means the fear of being alone, and can be rooted in early family years. Adam Cox suggests this episode for those who want to build their confidence and move away from a yearning for dependency. It may also help people who have recently been bereaved.

Adam Cox is joined by Jonas Holst, from Blueair, to discuss new research which reveals parents' reluctance to send children back to school in light of the pandemic, and how air purifiers could be used to alleviate some of their concerns. They look what the ways schools can improve air quality in the classroom, and what Blueair does to help. https://www.blueair.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Jane Lucy, CEO of Labrador, to discuss how recent energy price rises will affect the British public, and why finding a good deal on energy is currently so difficult. Jane explains who Labrador are, and what their new service launching this week is. https://www.thelabrador.co.uk/

Russ Mould of A J Bell discusses the knock-on effect on economies and markets of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Much depends, he says, on whether things stabilise quickly or not. Of all post-war conflicts, he feels the Arab-Israeli War of 1973 could be the most relevant, with its extraordinary impact on energy prices. If there is no rapid solution, then central banks could find themselves battling stagflation with little in their armouries. Investors should aim for a diversified portolio with plenty of exposure to "real stuff", the antithesis of what's worked for the past ten years or more.

James Cameron-Wilson looks at the UK box office just before 'The Batman' erupts onto cinema screens. With Uncharted still #1, the quirky true tale of 'The Duke' arrives at #3 with Jim Broadbent & Helen Mirren, the last film from Roger Michell. James gives it a thumbs up. He's less keen on musical 'Cyrano' at #7 with Peter Dinklage which never feels real. At #10 is 'The Godfather', still fresh after 50 years. James also recommends 'The Justice of Bunny King', a New Zealand drama available to rent on various platforms.

Share Radio's tech whizz Steve Caplin tells Simon Rose why Amazon is closing 68 of its stores. For skiers going off-piste there's an autonomous ski lift on tracks or, more scarily, a portable tow rope with a winch. There's a car that can climb gradients greater than 50%, an infinity electric train at an Australian mine, we hear why planes are being covered with shark skin, about the company contracted to mine oxygen on the moon and a tide clock for surfers.

Political commentator Mike Indian looks at the political ramifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine eight days in. With Ukrainian resistance greater than anticipated, he feels that – to paraphrase Churchill – this could be at least the end of the beginning for Vladimir Putin. The attack, argues Mike, is reinvigorating NATO but he feels more can be done to tackle Russian dirty money being sheltered in the UK while not indiscriminately targeting those hostile to Putin's actions.

Our commentary for w/c 28 February: as Peter Kropotkin predicted over 100 years ago, the communist legacy of centralised dictatorship has left the Russian leadership in a total moral vacuum, steered by fear and greed; and now, noting their nuclear warning, also with a degree of insanity. By a strange co-incidence, two programmes broadcast by the BBC on the day the war started point the way to a brighter future, if we can steer our path through the current tragedy engulfing Ukraine.

If you want to do well as an investor, you have to get comfortable with the idea of holding great companies through difficult times. (Like the one we're in right now). Motley Fool senior analysts John Rotonti, Maria Gallagher, and Ron Gross take a look at how strong companies bounced back from difficult times, and how investors can apply those lessons today. They discuss the tough decisions from management at Domino’s and Apple that ultimately rewarded shareholders, how Disney found strength in its intellectual property, key takeaways from investing through the Great Recession, and - 'Best Buy' rebounding from being "Amazon’s showroom"