Colorado was one of only eight states where home prices appreciated in the 12 months ending March 31, earning it a placing among the top five states for home appreciation, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The District of Columbia had the highest one-year appreciation rate in the nation, with its homes’ values increasing 14.2 percent. It was followed by North Dakota with a rate of 7.48 percent; California third at 2.85 percent; and Vermont rounded out the top five with a rate of 1.44 percent.

Boulder was the highest-ranking metro area in Colorado, coming in at No. 50 with a one-year appreciation rate of -2.28 percent. Grand Junction was the lowest ranked Colorado metro at 254, with an appreciation rate of -10.9 percent.

While none of

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Naturally, like most homeowners, you have a strong emotional connection to your home and, understandably, feel it deserves top dollar when placed on the market. After all, no one knows your home better than you, including all the investments you've made in it over the years. But even though all sellers want to get the most money for their homes, especially in today's challenging economic times, decisions made regarding the listing price cannot be made in haste.Listing your home at a price that is too high can cause it to languish on the market; this can result in the home selling at an even lower price than would have been realized had it been priced properly from the beginning. To avoid this scenario and generate optimal profits from the sale of your…

Home sales in Boulder continued their upward trend in June, giving hope that perhaps the real estate market has finally hit bottom and is headed in the opposite direction.

"Sales held up very well in June, probably continuing with the impact of the homeowner tax credit for first-time and move-up buyers," observes Ken Hotard, senior vice president of public affairs for the Boulder Area Realtor Association.

Until Congress recently extended the deadline for closing on a home purchase to the end of September, buyers had to close by the end of June to qualify for the tax credit.  Boulder County saw 370 single-family homes and 131 townhomes and condos close in June, compared with 357 and 147, respectively, in June 2009. From June 1, 2009, through May 31,

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Did you know that one in seven Americans has at least 10 credit cards? It's true. However, the average is four, according to a report from Experian.

Usage on credit cards has dropped dramatically in the last two years as financially constrained consumers have reduced spending and begun paying off debt. The national average interest rate on credit cards as of August 2010 is 14.44%, up from 13.17% from six months earlier.

Mortgage-seeking clients are always asking for advice on how they can improve their credit profile, such as the number of credit cards they should have. It's important that consumers are educated about credit and how to properly manage it. According to the credit experts at ApprovalGuard.com, however, it's not just the number of credit

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