August 2010

Denver Ranks as Fourth Best City for School Reform

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Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 6:38pm. 682 Views, 1 Comments.

A new study released this week has ranked Denver in the number four position in the “America’s Best Cities for School Reform” list. The report, which was published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, analyzed 26 major cities throughout the United states in order to determine which ones provided the healthiest climate for school reform.

Overall, Denver received a grade of “B” for its reform-friendly environment, with none of the cities involved in the study receiving a grade of “A.” This grade was based on numerous criteria, including:

• Charter environment
• District environment
• Financial capital
• Human capital
• Municipal environment
• Quality control

“Denver is an attractive place for education entrepreneurs,” stated the report. “Reform efforts on both the city and state…

15 Colorado Businesses Included on Inc 500 List of Fastest Growing Businesses

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Saturday, August 28th, 2010 at 6:17pm. 674 Views, 0 Comments.

According to the most recent “Inc. 500” list of the fastest growing businesses in the nation, Colorado is home to 15 of the country’s fastest growing companies. These figures represent an increase from last year, at which time the state was home to 14 of the fastest growing companies. In 2008, 12 businesses made the list, while 11 businesses were included on the list in 2007.

When developing the list, Inc. magazine primarily focused on the rate of revenue growth each company experienced from 2006 through 2009 rather than the company’s total revenue. As such, the list tends to favor smaller companies that have experienced rapid growth. Ayuda Management of Broomfield, for example, is a general contractor employing 45 people. Founded in 2001, the company was…

A Great Deal or a Disaster Waiting to Happen?

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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 12:23pm. 668 Views, 1 Comments.

With a housing market that continues to slump combined with constant news coverage of a foreclosure tidal wave, many buyers are looking to get in on the action. REALTORS® across the nation have reported a trend in buyers hunting for that great deal on a foreclosed home.  Although the current housing market provides some amazing homes at a great value, buying a foreclosed home can still be a risky venture. It is important to know the pros and cons of purchasing a foreclosure.

First off there are different types of properties that are generally referred to as foreclosures. A home that is in danger of falling into foreclosure but is still owned by the homeowner is known as a “pre-foreclosure”. One of the pros to buying a pre-foreclosure is that oftentimes…

Colorado Ranks as the State with the 12th Lowest Closing Costs in the Country

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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 7:55am. 738 Views, 0 Comments.

For those who are interested in the possibility of moving to Colorado or simply purchasing a new home in the state, they will be happy to learn that Bankrate.com reports that Colorado has the 12th lowest mortgage closing costs among the nation’s 50 states.

According to the annual survey conducted by Bankrate.com, Colorado homebuyers can expect to pay an average of $3,366 in closing costs. This figure assumes the typical loan amount of $200,000 along with a 20 percent down payment as well as a good credit rating. $1,449 of these costs reflects the average origination fee charged by lenders, while the other $1,917 represents the average cost of title and third-party fees. Colorado’s twelfth place ranking represents quite the improvement when compared to 2009,…

Denver Metro Area Ranks as the Eleventh Best Place for Job Seekers

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Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 7:49am. 589 Views, 0 Comments.

According to the career search engine Juju.com, Denver is the eleventh best place for job seekers to find work. The Denver metro area achieved the same ranking in August, though it is down from its 10th place ranking in June.

To determine its rankings, Juju.com took a closer look at the 50 largest cities in the country. The researchers then assigned a Job Search Difficulty Index, which is based on the ratio of unemployed workers within the market compared to the number of job openings being advertised within that market, to each of these cities.

After crunching the numbers, Juju.com determined that the Denver metro area has 2.63 unemployed workers for every advertised job to be advertised in August, resulting in an 11th place finish. The…

What to Know when You’re Moving to Denver

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Saturday, August 21st, 2010 at 10:13pm. 464 Views, 0 Comments.

Moving to any new city can be an exciting experience, but it can also be terrifying. When you arrive, you don’t know where anything is. You’re not sure where to get your essentials. Even eating out can be a challenge, because unless you go with a chain restaurant you’re not even really sure whether the food will be exquisite or exquisitely horrible. Denver is no exception to this rule.

So, if you’ve found yourself packing up and getting ready to make the trek to the Mile High City, here are some things you’ll want to know when you’re moving to Denver:

• Denver has a wonderfully rich arts community. If the arts are your thing, there is no dearth of activities to participate in and places to see. From the major museums downtown to the neighborhood galleries,…