23 Gorgeous Places to Behold the Fall Glory

Maroon Bells - most photographed mountain scene in North America

 

One of my favorite joys in the world is BEAUTY. And there's a lot of it in Colorado at this time of year. We are blessed to be an actual "honey-moon destination" for many married couples from around the world! 

Are you ready to see Colorado's gives STUNNING nature shows with millions of leaves and Aspens about to show their glory?! That time of year of cooler weather to bundle up and watch football, go fruit picking, to fairs, and have super melancholic feelings!

I wanted to give you the prime spots to watch the short window of Aspen and other trees change color. By the second and third week of September, many aspen groves are well worth a day's drive. Usually the peak time to view aspen is around the last weekend of September. After that, early snows will knock down the leaves and others drop away by themselves. 

23 Gorgeous Places to 

Behold the Fall Glory:

1) Maroon Bells near Aspen, the most photographed mountain scene in North America!

2) Colorado 14 through the Poudre Canyon west of Fort Collins.

3) Trail Ridge Road (US 34) through Rocky Mountain National Park

4) Flat Tops country between Buford and Newcastle

5) Tennessee Pass, US 24, from Leadville to Vail

6) Boreas Pass between Como and Breckenridge, a 23-mile road cresting at 11,481 feet. 

7) Guanella Pass between Georgetown and Grant

8) Grand Mesa, Colorado 65 east of Grand Junction and north of Delta.

9) Steamboat Springs, Elk River country north on County Road 129.  Also check the view on Rabbit Ears Pass and Buffalo Pass east.

10) Independence Pass, Colorado 82 between Twins Lakes and Aspen.

11) Colorado 135 between Crested Butte and Gunnison. Also try Kebler Pass west of Crested Butte on Gunnison County Road 12! 

12) Cottonwood Pass, Colorado 306 between Buena Vista and Taylor Park

13) Monarch Pass, US 50 from Salida to Gunnison.

14) Cochetopa Pass between Saguache and Gunnison.

15) Gold Camp Road - Colorado 67 between Divide and Cripple Creek.

16) Lizard Head Pass, Colorado 145 between Dolores and Telluride.

17) Slumgullion Pass, Colorado 149 between Lake City, Creede and South Fork.

18) US 160, Navajo Trail, between Pagosa Springs and Cortez.

19) Platoro Reservoir, south of Del Norte and west of Conejos.

20) Cucharas Pass, Colorado 12, from Trinidad to Walsenburg.

21) CO 103 from Evergreen Parkway west to Echo Lake.

22) McClure Pass - This is a spectacular 8,755 foot pass south of Carbondale along Colorado 133 and the Crystal River.
23) And last but not least...the city of Denver! Wash Park, City Park, Cherry Creek & Bonnie Brae are all excellent neighborhoods with huge trees that become stunning!

Map (this map doesn't include Maroon Bells, so don't forget about Aspen!)

Enjoy the Colorado BEAUTY!!!

How to Improve Your Credit Score Quickly

With mortgage interest rates hovering near record lows, you may want to either refinance your mortgage or purchase a new home before rates go higher again.

The question is -- can you qualify for refinancing or a purchase loan?

Since the recession, lenders have tightened loan qualification standards and their most widely used tool to determine if you qualify for a loan and at what interest rate are your credit scores. Credit scores are determined by a software algorithm that analyzes your credit and payment history.

These "FICO" scores run between 300 and 850, with the highest numbers considered to be the best scores. The 47% of Americans with credit scores of 720 or higher receive the best interest rates, according to MyFICO.com.

Credit scores make a significant impact. For every 20-point credit score increase, according to Zillow, the average low APR declines 0.12 percent, a savings of $6,400 on a $300,000 home over 30 years.

Improve your credit scores

FICO scores are based on your credit history. Each credit reporting bureau, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax calculates its own score, so you may have three scores.

The first thing you need to do is review your credit reports for errors and get them resolved as quickly as possible. Visit freeannualcreditreport.com to get copies. You can then purchase your credit scores for approximately $14.95 from each agency or all three at myfico.com.

FICO scores change with every new piece of information that comes into the credit reporting bureau, so the credit score you receive today can be improved quickly by following some dos and don'ts.

Don't close credit card accounts. FICO scores utilize a credit utilization ratio that turns against you because it appears that you might be overusing your available credit.

Don't max out or consolidate credit cards. Credit card companies like it if you only use about 30% of your available credit on your card. You're better off having small balances on multiple cards than a large balance on one card.

Don't apply for new revolving credit or transfer balances. If you're buying a new home, it's tempting to buy some new furniture, but don't open that account until after your loan closes. You don't want "inquiries" to be raised in the scoring algorithm.

Don't change jobs right before you apply for a home loan, although job changes within the same field are considered more favorably in scoring.

Do pay all bills on time and with at least the minimum payment due. Lenders like on time payment histories.

Do pay down your debt, as lower income-to-debt ratios are attractive to lenders. Start by reducing credit card balances first, beginning with the balances that generate the highest interest rates. Revolving credit is considered riskier debt than installment loans such as student loans or car payments.

Do shop lenders simultaneously. Credit score software takes into account several inquiries from mortgage lenders as normal, but if you space rate-shopping out over weeks or months, that could impact your credit score negatively.

Remember, mortgage lenders are most interested in your ability to repay their loan. The most important factors are job and debt payment history. Job security -- long-term employment in the same field and on-time

Homeowners Net Worth 40 Times that of Renters

Home owners are building net worth at a pace that is up to quadruple that of a renter. Check out these stats:

• In the past 15 years, the net worth of the typical homeowner has ranged between 31 and 46 times that of the net worth of the typical renter.
• Data shows that median homeowners had nearly $200,000 in net worth or 36 times that of the median renter who had just over $5,000. The median value of owners’ homes was $170,000.
• Many households own a primary residence (65.2 percent). It is the most commonly held non-financial assets after vehicles (86.3 percent).

Homeowner equity is a substantial component of homeowner wealth. The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted once every three years, provides a snapshot of family income and net worth along with basic demographic details and more detailed information on where families keep the wealth they have accumulated. The most recent survey, conducted in 2013, offers a picture of the situation as home and equity prices normalized for most household balance sheets.