If you've ever thought about buying a home in Colorado, this is a good time to get serious. Compared to other "roller coaster" economies, Colorado real estate has been very stable in recent years, and there are a lot of good reasons:

The breathtaking backdrop of the Rocky Mountains alone would make just about anybody choose to buy a house in Colorado. Colorado has big blue skies, with 300 days of sunshine per year on average. That's even more than San Diego, California.

Colorado's Rocky Mountains include an abundance of "fourteeners" (peaks at least 14,000 feet (4270 m) high). If you buy a home in Colorado there's a good chance you'll be near one of these, because there are 54 fourteeners in the state. In fact, the mountainous area of Colorado is six times the size of Switzerland.

Colorado is also home to the Colorado Trail, a 500-mile hiking path that takes you from Durango to Denver. Hike the Colorado trail and you'll cross eight mountain ranges, seven national forests, six wilderness areas, and five river systems.

But in Colorado there's plenty of outdoor recreation even in the cities. Denver Colorado boasts the nation's the largest city park system, with over 200 parks within the city limits and 20,000 acres of parks in the nearby mountains. Boulder Colorado is known for the fact that just about every piece of Boulder real estate is no more than a 5 minute walk from hiking trails, biking trails, and the city itself is nestled right up against the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Blessed with natural beauty and phenomenal weather, one would expect Colorado house prices to be comparable to those in Southern California, but Colorado real estate remains surprisingly affordable. Many Colorado areas are half to one-third the price of some California real estate.

When you're thinking about investing in Colorado real estate, there are practical considerations to look at. Since the Colorado housing market is largely determined by the job market, it's worth knowing that Colorado has a strong, diversified economy.

The state of Colorado is number eight in the nation in per capita income. And this isn't likely to change soon, because the job growth rate for Colorado is nearly double the national average. A stable economy and a strong job market are important indicators of the price of real estate. If you want to invest in a Colorado home, the prospects are good that your home will maintain its value over time.

If you want to buy a home in Colorado, you can gain an excellent quality of life at an affordable price. If you're looking for a good investment, a house in Colorado is a solid choice. Buying a Colorado home is a great way to sidestep the adjustments that are happening in the coastal housing markets. While housing prices are sagging in places like California, the residential real estate market in Colorado is expected to see price gains above the national average in the coming years.

Education is a critical factor in the quality of life of a given area. There are over 30 major colleges and universities in Colorado. The state has always had a highly-educated population. In fact, over 30% of adults over 25 years of age in Colorado have college degrees.

The University of Colorado in Boulder is the third largest employer in Colorado, second only to various state and federal government agencies. Slightly over one percent of the jobs in Colorado are with the University, which employs nearly 24,000 people.

This emphasis on the importance of education has had many positive effects on life in Colorado. For one thing, there is a strong commitment to public schools, which helps enhance the quality of life for communities all over the state.

Buying a house in Colorado is an excellent choice at this period in time, and Automated Homefinder can help you find the ideal Colorado home for sale.

Take a look through our free database of over 40,000 Colorado homes and condos for sale to screen the homes that fit your criteria. You can see photographs of the inside of the homes you like, read statistics about the neighborhood, or even schedule a showing online. Automated Homefinder is dedicated to helping you find the best Colorado real estate at the best price, with the least hassle possible.