If you own a house and have been trying to sell, here's some bad news: Sales of existing homes dropped across the nation by more than 27 percent in July, compared with the same month a year earlier, representing a record decline. Denver, where sales have been down similarly, is not immune, notes the Denver Business Journal. Still, real estate in Colorado is appreciating, according to the Colorado Association of Realtors, which partook in a study to determine which region in the state has experienced the greatest increase in home value over the last decade (via The Huffington Post). Western Slope home values rose the most. As for the Denver metro area, it showed the smallest growth. There's lots of bargain hunting out there, The Associated Press points out, but a lot of homeowners are also standing their ground, unwilling to drop their prices much lower. There is a bit of good news, however: In Denver, the average wait for a sale is about two months, which is among the best in the nation.