We're all pretty happy to put 2009 behind us, especially those who submitted the 1.4 million bankruptcy petitions last year, making it the seventh-worst on record.

Data gathered by the Associated Press from the 90 bankruptcy districts in the U.S. shows that filings surged 32% from 2008, with 116,000 bankruptcies in December alone. The 22% jump last month, though substantial, was at least below the annual average. That said, the holiday season may have chewed up time that people would use to file, so the apparent reprieve (if you can call a 22% increase in bankruptcies a reprieve) may not be real.

Late last October, my husband and I reveled in St. Louis with hundreds of thousands of Cardinals fans as our team claimed the World Series title for the first time since 1982. We greeted dozens of strangers with high-fives and hugs. We stumbled through the downtown city streets, late into the night, propelled by an overwhelming sense of revelry and camaraderie. We had no idea, of course, that we were acting so carefree in a city that was about to be named the most dangerous in the U.S.

So I was relieved this morning when Missouri failed to make AOL Money & Finance's list of the 12 most dangerous states. This means, of course, that our crime rate is neatly contained within the Gateway City, which is where I currently reside. Not ideal, but we have to take our victories when we can.

While it doesn't have the highest rate of murders, burglary, or other violent crime, Nevada has high enough rankings across the board to earn it the number-one spot. Number two is New Mexico, which ranks second in the U.S. for rape, assault, and burglary offenses, and number three is Arizona. The remaining top 12 breaks down as follows:

Is there any more important rule in real estate than, "location, location, location"? In case you've been living under a rock, that's the answer to the question, "What are the three most important factors in buying a home?" The basic idea is that it's not the Sub-Zero fridge, the spacious deck, or the fancy faucets that dictate whether a home will hold its value. What matters most is where it's located.

USA Today proves the point yet again today with new findings from a Coldwell Banker survey. The survey looked at similar houses -- all with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a family room and a two car garage -- and compares how much they cost in 384 markets around the world.

The most affordable place in the U.S. is Minot, North Dakota, where a four-bedroom home lists for $132,000. The least? Beverly Hills, Calif, where the price tag is $1.8 million. Take the trends abroad and you can pay $1.8 million for that kind of house in Milan, Italy, or just $56,500 in Bogota, Columbia. The average sale price in the U.S. is $424,000 (you can parse all the data here).

What good does this information do you? Well, if you just paid $2 million for a split-level in Greenwich, Conn., and are worried you bought at the peak, this data may make you feel better. At least you bought in a premium location that will hopefully hold its value.

Better yet, if you are thinking of trading down, a handy tool at the Coldwell Banker site allows you to crunch this data and see how much a home comparable to your own would cost anywhere else in the country. For example, you can trade in that $2 million Greenwich home for a similar $278,000 house in Amarillo, Texas, should you one day decide to head to cattle country with plenty of free cash in hand.