Monday, April 2, 2012

Recent Clippings, April 1, 2012

Denver Post, March 27, 2012

"Jefferson Park apartment project in Denver's Highland to include 332 units, retail space"

While there are a number of apartment projects under construction in the nearby Highland neighborhood, nothing suggests that the area is in danger of being overbuilt, said Ryan McMaken, spokesman for the Colorado Division of Housing.

The downtown vacancy rate is 4.4 percent and the vacancy rate for northwest Denver is 5.5 percent.

"I don't see anything in our data that would raise any red flags for this project," McMaken said.

The rental rates also are consistent with those throughout the metro area. Of the 108,000 apartments included in the survey, only 3 percent lease for $1,500 or more, McMaken said.

"It gets higher the closer you get to downtown," he said.

Recent clippings: Christian Science Monitor

My latest at the Christian Science Monitor:

"The Pentagon is a gas guzzler"

The Pentagon spent $17.3 billion on oil in 2011, a 26 percent increase from 2010. This despite the Pentagon's public efforts to "go green."

By Ryan McMaken, Guest blogger / March 12, 2012

"Half of Americans don't pay income tax. So what."

The increase in reliance on government assistance is the problem, not a lack of people who pay income tax.

By Ryan McMaken, Guest blogger / February 25, 2012

"Why we're paying more for corn"

Thanks to government subsidies supporting a specific type of corn farm, land value is increasing, and prices are going up. The same is true of other federally supported crops.

By Ryan McMaken, Guest blogger / February 24, 2012