July Newsletter 2022
Best Neighborhoods in Denver
For the record, we love all the neighborhoods that we visit our clients in.
But people love lists, so here we go. Courtesy of the fine folks at 5280 Magazine, who recently published the “25 Best Neighborhoods in Denver”.
The rankings are based on four weighted variables, including home prices, crime data, school rankings, and an X factor score. The X factor includes things like open space access, restaurants, shops, and the like.
They looked at 73 total neighborhoods and were able to narrow it down to the best 25. One of the more interesting things to be aware of is that areas like LoHi or RiNo will not be mentioned, as the rankings used the city of Denver’s official map.
So, what neighborhood is considered the most desirable? That would be Wellshire. Followed closely by Belcaro and Wash Park. Platt Park and City Park round out the top five in our fine city.
We found some interesting items of note on this list. We were quite shocked that Cherry Creek came in 19th! We have lots of clients there that will surely demand a recount. Also surprising to us was the Highlands Area, with West Highlands coming in 24th and the Highlands 25th.
I guess the good news is that all of those places made the list, as over 50 neighborhoods did not.
The entire piece from 5280 Magazine (along with their complete methodology) can be found here.
Partners We Love
One of the major costs in any business is health care. Rates continue to rise and each year it becomes more difficult for many companies to balance affordability with the quality of the plan.
This is where our friend and partner Mike Shores at Rocky Mountain Insurance Consultants comes in.
Mike has been doing health care brokerage for 28 years and is the expert that we go to for all our health plan needs.
We asked Mike about the biggest changes in his industry, and he had the following to say:
“When the next annual renewal comes across the business owner’s desk, and they see their new group medical plan premiums for the coming year, they should be asking their broker what they are going to do about helping manage those costs.”
“What are the alternatives? Believe it or not, there are a couple of really good alternatives that can save substantial premiums, and they should be examined every year at renewal, and sometimes even during a mid-year review. Level Funded health plans and an ICHRA are two options that need to be evaluated by the business owner every year.”
We don’t have the brain power (or the space here) to go into detail on ICHRA or level-funded plans.
However, Mike does, and he would love to have a discussion with anyone interested in more information on how to save on healthcare plans, or just to chat about the industry and where it is headed.
Mike can be reached directly via email here, or at 303-523-1690.
New Delivery Fees
July brought in the enaction of some impactful laws in our state.
In a quietly publicized law change, some new delivery fees went into effect in Colorado on July 1st.
Were you aware that every retail delivery that you now receive has now had 27 cents added to it?
We weren’t either until we ran across an article outlining this new law.
From the article: “Colorado has implemented a new “retail delivery fee,” which is a tax of $0.27 per delivery of a taxable product. The fee, effective July 1, 2022, will be imposed on the buyer but will require retail sellers and marketplace facilitators to collect and remit the tax by filing a separate return.”
Yep, this means every DoorDash, Amazon, Instacart, and Uber Eats order that shows up on your doorstep has had this fee added to it, starting on July 1st.
Also, there was a $0.30 fee added to all rideshares, so if your Uber seems more expensive than last month it likely was.
On a happier note, driver’s license fees were frozen for this year after lawmakers came up with $4 million to avoid it.
Finally, the 2-cent per gallon gas tax that was set to go into effect was postponed due to an ongoing lawsuit filed by Advance Colorado Institute and Americans for Prosperity over the fees, arguing voters should have had a say before it went into effect.
Not the best news for an overheated economy. The complete article on these new fees can be found here.
Colorado & Illicit Drugs
We all know the story behind Colorado’s legalization of cannabis and all that has come with it.
It wouldn’t come as a huge surprise to hear that we use a lot of it here in our state.
However, it does seem that our drug use expands beyond the legal stuff and into the illicit, at a higher rate than you might imagine.
Wallethub did an exhaustive study of drug use in the United States and the information was very enlightening.
Colorado ranks 7th in illicit drug use. We are only behind West Virginia, DC, Arkansas, Missouri, New Mexico, and Nevada. Not a great list to be on.
We also ranked 14th in the share of teenagers who have used illicit drugs in the past month and 30th in drug overdoses.
The saddest stat we read was that Colorado ranked 2nd in the share of adults who could not receive treatment for their drug use in the past year.
The lowest illicit drug use in the United States? Minnesota, with Hawaii, Utah, Idaho, and Iowa rounding out the bottom five.
The full breakdown along with methodology, main findings, and full analysis can be found here.
Denver’s New Skyscraper
It’s a big one. In fact, it will be the largest built in Denver in more than 40 years.
Developers have broken ground on the project at 1900 Lawrence.
At 30 stories and boasting over 700,000 square feet of office space and 10,000 feet of ground-level retail, this building will reside in the heart of Denver’s business district.
From the article on 9 News: “Riverside Investment & Development Company in partnership with Convexity Properties and Canyon Partners Real Estate, and represented by JLL, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 21.”
“1900 Lawrence will set new standards for the workplace environment, so as to empower businesses and their employees,” said Chris Payne, Vice President for Riverside. “As the premier office building in Denver, the project is designed to include next-generation innovations in sustainability, health and wellness, technology, and amenity programming. We are excited to deliver an industry-leading office building that promotes collaboration and creativity.”
The project is slated to be complete by the second quarter of 2024.
Complete details of the project can be found here if you would like more information.
The views should be pretty sweet.
Monthly Award Winners
Our monthly award winners for June were Sandra Vidales, Brenda Garcia, Aurora Dominguez, Maria Zapata, and Josefina Quinonez.
In the Team Leader ranks, it was Mayra Soto and Socorro Ibarra.
We are so proud of our winners, and of all the folks that are in and out of your homes each week.
We are also very appreciative to be a part of your lives and your homes. You provide the platform for our teams to perform, and for that we are grateful.
Please join me in congratulating our best performers for the month of June.
Queen Bee Corner
by Angela
I would like to send out a reminder to please run all instructions for your team through me here at the office. Sometimes the ladies are unsure of the instructions given by the client but are too shy to ask them to explain.
In the same vein, our insurance company is very strict as far as what the ladies are allowed to clean in the houses, how they clean (e.g., no ladders higher than 3 steps), and what products can be used. This is strictly for the safety of the employees, and my involvement adds another layer of assurance.
I meet with the teams each day before dispatch to give out instructions and convey any client concerns or compliments.
As always, the easiest way to get me special requests or instructions is via text at 303-588-6847.
Happy summer! Stay cool!
Bee
