kiplinger connection
Global Business • The Economy • Energy
Global Business: Anti-Americanism on the march?
The Economy: Interest rates will stay as-is
Energy: Gas prices lower than last summer

Vacancies Down Around Ground Zero
Low vacancy signals return of the downtown financial district
According to a February market report by New York-based real estate investment firm Colliers ABR Inc., downtown Manhattan “continued to be the star” in the city’s commercial market, with its Class A office vacancy rate dropping from 6.8 percent in January to 6.6 percent in February, its lowest since August 2001. The report also points out that the average asking downtown commercial rent, while remaining significantly below midtown, is climbing, closing February just below the $50 per square foot mark.

Ethics: Calling Yourself an Architect in a State Where You Aren’t Licensed
Can you call yourself an architect when submitting project proposals in a state where you are not licensed, as long as you are licensed in another state? Whether this is permitted by the architectural licensing board in the state where you are seeking work depends on the law of that state. Many licensing boards consider such “fishing” by out-of-state architects to be an ongoing problem. The question also raises an ethical issue under the AIA’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

Have You Designed a Beautiful Waterfront House? It Should Be on TV!
Home and Garden Television (HGTV) is creating a one-hour special on “Waterfront Homes,” featuring “the most luxurious and unconventional one-of-a-kind waterfront properties in North America.” If you designed (or own) an amazing waterfront property, tell them about it by April 6.