How to Find the Perfect Property Manager

Posted on by

Whether you’re leasing one property or a high-rise full of condos, getting the right property manager on board saves you time, stress and cash in the long run. However, it’s pretty easy for just about anyone to call themselves a property manager even when they have zero experience-and that might set you up not just for headaches, but potentially lawsuits. You’re the property owner, so it’s your responsibility to follow the rules and keep your tenants safe. Your property manager is the middle man, and you depend on them wholly to keep things in order.

The situation is made even tougher if you’re a landlord who’s not in the same region as your leased property. From screening renters and collecting rent to handyman work to ensuring lease agreements are upheld, there’s a lot on a property manager’s plate. Here are tips on how to hire right the first time, so you can sit back and watch that passive income roll in. A great property manager makes your life and your business a breeze.

References aren’t Just for Looks

Request references and actually follow-up on them when you narrow down your hiring pool. Preferably, these references will be from reputable management companies. Cross check the phone numbers you’re given to make sure they’re connected to a real business. Everyone has to start somewhere, but it’s not wise to trust an inexperienced newbie with something as important as your property.

If you really want to slim things down, ask for letters of recommendation, too. Property managers will be asked to do a lot of things, and if someone wants the job they’ll comply with simple requests. If they can’t drum up a written recommendation, that may mean either they don’t have one (bad news) or they can’t be bothered to get one (also bad news). It’s still an employer’s market, so this is your time to cherry pick property management firm candidates.

Match Experiences

If you simply plan to lease a residential home now that you’ve downsized in retirement, it’s best to hire a property manager with experience in that kind of property. Someone who’s only worked in apartment communities isn’t going to have the experience necessary for such a drastic change. This is why picking the right person is such an essential part of the process.

If at all possible meet with them in person, but of course that can be challenging if you’re hiring from a different city, state or country. You’re trusting this person, and ideally you’ll “click” with them on a professional level. If you’re not comfortable with them in an interview, maybe your gut is telling you something’s amiss. And don’t forget to check Google and Yelp reviews.

Play It Safe

Want to make sure the absolute best match and avoid endless sorting through resumes, checking references and time wasting interviews? Go with a reputable property management company-it’s their business to take care of your property and their managers are skilled, knowledgeable and have already proven themselves. What more could you ask for (besides a 100 percent filled property, of course)?

Top Five Reasons Project Managers Should Consider PMP Certification in Thailand

Posted on by

Many management professionals in Thailand are beginning to recognize the value of obtaining PMP certification. With more than 660,000 PMPs around the world (~100,000 PMPs in China alone), Thailand ranks quite low in terms of the number of certificate holders (414 as of September 2015). This is primarily due to lack of awareness of the project management discipline and how its practice helps companies save costs while implementing projects.

If you are a Thai project manager, coordinator, or engineer and are considering to get certified, here are top five reasons to getting your PMP certification.

1. Get a world-renowned Project Management Organization to endorse your Skills and experience

PMI (Project Management Institute) is a renowned non-profit organization established more than 40 years ago, which focuses on the publication of standards including the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) – a leading standard dealing with Project Management. Getting a PMP certification through PMI and having them endorse you as a successful in your industry with more than 3-year experience adds a significant weight to your professional profile.

2. Stand out among the 1000s of managers in Thailand without any PMP certification

Many managers in Thailand come from the construction and engineering sectors. Many do not even know about PMI and many are not even familiar with the PMP certification. It won’t be long before competing managers (with PMI certifications) from the ASEAN Economic Community region (especially Singapore with more than 9000 PMP certificate holders) compete for jobs in similar industries in Thailand. Many companies are now bidding for large projects whereby owners require managers that are certified. With a PMP certification, Thai managers will surely have an added advantage over their competing counterparts from other regions.

3. Expand your career potential by applying to multinational corporations who recognize your certification
Many multinational corporations in Thailand are seeking locally certified Project Managers as they expand their reach locally and internationally. Certificate holders will have an added advantage as they are better able to compete for a position that requires working in diverse environments. Certified Thai PMPs are better communicators and are therefore preferably hired by multinational corporations seeking managers that can manage virtual teams.

4. Sharpen your project management knowledge
Thai managers may have the minimum experience required to execute projects but have never actually gone through formal training. By seeking to obtain a PMP certification and by attending a 35 hour formal training class on project management, they are better equipped with tools and techniques that should help them deal with multi-million THB deals.

5. Improve your career outreach by networking with certified professionals in your industry Thai managers should join the local PMI Chapter and network with professionals in their industry and other industries. By joining the Chapter and participating in its training events and activities, and by networking with professionals in similar industries, certified Thai PMPs have better opportunities for career development and growth.

A Primer To Online Casino Tournaments

Posted on by

Online casino tournaments are fun and exciting. Yet, players can enjoy it even more if they know how these activities work. A better understanding of this activity makes the whole experience a memorable one.Why tournaments are performed?There is no doubt that tournaments are one of the most awaited events in online casinos. This is because they add action to casino sites. Every now and then a large volume of players participate in this activity. Indeed, tournaments have become very popular. The challenge and the thrill make tournaments appealing to casino members.Types of tournamentOnline casino tournaments are categorized into different types. Basically, they are differentiated by the number of players that they can accommodate and their frequency.The first category is the scheduled one. Implied by the term “scheduled,” these are marathons that observe and follow a definite timeframe. It could last for an hour. Others last for days. Yet, some tournaments would last for a month.Scheduled tournaments give the members ample time to prepare. Oftentimes, these events are announced a month before the actual marathon.While some marathons last for months, there are tournaments that happen on a weekly basis. These are pertained to as weekenders. A good thing about weekenders is that players who are unable to join the previous marathon, will now have the chance to participate in the next online casino marathon.Lastly, there is the so-called “sit and go” tournament. Sit and go marathons can only accommodate a small number of players. Competitions will only start once all the players’ seats are taken.Things to remember when joiningRegistration processPlayers need to register immediately if they have plans of joining. As mentioned, there are marathons that follow a specific timeframe. Unregistered members forfeit their chance of winning and participating.ScheduleIf there is one thing that players should be wary of, this is the schedule. Aside from knowing the date when they can participate, it also helps in the preparation process. It helps the player know the strategies that they can implement in order to get higher winning chances.Tournament feeSome tournaments have a registration fee. Players need to know this long before they embark on their online blackjack, or online roulette competition.Tournament practicesDuring tournaments, speed is the name of the game. When placing bets, do it is a quick as possible. Other players do not want to wait.

Chinese Blackjack

Posted on by

Blackjack is a very popular card game which is played in the various casinos worldwide and it is said to have originated in the early years of the 18 th century in France and this game was played in French casinos in vogue. Blackjack is a prominent card game played on a black jack table in the casinos and contrary to various casino games which are based only on luck, blackjack is one unique game which requires a perfect mix of luck and sheer intelligence to ensure winning in the end. This game is also referred to as 21 and over the years it is played with equal enthusiasm in casinos even today. The immense popularity of this game has resulted in the introduction of its different variants. Chinese blackjack can be referred to as one of the most popular casino games in south East Asia and it is quite similar to the original game techniques used in conventional blackjack. Chinese blackjack is also known as ban-luck or Hokkien and 21-point.The Chinese blackjack makes use of 52 card decks and it is possible to play this casino game by any number of players. There is one dealer and the rest are players though in certain cases it is possible for the players to take chances in taking up the position of the dealer. There are several exclusive features that have resulted in this game becoming extremely popular. The most significant cause of this popularity is due to the fact that in course of this game, the dealer is given the authority of revealing some of the player’s hands and therefore conclude a separate deal with them and again after a while revealing another player’s hand and vice versa. The Chinese blackjack also allows the possession of five unbusted cards as well. In this game, the value of the Ace is determined by the collective value of the total number of cards. It is also necessary to point out in case of Chinese blackjack that this casino game usually follows certain selected rules. But in certain cases it is possible to alter the house rules. In this case it is necessary to point out the meaning of what is being meant by house rules. House rules refer to those rules which are not adapted in case of usual Chinese blackjack games. House rules are achieved when either a player or a dealer has a free hand and it si upon them to decide whether to continue the game further or not.

US Casinos to Expand to China – Investment Goldmine

Posted on by

Macau is an island off of the China coast and since the 16th century it has been home to a robust, albeit illegal, gambling environment. In 1847 the Chinese government legalized gambling on the island, establishing it as a main economic driver to the area.Over the next hundred or so years the Chinese drifted in and out of various states of legal and illegal gambling status. In the 1960s the current gambling legislation was established and specific licenses were extended to a limited number of gambling houses. These license holders held monopoly positions for the last 40 years! Over this time, Macau became known as the “Oriental Monte Carlo.”Just to give you an idea of the impact gambling has on the area . . . the tax revenue represents more than 30% of the government budget and the industry employs 10,000 local residents. Now that is what I would call an influential industry!  A few years ago, the government decided to open up the licensee process and suddenly the US based casinos like the Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) and the Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) had the opportunity to submit proposals to build and own casinos. The MGM Mirage (NYSE: MGM) is currently planning two developments in the area!   Now you may ask yourself, major casinos like these already have operations is places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City, why is Macao so important? One simple reason . . . actually 3 billion reasons. China has more than 3 billion residents that live within a short flight of Macau; compare that with the 250 million that live in the United States. It quickly becomes apparent that the potential market is 12 times the size of the US. This is a great opportunity for investors as the casinos will continue to develop the Macau area. Building on the strong interest the Chinese have in gambling, the long term growth potential is enormous.    Over the next few months you will see the government issue license to many of these “global” casino operators, and with the business potential in this area alone, any positive news should materially impact these stocks!