Dimension Property » Property Management

Building a Successful Foundation in Property Management

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 12:20:17 +0000

           Take a stroll through any city, and you’ll see them: lovely brick condos, inviting apartment buildings, gleaming tall skyscrapers, and even historic mill buildings and churches converted into contemporary living spaces. Today’s real estate market is constantly evolving and changing, and as this dynamic streetscape alters, behind the scenes is the invaluable and skilled player: the property manager.

            One of the fastest-growing careers of the next decade, employment of property, real estate, and community association managers is projected to increase by 15 percent by 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. As the mortgage market compels many Americans to rent instead of purchase homes, and baby boomers move into housing and healthcare units, property management professionals will be in high demand. There will also be opportunities with real estate development companies, commercial property corporations, and government agencies that manage public buildings. If you see a well-run, profitable establishment with satisfied tenants, chances are there is a talented property manager handling the day-to-day logistics of that community.

            One successful California property management developer, Andrew Gross, vice president at Thomas Safran and Associates, an affordable housing development firm, says his profession has taught him not to be afraid “to dream big.” “Business development is a challenging process, and a developer must possess the creative know-how to put out fires and overcome hurdles.” Gross is a member of the Advisory Board at Fremont College, a premiere degree and career college in Southern California. He says that developing affordable housing has been personally fulfilling, allowing him to change entire areas and “see people truly enjoy their new situations.”

Property management holds the most potential for people like Gross who enjoy blending knowledge of real estate with customer service and sales skills. Being a property manager is like being the mayor of a small city-you manage revenues, make important decisions about management, oversee contractors, oversee residents, and more. “Attention to detail is crucial,” says Gross, who constantly finds himself drawing parallels between work and life in his daily challenges.

            Property managers need to have a broad knowledge of business, finance, accounting, and real estate, as well as practical skills such as math, writing, computer, and oral communication. A business administration degree with a concentration in property management will equip you with knowledge of financial and expense control, customer service and marketing, leasing basics, and more. Various professional and trade associations also allow you to expand your knowledge of specialized subjects, such as insurance and risk management, personnel management, and reserve funding. Many fields overlap, says Gross, such as the constant intertwining of property management and real estate.

            Your career opportunities may abound as a property manager-you can work for real estate agents and brokers, lessors of real estate, or any other real estate company. Just as an example, top U.S. and trade associations, such as the Building Owners and Managers Association and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties all offer job postings and networking opportunities. Booming overseas expansions are also opening up international property management positions. At Thomas Safran and Associates, which owns and manages over 3,200 units of affordable rental housing in the Greater Los Angeles area, Gross says that the company is looking to hire skilled professionals who are able to communicate with clients.

            So move aside, Donald Trump. The commercial and residential real estate industry is attracting talented young professionals with a strong educational background that equips them with a diverse skill set, talent, and experience. As a property manager, you can make a positive, sustainable impact on the environment and the economy, build lifelong relationships, and make a difference in the lives of hundreds of people. The welcome mat is out for a satisfying and rewarding career in property management. You just need to open the door. “It’s important to find life’s work that is fulfilling,” says Gross, who says it was serendipitous that he ended up in such a rewarding field.

For more information about a degree in business administration or career opportunities in property management, visit www.fremont.edu, or call 877-344-2345. Fremont College is a Southern California-based college dedicated to offering hands-on, career-focused accelerated degree programs that close the gap between the classroom and the workplace.

Property Management in Costa Rica

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:31:03 +0000

The popularity of condos in the booming Guanacaste region in Costa Rica has spawned a new industry for local residents and entrepreneurs. As the tiny villages along the coast trade in their wilderness for billion dollar investments, locals are trading old jobs for marketing kits and tool belts. In the wake of the boom, property management services have been springing up to satisfy the needs of absentee property owners who want to rent their homes to tourists as vacation properties.

Since development on the $400 million Peninsula Papagayo project began in 1997, construction and real estate sales in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste region have been on a roll. According to Costa Rica’s Central Bank, big business foreign investment in real estate has nearly tripled in the past 12 months – most of it in Guanacaste. The majority of these purchases represent investments in the tourism industry with large scale hotels, developments and existing tourism businesses being snapped up by savvy entrepreneurs.

But not all investment in the tourism industry represents big business. Individuals and families attracted by the climate and natural beauty of the area are getting in on the action. Discovering that condominiums make fantastic and affordable vacation homes while providing a viable source of income, people from all over the world are buying up condos in the country. But managing a property when you are out of the country is next to impossible and leaving your vacation home unoccupied for months is downright risky. Absentee owners can return to find they’ve been robbed or even worse – that their property is being inhabited by squatters.

Many condominium projects address this problem directly by providing property management services as part of the deal at buy-in. Owners can enter their property into the project’s rental program and have their interests taken care of. Depending on what level of involvement you wish to have, property management companies will take care of everything – from security to housekeeping. For a monthly fee, you can count on your manager to be your hotelier with a complete package that includes marketing, booking, cleaning, and maintaining the property while on site security removes the risk of unexpected or uninvited guests.

Decorate around the house with trees

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 06:53:39 +0000

One of the most enjoyable activities is to decorate the house with plants. When you do this activity then you have attempted to create a comfortable environment around your home. You can decorate your house by making use of conifers. This is the kind of trees that are very useful around the house. You can plant the seeds of these trees around the house and care for these plants to grow big and tall. You will feel a tremendous benefit after planting these trees around your house. One of the benefits you can enjoy is that you will breathe in the fresh air every day. The air you breathe comes from plants that live all around you. Plants that produce oxygen and it are useful for humans.

In addition, you will feel the comfort of a more perfect after seeing those trees growing around the house. As if you’re decorating your home like heaven because these trees will make your home landscape look more beautiful. By planting garden trees then you have to decorate your yard with a wise way because you can create a comfortable environment with the presence of beautiful trees of this. You can also utilizing screening trees as an ornamental yard of your home. Be someone who is friendly to the environment.