MDG Property Management's Managing Director Mark Dizon was one of the distinguished guest speakers during the New Zealand-Philippines Business Council (NZPBC) Business 101 Workshop Series held on 22 June 2017 (Thursday) at the Chapman Tripp office in ANZ Centre, Albert Street, Auckland. 

He openly shared his journey as he took the leap from being an employee to establishing his own property management company from scratch, together with his business partner Molino Garcia. Undoubtedly, MDG was a risky venture at the onset, given the business climate and competitive market, with only limited resources to work with. However, he intimated how the challenges and obstacles of starting-up a company have moulded him into the successful entrepreneur he is today.

If you have a hard time removing water spots on shower glass doors, here is the solution.  I recommend that you use C-Thru Water Spot Remover.  You can buy it at Bunnings.  It is so easy to use.  I have tried many products but this is the only one that does the job.

So, you bought your first investment property or you may already own one, one of the most expensive assets you could ever acquire in your lifetime. Undoubtedly, you would like to maximize the profit from such an investment as well as increase its value over time. Property management can help protect your investment. Below are some reasons why you should hire a property manager:

1. Save Time and Reduce Stress
Tracking rent payments, collecting late fees, dealing with complaints and repairs, preparing the property for new tenants, finding contractors and dealing with bad tenants could be tiresome and stressful. Relinquishing these ongoing responsibilities to a good property manager can allow you to spend your time identifying other investment opportunities or otherwise furthering your career, without sacrificing your time and health.

2. Screening of Tenants
Experienced property managers are experts at finding good tenants, and will take care of all the details, including running credit checks and getting landlord references. Property managers have a bigger pool of applicants to choose from due to their extensive marketing and advertising programs, resulting in better quality tenants for your property.

3. Knowledge of Tenancy Laws
One of the biggest advantages in hiring a professional property manager is the ability to avoid some legal hassles. In the event that an eviction becomes necessary, an experienced property manager will know how to handle it in a way that will save you time and money. Your property manager can keep your property up-to-date and compliant with tenancy regulations.  

4. Buffer between Owners and Tenants
When you have a property manager, you can keep a professional distance from your tenants. Getting too personally involved can result in being too tolerant on issues you may have on your tenants, or too defensive about their complaints. When problems from either side arise, your property manager is better prepared to deal with them effectively.

5. Make More Money in the Long Run
You’re probably hesitant to hire a property manager because of the costs involved. In reality, though, hiring a property manager will actually make you more money in the long term due to several reasons.  You may get better tenants that stay longer and have lesser problems to deal with. In addition, your property remains in great shape. In case of repairs or damages, your property manager can get you the best work for the best price, brought about by his existing relationships with tradesmen and contractors who will oversee any necessary maintenance projects.  Your property manager might be able to get you free insulation. In the long run, the time you save dealing with rental property-related issues may be spent doing something else.

*Mark Dizon is the Managing Director of MDG Property Management Ltd. (www.mdgproperties.co.nz), a Filipino-owned and operated property management company incorporated in 2010, with head office in Auckland City.

You need three items to clean your ceramic hob:

1)  A ceramic hob cooktop scraper. You can buy one at Noel Leeming for $10.99 (as of July 2014).
2)  A ceramic hob cleaner.  You can buy this at Pak N Save.
3)  A ceramic hob protector.  You can buy this at Pak N Save.

See photos of the three items below.

Directions for cleaning the hob:

1)  At a low angle use the scraper to remove spills and burnt and hardened oil on the hob.
2)  Make sure that the surface is cool.  
3)  Apply the ceramic hob cleaner sparingly onto the surface.  
4)  Rub well with a clean paper towel.
5)  Wipe with a damp cloth and dry with a clean paper towel.
6)  Spread the protector sparingly on the surface.
7)  Rub well with a clean paper towel.
8)  Polish with a clean, dry cloth.

Sources for images and texts:  Hillmark Cooktop Scraper, Ceraclen Glass Cooktop Cleaner and Ceraclen Glass Cooktop Protector packaging.

Source of images and text above:  Watercare

What do you do when there was a leak in your property and you are left with an expensive water rates bill?

Do you know that you can get a Leak Allowance Rebate from Water Care?




You need to do the following:

1) Have a registered plumber remedy the leak.

2) Fill up the Leak Allowance Rebate application form.

3) Send the filled up application form to Water Care.

There is no guarantee that Water Care will give you a rebate.

Water Care will only give a rebate if there has been no rebate given in the last two years. It is wise to think about it before asking for a rebate because of this.

I have asked for leak rebate allowances for two clients and they were both granted.

Each day started at 5:45 a.m. when I had to force myself out of bed. My iPhone’s world clock had the times of Auckland, Manila and Linz. I had to remind myself that I was in Linz and not in Auckland. If my body is not ready, at least my brain should be. Breakfast started at 6:30 a.m. and I would see FISA Council members, FISA Jury Members, FISA Commission Members and media bustling about the hotel’s restaurant.

At various stages of my stay in Austria, I had to stop and make myself realize that I was in another country. It was surreal. Every morning as I entered the regatta venue, muscular Austrian security officers would utter, “Morgen,” (short for Guten Morgen or Good Morning) while checking the accreditation hanging on my neck. It was just one reminder that I was not in New Zealand at that time. It was strange that at several points during the regatta, the temperature would soar up to 35 degrees Celsius, when, back in Auckland, it was winter. It felt more like being in the Philippines and not in Austria. It was amusing that there was no air conditioning unit in my hotel room. There was only a heater.

The Umpiring Commission of FISA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron in French or the English equivalent International Federation of Rowing Associations) chooses which umpires nominated by their national federations go to which FISA regatta. I was blessed to have been nominated by the national federation of the Philippines and then chosen by the Umpiring Commission to umpire (be a Jury Member) in the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria last July 2013. In this regatta where athletes from 52 countries participated, there were Jury Members from the following countries: France, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Slovenia and Serbia. Add to this, the Philippines, which I represented.

Trips to Europe fascinate me because it is a combination of the old and the new. There is so much history and culture in Europe, yet it also boasts of technology and modernity. It was unbelievable. The hotel room they assigned to me looked over the Danube River and had the Ars Electronica Center Museum der Zukunft within its sights. This museum had changing lights at night, much like the SkyTower in Auckland.

My favorite part of going to Europe is when I sit on a cobble-stoned walk sitting by a café or restaurant while drinking or eating. The sound of an accordion really seals the deal! Hearing people speak in a foreign language intrigues and excites me as well.

For the duration of this regatta, I was able to try most of the assignments a Jury Member could be assigned to. It was exciting and challenging. One had to stay alert for every umpiring role. The athletes train for months or even years, so the umpires are expected to officiate to a level commensurate to the dedication and training of the athletes.

The gracious hosts of this regatta had prepared and treated us well. At one of the rooftops of the low-lying buildings of the regatta venue, there was a bar where one can drink all the beer you want for free! We would only drink here at the end of each day, though, as we needed to stay alert.

We were treated to a “Nations Dinner” which was held in a rural area which reminded me of the movie, “The Sound of Music”. As usual, wine was served all around before the sumptuous dinner.

My favorite meal was when the organizing committee hosted the members of the Jury and the media to a “roast pork” dinner. The roast pork was actually a variation of the Philippine lechon (roasted pork). Unlike the Philippine version, this pork’s skin was sliced but still crunchy. The Austrian version of the roast pork had a dark skin color and the sauce served was sour and more liquid. The meat part was tasty and its tenderness surprised me.

One of the moments I look forward to is when the Jury Members start arriving and meet at the hotel lobby. What amuses me is that the Jury Members introduce themselves saying their name and country. In my case, I mention two countries. I say, “Mark Dizon, from the Philippines but now living in New Zealand.” This is quite amusing to most people. Some Jury Members are old friends. Some will have just met for the first time.

The umpiring stints in the regattas are an opportunity for me to travel, meet new and old friends, try different drinks and food, learn different cultures and represent two countries. It is a chance to learn so much from people from different countries and, also, share what I know about the Philippines and New Zealand, two countries close to my heart.

One of the things I remind tenants is to have spare keys to the house.  If a tenant has only one key to the house and loses this, he/she will ring the property manager to borrow the property manager's key, have it cut and return it.  

What if the tenant loses the key outside office hours or on a weekend and the property manager cannot be reached?  The tenant will need to ring a locksmith and pay the necessary fee to the locksmith.  

It would have been much simpler to have had the key cut in the first place and have a spare key.