Full Steam Ahead into May

From the desk of Leah Calnan, Director of Metro Property Management

In news at Metro this fabulous month of May.

The team and I most recently popped up to the Gold Coast for the annual Leading Property Managers of Australia  (LPMA) Conference, it was an informative couple of days with some great speakers and presentations. It’s always great to see what other businesses are doing and what we as a company can learn from them and implement. I know that Samantha Taylor (New Business Manager) and Eleanor Dewar (Leasing Specialist) certainly got a lot out of the conference themselves, as did I. The LPMA Awards night was also a highlight of the trip. Although no wins we felt like stars on the night, dancing the night away and coming away with some beautiful Finalist trophy’s, Metro PM for ‘Property Management Company’ of the year and Eleanor Dewar for the ‘Rising Star’ Award. A great time was had by all and we hope to bring home a few wins next year.

Mother’s Day is this month, just a friendly reminder... in case it has slipped your mind, and this year it falls on Sunday the 13^th of May. We all hope you have something special planned for your mothers, if not you best get shopping! Many of the Metro PM Team and their families are taking part in the famous ‘MDC’ or ‘Mother’s Day Classic’ Fun Run. We are walking to raise money for Breast Cancer research. Every dollar we raise through fundraising goes towards vital research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer. You can help us to make a difference in many Mother’s lives by donating online here http://ow.ly/9V9MN Why not donate as a gift to your mum? You can personalise a message for them on your donation too if you like!

And in other news this month we are holding our third complimentary ‘Metro Wealth’ seminar of the year entitled “First Time Investors” presented by Financial Planner, Nicholas Don. The seminar is being held on Monday the 21st of May at 6.30-7.30pm here at our office located at 461 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn. If you are currently thinking of investing for the first time, if you have some savings or equity, or if you haven’t thought about property but want to build wealth we think you should consider joining us for this informative session (Seats to these events are often snapped up quickly, so get in quick as seats are limited to just 15!) Contact Melissa Venn at melissav@metropm.com.au or on 03 9831 3006

Well that is all for now from the busy Metro PM team and I.

Until next time...

Metro's Monthly Movie Review

Each month a team member of Metro will be writing a movie review to share with you. And this month team member Samantha Taylor has reviewed 'The Hunger Games’ Directed by Gary Ross Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth.


I went along to see the Hunger Games, without knowing anything about the story line, not having read the book and therefore no expectations.

From the previews and ads I had seen I was quite hesitant about how gruesome it would be.
The movie starts slow, without much explanation in relation to when it is set, what year or why they are lined up to be ‘selected’ for the games. Not having read the book it is relatively hard to follow in the beginning.

In short the government asserts its authority over the small towns by selecting one boy and one girl from each ‘district’ 24 teenagers in all; to compete annually in a reality TV show called 'The Hunger Games'. The teenagers are chosen at random from a bowl containing everyone’s names, not dissimilar to the lottery. The chosen 24 are then abandoned in a futuristic wilderness, only one can win and this is the last one left alive.

The story centres around a tough young lady, Katniss Everdeen who offers herself to the games in the place of her younger sister whom is originally choosen. There are many challenges that they face over the course of the game; what skills each ‘player’ has to survive, who is popular with the spectators/audience (the audience watching can sponsor people involved in the game by sending them tools of survival), who will form alliances, who may be falling in love? The contrast between the dull, plain districts and the bright, fascinating city is incredible. The director has done a great job capturing the differences in class and culture. I was very pleasantly surprised that the violence was minimal and easy to watch (allowing it’s PG-13 rating).

The story is well set up and you can’t help but notice the similarities between the reality TV shows we now see on TV and the reality TV show created in this movie. The way those that are involved and controlling what happens to the contestants in the hunger games manipulating the world around them to generate more interest and viewers is not dissimilar to our current reality shows such as Big Brother and The Biggest Loser, you cant help but wonder if this is where we may be heading in the next 10-20 years.

Although the movie is long (running for approx. 142 minutes) you don’t notice until you leave theatre. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and the ending leaves you feeling that although the games may not be over, it is not the end of the story.

I went and bought the book almost immediately, to compare and indulge in the story again and, as books usually do, enjoyed the detailed original and bits that may have been missed in the movie. Well worth a look.

Metro's Monthly Movie Review

Each month a team member of Metro will be writing a movie review to share with you. And this month team member Karli Wise has reviewed '21 Jump Street’ Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make a hilarious crime fighting couple in “21 Jump Street, the movie is based on the Johnny Depp TV series in the 1980’s. The actors represent two policemen who go undercover at a local high school.

In high school Schmidt and Jenko were definitely opposites, one being a lot more popular than the other. Schmidt was the nerd while Jenko was the typical jock. The two of them were not friends at all. A few years later they met up again at the Police Academy where they trained to become police officers. They formed a pact where Schmidt helps Jenko with the written work which is to be completed to pass and Jenko helps Schmidt with the physical.

On one of their first missions the two are assigned to 21Jump Street with a leader who is actually actor & rapper ‘Ice Cube’. They are given their assignment where they have to act as high school students and try and find out information about a new drug that is being sold.

The majority of the movie is based on the two undercover policeman acting as “students” being clumsy and messing around. The two succeed in their assignment and in the meantime there are many crude jokes and funny situations which they get themselves in. One scene has the two of them throwing a party where they serve alcohol and drugs to all the underage kids.

This movie is a very different role for Tatum, everyone who is familiar with Tatum as an actor would be used to him being in a romantic movie where he is known for his good looks and amazing body. This movie shows a new side to his acting and his ability to be the ‘funny guy’, which comes as a surprise. He has both an intense and goofy approach in this movie that makes the scenes involving him better than they should be.

Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson Peete and Peter DeLuise starred in the original TV series and they make appearances in the movie which is great considering it was based on this  series.

Overall I thought this movie was great, it was very amusing and such good eye candy for the ladies. Who doesn’t love a movie with Tatum in it?

Metro's Monthly Movie Review

Each month a team member of Metro will be writing a movie review to share with you. And this month team member Melissa Venn has reviewed 'Any Questions for Ben?' Directed by Rob Sitch, Written by: Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro & Tom Gleisner, Starring: Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor, Felicity Ward, Daniel Henshall & Christian Clark.

To start with I love Australian Film and I love to support it wherever I can and when I saw the cast of this film my friends and I were keen to see it especially since the writers had in the past come out with some fantastic films such as The Castle & The Dish - no pressure?

The story follows Ben a 27yr old guy living in the heart of Melbourne with a job that most people could only dream of a ‘Strategic Brand Manager’ where socializing and partying all part of his job it seems. Ben is loving life and enjoying it to the full ie: dating famous tennis players, being paid to party and attend ritzy events with the ‘beautiful people’ until he is forced to stop to truly reflect on his life. Ben is asked to speak at his prestigious academic high school. He is invited by the principal (cameo by Director Rob Sitch) to speak about his job, according to his friends this is a great honor and he should feel excited and proud of this achievement.

The night of his High School speech night he meets Alex (played by Rachael Taylor) an ex-student that he has lost touch with over the years who has a fulfilling life as a Human Rights Lawyer in Yemen. In comparison Ben’s career and life seems insignificant and it is from this point in the movie we begin to see Ben’s internal struggle. Everyone tells Ben how GREAT his lifestyle is but he himself no longer sees the value in it. His lifestyle in his eyes is vacuous and pointless.

He tries to reconnect with Alex but Ben has this habit of not “following through” (a constant theme throughout this film that becomes a bit frustrating). We watch as Ben makes attempts to connect with Alex but she remembers him, how he was, and believes he won’t change. It takes some ‘mountain moving’ gestures on Ben’s behalf to try and change her mind.

The film in my mind began really well; the characters, script and actors were really great. I particularly enjoyed Felicity Ward’s character and there are many great laughs in this film aside from the issues it deals with. I felt however as we watch Ben we feel for him and want him to succeed in finding himself but about two thirds of the way through I just could not relate to him anymore. I felt frustrated by him and lost interest in the character completely (I felt this was a story issue and not the acting of Josh Lawson).

Overall the movie was (believe it or not from what I have said above) worth seeing. There are some great lines, beautiful scenes and cinematography of Melbourne. To be honest I feel you could wait for this one to appear in the DVD store for a night in on the couch with your friends.

Welcome to February!

From the desk of Leah Calnan, Director of Metro Property Management...

This month is a month of planning for the future and to start it all off we as a team are having a day focused on building each staff member’s skill set, chatting about ideas to build Metro as a trusted brand and ideas for the day to day running of the business as a whole. I am always inspired and driven by what ideas my team have and I always like to have a ‘get together’ to see what we as a team and as individuals can get out of 2012. We learn and grow as a company by putting forth our ideas in meetings like this so I’m really excited about the ideas that will spring forth, so keep your eyes peeled for little changes you might see here and there. Speaking of changes and additions, this month also brings a few exciting staff additions and role changes.

Tamasan Freyer joined us last month as our new receptionist and has a keen interest in the Property Management industry, she loves a challenge and is enjoying being the ‘first point of contact’ for Metro and we feel she is doing a great job so far. Emma Racky has also joined our team this past month as Assistant Property Manager and she is quickly learning the fast pace of the industry as well as enjoying learning the ins and outs that come with Property Management. Emma has a strong retail management background, her customer service skills will assist her in her communications with owners, tenants and tradespeople alike. Welcome aboard Tamasan & Emma! 

In other news our Senior Leasing Specialist, Samantha Taylor has recently been promoted to New Business Manager and is ‘taking the bull by both horns’. Already Samantha has taken to her new role well and I have every confidence that our new owners and investor groups will absolutely appreciate the level of service and experience in leasing that Samantha brings to the table. Well done Samantha. 

Well as always February brings with it Valentine’s Day, like it or loathe it it comes around every February and I myself was interested as to how it came about...so I consulted the wonderfully useful ‘Wikipedia’...

Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honouring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards. (Source: www.wikipedia.com )

Isn’t it funny how it has lasted and changed throughout the years.

 Well a Happy Saint Valentine’s and a Happy February to you all.

Until next time....

2012 Here We Come!!!

From the desk of Leah Calnan, Director of Metro Property Management...

Welcome to 2012 everyone, and boy this New Years Eve (as it was last year) was certainly warm, as was the first few days of 2012. In fact, the hottest day reaching 40 degrees (Monday 2nd January) here in Melbourne. I hope you all celebrated the New Year by doing something special, in Australia that normally means a few celebratory drinks, perhaps a BBQ and watching the fireworks in our respective cities. When it comes to the rest of the world and their celebrations...some of these traditions are a little different.

In the USA of course we have all seen and heard about the famous Time Square in New York and the many people that pack the square to ‘ring in’ the New Year however we have discovered other popular new year traditions in the USA include, watching football games, crowded streets taking part in a special food called Hoppin' John, along with enjoying cakes and champagne for luck and prosperity. In India, Hindu New Year is the time of celebration. This is the time to meet and greet people, share gifts and sweets. Hindus will decorate and paint their homes, and create a beautiful atmosphere with lamps and candles in the evening. Some of the traditions followed in Hindu New Year celebrations include: buying and gifting new clothes, giving gifts of sweets to friends & relatives and worshiping Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi, who are believed to bring in wealth and prosperity. In Greece the 1st day of the New Year is also known as St Basil’s Day known as one of the Greek Orthodox churches’ forefathers. Special New Year bread is also baked whereby a coin is buried in the dough which when found is considered great luck and fortune for the New Year to the owner. Now back to the land of Oz, and in case you weren’t aware, the Cricket season has begun.

Many of you will be enjoying this years ‘Vodafone Test Series’ Australia vs India, as always if you enjoy your cricket you will be appreciating the 4 test matches being held this month that began with the 1st test at the MCG (26th – 29th Dec) with Australia winning by 122 runs. The 2nd test runs 3-7th January in Sydney, 3rd test will be in Perth from 13th-17th Jan with the 4th and final test being played in Adelaide on the 24th – 28th Jan 2012. Let’s hope that Australia can come through with a win. In other team news, non-sport related we have added a new member to our Metro team.

We would like to introduce you to Emma Racky. Emma joins the team this month as Assistant Property Manager. With a strong background in customer service and retail management Emma has a passion for Real Estate and Property Management that she feels that working at Metro Property Management can provide, and we think so too. Welcome aboard Emma.

Well that is it from us this month.

Until next time…

Metro's Monthly Movie Review

Each month a team member of Metro will be writing a movie review to share with you. And this month team member Erin Cheasley has reviewed 'Immortals'. Director – Tarsem Singh, Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, John Hurt & Stephen Dorff.

The first thing that comes to mind when you see the trailer for the movie is that it is another 300 movie take off, apart from both being the sword and sandals genre and shirts were optional the director for ‘Immortals’ had a lot more visual tricks up his sleeve and took another approach with the Greek Myth concept, quite a comparison to 300.

Immortals definitely portrays a storyline of a battle between good and evil. Evil King Hyperion is leading his army of murderous mask wearing villains across Greece searching for the magical bow that will free the imprisoned Titans so they can attack the gods. Whilst the hero Theseus who is displeased by King Hyperion’s attack is going on the quest to obtain the magical bow himself, and in the end finding courage and leadership abilities within him to lead his forces of good against evil, which eventually wraps up into one big battle. A highlight of the movie are the action sequences, the Director really captured a level of gore and violence that will have anyone’s jaws drop using slow motion action, it will not only give you chills but have you at the edge of your seat.

This is an age of myth, a world where the gods are real, people have visions of the future and magic exists so this movie is allowed to look weird, mystical and over the top. If Greek mythology tickles your fancy then this is a movie I would recommend. Having a keen interest for Greek mythology and the way this movie used every aspect of what Greek mythology is, I found the movie Immortals to be a worth look (and so to the shirtless men) and it maybe even better than the movie 300.