Posted by Kenneth Kwek |
May 22, 2013
The inaugural Human Resources Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding HR practices and leaders, was held at the St. Regis Hotel in Singapore earlier today.
We were honored to win a Gold Award for Excellence in Employee Work-Life Balance!
This award recognizes our innovative approach and best practices in delivering programs which enable our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance. In particular, the judging panel had praise for our various work-life initiatives which enhance our competitiveness to attract and retain talent, as well as building a healthier and more resilient workforce.
At Cartus, we aim to become a global Employer of Choice and remain committed to making our company a place where people enjoy working. In Singapore, we have flexible working arrangements for the increasing numbers of young mothers and job rotation opportunities for our Generation Y employees. In 2009, we also piloted the Working from Home (WFH) program and today, 25% of our employees in Singapore are on this program.
Left to right : Debbie Lo, Priscilla Seow, and Agnes Woo attended the event and accepted the HR Excellence Award.
The Human Resources Excellence Awards are organized by the Human Resources magazine, a leading HR publication in Singapore with regional readership among the HR community. The awards program saw an impressive array of organizations across various industry sectors competing in 18 highly relevant categories. Winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges which consisted of senior HR practitioners from leading companies such as Shell, Unilever, Google, Siemens, and ANZ.
Email this contributor at Kenneth.Kwek@cartus.com
Posted by Jill Schmidt |
May 21, 2013
Mortgage appraisals … no matter how much a buyer loves a house and feels confident in their selection, the mortgage appraisal process often creates that moment of anticipation and concern while waiting for those important results. Will the appraisal confirm the offer amount? Will the buyer have to bring additional money to the closing table? Will everything work out as the buyer hopes?
As a whole, the real estate market is improving throughout the U.S., which may make this important step in the purchase process a critical issue. Cartus Home Loans explores the potential appraiser shortage and impact of inventory on the appraisal process.
Shortage of Home Appraisers
Many home appraisers left the field during the real estate downturn. As a result, securing an appraiser may prove to be difficult, leading to delays in the process. This shortage may impact the transferee’s timing, as well as affect corporations through increased costs for temporary living and storage if the appraisal process delays a closing.
Impact of Market Inventory
Due to the lack of market inventory in many locations, when a desirable property does become available, relocation buyers are often forced into a bidding war to secure the contract. On occasion, a buyer may submit offers over list price by a substantial amount in some markets.
When those winning contracts are submitted to the lender, the process begins on securing an appraisal. The purpose of the home appraisal is to assure the lender that the value of the property is appropriate. In a leading edge market, where prices are rising quickly, it can be difficult for the appraiser to secure the data necessary to support the negotiated contract price.
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Posted by Kelly Burtar |
May 20, 2013
Older homes have a lot of character and are often the best buys on the market. But they may also have issues that are worth reading up on. For instance, back in the 1990s, home builders used a synthetic stucco product that proved extremely problematic. Though attractive and inexpensive when compared with traditional stucco, the product was unable to drain moisture. This resulted in significant damage to the exteriors and underlying structures of many homes and commercial buildings.
Subsequently, the construction industry modified these systems to provide drainability, which proved to be successful as long as flashing and drainage systems were installed correctly.
But memories of such faux pas can be short; these days, another new product is being touted as an economical alternate for genuine exterior stone. It is called Manufactured Stone Veneer, or MSV; it’s concrete that has been cast and molded to look like real stone, but it may be even more troublesome than synthetic stucco because it holds even more moisture than its predecessor.
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Tagged buying an older home, housing, manufactured stone veneer, mold, MSV, Real Estate, relocation, Supply Chain Mgmt, synthetic stucco, termites, Trusted guidance, US Inspect
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Posted by Ashley Barry |
May 16, 2013
Thailand has been referred to as one of the most desirable locations for expats, and in our latest installment in the On The Ground video series , Leo Alexandersen, from Cartus’ global network provider Pacific Orientation Relocation Services, points to the many reasons why.
Sunset over Wat Arun, Bangkok.
Employees relocating to Bangkok, the main assignment location in Thailand, will find ample housing options, good medical care, and international schooling choices that are typically in close proximity to popular expat areas—a feature not found in many emerging market locations. Outside of Bangkok, housing and infrastructure can be a bit more challenging. Regardless of where you are in the country, cross-cultural issues and language can still present challenges, and gaining familiarity with customs and “do’s and don’ts” goes a long way toward enhancing productivity and building relationships.
Luxurious and varied travel destinations, a vibrant restaurant scene, and Thailand’s reputation as the “kitchen of the world” make this a country many employees hate to leave. This video may have you packing your bags, as well!
Email this contributor at
Ashley.Barry@cartus.com
Posted by Jim Edwards |
May 15, 2013
Household goods shipments are a core element in almost all relocation policies, and with cost control being top of mind for most organizations, mobility practitioners are constantly looking at household goods industry trends in an effort to review best practices and maximize cost effectiveness.
Our recent Mobility Insights takes a look at current household goods shipping trends around the world, with particular focus on emerging market destinations in Africa, China, India, Mexico, Myanmar, Panama, Russia, and United Arab Emirates.
The Cartus Supply Chain Management team keeps a close eye on trends in global household goods shipments and updates our clients and assignees on various situations and potential solutions. Something we are seeing is that companies are being forced to place additional focus on compliance. For instance, stricter compliance in many locations around the world requires the physical presence of the assignee at the port on a more frequent basis, particularly in locations like China and the Middle East.
As a result, companies are placing additional focus on having the appropriate paperwork in place prior to shipment from the departure location. Also, when goods cannot be shipped until the correct paperwork for an assignee and family is in place—but the employee’s physical presence is required in the host location—storage in transit (or additional storage in transit) may be required, and this can be costly.
We also offer some best practices for managing household goods shipments effectively, including:
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