Archives For: Industry Updates

Tornado Victims Blocked from Federal Recovery Aid After Trump Denied Request

President Trump has rejected the state of Arkansas’s request to declare a major disaster after a deadly tornado outbreak in March.

23 Apr 2025

FEMA Losing Roughly 20% of Permanent Staff, Including Longtime Leaders, Ahead of Hurricane Season

Just weeks before hurricane season, about 20% of FEMA’s permanent staff are expected to take a voluntary buyout as part of DOGE’s staff reduction efforts.

23 Apr 2025

Share of Mortgage Loans in Forbearance Decreases Slightly to .36% in March

MBA’s monthly Loan Monitoring Survey for March 2025 revealed the total number of loans in forbearance decreases to by 2 basis points to .36%.

21 Apr 2025

Ginnie Mae Welcomes Joseph M. Gormley as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ginnie Mae welcomes Joseph M. Gormley as its new Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

16 Apr 2025

Top 10 U.S. Housing Markets with Most Foreclosure Starts in March 2025

ATTOM takes a deeper dive into the March 2025 US Foreclosure Market Report, revealing the top 10 housing markets with the most foreclosure starts.

11 Apr 2025

Construction and Rehab Underway for Two New Housing Initiatives Through Cuyahoga Land Bank

The Cuyahoga Land Bank has partnered with Cleveland’s Southeast Side Initiative to establish a grant program to rehab homes in targeted communities.

11 Apr 2025

U.S. Foreclosure Activity Increases Quarterly in Q1 2025

ATTOM has released the Q1 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, showing foreclosure filings up 11% from the previous quarter.

9 Apr 2025

State Funded Program Increasing Local Housing Options

The Mahoning County Land Bank and Youngstown Neighborhood Development Initiative are taking advantage of funding provided through the Welcome Home Ohio program.

9 Apr 2025

HUD Extends Foreclosure Relief to More than One Million FHA Borrowers Recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton

HUD has announced that FHA is extending its existing foreclosure moratoriums on FHA mortgages in areas affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton for an additional 90 days.

8 Apr 2025

Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Serious Delinquency Rates Unchanged in February

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reported the Single-Family serious delinquency rate went unchanged in February 2025.

28 Mar 2025

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CEO

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the Chief Executive Officer for Safeguard Properties, steering the company as the mortgage field services industry leader. He also serves on the board of advisors for SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Alan joined Safeguard in 1995, learning the business from the ground up. He was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2002, and was named CEO in May 2010. His hands-on experience has given him unique insights as a leader to innovate, improve and strengthen Safeguard’s processes to assure that the company adheres to the highest standards of quality and customer service.

Under Alan’s leadership, Safeguard has grown significantly with strategies that have included new and expanded services, technology investments that deliver higher quality and greater efficiency to clients, and strategic acquisitions. He takes a team approach to process improvement, involving staff at all levels of the organization to address issues, brainstorm solutions, and identify new and better ways to serve clients.

In 2008, Alan was recognized by Crain’s Cleveland Business in its annual “40-Under-40” profile of young leaders. He also was named a NEO Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award finalist in 2013.

Esq., General Counsel and EVP

Linda Erkkila

Linda Erkkila is the General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Safeguard Properties, with oversight of legal, human resources, training, and compliance. Linda’s broad scope of oversight covers regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, insurance, litigation and claims management, and counsel related to mergers, acquisition and joint ventures.

Linda assures that Safeguard’s strategic initiatives align with its resources, leverage opportunities across the company, and contemplate compliance mandates. She has practiced law for 25 years and her experience, both as outside and in-house counsel, covers a wide range of corporate matters, including regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, compensation and benefits, litigation management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Linda earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. Linda was previously named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

COO

Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the Chief Operating Officer of Safeguard Properties, where he has played a pivotal role since joining the company in July 2010. Initially brought on as Vice President of REO, Mike’s exceptional leadership and strategic vision quickly propelled him to Vice President of Operations in 2013, and ultimately to COO in 2015. Over his 14-year tenure at Safeguard, Mike has been instrumental in driving change and fostering innovation within the Property Preservation sector, consistently delivering excellence and becoming a trusted partner to clients and investors.

A distinguished graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mike earned a degree in Quantitative Economics. Following his graduation, he served in the U.S. Army’s Ordnance Branch, where he specialized in supply chain management. Before his tenure at Safeguard, Mike honed his expertise by managing global supply chains for 13 years, leveraging his military and civilian experience to lead with precision and efficacy.

CFO

Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard Properties. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Marketing, Accounting, and Information Security departments. At the core of his responsibilities is the drive to ensure that Safeguard’s focus remains rooted in Customer Service = Resolution. Through his executive leadership role, he actively supports SGPNOW.com, an on-demand service geared towards real estate and property management professionals as well as individual home owners in need of inspection and property preservation services. Joe is also an integral force behind Compliance Connections, a branch of Safeguard Properties that allows code enforcement professionals to report violations at properties that can then be addressed by the Safeguard vendor network. Compliance Connections also researches and shares vacant property ordinance information with Safeguard clients.

Joe has an MBA from The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), and holds a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University’s Honors Accounting program.

Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties