Archives For: Industry Updates

Schenectady Awarded for Work Combating Urban Blight

Schenectady has won national recognition for it’s CODE Program, which works to mitigate urban blight by sharing info about abandoned homes and problem property owners.

26 Apr 2022

City of Cape Working on Plans to Demolish Unsafe Buildings

Cape Girardeau officials want to make the city a bit safer by demolishing unsafe, abandoned, and structurally unsafe buildings.

26 Apr 2022

Franklin County Officials Eye Land Bank to Address Vacant Housing

The Franklin County Economic Development Corp. and county legislators are discussing establishing a county land bank to address blighted properties and vacant houses.

26 Apr 2022

Black Knight: Mortgage Delinquencies Hit Record Low in March, Driven by Both Seasonal and Economic Improvements

Black Knight reports that mortgage delinquencies dropped by more than half a percentage point in March, shattering previous record lows.

25 Apr 2022

MBA: ‘Remarkable’ Forbearance Recovery

The number of homeowners in forbearance has dropped by nearly 4 million over the last two years according to the MBA.

19 Apr 2022

Gateless Integrates with Fannie and Freddie Tech; Partners with Google

Mortgage tech company Gateless has announced that it has integrated with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to improve efficiency in the loan process.

19 Apr 2022

‘Zombie Properties’ – Abandoned Homes – can be Reported with a New Tool in Monroe County and Rochester

A new website has been launched in Monroe County and Rochester, New York for reporting vacant and abandoned properties.

18 Apr 2022

FHA Adds 40-Year Mortgage Modification with Partial Claim to Home Retention Options for Struggling Borrowers

FHA has announced a 40-year mortgage modification available to servicers to help borrowers struggling with the effects of the pandemic.

18 Apr 2022

Plan to Eliminate Vacant Properties in St. Louis Moves to Senate

A bill to eliminate vacant properties throughout St. Louis was passed by the Missouri House of Representatives last week.

15 Apr 2022

Current Mortgage Rates Hit 5% for the First Time in a Decade

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has climbed to 5% for the first time in more than 10 years, according to Freddie Mac.

14 Apr 2022

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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