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FHA INFO #16-13 Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) Portal March 14, 2016 System Enhancements Reminder

Investor Update
March 9, 2016

As a reminder, on Monday, March 14, 2016, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will implement a set of system enhancements to the Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) portal. As announced in FHA INFO 16-11, on February 26, 2016, these enhancements will further improve portal functionality, and will also address user feedback.

Read more about the EAD portal system enhancements in our online article.

To correspond with the upcoming system enhancements, on March 1, 2016, FHA published an updated version of the EAD portal Hard Stop Checks and Error Messages fact sheet. Mortgagees should review this updated fact sheet as part of their preparation for onboarding to, and subsequently using the EAD portal.

With only two onboarding phases remaining before the EAD portal’s June 27, 2016 mandatory use date, mortgagees that have not yet registered for an onboarding phase should do so now. More information is available on FHA’s EAD portal Mortgagee Onboarding Process web page.

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HERMIT System Transition to New Business Service Provider on March 21, 2016

As announced in FHA INFO 16-09, on February 17, 2016, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will transition its Home Equity Reverse Mortgage Information Technology (HERMIT) system to a new Business Service Provider, Reverse Market Insight, Inc. (RMI) beginning March 21, 2016.

System Unavailable March 16-21, 2016
The HERMIT system will transition to a new host data center operated by RMI on March 21, 2016. In order to complete the transition, the HERMIT system will be unavailable from 7:00 PM (Eastern) on March 16, 2016, to 8:00 AM (Eastern) on March 21, 2016. There will be no changes to the HERMIT system’s functionality as part of the transition to the new host data center. Further, mortgagees’ system access user IDs and passwords will remain unchanged.

New Contact Information
Effective at 8:00 AM (Eastern) on March 21, 2016, the HERMIT system and HERMIT Help Desk may be reached at the following new contact points:


New Secure File Transfer Protocol Monthly Report Login Credentials Required
Following the transition to the new host data center, new Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) site login credentials will be required in order for mortgagees and servicers to access their HERMIT monthly reports. The HERMIT transition team began contacting affected users last week to provide them with the new SFTP Internet Protocol (IP) address and login credentials. Users who do not receive new SFTP site login credentials by March 25, 2016 should contact the HERMIT Help Desk for assistance.

Resources

  • Contact the FHA Resource Center:
    Visit our online knowledge base to obtain answers to frequently asked questions 24/7 at: www.hud.gov/answers.
    E-mail the FHA Resource Center at answers@hud.gov. Emails and phone messages will be responded to during normal hours of operation, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Eastern), Monday through Friday on all non-Federal holidays.
    Call 1-800-CALLFHA (1-800-225-5342). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may reach this number by calling the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

Source: HUD (FHA INFO #16-13 full version)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Business Development

Carrie Tackett

Business Development Safeguard Properties