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Freddie Mac: Doing Better Business Together With Improved Guide Design and Usability

Investor Update
October 28, 2015

We know how critical it is for you to access our Guide requirements quickly. That’s why we’re reorganizing the Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide (Guide) to make it easier to locate specific information.

We listened to your feedback and we’re reorganizing the Guide to be more intuitive and aligned with how you work. Please note we are not rewriting existing policies or requirements, nor are we introducing new ones at this time.

But we want to make sure there are no surprises for you and you’re able to preview the new format before the reorganized Guide becomes the official Guide in March 2016.

The Reorganized Guide: Intuitive with How You Work

The redesigned Guide will feature a systematic numbering scheme and move the Guide content into three groupings:

Freddie Mac – Seller/Servicer Relationship has content common to both Sellers and Servicers and includes general contract terms (Series 1000 through 3000).
Selling includes requirements applicable to your production and daily workflow for originating, underwriting, selling and delivering eligible loans (Series 4000 through 6000).
Servicing includes requirements related to servicing mortgages for Freddie Mac (Series 7000 through 9000).

Guide Bulletin 2015-19 [pdf] shows how chapters and sections will be numbered within a series.

Getting Ready

As we transition to the new Guide format, start with the following resources to help you become familiar with the reorganized Guide.

A preview site hosted by AllRegs® includes a table of contents based on the new Guide format. This table of contents provides a limited view at this time, but you’ll have access to an interactive copy of the new full Guide before March 2016.
Preliminary Guide Reorganization Mapping spreadsheet. [xls] Use this resource to determine where current Guide content will be located in the reorganized Guide. The multi-tab spreadsheet provides a description of the series under the redesigned Guide and a listing of topics within the series.

In early 2016, the AllRegs preview site will expand to include all Guide content in addition to the table of contents. We’ll also offer webinars on the redesigned Guide.

Source: Freddie Mac

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