Freddie Mac Recent Updates to Guide and Bulletins

Investor Update
August 13, 2015

Quick and easy access to information is important for your business. That’s why we’re focused on improving the usability of the Single-Family Seller/Servicer Guide (Guide) and our Guide Bulletins. Here are enhancements we’ve recently incorporated, based on your feedback:

  • PDFs of Guide chapters and Bulletins on AllRegs®. Use the PDFs for easier printing and cutting and pasting content.
  • Bulletin enhancements. To help you better identify and track information in Bulletins, we’ve made the following improvements:
  •  Anchor links. Click on a topic link in the Bulletin introduction to quickly get to the detailed information in the Bulletin.
  • Critical information is now highlighted in the introduction. The Bulletin’s introductory text includes the future effective date of a Guide change when applicable. Also, if the requirement or process is new, it will say so in the introduction.
  • Wednesday publication. When feasible, we’re publishing our Bulletins on Wednesdays.
  • Advanced search features. If you access our Guide through FreddieMac.com, you’ll see these Advanced Search functionalities:
  • Type ahead. As you begin typing a search query, a list of suggested topics appears in a dropdown so you can quickly locate the information you need.
  • Highlighted results. Automatically see your search term highlighted on your search results page to help you determine what may be the content you’re looking for.
  • Content navigators. Use this filter feature to further define your search criteria to get more relevant results.
     

More Guide Changes to Come

We continue to review Seller/Servicer feedback and plan to implement other Guide usability enhancements early next year. Our goal is to make the Guide more intuitive to use by organizing it to be better aligned with the way you do business with Freddie Mac.
 
As with any Guide update, you’ll be notified in advance of upcoming Guide changes.
 
Take Advantage of These Guide-related Resources

Are you getting the latest Single-Family news and Guide Bulletins? Visit our Single-Family News Center and make sure you’ve subscribed to receive our Single-Family Update emails that include notifications about new Guide Bulletins.

Please click here to view the release online.

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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