Safeguard Properties

<- Return To Industry Updates

Menendez Bill Would Help Homeowners at Risk of Foreclosure Stay in Their Homes

On June 16, the office of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) issued a press release discussing the introduction of the Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2015.

Menendez Bill Would Help Homeowners at Risk of Foreclosure Stay in Their Homes

With record NJ foreclosure and underwater rates, bill will help families keep their homes and mitigate costs vacant homes impose on neighborhoods

WASHINGTON, DC – As New Jersey continues to lead the nation in foreclosure rates – and specifically in  “zombie” foreclosures – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development today introduced the Preserving American Homeownership Act, to help homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages remain in their homes. According to RealtyTrac, one out of every 594 New Jersey homes is in foreclosure.   The Atlantic City region leads the nation among metropolitan areas of its size with one in every 297 properties in foreclosure. 

“Far too many New Jerseyans are underwater on their mortgages and are all too familiar with the burden this brings,” Senator Menendez said. “My bill aims to give homeowners the break they need by working with banks to find acceptable solutions for everyone. Not only can we help families stay in their homes, we can mitigate the impact zombie foreclosures have on our communities and our economy.”

Phyllis Salowe Kaye, Executive Director of New Jersey Citizen Action, said: “The sad fact is that millions of homeowners still have underwater FHA and FHFA mortgages and many are facing foreclosure.  Principal reduction is the most effective way to keep people in their homes, to prevent foreclosures and to stabilize neighborhoods that have been decimated by vacant and abandoned properties.  Senator Menendez’s bill offers real solutions. It should be supported and passed quickly by Congress. “

Further troubling for communities struggling with large numbers of homes in foreclosure, a recent report found New Jersey has the highest “zombie” foreclosure rate in the country, with one out of every 201 housing units vacated before a completed foreclosure.  These owner-vacated foreclosure properties likely end up as short sales, foreclosure auction sales, or bank-owned sales.

The Preserving American Homeownership Act is specifically aimed at homeowners who owe more than their house is worth (“underwater”), which is currently estimated to be 5.1 million homeowners, or more than 10 percent of all homes with a mortgage, according to CoreLogic.  About two million of these homeowners are underwater by a significant amount – they owe at least 25 percent more than the value of their home.

Even with home prices rebounding since the financial crisis, millions of homeowners are still underwater on their mortgages because of the broad national decline in home values that has occurred since 2007, which can be seen here. Because of this, homeowners may be at risk of foreclosure, unable to sell their home and move, or forced to walk away at great cost, further hurting the still-fragile market.  Meanwhile, banks are reluctant to reduce the amount owed to them (“principal”) because they are concerned about losing income.

The legislation seeks to help both parties – homeowners and lenders – by creating a program in which banks reduce the mortgage principal for eligible homeowners. In exchange, banks would be entitled to a portion of any increase in the value of the home down the road. The program is a win-win for everyone: underwater homeowners receive relief on their mortgages, while banks agree to take a short-term reduction for a long-term gain as the housing market recovers. In a similar program tested by a private mortgage servicer, almost 80% of homeowners who were offered the opportunity to participate chose to do so and had a re-default rate of only 2.6%.

Additional Details

Click here to download the full text of the bill.

  • The principal balance of the loan would be reduced to 100% or less of the re-assessed value of the home, provided the homeowner is able to make reduced payments; the principal balance would be reduced in 1/3 increments per year.
  • In exchange, the bank would receive a fixed share (of up to 50%) of the increase in the home’s value when the home is sold or later refinanced, up to a maximum of twice the amount of principal reduced. The share depends on factors to be determined by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and Federal Housing Administration (FHA), including how much the bank initially reduced the principal.
  • Home values would be determined by independent third-party appraisers.
  • Two pilot programs would be established by the FHFA and FHA.
  • Homeowners are eligible no matter how far underwater they are, but they must make timely payments on the modified mortgage going forward or they will not receive any principal reduction.
  • Both primary and secondary residences are eligible.

Please click here to view the press release online.

Please click here to view the full text of the Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2015 [pdf].

About Safeguard 
Safeguard Properties is the mortgage field services industry leader, preserving vacant and foreclosed properties across the U.S., Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Guam. Founded in 1990 by Robert Klein and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Safeguard provides the highest quality service to our clients by leveraging innovative technologies and proactively developing industry best practices and quality control procedures. Consistent with Safeguard’s values and mission, we are an active supporter of hundreds of charitable efforts across the country. Annually, Safeguard gives back to communities in partnership with our employees, vendors and clients. We also are dedicated to working with community leaders and officials to eliminate blight and stabilize neighborhoods. Safeguard is dedicated to preserving today and protecting tomorrow.  Website: www.safeguardproperties.com.

Related Posts

ICE First Look at Mortgage Performance: Serious Delinquencies at Lowest Since Mid-2006 as Foreclosures Drop, Prepayments Rise

ICE revealed its ‘First Look’ at March 2024 month-end mortgage performance, reporting the national delinquency rate dropped to 3.20%.

Read More

FEMA Major Disaster Declaration – Vermont Severe Winter Storm

FEMA has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Vermont in areas affected by a severe winter storm from Jan. 9-13, 2024.

Read More

<- Back To Newsroom Next Article ->

Cookies enable us to provide the best experience possible and help us understand how visitors use our website. By browsing our website, you agree to our use of cookies.

x

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Alan Jaffa

Alan Jaffa is the chief executive officer for Safeguard, 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® finalist in 2013.

x

Chief Operating Officer

Michael Greenbaum

Michael Greenbaum is the chief operating officer for Safeguard. Mike has been instrumental in aligning operations to become more efficient, effective, and compliant with our ever-changing industry requirements. Mike has a proven track record of excellence, partnership and collaboration at Safeguard. Under Mike’s leadership, all operational departments of Safeguard have reviewed, updated and enhanced their business processes to maximize efficiency and improve quality control.

Mike joined Safeguard in July 2010 as vice president of REO and has continued to take on additional duties and responsibilities within the organization, including the role of vice president of operations in 2013 and then COO in 2015.

Mike built his business career in supply-chain management, operations, finance and marketing. He has held senior management and executive positions with Erico, a manufacturing company in Solon, Ohio; Accel, Inc., a packaging company in Lewis Center, Ohio; and McMaster-Carr, an industrial supply company in Aurora, Ohio.

Before entering the business world, Mike served in the U.S. Army, Ordinance Branch, and specialized in supply chain management. He is a distinguished graduate of West Point (U.S. Military Academy), where he majored in quantitative economics.

x

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Sean Reddington

Sean Reddington is the new Chief Information Officer for Safeguard Properties LLC. Sean has over 15+ years of experience in Information Services Management with a strong focus on Product and Application Management. Sean is responsible for Safeguard’s technological direction, including planning, implementation and maintaining all operational systems

Sean has a proven record of accomplishment for increasing operational efficiencies, improving customer service levels, and implementing and maintaining IT initiatives to support successful business processes.  He has provided the vision and dedicated leadership for key technologies for Fortune 100 companies, and nationally recognized consulting firms including enterprise system architecture, security, desktop and database management systems. Sean possesses strong functional and system knowledge of information security, systems and software, contracts management, budgeting, human resources and legal and related regulatory compliance.

Sean joined Safeguard Properties LLC from RenPSG Inc. which is a nationally leading Philintropic Software Platform in the Fintech space. He oversaw the organization’s technological direction including planning, implementing and maintaining the best practices that align with all corporate functions. He also provided day-to-day technology operations, enterprise security, information risk and vulnerability management, audit and compliance, security awareness and training.

Prior to RenPSG, Sean worked for DMI Consulting as a Client Success Director where he guided the delivery in a multibillion-dollar Fortune 500 enterprise client account. He was responsible for all project deliveries in terms of quality, budget and timeliness and led the team to coordinate development and definition of project scope and limitations. Sean also worked for KPMG Consulting in their Microsoft Practice and Technicolor’s Ebusiness Division where he had responsibility for application development, maintenance, and support.

Sean is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Arts and received his Masters in International Business from Central Michigan University. He was also a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force prior to his career in the business world.

x

General Counsel and Executive Vice President

Linda Erkkila, Esq.

Linda Erkkila is the general counsel and executive vice president for Safeguard and oversees the legal, human resources, training, and compliance departments. Linda’s responsibilities cover regulatory issues that impact Safeguard’s operations, risk mitigation, enterprise strategic planning, human resources and training initiatives, compliance, litigation and claims management, and 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. Her practice spans over 20 years, and Linda’s experience covers regulatory disclosure, corporate governance compliance, risk assessment, executive compensation, litigation management, and merger and acquisition activity. Her experience at a former Fortune 500 financial institution during the subprime crisis helped develop Linda’s pro-active approach to change management during periods of heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Linda previously served as vice president and attorney for National City Corporation, as securities and corporate governance counsel for Agilysys Inc., and as an associate at Thompson Hine LLP. She earned her JD at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Linda holds a degree in economics from Miami University and an MBA. In 2017, Linda was named as both a “Woman of Influence” by HousingWire and as a “Leading Lady” by MReport.

x

Chief Financial Officer

Joe Iafigliola

Joe Iafigliola is the Chief Financial Officer for Safeguard. Joe is responsible for the Control, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Accounting & Information Security departments, and is a Managing Director of SCG Partners, a middle-market private equity fund focused on diversifying and expanding Safeguard Properties’ business model into complimentary markets.

Joe has been in a wide variety of roles in finance, supply chain management, information systems development, and sales and marketing. His career includes senior positions with McMaster-Carr Supply Company, Newell/Rubbermaid, and Procter and Gamble.

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.

x

AVP, High Risk and Investor Compliance

Steve Meyer

Steve Meyer is the assistant vice president of high risk and investor compliance for Safeguard. In this role, Steve is responsible for managing our clients’ conveyance processes, Safeguard’s investor compliance team and developing our working relationships with cities and municipalities around the country. He also works directly with our clients in our many outreach efforts and he represents Safeguard at a number of industry conferences each year.

Steve joined Safeguard in 1998 as manager over the hazard claims team. He was instrumental in the development and creation of policies, procedures and operating protocol. Under Steve’s leadership, the department became one of the largest within Safeguard. In 2002, he assumed responsibility for the newly-formed high risk department, once again building its success. Steve was promoted to director over these two areas in 2007, and he was promoted to assistant vice president in 2012.

Prior to joining Safeguard, Steve spent 10 years within the insurance industry, holding a number of positions including multi-line property adjuster, branch claims supervisor, and multi-line and subrogation/litigation supervisor. Steve is a graduate of Grove City College.

x

AVP, Operations

Jennifer Jozity

Jennifer Jozity is the assistant vice president of operations, overseeing inspections, REO and property preservation for Safeguard. Jen ensures quality work is performed in the field and internally, to meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. Jen has demonstrated the ability to deliver consistent results in order audit and order management.  She will build upon these strengths in order to deliver this level of excellence in both REO and property preservation operations.

Jen joined Safeguard in 1997 and was promoted to director of inspections operations in 2009 and assistant vice president of inspections operations in 2012.

She graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in business.

x

AVP, Finance

Jennifer Anspach

Jennifer Anspach is the assistant vice president of finance for Safeguard. She is responsible for the company’s national workforce of approximately 1,000 employees. She manages recruitment strategies, employee relations, training, personnel policies, retention, payroll and benefits programs. Additionally, Jennifer has oversight of the accounts receivable and loss functions formerly within the accounting department.

Jennifer joined the company in April 2009 as a manager of accounting and finance and a year later was promoted to director. She was named AVP of human capital in 2014. Prior to joining Safeguard, she held several management positions at OfficeMax and InkStop in both operations and finance.

Jennifer is a graduate of Youngstown State University. She was named a Crain’s Cleveland Business Archer Award finalist for HR Executive of the Year in 2017.

x

AVP, Application Architecture

Rick Moran

Rick Moran is the assistant vice president of application architecture for Safeguard. Rick is responsible for evolving the Safeguard IT systems. He leads the design of Safeguard’s enterprise application architecture. This includes Safeguard’s real-time integration with other systems, vendors and clients; the future upgrade roadmap for systems; and standards designed to meet availability, security, performance and goals.

Rick has been with Safeguard since 2011. During that time, he has led the system upgrades necessary to support Safeguard’s growth. In addition, Rick’s team has designed and implemented several innovative systems.

Prior to joining Safeguard, Rick was director of enterprise architecture at Revol Wireless, a privately held CDMA Wireless provider in Ohio and Indiana, and operated his own consulting firm providing services to the manufacturing, telecommunications, and energy sectors.

x

AVP, Technology Infrastructure and Cloud Services

Steve Machovina

Steve Machovina is the assistant vice president of technology infrastructure and cloud services for Safeguard. He is responsible for the overall management and design of Safeguard’s hybrid cloud infrastructure. He manages all technology engineering staff who support data centers, telecommunications, network, servers, storage, service monitoring, and disaster recovery.

Steve joined Safeguard in November 2013 as director of information technology operations.

Prior to joining Safeguard, Steve was vice president of information technology at Revol Wireless, a privately held wireless provider in Ohio and Indiana. He also held management positions with Northcoast PCS and Corecomm Communications, and spent nine years as a Coast Guard officer and pilot.

Steve holds a BBA in management information systems from Kent State University in Ohio and an MBA from Wayne State University in Michigan.

x

Assistant Vice president of Application Development

Steve Goberish

Steve Goberish, is the assistant vice president of application development for Safeguard. He is responsible for the maintenance and evolution of Safeguard’s vendor systems ensuring high-availability, security and scalability while advancing the vendor products’ capabilities and enhancing the vendor experience.

Prior to joining Safeguard, Steve was a senior technical architect and development manager at First American Title Insurance, a publicly held title insurance provider based in southern California, in addition to managing and developing applications in multiple sectors from insurance to VOIP.

Steve has a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Ohio.