Industry Leaders Discuss COVID-19 Property Preservation Challenges

Safeguard in the News
May 14, 2020

Source: DS News

In this edition of DS5: Inside the Industry, leaders from the property preservation industry discuss the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panelists include Michael Greenbaum, COO of Safeguard Properties; Jim Pike, who is the VP of Operations for Xome; Denia Ray, the SVP of MSI, an Insight One Solutions company; and Timika Scott, the SVP of U.S. Bank.

You can watch the full episode here or at the embed below. More insight from the extended version of the interview can be found here. 

Tropical Storm Arthur Spreads Rain, Wind into North Carolina

Disaster Alert
May 18, 2020

Source: FOX News

Locations currently under a tropical storm warning:

North Carolina

– Beaufort County
– Carteret County
– Craven County
– Dare County
– Duck County
– Hatteras Island
– Hyde County
– Kill Devil Hills Town
– Kitty Hawk Town
– Manteo Town
– Nags Head Town
– Ocracoke Island
– Onslow County
– Pamlico County
– Southern Shores Town
– Tyrrell County
– Wanchese, Roanoke Island
– Washington County

NOTE: This has not yet been declared a FEMA Major Disaster.

The first named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season lashed eastern North Carolina with rain and gusty winds on Monday, as the tropical storm made a close pass at the state’s Outer Banks.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said as of 11 a.m. EDT on Monday that Tropical Storm Arthur is located about 20 miles east-southeast of Cape Hatteras, moving north-northeast at 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.

“The full center of the storm is going to remain offshore but we’re still going to get indirect impacts,” Fox News senior meteorologist Janice Dean said Monday on “Fox & Friends First.” “The rain and the wind, as it continues to move north and eastward.”

Tropical storm warnings have been posted from Surf City to Duck, N.C., including the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.

“On the forecast track, the center of Arthur will approach the coast of North Carolina during the next few hours, and then move near or just east of the coast of North Carolina later today,” the NHC said.

Eastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks were seeing increasing wind gusts and rain as of Monday morning as the center of Arthur passed offshore.

Arthur remains a minimal tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The NHC said tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles, mainly to the east of the center of Arthur over water.

“We could see wind gusts, or feel wind gusts, upwards of 50 to 60 mph, and then it’s going to start to make its curve,” Dean said.

Throughout the day on Monday, gusts to 50 mph are possible along the Outer Banks through midday with between one to three inches of rain. Isolated maximum amounts of up to five inches of rain are possible in coastal areas.

For full report, please click the source link above.

HUD: Ben Carson Congratulates Brian Montgomery on Deputy Secretary Confirmation

Investor Update
May 12, 2020 

Source: HUD

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson today applauded the confirmation of Brian D. Montgomery to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As the second most senior official at HUD, Mr. Montgomery will manage the day-to-day operations of the agency and will advise and assist the Secretary in leading the Department’s nearly 8,000 employees.

“Brian has done an exemplary job both leading FHA and performing the additional duties of the Deputy Secretary since January 2019. During this unprecedented pandemic, he has been by my side every step of the way as we have implemented policies to protect Americans across the country. As the head of FHA, Brian has helped HUD relieve the burden on renters and homeowners experiencing financial hardship, and to ensure no one loses their home as a result of this national health and economic emergency.” Secretary Carson said. “The IT modernization effort underway at FHA under his stewardship has been central to our ability to continue to serve as a source of strength to the housing market. I am thrilled that the Senate agrees that he will be an excellent Deputy Secretary. Congratulations to Brian and his family on his confirmation.”

As Federal Housing Commissioner since June 2018, Brian Montgomery has managed FHA’s more than $1.4 trillion mortgage insurance portfolio, which includes its Single Family, Multifamily, and Health Care programs. As Assistant Secretary for Housing, he has overseen HUD’s Project-based Section 8 rental assistance housing program, the Office of Housing Counseling, and HUD’s Manufactured Housing Program.

“I am honored to take on this new role, supporting the outstanding leadership of Secretary Carson during an extraordinary time for our country. We will continue to do everything possible to protect our country’s most vulnerable populations – including the homeless, the elderly, and many others with compromised health. We will provide critical support to low-income renters in public housing, seniors, people with disabilities and with AIDS, among others, including homeowners under stress at this time and those hoping to make it into a decent, safe, affordable home,“ Montgomery said. “I am proud to help lead the Department and humbled to be able to offer all that I can to our endeavors, to deliver it more effectively, efficiently, and with the highest integrity on behalf of American taxpayers.”

With over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Mr. Montgomery brings to HUD a deep knowledge of housing issues and vast experience spearheading large-scale policy initiatives. During his first term as HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Housing and FHA Commissioner, he spearheaded regulatory reform of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), developing solutions to assist struggling homeowners during the financial crisis, and his leadership of FHA modernization efforts that led to legislation in 2008.

From January 2003 until April 2005, Mr. Montgomery served in the Executive Office of the President as Deputy Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary. In this role, he led the White House’s internal working group to monitor all facets of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident investigation for which he was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Mr. Montgomery also served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Advance from January 2001 until January 2003. During his time as Director of Presidential Advance he traveled extensively with President Bush, including on September 11, 2001.

FEMA Declared Disaster Arkansas

FEMA Alert
May 8, 2019

FEMA issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for areas in Arkansas affected by severe storms, tornadoes and straight-line winds that took place March 28, 2020.

The following counties are eligible for assistance:

Public Assistance

  • Craighead

Arkansas Sever Storms, Tornadoes and Straigh-Line Winds (DR-4544)

FEMA Declared Disaster Arkansas: ZIP Code List


Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Declared Disaster North Carolina

FEMA Alert Update
June 26, 2020

FEMA issued an update to a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for areas in North Carolina affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that took place February 6-19, 2020.

The following county is eligible for assistance:

Public Assistance

  • Gaston

North Carolina Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding (DR-4543 Amendment 1)

FEMA Declared Disaster North Carolina: ZIP Code List

 

FEMA Alert
May 8, 2020

FEMA issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for areas in North Carolina affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that took place February 6-19, 2020.

The following counties are eligible for assistance:

Public Assistance

  • Alexander
  • Ashe
  • Cherokee
  • Cleveland
  • Graham
  • Madison
  • Mitchell
  • Pender
  • Perquimans
  • Polk
  • Randolph
  • Rutherford
  • Stanly
  • Stokes
  • Swain
  • Wayne
  • Yadkin
  • Yancy

North Carolina Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding (DR-4543)

FEMA Declared Disaster North Carolina: ZIP Code List


Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Declared Disaster Seminole Tribe of Florida

FEMA Alert
May 8, 2020

FEMA issued a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic beginning on January 20, 2020 and continuing. The following tribal areas are eligible for assistance:

Public Assistance

  • Big Cypress (Hendry/Broward Counties, 33440)
  • Brighton (Glades/Okeechobee Counties, 33471, 34974)
  • Ft. Pierce (St. Lucie County, 34945)
  • Hollywood (Broward County, 33021)
  • Immokalee (Collier County, 34142, 34143)
  • Tampa (Hillsborough County, 33610)

NOTE: Tribal area ZIP codes are approximate and may not be complete.

Seminole Tribe of Florida COVID-19 Pandemic (DR-4545)

FEMA Declared Disaster: Seminole Tribe of Florida ZIP Code List

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

Safeguard Properties All Client Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

Florida Wildfire Burned Homes to Their Foundations

Updated 5/19/20: Naples Daily News published an article providing updates on the 36 Avenue SE Fire, which has destroyed 12 homes and 33 outbuildings in Collier County, Fla.

36th Avenue SE Brush Fire Shrinks in Size, Containment Increases to 75%

Updated 5/17/18: CBS 10 Tampa Bay issued a report providing updates on wildfire activity in Collier County, Fla. Standing at 50 percent containment, the 36 Avenue SE Fire has consumed 8,663 acres near Naples.

Large Southwest Florida Wildfire 50-Percent Contained, Evacuations Lifted

Additional Resources:

Spectrum News (7 Homes, 23 Other Structures Destroyed by Florida Wildfire)

NBC 2 (Family Helps Father Move Forward After Losing Everything in Golden Gate Estates Fire)

Updated 5/15/20: The Weather Channel published a report detailing wildfire activity in Collier County, Fla. Two events originally igniting on either side of Interstate 75 have merged into one large fire that has so far consumed more than 8,500 acres.

Growing Florida Wildfires Force More Evacuations; Interstate 75 Reopens

Additional Resources:

Evacuation Information:

NBC2 (8,500-Acre Brush Fire Burns in Golden Gate Estates)

WINK News (No New Evacuation Orders in Collier County)

Updated 5/14/20: The Weather Channel published a report outlining continued Florida wildfire activity. Four additional blazes ignited in Collier County have caused freeway closures and at least one subdivision evacuation.

Evacuations Ordered as Florida Wildfires Rage, Shut Down Interstate 75

Additional Resources:

ABC 6 South Florida (Wildfires Close Stretch of Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida)

Approximate Evacuation Area:

Florida
– Golden Gates Estates Subdivision (Naples, 34117)

Updated 5/9/20:  
The Weather Channel has reported that the Musset Bayou Fire has destroyed 33 homes in Walton County.

Residents Who Fled Florida Panhandle Wildfire Allowed to Return Home; Interstate 10 Reopens

Approximate locations sustaining home damage:

Florida
– Santa Rosa Beach (Walton County, 32459)

 

Disaster Alert
May 9, 2020

Source: WTXL ABC 27

Additional Resource:

WKRG CBS 5 (5 Mile Swamp Fire, Hurst Hammock Fire 65% Contained)

Approximate locations sustaining home damage:

Florida

–  Avalon Beach/Milton (Santa Rosa County, 32583)

NOTE: This has not yet been declared a FEMA Major Disaster.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Florida Forest Service continues to battle a 2,000-acre wildfire in Santa Rosa County.

That’s about 150 miles west of Tallahassee.

Right now, I-10 near Pensacola is still closed because of the smoke and flames.

Riding along with the Florida Forest Service, we got a close look at the heartbreaking damage.

The Forest Service says flames reached more than 100 feet up trees.

Homes caught in the middle burned to the foundation.

People living nearby say they’re packed up and ready to leave if needed.

For full report, please click the source link above.

AccuWeather Increases Number of Hurricanes Predicted for 2020 Atlantic Season

Industry Update
May 7, 2020

Source: AccuWeather

Coastal residents such as Monroe County Commissioner Craig Cates, a lifelong Key West native and the city’s mayor from 2009-18, don’t frighten easily. Resiliency is a way of life when you’ve seen “many, many hurricanes” come your way.

The coronavirus shutdowns have brought new hardships for an area reliant on tourism, which accounts for “a good 50 percent of our economy,” Cates told AccuWeather’s Monica Danielle. The economic math isn’t great at the moment as Key West has roughly 25,000 permanent residents and typically draws more than 3 million visitors a year. But now “everything’s basically shut down,” he said.

“We’re dipping into our reserves with no chance to make them up by hurricane season,” Cates said. “That is our concern … We can’t afford a hurricane this year, for sure.”

AccuWeather’s updated 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane forecast perhaps won’t brighten the spirits of Key West or other United States coastal residents.

To access full report, please click the source link above.

ATTOM: 3.6 Million Homes Considered Seriously Underwater

Industry Update
May 7, 2020

Source: ATTOM Data Solutions

Equity-rich Properties in First Quarter of 2020 Comprise 26 Percent of All Mortgaged Homes; Seriously Underwater Properties Make Up Just 7 Percent

IRVINE, Calif. — May 7, 2020 — ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation’s premier property database and first property data provider of Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), today released its first-quarter 2020 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that 14.5 million residential properties in the United States were considered equity-rich, meaning the combined estimated amount of loans secured by those properties was 50 percent or less of their estimated market value.

The count of equity-rich properties in the first quarter of 2020 represented 26.5 percent, or about one in four, of the 54.7 million mortgaged homes in the U.S. That percentage was down slightly from the 26.7 percent level in the fourth quarter of 2019.

The report also shows that just 3.6 million, or one in 15, mortgaged homes in the first quarter of 2020 were considered seriously underwater, with a combined estimated balance of loans secured by the property at least 25 percent more than the property’s estimated market value. That figure represented 6.6 percent of all U.S. properties with a mortgage, up slightly from 6.4 percent in the prior quarter.

The figures were derived from the last data recorded before the economic fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic began to sweep across the U.S., potentially damaging the nation’s housing market.

To access full report, please click the source link above.

HUD: Interagency COVID-19 Servicer Fact Sheet

Investor Update
May 6, 2020 

Source: HUD

Coronavirus Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Mortgage Payment Forbearance

The CARES Act provides a mortgage payment forbearance option for all borrowers who, either directly or indirectly, suffer a financial hardship due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency.

Guidance for Assisting Borrowers
If a borrower can still make their mortgage payment, request that they continue to do so. However, if the borrower requests a forbearance, a servicer must give them the forbearance requested.

• No documentation is required to prove the hardship beyond the borrower asserting that they are suffering from a hardship.

• This relief is available to anyone who has a federally-backed mortgage, regardless of delinquency status.

Under the CARES Act, borrowers are entitled to request an initial forbearance of their monthly mortgage payments for up to 180 days, and may request up to an additional 180 days.

• Servicers must approve the forbearance for the amount and time that the borrower requests.

• Under the CARES Act, this is done at the borrowers’ request and for as long as they request, up to 360 days in total (initial up to 180 days and then up to another 180 days, if requested)

• Servicers should educate the borrower on the impact of longer forbearances. Servicers may discuss shorter initial forbearances with the borrower, such as 3 months for example, and work up or down depending on the needs and wants of the borrower.

• Servicers should ensure that borrowers understand that the missed payments must be repaid, although it may be paid back over time.

• Servicers should educate the borrower on what options will be available to the borrower to make repayments.

• Inform borrowers that they can contact you when their hardship is over or resume making their regular monthly mortgage payment to end the forbearance, and discuss what repayment options are available.

For full fact sheet, please click the source link above.