Archives For: Industry Updates

FEMA Evaluating Demolition Funds for Tornado-Damaged Properties in St. Louis

In a letter to St. Louis, FEMA advised it is unable to reimburse the city for demolishing vacant properties that were condemned before an EF3 tornado hit last May.

4 Mar 2026

Pittsburg Demolishing Nearly Two Dozen Blighted Homes Left Vacant for Years

Pittsburgh is planning to raze blighted homes that have sat vacant for years in a move that should boost property values in 4 neighborhoods.

4 Mar 2026

Q4 Update: Delinquencies, Foreclosures and REO

CalculatedRisk Newsletter shared updated numbers on mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures, and REO properties from Q4 2025.

3 Mar 2026

Troy Land Bank Hosts Ribbon Cutting at 834 River Street

The Troy Community Land Bank hosted a ribbon cutting to showcase the completion of their affordable home rehab project at 834 River Street.

27 Feb 2026

Fannie and Freddie: Single Family Delinquency Rate Increased in January

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae reported that the Single-Family serious delinquency rate is either at or below pre-pandemic levels, respectively.

26 Feb 2026

Detroit Vacant Lots: Land Bank Inventory & Neighborhood Impact

Thousands of vacant lots in the Detroit Lank Bank’s inventory raise questions about the future of rebuilding the city’s neighborhoods.

24 Feb 2026

Essex County Land Bank: Removing Blight and Building Workforce Housing in the Adirondacks

The Essex County Land Bank, 1 of only 3 in northern NY, was established in the summer of 2023 and has accomplished a lot in its short tenure.

24 Feb 2026

Zombie Foreclosure Rates by State – Q1 2026

ATTOM released the complete state-by-state ranking of zombie foreclosures for Q1 of 2026, including the top ranked counties in each state.

20 Feb 2026

Vacancy and Zombie Home Rates Low Across the Country

ATTOM released the Q1 2026 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report showing only 1.33% of residential properties were vacant at the beginning of the year.

19 Feb 2026

Metcalfe Park Program Rescues Foreclosed Homes

Metcalfe Park Community Bridges Reclaim and Restore initiative is designed to stabilize the Metcalfe Park neighborhood in Milwaukee by turning vacant, foreclosed properties into affordable homes.

17 Feb 2026

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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.

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