On October 7, 2007 Chula Vista will implement a new Building Registration and Maintenance Ordinance. This ordinance requires regular watering; inspections and the property shall be posted with a name and a 24-hour contact phone number. We have included the following link for your review http://www.chulavistaca.gov/ Chula Vista Zip Codes: 91909, 91910, 91911, 91912, 91913, 91914, 91915, 91921 Director of Vendor Management
Last week, Vendor Management implemented an “Amnesty Period” in which we offered a one time only 15% discount rate in an attempt to provide some assistance to the field in an effort of meeting our contractual obligation. This week, Vendor Management will be issuing another round of Strikes to those vendors who are not within compliance. I applauded those contractors who continue to meet our standards month after month. Director of Vendor Management
The decision by the Federal Reserve yesterday to cut interest rates by half a percentage point was the first cut of any size in four years. It occurred against the backdrop of a slumping U.S. housing market. As the mortgage servicing industry experiences an increase of defaulted loans, First American Field Services must be prepared to handle this demand. The following link provides additional insight to this trend http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20829849/ Director of Vendor Management
I must say that I was impressed with the participation at this years NAMFS conference. The opportunity to meet and discuss industry trends with our vendor panel was priceless. I personally would to thank all of our Field Representatives for taking the time to meet with us as it is always great when you can place a face with a voice. I would like to once again congratulate our Inspector and Contractor of the Quarter as we ask that you share your successes with the rest of the FAFS Family. Director of Vendor Management
On August 1, 2007 Vendor Management implemented a new Vendor Compliance Procedure in an effort of improving our compliance rating. Within the past two weeks, a number of warnings have been issued related to non-compliance. This week actual strikes will be enforced. I would like to express my appreciation to those contractors and inspectors who have embraced our new policy as our compliance continues to rise. Director of Vendor Management
Every property inspected by First American Field Services is categorized by “Structure Type”. When a structure type is reported inaccurately, the ramifications are often devastating. I an effort of avoiding inaccurate reporting, FAFS has developed a training manual on how to identify structure types. Please click cut and paste the following URL: https://vendor.fafs.com/training/structure.Pdf to learn how to determine the difference. Director of Vendor Management
First American Field Services is required to provide its clients proper documentation for performed work. As a result, all Independent Contractors are required to submit date stamped photos (Lower right of photo is preferred). Failure to adhere to these photo requirements will result in non-payments and RTV’s (return to vendor) for the service performed. Remember that the photos must tell the story of what work was performed and the condition of the property. Director of Vendor Management
Today was the first day of implementing our new Loss Draft Incentive Plan. Unfortunately, only one vendor has met all the criteria to receive an additional $5 on one work order. However, the results are very telling. I see a high error ratio in two of our guidelines: (1) making the first call to the homeowner within 1 bus day and logging the attempt within vendor plus; and (2) submitting the signature sheet with the results. In most cases, one or both of these guidelines were not met. I encourage our contractors to make simple change or fix to their process. Director of Vendor Management
Property inspections provide additional insight to the actual status of that property. This insight is critical as to what options the client will pursue to include the ordering of property preservation work orders. When performing preservation work it is imperative that you understand what damages prevent a property from being placed in ICC or In Conveyance Condition. Examples include: Damages resulting from Fire, Flood, Hurricane, Earthquakes, Water Damages, Wind Damage and or Vandalism. Ensure that these damage types are given priority and provide detailed comments and photo’s to support your results. Take the necessary time to identify any damages present at the time you visit the property. Report any new damages within 24 hours of your field visit utilizing the damage data fields located on the completion form. Director of Vendor Management
As Vendor Management (FAFS) continues to strive for excellence, we understand that excellence can only be achieved when all other means have failed. Therefore, we are in the process of implementing a variety of quality assurance procedures focused on “excellence”. A Flashline will soon follow with additional details. Director of Vendor Management
Damages The ability to identify and accurately report damages, allows FAFS to provide our clientele with factual information in an effort of minimizing loss due to adverse property conditions. These conditions often influence the current value of the property. IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE DETAILED REPORT OF ALL PROPERTY DAMAGES (INSIDE & OUTSIDE) When performing work on a property, it is essential to: Take the necessary time to identify any damages present at the time you visit the property. Report any new damages within 24 hours of a field visit utilizing the damage data fields located on the completion form. Take plenty of photos damages to support your results. Provide detailed comments when applicable to support you results. You can never provide too much information Understand what damages prevent a property from being placed in conveyance condition and ensure these damages types are given priority. Paying special attention to sudden or unexpected damages is critical: any damage resulting from fire, flood, hurricane, earthquake, water damage, wind damage or vandalism. REMEMBER: If uncertain, inform us and ALWAYS provide photos of reported damages · Water Damage: If there is evidence of water damage, you must report and specify the location of damage. Examples of potential areas and items where water damage can be detected: · Ceiling Tiles. · Sheetrock and Insulation. · Carpet. · Furniture made of fabric or particle board. · Paper or Cardboard Boxes · Floors. · Mold: When the presence of mold is detected, a bid to treat or remove is required except in extreme cases where an environmental specialist is needed. It is required to complete the “Mold/Mildew Observation Checklist’’. · Note: Mold may not prevent the property from being in conveyance condition. Therefore, if mold is the only issue that exists, and not caused by mortgagee neglect, check “yes” when answering “is property in conveyance condition?” on the completion form. · The following are examples of pre-existing conditions -or- the potential of developing mold and mildew: · Flooded basement. · Sump Pump Inoperable or missing. · Roof Leak. · Broken or Damaged Water Pipe. · Groundwater Infiltration. · Property smells like mold. Possibly condensation inside of walls. · Mold is visible. · Supplying Bids – When bidding to remove mold, you must provide a description of exactly how you will abate the mold. If mold is extensive and it will require testing from a certified environmental specialist, indicate this on the completion form. Remember, you are required to fill out and submit the Mold and Mildew Checklist. This information is vital to provide our clients so they do not receive calls from HUD asking for clarification. · Roof Damage: When there is evidence of a roof leak, a bid to TARP and PATCH is required to prevent further damages. Include the following information in your bid: · The dimensions of the area to be tarped or patched. Example: 15’ X 20’ · Type of materials to be used. Example: shingles, tar, roof sealant, rolled roofing, etc. · Note: Flat roofs should NOT be tarped as this will cause more damage due to water not being able to drain. · When damages are too severe to tarp or patch a bid to REPLACE or REPAIR would be required. Include the type of roof (shingle, flat, tile), the # of squares being replaced and a description of the work being performed.
Vacation Notification Procedure Vacation Notification procedures allow Vendor Management the ability to maintain adequate contractor coverage while having the ability to respond to special requests. The Vacation Notification form provides details necessary for Vendor Management to continue providing value service to our clients. Please answer all questions on the Vacation Notification Form. Vacation Form Submission: Please submit your vacation notification form through the “Vendor Suggestion Box” accessible through Vendor Plus. Please add Vacation Notification in the subject line. Vacation Notification (Timeframes): The Vacation Notification form must be completed and submitted to Vendor Managements Department within a minimum of three-weeks (21 calendar days) from the beginning date of the scheduled vacation. A thirty-day notification is preferred. Vendor Plus (Workorders): Once a submission is received, the Vendor Relations Department will confirm via phone or email that the Vacation Notification form was received at which time a plan of action regarding the completion of any current and past due work orders must be implemented. All work assignments must be completed prior to the scheduled vacation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vacation Notification Form Date: Vendor I.D: Company Name: Primary Contact: Primary Phone: Email: Vacation Schedule Start Date: End Date: Emergency Contact Information:
As a nationwide company, the First American family of companies believes in supporting the communities in which we all work and live. This year on October 5th, 2007 at Lantana Golf Course, our cause will promote and support Children’s Medical Center and Habitat for Humanity, two strong, reputable community groups. We are inviting you and your company to participate! Our success comes from the strength of our friends and partners; your support makes this even happen. This year brings seven levels of sponsorship opportunity, with seven levels of amenities. If you have any questions, please contact Tamie Nelson at tanelson@firstam.com Phone: (817) 699-4025 It’s a worthy cause and I hope together we can contribute to help others. Best Regards, Tommie D. Spencer Director of Vendor Management First American Field Services
A helpful reminder on photos. New HUD regulations require photos on all property inspections. To avoid processing delays, please ensure that quality, date-stamped photos are provided at the time your inspection results are submitted. The date stamp on the photos must match the actual date the inspection was completed. Follow the photo instructions. Comments to support conditions are always helpful. Remember, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
Mark Velazquez, Vice President of Operations, announces that Tommie Spencer will be the new Director of Vendor Management for First American Field Services. Dwight Kline has accepted another position within the First American family. Tommie comes with over 14 years of management experience and most recently worked with JPMorganChase as a High Risk Manager and with Mortgage Lenders Network USA as their Loss Mitigation Field Operations Officer. We would like to welcome Tommie into the FAFS family and thank Dwight for his hard work and dedication.
A note to our maintenance vendors; please be careful when creating your invoicing naming convention. Our accounting system (Oracle) stores all of your previously used invoice numbers and when you happen to use an existing invoice number, the invoice itself gets rejected. What does that mean for you? A delayed payment more than likely. Take the necessary time to create only new invoice numbers (do not reuse an old invoice number) as you move forward. Thanks!
Yes, it is that time of the year (spring forward and fall back). This coming Sunday (3/11/07), we'll be moving our clocks one hour ahead. The Daylight Saving Time schedule for 2007 is earlier in the month than in years past. Remember, it is always a good idea to change all your clocks the night before.
Our IT department has brought up an issue that is occuring when our vendors are trying to convert documents to upload into Vendor Plus. It seems to be happening mainly with our Loss Draft product but you are not allowed to change the file type on a PDF file just so you can upload that into Vendor Plus. In other words, if the file is in a PDF format, you can't just change the extension to JPG and load the file. You haven't converted the actual document, you have just changed the extension. Vendor Plus will let you upload because it is reading the extension but we can't view that particular upload or other photos that were submitted at the same time. This is causing delays to us and our clients so please refrain from changing the extension on those documents without converting the entire document to the proper file type. Thanks
With the upcoming changes to our maintenance completion form, we have removed the "accept / print" function at the individual order level. You still have the ability to "accept / print" (one or many work orders) from the "Select Work Order Screen."
HUD released an announcement today that they are extending the effective date for following the new regulations. Please be prepared to start performing work per the new specifications on March 26th, 2007. Please contact your RVC if you have questions on FAFS's interpretation of the new regulations. We will also post a quick reference sheet to highlight some of the areas that have changed. Stay tuned.
Mark your calendars! February 24th is the effective date for the new HUD Requirements. To view this document, click on the "HUD Regulations" link on this blog. Once you access HUD CLIPS, select "2007 Mortgagee Letters" then select "07-3 Revision of Preservation and Protection Requirements and Cost Reimbursements." To download the documents select "Click here for attachment" located at the top of Mortgagee Letter 2007-3. Please familairize yourself with the new requirements. Stay tuned for highlighted changes and helpful hints to meet these requirements.
Looking to diversify your revenue stream? First American Field Services is looking for General Contractors to partner with us on some exciting opportunities. Attach your resume and coverage areas by e-mailing us at: vendoropportunity.fafs@firstam.com or by clicking the link on this blog.
Welcome to the First American Field Services blog site. Visit this site for realtime information related to upcoming events, answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ's) and other helpful hints. We hope you will find this site a useful supplement to our normal commmunication methods. Check in freqeuently to receive details on recent changes and industry trends.
