Closing Agent Services Southern California

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is seeking a contractor to provide CLOSING AGENT SERVICES FOR THE AREA of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, specifically in the Counties of: Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, San Diego, Riverside and Imperial. The anticipated contract award will be for a one-year base year period and four one-year options. The Request for Proposal (RFP) will list in detail all the specific tasks in the statement of work. Summary of the specifications include but are not limited to. : (1) Task 1 - General Requirements - Escrow Account: maintain funds for closings of HUD-owned properties. Closing agent shall establish a non-interest bearing escrow account for all sales proceeds, including earnest money deposits, loan proceeds, and purchaser's funds presented at closing in the name of the Closing Agent with the designation "As Trustee for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development". (2) Task 2 - Pre-closing activities: perform all pre-closings actions such as open closing file; title search for properties; HOA and condominium documents; written notification; deed and closing instructions; special discount programs instructions; rental monies; extension requests; cancelled closings and expired contracts; preparation of the HUD-1; recording penalties. (3) Task 3 - Closing activities: perform closings at an acceptable office location within 50 miles of the property and contractor shall be physically present at every closing. (4) Task 4 - Good Neighbor Next Door Program: perform sales under the GNND. Programs such as the Officer Next Door; Teacher Next Door; Firefighter Next Door and Emergency Medical Technician Next Door programs. (5) Task 5 - Post closing activities: perform post closing activities such as verification for closings; wire of proceeds; delivery of the deed for recordation; proration calculations; HUD-1 corrections and overpayments/duplicate payments. (6) Task 6 - Reporting: perform and provide status reports to the Asset Manager contractor and the Government Technical Representative. (7) Task 7 - Additional Services: contractor on occasion may perform special services as directed by the GTR that do not involve closing' such as recordation of documents and title search services. The North American Classification System (NAICS) Code is 541191, Title Abstract and Settlement Offices, and the Size Standard is $7 million. The tentative solicitation will be a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial services prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included the announcement. Potential sources must submit a capability statement in response to this Sources Sought of no more than three (3) pages in length which addresses the following key areas: (1) Licensing Requirement: Potential source shall provide information that documents they are licensed, as required by the State of California's Department of Corporations that allows them to perform Escrow / Closing Agent Services and they have all the required business licenses for such services, as required by the State of California; (2) Prior Experience: Potential source shall provide information that demonstrates they have provided services the same as, or substantially similar to, those required in the tasks listed above. The information shall show the potential source has, at a minimum, for the past three consecutive years provided closing services for at least the following volume of transactions per month: (A) 150 or more during the most recent year; (B) 125 or more during the previous year; and (C) 100 or more during the prior year. They should demonstrate their knowledge and past experience relating to all the types of work described above. Submit only current and past client's references, for the past three years. Include a brief narrative description of the type of service provided, the Dollar value and the volume of work performed per year and; ( 3) Describe how: the Source Firm will ensure that is has or will have a Fully Staffed and Functioning Office in the Area of Southern California, as described above, within 10 Business Days from Award. BUSINESS SIZE: Sources are being sought simultaneously from Emerging Small Businesses, Women-owned small business (WOSB), Emerging Disadvantage Woman-owned small business, HUB Zone, and Service Disable Veteran Owned (SDVO) businesses and Total Small Businesses. Your response to this Sources Sought must identify your business size. HUD intends to competitively procure these services. IF A SOLICITATION IS ISSUED IT WILL BE ANNOUNCED and an RFP will be posted to this site with an issue date on or about 15 March, 2012 with a response date of on or about 1 April, 2012, and all interested parties MUST respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement. Reminder: a prospective contractor must be successful registered on the Central Contractor's Registration (CCR) website: www.ccr.gov and Online Representations and Certifications Application, (ORCA) https://orca.bpn.gov. If interested, please email Toni Hoskinson at Toni.D.Hoskinson@hud.gov and provide 1) A qualification statement that provides responses sufficient to ascertain the vendor may be able to perform the requirements stated above; and 2) identification as to whether the vendors business size and SBA designation. Do not submit a company overview or unnecessarily elaborate materials; submission should not exceed 3 standard pages when printed. Interested parties must respond no later than 4:30 MST on December 23, 2011.