Our Services

As the premier provider of consulting services for the FHA commercial lending community, GGA offers comprehensive and extensive advisory solutions in corporate strategy, platform development, performance and risk management, and compliance and quality control. Guideline ensures that its deliverables are consistent with the current HUD standards and regulations.

Corporate Strategy

Business Planning and Rationale

For existing, new, and aspiring FHA lenders and GNMA servicers. GGA will develop actionable business plans to succeed in the marketplace through internal growth, increasing deal volume, external growth through acquisitions, or build the business rationale for becoming a HUD lender.

Mergers & Acquisitions, De Novo Market Entry

GGA can support your strategic initiatives regardless of the entry point into the process. Through our extensive relationships and work history with a majority of FHA commercial lenders, we source opportunities, advise in deal structuring, and develop the quickest path to regulatory approval. For de novo entry, GGA will work with you to develop the applications and facilitate meetings with the HUD decision makers for buy-in, while working with the government decision-makers to expedite the entire process. Combined with our Licensing and Approvals services, GGA can manage the process in turnkey fashion.

Licensing & Approvals

GGA will guide you through the myriad of steps and processes to complete for new licensing, regulatory approvals of corporate control changes, full acquisitions, and a merger of two current FHA lenders. Our focus is on FHA Title II (Eagle), MAP, LEAN, and GNMA MBS regulatory approvals and licensing. We will develop all required correspondence, facilitate discussions, compile financial, operating, and credit information. GGA will develop an acceptable organizational structure, business plan, and pro-forma for submittal that presents the expected growth in volume during and after an initial ramp-up period. And we will work within FHA Connection (LEAP) and GNMA’s Enterprise Portal for submittals and material events. All submittals and forms will be developed in accordance with each program’s published references in place at that time.

Succession Planning

Many HUD lenders have been part of the program since its inception and have historical roots with the program and its communities. GGA assists lenders to develop a plan to ensure the company continues to thrive in the changing working environment or determine where and when to extract value out of the firm. GGA’s plans will be developed that supports long-term sustainability and continuing operations, identify critical staff positions and defined roles specific to day-to-day operations, and implement procedures for facilitating the transition to new leadership. GGA will create a succession plan that identifies key factors that will influence the plan, links the succession plan to the agency’s overall future, and identify successor candidates outside of the organizations if desired. Always with a focus on avoiding disruptions to normal operations and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the lender.

Platform Development

Lending & Servicing

GGA’s team guides you through building out your commercial FHA platform. Loan origination, underwriting, processing, and servicing. We provide scalable solutions to new and expanding lenders, designed to optimize your commercial lending goals and objectives. GGA focuses on a balance of efficiency and performance against proper control and risk management. We ensure that cost and compliance are foremost considerations for anything you do.

Organizational Structure

Designing the proper organizational structure for the Mortgagee entity is critical to success within the FHA environment. GGA focuses on the “fit” and potential for success of the FHA product within the overall organization, adhering to proper roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and utilizing shared resource opportunities.

Business Line Evaluations

Existing lenders must be currently operating in compliance with FHA and GNMA requirements. Whether an in-office or remote working environment, GGA will conduct a due diligence exercise to evaluate the lender’s operational activities for alignment with current guidelines and requirements. We can map workflows, identifying weak points, risk points, and non-compliance issues. We will review facilities and existing business lines for operational compliance and transferability. GGA will also determine that existing systems for loan processing, funding, master and subservicing, and the systems of record meets all requirements.

Strategic Hiring Decisions

Organizations are only as good as their people. GGA can lead the efforts to identify and assist in hiring key FHA experienced FTEs. We will develop experience profiles for each role, determine fit and applicability for success, contact and present viable candidates, set up interviews, and assist in the hiring decision. GGA has teamed with an experienced executive recruiting firm with an expertise in placing FHA underwriters, analysts, and servicers.

Software Selection & Infrastructure Build-out

GGA through designing process and workflow mapping, all-in-one software selection, infrastructure development, business line applicability, and advising regarding strategic hiring decisions.

Performance & Risk Management

Mode of Operations Design

Performance and risk controls are strictly related, from qualitative and quantitative measurements. We recognize it is both a science and an art. GGA ensures the proper balance is achieved between performance and performance improvement with acceptable risk and required control points. The tug-of-war between performance and risk significantly influences the way you design and manage your operations. What do you intend to implement your business plan as an FHA commercial lender? How will the organization deliver value? Origination, underwriting, funding and closing, construction administration, servicing, and asset management. GGA works with you to select and structure your business model, including centralized vs decentralized, integration across lines, and how this becomes a tool for strategic decisions.

Policy and Procedure Development

GGA develops policies and procedures that balance the goals between performance and risk management. We design P&P with controls that adhere to your standards, goals, and objectives. We focus on ensuring separation of duties, appropriate decision-making and approval controls, and implementing rigorous underwriting standards and proactive servicing protocols.

Internal Control Design

GGA can design a strong internal control system that facilitates your effective and efficient operation. The system can manage strategic, financial, operational and other risks to achieve your objectives. And most importantly, a strong internal control program can ensure compliance with internal policies and with HUD requirements and regulations. Our programs proactively avoid infractions, fraud, and other risks and abusive behaviors.

Internal Audit Programs

GGA will conduct independent audits on your behalf that documents and validates the efficacy of your processes and controls, leading to an evaluation of your operations, internal controls, and risk management processes. Our program results in identifying areas of non-compliance with current HUD regulations as well as areas of potential improvement within your organization’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Compliance & Control

Internal Compliance Programs

Many lenders do not have the resources to dedicate to continuous internal compliance reviews as they underwrite their pipeline loan projects. GGA can design a compliance program the lender can implement with existing staff. We will tailor specific and comprehensive procedures in an easy-to-use format that assists and supports the lender’s underwriting and loan processing procedures. The checklists can be consolidated into the QC Plan and map out the system the lender uses to ensure compliance with its QC Plan and the HUD requirements.

Quality Control Plans

The most important document for FHA commercial lenders is the Quality Control Plan. The QC Plan documents how the Lender will operate within compliance of the FHA commercial lending guidelines and the MAP and LEAN program requirements. GGA will develop the QC Plan as a “turnkey” document that describes strategy, organization, infrastructure, workflows, lending mode of operations, and internal controls and compliance relative to the specific functional areas by which it operates. We ensure the QC Plan contents are consistent with all current program requirements. The QC Plan is also developed to consider future flexibility in scale and scope that supports the business plan and platform expansion.

Quality Control Audits – Underwriting & Servicing Portfolios

GGA far and away leads the FHA industry in Quality Control Audits of existing loan and servicing portfolios. These audits play a key role in HUD’s risk mitigation initiatives. Our programs are comprehensive, proven, and considered “best in class” by HUD and the majority of FHA-approved MAP and LEAN lenders. We partner with subject matter experts for an analytical deep dive program that is scalable to the lender’s operation and need. Our audit programs are geared toward ensuring overall compliance with requirements, protecting independence of functions, guarding against errors, omissions, and fraud, and mitigating against unacceptable risk.

Loan Default Forensic Audits

When a loan is assigned back to HUD within 3 years of endorsement, commercial FHA lenders are required to submit a comprehensive review and reexamination intended to assist HUD in determining cause. These forensic audits are typically required to be submitted to HUD within 90 days of notice. GGA has a proven approach that includes: 1) a comprehensive forensic underwriting review and re-underwriting of the loan; 2) a desktop Quality Control processing review of the origination, underwriting, servicing, and construction loan administration (if applicable) of the loan; and 3) an Appraiser market review and site visit to the subject property. GGA will issue an opinion of probable cause and corrective action recommendation.

Annual Recertifications

On the lender’s behalf, GGA will compile all financial and other information and access the information systems to submit the FHA Title II (Eagle license) and GNMA MBS Issuer annual recertifications. The recertifications are required each year by the same deadline to remain in good standing and compliant with the HUD programs.