Response_Instructions_12RADZ19R0001.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (12RADZ19R0001)

Nationwide Residential Appraisal Services

UDSA, RD, PMO

1.0 DESCRIPTION

1.1 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Development (RD) Procurement Management Office (PMO), is soliciting information on potential sources to provide NATIONWIDE RESIDENTIAL APPRAISAL SERVICES and technical support for Residential Single-Family Housing (SFH) properties. It will be for the procurement of SFH Appraisals Services for Rural Development (RD) PMO, to be national in scope, supporting an RD property portfolio located in ALL 50 STATES to include Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, N. Mariana Islands, and the American Samoa. Inventory would include single family homes and vacant lots. The USDA RD PMO is issuing this sources sought as a means of conducting market research to identify All Interested and capable SMALL BUSINESSES, CERTIFIED 8(A) which include: ALASKAN NATIVE CORPORATIONS, INDIAN-OWNED CONCERNS; and NATIVE

HAWAIIAN ORGANIZATION-OWNED, CERTIFIED HUB ZONE, ECONOMICALLY

DISADVANTAGED WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES, WOMEN-OWNED SMALL

BUSINESSES, SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES having an interest in and the experience, ability, capacity and resources to provide the supervision, labor, materials, equipment, and supplies necessary to provide appraisal services nationwide to USDA RD PMO. The results of this market research will contribute to determining whether there is adequate resources from which to receive competitive proposals. Please refer to the Federal Acquisition Regulation at www.acquisition.gov, Part 19 for additional detailed information. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code to be assigned to this procurement is 531320.

1.2 This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis (market survey). This IS NOT a request for proposal or a solicitation announcement. The purpose of this Market Research and Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge and information of potential qualified firms.

Responses to this Sources Sought Notice will be used by the Government in making appropriate acquisition decisions. There will there be no compensation provided for any submissions provided to the Government. This announcement is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, implied or otherwise, to issue a solicitation or award a contract. Submission of any information in response to this market survey is purely voluntary. Not responding to this sources sought does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement. Responses do not guarantee award nor exclude/include you in the acquisition process. No feedback on evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

NO SOLICITATION IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

12/24/2015 http://www.acquisition.gov/

Appraisal Services

UDSA, RD, PMO

2.0 BACKGROUND

Rural Development (RD) is a nationwide lender and provides loans to low and moderate income applicants located in rural geographic areas to assist them in obtaining single family housing through multiple programs. RD maintains a portfolio of approximately 280,000 Direct Single Family Housing loans for 250,000 borrowers. Section 502 Direct loans are generally secured by first mortgages on modest dwellings located on non-farm tracts of one acre or less.

A limited number homes are located on larger than one acre of land. The Single Family Housing Direct loans are located in each of the 50 states and U.S. territories that include Puerto Rico, Guam (and its Islands) and the Virgin Islands.

RD currently processes all loan originations through State Offices and approximately 550 Field Offices. The Procurement Management Office (PMO) provides appraisal support to the field offices for loan originations and most servicing functions.

The Foreclosure and REO portfolios are currently serviced in a “mixed servicing” environment.

Approximately 60% of the states are serviced by PMO with the remainder being serviced throughout the country by the State and /or field Office. Once a property is vacant or in the Agency’s custody through the “custodial” process and/or REO, USDA RD currently used individual Blanket Purchase Agreements within each state. PMO is seeking information from companies who possess the capability to handle appraisal services for the United States and its Territories on a Nationwide portfolio with and without subcontracting.

UDSA, RD, PMO

3.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION

Interested parties, who consider themselves qualified that can provide these services are invited to provide a written response to the questions below and electronically submit your responses to: James Sowden at james.sowden@az.usda.gov, no later than 2:00 PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST) November 23, 2018.

Your responses should provide: Existing demonstrated capability, demonstrated capacity, demonstrated knowledge, and demonstrated past experience. (For the purposes of this Capability Statement, capacity shall refer to matters such as the magnitude of the tasking, the amount of equipment or facilities involved, and the size of the staff needed).

1. Are you currently providing Appraisal services nationwide? If so, in what capacity?

2. Has your company had experience developing appraisal reports according to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and/or familiar with the property standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Handbook 4000.1? Please provide your demonstrated experience.

3. Companies must possess competence and recent experience in appraising residential property and have access to a suitable source of Market Data relevant to the properties to be appraised. What experience do you have in providing residential appraisal services nationwide and/or managing this specific kind of tasking? Do you currently utilize or maintain an electronic database for locating appraisers nationwide that hold advanced designations (i.e. MAI, SRPA, SRA, AI-GRS, AI-RRSO)? If so, please list the databases.

4. Please demonstrate what experience you have dealing with unique state/county laws, regulations and licensing applicable to nationwide appraisal services? Are there any known concerns with providing these services nationwide?

5. Does your company have “quality assurance standards” in place for performing appraisals and submitting appraisal reports. If so, please briefly explain your process.

6. Do you have experience interfacing through the MortgageServ/FiServ/Fasteller system or some other Mortgage Servicing System? If so, please list the systems with which you have experience.

mailto:connie.williams@stl.usda.gov

UDSA, RD, PMO

7. Do you possess the capability of providing appraisal reports electronically within 10 working days from receipt of order?

8. Would your company have the capability of providing a volume discount and/or an agreed upon nationwide (contiguous United States) flat-fee for specific routine recurring appraisal services? If so, briefly explain your discount strategy structure. If not, please state your reasons.

9. Companies will be required to be knowledgeable about the required Licenses necessary to conduct business in the various states and their respective counties, to include any specialty licenses. Does your company possess this expertise? Please provide evidence how your company can meet this requirement. You must demonstrate your existing capability, or your potential to acquire this capability.

10. Initially, companies may be asked to provide up to 1000 appraisal reports per month.

Please provide existing capabilities of your company to manage, as prime contractor, the types and magnitude of tasking associated with a nationwide appraisal service contract. (You may cite and describe the same or similar relevant current and past performance of a task of this magnitude; however, this does not limit the interested contractor’s approach to demonstrate capability).

11. What is your current policy for handling environmental issues/ concerns that are identified in the appraisal? Do you have any experience in completing environmental checklists for other clients? If so, please provide a brief explanation of your process.

12. What percentage of the work would you do with your firm's employees and what percentage of the work would you be interested in subcontracting? If subcontracting opportunities are available, do you anticipate any difficulties in subcontracting with 8(a), small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled, or women-owned small business concerns?

13. Have you participated in any cost performance, schedule or delivery performance or quality performance measurement incentive programs that were results-oriented and structured to encourage and reward superior performance? If so, briefly explain the program(s) that you found were particularly effective?

UDSA, RD, PMO

4.0 RESPONSES

4.1 SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: Interested parties are requested to respond to this Sources Sought with a white paper. All communication shall be in writing and submitted electronically via email, referencing 12RADZ19R0001. No information will be taken by telephone.

4.2 White papers in Portable Document Format (PDF) are due no later than 2:00 PM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST) November 23, 2018. Your entire submission shall be limited to 8 pages (8x11), single spaced, 12-point font minimum and should be separated by Sections. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Do not submit a cost proposal.

4.3 SECTION I of your submission shall provide administrative information: and shall include the following at a minimum:

4.3.1. Name, mailing address, DUNS number, GSA Contract number (if applicable) phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact.

4.3.2. Scope of services your company currently provides nationwide.

4.3.3. Provide a short paragraph of your recommended “start-up/transition strategy” to mitigate, reduce, or eliminate startup risk.

4.4 SECTION II of your submission shall provide responses to the questions listed in 3.0 of this document and any additional information to substantiate your demonstrated capability to deliver nationwide residential appraisal services.

UDSA, RD, PMO

5.0 INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS

PMO representatives may or may not choose to contact sources to gather additional information. Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements.

6.0 QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing, via e-mail, to the Contract Specialist, James Sowden @ james.sowden@az.usda.gov. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after Nov 23, 2018, 2:00 pm (PST) will be answered.

7.0 Summary

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY to identify Socioeconomic Small Business concerns that can provide NATIONWIDE RESIDENTIAL APPRAISAL SERVICES. The information provided in the sources sought is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. The USDA, Rural Development, has not made a commitment to procure any of the services discussed, and release of this sources sought should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.

mailto:connie.williams@stl.usda.gov