Lien satisfaction and recording services for the new jersey homeowner assistance fund program

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) is soliciting sealed bids through a Request for Qualifications for lien satisfaction and recording services related to the New Jersey Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance (NJ ERMA) Homeowner Assistance Fund program. The primary objective is to procure qualified vendors to create, complete, execute, record, and distribute lien satisfactions for forgivable junior mortgages originated under the NJ ERMA program upon expiration of their three-year terms, with the Agency having assisted over 8,000 New Jersey residents through this initiative and liens maturing between 2025 and 2029. Key deliverables include retrieval of executed, satisfied mortgages from the NJHMFA operating system, recording with respective County Clerk offices, and provision of copies to mortgagors, with contractors expected to handle up to 3,500 loans annually with scalable capacity to accommodate fluctuating program volumes. Required qualifications encompass demonstrated experience with state or federal homeowner assistance programs, possession of all necessary technology to execute electronic lien releases on day one of contract performance, familiarity with the HOTB software currently used by NJ ERMA, ability to establish designated hours of operation with a single point of contact, and capacity to communicate directly with homeowners when necessary. Evaluation criteria allocate 40 percent weight to experience, 30 percent to management qualifications, and 30 percent to capacity to handle anticipated loan volumes. The question period runs from January 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM EST through February 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST, with sealed bid submissions required electronically through the NJHMFA Procurement Portal at https://njhmfa.bonfirehub.com by March 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT, and a recommended (though non-mandatory) pre-bid meeting will be held prior to the submission deadline.

The NJHMFA actively encourages participation from Small Business Enterprises (SBE), Disabled Veteran-owned businesses, Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), and Women Business Enterprises (WBE) as both prime contractors and subcontractors, with all respondents required to comply with state-mandated procurement and diversity standards under N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27-1 et seq. Vendors must submit comprehensive documentation including Exhibits A through G covering Equal Employment Opportunity commitments, project references, political contribution disclosures, legal and investigative history certifications, Iran/Russia/Belarus investment compliance, OFAC certifications, ownership disclosure, and subcontractor utilization information, along with Exhibit H cost sheets. All system support, maintenance, and data storage must be performed within the United States with no exceptions, and vendors must provide SOC 2 reports or equivalent security documentation, with mandatory insurance requirements including Professional Liability ($1,000,000 minimum) and Cyber Liability ($1,000,000 minimum) coverage naming the Agency as additional insured. Compensation is structured at a firm fixed price of $100 per completed satisfaction, inclusive of all associated costs including production, recording, document transmission, and government recording fees, with the NJHMFA providing prepayment for anticipated completed services contingent upon contract execution and acceptable invoicing. Contractors must submit a bid guarantee of 10 percent of the total bid price (not to exceed $20,000) and a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the bid amount upon contract award, and the Agency reserves the right to select multiple contractors and may extend any awarded contract for one additional year beyond the initial three-year term upon mutual written consent with 30-day prior notification.