Lawrenceville Housing Corporation Request for Proposal: Licensed Real Estate Professionals
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS... 2 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS LICENSED REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS... 3 INTRODUCTION... 3 A. Overview... 3 B. Time of Completion... 3 C. Term of Contract... 3 D. Background... 3 PROFESSIONAL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS... 6 A. Scope of Work... 6 B. Compensation... 7 EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING... 7 A. Experience and Capacity... 7 SUBMITTAL REQUIRMENTS... 8 A. Letter of Interest... 8 B. Threshold Requirements... 8 C. Main Proposal... 9 SELECTION PROCESS... 9 QUESTIONS... 9 SUBMITTAL DUE DATE... 9 CERTIFICATION FORM NOTE... 10 RFP SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST... 11
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 3 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS LICENSED REAL ESTATE INTRODUCTION A. Overview PROFESSIONALS This Request for Proposals ( RFP ) is being issued by the Lawrenceville Housing Corporation (LHC) in its capacity as owner and developer of sixteen townhouses constructed in the Oakland Downs subdivision. LHC invites the submission of proposals from Licensed Real Estate Professionals to facilitate the sale of all sixteen townhouses. Licensed Real Estate Professionals with community development experience are invited to respond to this RFP. Community development experience may be demonstrated by the following: aiming to improve communities through collaborative efforts, having an extensive knowledge of, and expertise on, issues of importance to the community, and having established working relationships with government agencies and/or nonprofit organization charged with administering federal housing programs. Respondents means the companies or individuals that submit proposals in response to this RFP. LHC is seeking to encourage participation by respondents who are MBE/WBE or Section 3 business enterprises. Nothing in this RFP shall be construed to create any legal obligation on the part of LHC or any respondents. LHC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend, suspend, terminate, or reissue this RFP in whole or in part, at any stage. In no event shall LHC be liable to respondents for any cost or damages incurred in connection with the RFP process, including but not limited to, any and all costs of preparing a response to this RFP or any other costs incurred in reliance on this RFP. No respondent shall be entitled to repayment from LHC for any costs, expenses or fees related to this RFP. All supporting documentation submitted in response to this RFP will become the property of the LHC. Respondents may also withdraw their interest in the RFP, in writing, at any point in time as more information becomes known. B. Time of Completion Any agreement awarded pursuant to this RFP solicitation shall be in accordance with the scope of work and compensation as outlined below, and, within a mutually agreed upon expedited timeframe. C. Term of Contract Any contract awarded pursuant to this RFP solicitation shall be for a contract period up to 3 months, with the possibility of an extension. D. Background Gwinnett County has been awarded a grant under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (the NSP ) created pursuant to Title III of Division B of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, as amended ( HERA ), and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 ( Dodd-Frank Act ) 73 FR 58330, 73 FR 29223 and 75 FR
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 4 64322, as amended (the NSP Regulations ), and administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ). The County decided to use its NSP Funds, among other things, to cover the cost of the construction of single-family residential properties located in areas of greatest need identified by the County, which homes will be sold to eligible homebuyers. Additionally, the County is qualified by HUD to receive funds pursuant to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program ( HOME ) created pursuant to Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12701, et seq. (the HOME Act ) and 24 CFR Part 92, as amended (the HOME Regulations ) and administered by HUD. Sixteen (16) lots of real property designated as Unit 30 through 45 located in Gwinnett County on Oakland Hills Way, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30044 have been identified by the County as property potentially suitable for acquisition and construction. The County contracted with the Lawrenceville Housing Corporation (LHC) to act as a developer and construct 16 townhouses to complete stagnant construction in the Oakland Downs subdivision. The Lawrenceville Housing Corporation (LHC) was founded in 1997 for the purpose of developing, rehabilitating, managing, and operating quality, affordable residential housing. As a Gwinnett County Community Housing Developer (CHDO), LHC is experienced in every aspect of housing including construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, sales, maintenance, and operations of affordable rental housing. To address the growing need for affordable housing in Gwinnett County, LHC created a highly effective homeownership program, called Welcome HOME! for low- to moderateincome families in Gwinnett County. Combining homeownership classes, mortgage assistance, and completely rehabilitated properties ensures that our families are financially able to take on the responsibilities of homeownership. The Welcome Home! Program offers mortgage assistance in the form of a 0% interest loan to qualified first-time homebuyers who purchase affordable homes in Gwinnett County. The amount of assistance is dependent on household income and it ranges between $14,975 and $22,500. The mortgage assistance is offered in the form of a second soft loan that will be provided by Gwinnett County. The soft loan is interest free and is recaptured only if the Gwinnett County s affordability requirement is not met, or when the home is no longer owner-occupied. No scheduled payments are required on the LHC Welcome Home! Program during the affordability period. If the homebuyer occupies the home purchased with HOME funds as their principal residence for the duration of the pre-determined affordability period, the loan is satisfied and no repayment to Gwinnett County is required.
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 5 The sixteen townhouses will be eligible for different amounts of subsidy, dependent on the following factors: Consistent with HOME Program Requirements at 24 CFR 92.254(A)(4), the affordability period of FIVE years shall apply to the following units: o funded by HOME funds, o built in Phase II of the construction, o receiving $14,975 mortgage assistance, o occupied by families earning no more than 80% Area Median Income Consistent with HOME Program Requirements at 24 CFR 92.254(A)(4), the affordability period of TEN years shall apply to the following units: o funded by NSP funds, o built in Phase I of the construction, o receiving $22,500 mortgage assistance, o occupied by families earning no more than 50% Area Median Income
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 6 PROFESSIONAL SERVICE REQUIREMENTS A. Scope of Work LHC seeks sealed proposals from Licensed Real Estate Professionals to assist in sale of sixteen (16) newly-constructed townhouses, located in Oakland Downs subdivision in Lawrenceville, GA. The following services are requested of the Licensed Real Estate Professional under this RFP: Establish market value for each property; List eight townhouses constructed with NSP funds in MLS or FMLS; List one townhouse constructed with HOME funds in MLS or FMLS, with remarks that seven more such townhouses are available. If the savings obtained through listing just one townhouse are not significant, list all eight townhouses constructed with HOME funds; Identify the best course of action for marketing and accepting offers; Create a uniform PSA to be used for all offers (terms and conditions TBD); Show properties to prospective home buyers; schedule showings only if the buyer is able to present a pre-approval letter from a bank; Schedule at least three open house events; Negotiate terms and conditions of sale of properties, in keeping with the expectation of NSP and HOME regulations regarding income limits; Forward only completed packets to LHC for review; Cooperate fully with buyers agents and educate them about the LHC s Welcome HOME program and what the process will entail as you represent LHC in the transaction; Ensure and coordinate access to the property for LHC contractors, appraiser, specification writer, and for any environmental inspections; Serve as a liaison between the LHC, the Gwinnett County, the home buyer, and the home buyer s agent; Represent the LHC s interest prior to and through closing; Assist in monitoring all the components of a real estate transaction; Keep an on-line up-to-date listing of availability of all units
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 7 B. Compensation Compensation for the scope of work requested will be in the form of flat fee, as specified by the Respondent. The winning Respondent will be paid 1/16 th of the fee upon each successful closing. The Respondent will invoice LHC once the closing has taken place. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING In evaluating responses to this Request for Proposal, LHC will take into consideration the experience, capacity, and costs that are being proposed by the Respondent. The following Evaluation Criteria will be considered in reviewing submittals: A. Experience and Capacity The point system is to evaluate the experience and capacity of the Respondent. 1. Experience in facilitating the execution of real estate transactions. One (1) to five (5) years of experience. Five (5) to ten (10) years of experience. Greater than ten (10) years of experience. 5 Points 10 Points 15 Points 2. Number of listings and sales by Respondent in Gwinnett County in the past twelve months. Bottom 1/3 of proposals 5 Points Middle 1/3 of proposals Top 1/3 of proposals 10 Points 15 Points 3. Number of listings and sales by Responded of properties funded by NSP or HOME programs. Bottom 1/3 of proposals 5 Points Middle 1/3 of proposals Top 1/3 of proposals 10 Points 15 Points 4. Respondents will be awarded up to 15 points for their plan to address the scope of work. 5. LHC will only consider flat fee pricing option. Highest quote 1/3 of proposals 5 Points Middle quote 1/3 of proposals Lowest quote 1/3 of proposals 10 Points 15 Points
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 8 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS RFP responses must be received at the LHC office located at 502 Glenn Edge Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046 by Wednesday, April 30, 2014 by 3:00 PM. Each respondent shall submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of the following documents in a clear, legible format. Respondents are advised to adhere to the Submittal Requirements. Failure to comply with the instructions of this RFP will be cause for rejection of submittals. LHC reserves the right to seek additional information to clarify responses to this RFP. Each response must include the following: A. Letter of Interest Please submit a Cover Letter of Interest signed by a duly authorized officer or representative of the Respondent, not to exceed two pages in length. The Letter of Interest must also include the following information: 1. The principal place of business and the contact person, title, telephone/fax numbers and email address. 2. A brief summary of the qualifications of the Respondent and team. 3. Description of organization (i.e. Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Joint Venture). 4. The names and business addresses of all Principals of the Respondent. For purposes of this RFP Principals shall mean persons possessing an ownership interest in the Respondent. 5. The Certification attached hereto at the end of this RFP and incorporated herein by reference must be signed by Respondent and attached to the Letter of Interest. B. Threshold Requirements These documents must be submitted and acceptable before LHC will review the Experience and Capacity proposal: 1. Copy of Respondent s Real Estate License 2. Copy of Respondent s Real Estate Broker s License (If sponsored by a broker, provide copy of sponsoring broker s license) 3. Copy of Real Estate Broker s Business License 4. Letter of support from Licensed Real Estate Broker (If sponsored by a broker) 5. Certificate of Good Standing (Corporation) or Certificate of Existence (Limited Liability Company) issued by the Georgia Secretary of State. 6. Evidence of Insurance: Commercial General Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000; Workers Compensation and Employers Liability with limits not less than $500,000; Automobile Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence; and, Professional Liability with limits not less than $1,000,000. 7. Three (3) references of related projects, including date of project, contact person and phone number, and a brief description of the project. 8. Conflict of Interest Statement & Supporting Documentation: Respondent shall disclose any professional or personal financial interests that may be a conflict of interest in representing the LHC.
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 9 C. Main Proposal Please provide the following information: 1. Experience in facilitating the execution of real estate dispositions. 2. Number of listings and sales by Respondent in Gwinnett County for the past twelve months (provide supporting documentation). 3. Number of listings and sales by Respondent of NSP or HOME funded properties (provide supporting documentation). 4. Outline of plan to address the scope of work (i.e. Include technology tools, databases, collaborating with community partners and other real estate professionals, etc.) 5. Respondents should state whether they are an MBE/WBE or Section 3 business enterprise. If so, please provide a copy of a current MBE/WBE certification letter. SELECTION PROCESS The Selection Committee comprised of LHC staff will review qualifications in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth herein and LHC s procurement policy. Proposals that are submitted timely and comply with the mandatory requirements of the RFP will be evaluated in accordance with the terms of the RFP. Any contract resulting from this RFP will not necessarily be awarded to the vendor with the lowest price. Instead, contract shall be awarded to vendor whose proposal received the most points in accordance with criteria set forth in RFP. QUESTIONS Questions regarding this RFP should be submitted in writing via email to Lejla Slowinski at lejla@lhainfo.com. All questions must be submitted by Friday, April 25, 2014. Questions submitted after April 25 will not receive a response. SUBMITTAL DUE DATE Responses to this RFP are due by 3:00 PM on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. Responses to this RFP must be received by this office by the given deadline at: 502 Glenn Edge Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. Each Respondent is responsible for labeling the exterior of the sealed envelope containing the proposal response with the proposal number, proposal name, proposal due date and time, and your firm s name. Hard copies must be delivered to: LAWRENCEVILLE HOUSING CORPORATION 502 GLENN EDGE DRIVE LAWRENCEVILLE, GA 30046
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 10 CERTIFICATION FORM NOTE THIS PAGE MUST BE COMPLETED AND INCLUDED WITH THE SUBMITTAL CERTIFICATION The undersigned hereby certifies, on behalf of the Respondent named in this Certification (the Respondent ), that the information provided in this RFP submittal to LHC is accurate and complete,and I am duly authorized to submit same. I hereby certify that the Respondent has reviewed this RFP in its entirety and accepts its terms and conditions. (Name of Respondent) (Signature of Authorized Representative (Typed Name of Authorized Representative) (Title) (Date)
Request for Proposals Licensed Real Estate Professionals Page 11 RFP SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS CHECKLIST Please provide Checklist with response to RFP Letter of Interest Certification Certificate of Good Standing (Corporation) or Certificate of Existence (Limited Liability Company) issued by the Georgia Secretary of State Evidence of Insurance State License and or Certification o Copy of Real Estate Broker s License o Copy of Real Estate Broker s Business License o Letter of support from Licensed Real Estate Broker References Conflict of Interest Statement & Supporting Documentation: Description of Company Capacity of Company Pricing Proposal MBE/WBE, Local Hiring, HUD Section 3, if applicable RFP Submittal Requirements Checklist