Posts Tagged ‘Paul Owers’

More Good News! Higher Real Estate Prices in Select South Florida Cities

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

City of Weston, FLWeston is Number One! Zip codes with good schools, high paying jobs are topping list.

Some areas of South Florida are finally seeing the first steps of a tentative recovery. As reported by the Sun-Sentinel, ten zip codes in Broward and six in Palm Beach County are seeing higher home prices.

33327, in Weston, saw the largest price increase from February 2010 with a 9.3% increase. The areas that have had a price recovery have generally been close to good schools or high paying jobs. While only a few zip codes are showing signs of recovery, the news is nevertheless good for all of South Florida. As an area that was one of the worst hit by the real estate crisis, we are now seeing a recovery before the rest of the country. Prices are still low in other areas because foreclosures and short sales make up the majority of sales.
Every recovery has to start somewhere and it seems to be starting in our own back yard here in Weston.

There is a large backlog of these “distressed” loans and the only way property values are going to go up in the rest of South Florida is if they are cleared out. This is what is happening right now and is the first step on a long road to recovery.

This news comes on the heels of reports that traffic to real estate websites increased 27 percent during the month of February – the largest jump since the first half of 2009. This combined with news that single family home sales across South Florida also went up in February and an encouraging job market leads Oppenheim Law and Weston Title to believe that the economy here in South Florida is showing signs of life after all.
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Foreclosure Auctions are not eBay or Child’s Play. Novice Investors Beware!

Friday, April 8th, 2011

Beware the Florida Foreclosure AuctionInvestors looking for a great deal at Florida foreclosure auctions may want to think twice before clicking “Buy Now”. Records show amateur investors are falling victim to a simple mistake that’s costing them thousands. When novice real estate investors turn up at foreclosure auctions, what they don’t know is they are often bidding on second or third mortgages. These mortgages get trumped by first, or primary, mortgages when the first mortgages foreclose; leaving the investors with only the money left after the first mortgage has been paid off, which in this market usually means nothing.

The Sun-Sentinel interviewed investor, Gus Armenakis. Armenakis bought what he thought was the only mortgage on a home for $102,600. The County had appraised the home at $325,800. After the sale, Armenakis found out that Wells Fargo had a first mortgage on the home for $386,593. This means that as soon as Wells Fargo forecloses on the house, the bank will be able to recoup as much of the value of the house as they can, up to the value of their mortgage, effectively leaving Armenakis out of the entire $102,600 he spent.

This problem is getting worse now that counties offer foreclosure auctions online. Online access opens up the bidding process to more people, most of whom are inexperienced. While the counties do disclose the risks of the bidding process, marketing ploys have effectively played down the risks involved. One such tactic suggested that bidding on real estate is as easy as eBay.
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Broward County Order Gives Homeowners Short End of the Stick… Again

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Broward County Order Gives Homeowners Short End of the Stick… AgainBroward County homeowners now face an additional hurdle when trying to complete a loan modification or short sale to avoid a Florida foreclosure.

In Sun-Sentinel reporter Paul Owers’ blog House Keys, Owers discusses the ramifications of Broward County now requiring 10 days’ notice to cancel residential foreclosure auctions according to an administrative order signed by Broward Chief Judge Victor Tobin.

Prior to the Administrative Order, Broward foreclosure auctions could be cancelled only hours before the sale. Now, homeowners looking to cancel a home foreclosure in Broward County are forced to file a motion and be scheduled for a hearing at least 10 business days before the foreclosure sale date.

Oppenheim Law Real Estate Attorney and Legal Bogger Roy Oppenheim was quoted in the article saying, “This will have unintended consequences. Clearly, the homeowner gets the short end of the stick here.”

Effectively, this order limits the time homeowners have to negotiate a short sale or loan modification before their home is put up for auction. Before the order, these deals could be completed up to the last minute.

This order appears to be an attempt to eliminate the backlog of foreclosure cases by limiting the number of homeowners who cancel their foreclosure auctions.

“Roy Oppenheim gets it, and I agree with him,” said Ronald Scott Kaniuk in a comment to the blog. “Courts throughout the state are trying to expedite foreclosures in the mistaken belief that completing foreclosures – even if the process is flawed, improper or ill-advised – is better than having cases continue to proceed on a normal track like any other litigation.”
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Oppenheim Law Shares Robo-Signer Story with Sun Sentinel Real Estate Writer

Monday, December 13th, 2010

Homeowners and lawyers including Roy Oppenheim say overwhelmed lenders and judges are rubber-stamping foreclosures, overlooking major problems and compromising the defendants’ rights to due process.

Sun Sentinel Roy Oppenheim and Geoff Sherman Share Story of Improper Foreclosure

In a recent interview with Sun Sentinel’s Real Estate Writer Paul Owers, Roy Oppenheim and Geoff Sherman shared a recent case of improper foreclosure.

“This case is a symbol of the crisis,” said Oppenheim, whose Weston, Florida law firm is representing the Kachkos. “It’s a system that’s run amok. All the rules of civil procedure are being flushed down the toilet.”

Read more about how Oppenheim and Geoff Sherman crafted a basic foreclosure defense for a client outlined in this story


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