South Florida Law Blog

By Ellen Pilelsky   Many of you have been reading Attorney Roy Oppenheim’s “From the Trenches” series over the past year as he details his experiences as Florida foreclosure defense attorney. This post is the first for Oppenheim Law’s senior partner, Ellen Pilelsky, as she discusses Florida real estate and foreclosure, sharing her perspective “From the Heart.” The Mortgage Bankers […]

In case you didn’t hear, the Obama administration announced changes for requirements of paperwork and documents regarding the Making Home Affordable on Thursday, hoping to improve the success rate and communication between homeowners and lenders. While this bureaucratic decision may indeed help a few more modifications squeeze through the banks clenching hands, ultimately, the change that is needed for South […]

Good Question! Let’s explore the possibilities. Real Estate Black Swan Arrives: Free Legal Foreclosure Workshop February 4 The attorneys at Oppenheim Law point to the crisis in Haiti as a “black swan event,” an occasion no one could have foreseen with drastic effects on the South Florida real estate landscape. Join Oppenheim Law at the next free legal real estate […]

Some Florida attorneys and other experts sometimes seem to suggest there is no difference between having a Florida foreclosure or Florida short sale on your record or credit report and pose the question: “Why go through the hassle of a short sale?” The thought process might be technically correct, but only in a state described as a “non-recourse state.” Florida […]

Haitian Crisis Will Likely Change Real Estate Market in South Florida At my most recent seminar last week I discussed the possibility of a Black Swan event occurring that would literally change the complexion of the South Florida real estate market. A Black Swan event is something that just can’t be anticipated. At that moment I gave as an example […]

NYT Magazine Writer Roger Lowenstein hits it on the head when he takes Mortgage Bankers to task, Plus why I believe MBA President John Courson is WRONG and CLUELESS Roger Lowenstein, an extremely well respected financial journalist took the trade association for mortgage bankers (the MBA) to task in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine for calling homeowners “immoral” who strategically […]

Just as 2009 ended, the Florida Supreme Court announced a uniform procedure for all newly filed foreclosure cases for homestead properties. While the procedure is not yet fully in place, it should be shortly. The Court acknowledged the system is not working. Foreclosure filings are expected to reach 456,000 cases in Florida by the end of 2010, a 50% increase […]

Who 
would ever have thought that WE…and that includes YOU… all my blog, Facebook and Twitter 
friends…. would become the 4th most important legal trend of the decade. Check out The National Law Journal’s excerpt on The 25 Legal Stories That Defined The Decade. Social Media was #4 and I shared my thoughts with The National Law Journal’s Tresa Baldis […]