South Florida Law Blog

Is homeownership still part of today’s American Dream? A recent article in the Wall Street Journal shared some old school advice on buying a home in today’s economy, more along the lines of Depression Era thinkers versus Baby Boomer spenders. 1. Buy what you can afford without scrimping on other needs. If you need to save for retirement or college, […]

Nearly 40% of homeowners who took out a second mortgage are underwater on their loans, but the news surrounding second mortgages isn’t all doom and gloom for Floridians, says Florida foreclosure defense attorney Roy Oppenheim. Second mortgages refer to any loan taken out on a property that is subordinate to the first mortgage, and include home-equity loans or lines of […]

Florida foreclosures and good news all in one story? Yes, it is true. A new federally funded program is now accepting applications for mortgage assistance payments in Florida. The Florida Hardest-Hit program pays an applicant’s mortgage for up to six months to help them to focus on finding a job. There is a maximum, however, of $12,000. Also, the program […]

There is an interesting practice developing at our nation’s big banks. Borrowers who are in or nearing foreclosure are being offered thousands of dollars to short sale their homes. Some are even being offered $35,000 to get rid of their homes, and quickly. This situation presents an intriguing insight into the way banks are thinking at the moment. Banks would […]

Like the never ending horror franchise, deficiency judgments are back. A Florida deficiency judgment occurs when a bank pursues the remaining balance on a mortgage either after a foreclosure or, in theory, after a Florida short sale. Most banks are currently too busy to process deficiency judgments because they are dealing with foreclosures and short sales. Due to the large […]

Reporting on the winning and losing headlines, South Florida Law Blog brings you the break down and what this means to the Florida homeowner. While South Florida is #1 for mortgage fraud and foreclosure settlement talks between banks and the Obama administration appear futile at best, this week’s new was not all doom and gloom. Check out Oppenheim Law and Weston […]

Broward 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. […]

For five years I’ve discussed the inevitability of Black Swan events that change everything overnight – game changers. Certainly, the earthquake in Japan and the subsequent rash of Tsunamis are reminders of that phenomenon as is the ongoing escalated strife and instability in the Middle East. Not only have oil prices shot up, we now face a whole new set […]