South Florida Law Blog

Three cheers for Sheila Bair, the former head of the FDIC and a true advocate for the little guy, who resigned this week on July 8th. She fought for what is right for the homeowner, the depositor and the taxpayer. Shelia was probably the only person in the Obama administration who really “got it.” As a financial regulator, she understood […]

Even though it is a risky proposition, 9 in 10 Americans polled still say that owning your own home is an important part of the American dream. The latest New York Times/CBS poll shows that nearly 90% of those polled believe that it is important to own your own home, even though less than half of them think owning a […]

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, […]

Do we have a pulse on South Florida real estate recovery? According to a statistical analysis performed for The Wall Street Journal by the online real-estate information and search firm Zillow, home values in a handful of communities are where they were just before the most frenzied days of the real-estate bubble. The good news: Zillow spotted 25 places that […]

It’s a case of: The Three Stooges and Mediation. Roy Oppenheim and his client shared their recent story in this week’s Daily Business Review with an inside look at the trials and tribulations of a system where one asks: Who is on first? Under a state Supreme Court order issued 18 months ago, banks have been paying third-party mediators to […]

Banks wise up. Oppenheim Law has been touting 2011 as the “Year of the Short Sale,” and it appears banks are finally catching on. Two of the nation’s largest lenders, Wachovia and JP Morgan Chase, are choosing to forego the lengthy foreclosure process by giving select homeowners $10,000 to $20,000 to complete a short sale, according to The Sun-Sentinel. Much […]

Good ink and good timing. We are honored to reprint in its entirety, this letter to the editor written by South Florida Law Blog’s Foreclosure Defense attorney Roy Oppenheim published in this month’s Florida Bar News, coinciding with the annual Florida Bar Convention in Orlando, Florida. Foreclosure Jurisprudence Florida Foreclosure Defense Letter to the Editor After reading the News’ article […]

The Florida real estate report cards are out and homeowner summer school is in session, another series From The Trenches with Roy Oppenheim. “The foreclosure crisis is not over!” says Florida Real Estate Attorney Roy Oppenheim. “Over-crowded court systems, high chronic unemployment and excessive government debt are three major problems that will prevent a real estate recovery anytime soon.”   […]