South Florida Law Blog

Roy Oppenheim was quoted in the following article, which was originally posted on Lawyers.com by author Michelle Bowman You buy toilet paper and ammo there, so why not a home? Consumers are indicating they would trust Walmart and other non-banks with their mortgages, and some experts believe that’s not necessarily a bad thing. While they seem mostly satisfied with the […]

  Since I started the South Florida Law Blog following the 2008 economic meltdown, I have made no secret of the fact that I am extremely critical of what can best be characterized as “America’s new crony capitalism.” Crony capitalism occurs where certain industries have gained undue influence in the political process and thus have curried favor unjustly from the […]

With the presidential race entering its final stretch and with the employment figures remaining effectively flat, one would think that the housing crisis would have already been front and center by now. As I have said numerous times every economic recovery since the Depression has been led by the housing sector. But only now do we have a fuller picture […]

This commentary was originally published on Yahoo! Homes and is being redistributed on South Florida Law Blog with their permission. Huh? What do “Obamacare” and the foreclosure crisis have to do with each other? Simply put, the legal debate over Obamacare largely centered on the individual mandate, a law that would require people to buy health insurance whether they wanted […]

I’m not one for fairy tales, for shining white knights, and magical rescues. I’m not cynical, but I am a realist. When it comes to fixing the housing market, and righting the wrongs of the fraud-closure crisis, there is no magic wand. If you’re waiting for the government ‘cavalry’ to ride in and make everything alright, I’m sad to say […]

Dear Mr. President: As you know historically, since the great depression, refinancing mortgages has been this country’s exit strategy when it comes to pulling us out of the economic ditch. So it’s nice to see that you are now pushing Congress to pass refinancing reform. It’s the most effective and efficient way to craft a bailout that actually helps everyone. […]

Survey: Mortgage Foreclosure Scams Surge Not only is America’s foreclosure crisis still going strong, it now comes with even more fraud and deception. With heightened media coverage surrounding the recent national mortgage settlement and refinements to government assistance programs, experts say selling “the schtick” has only become easier for criminals. But there are red flags consumers can watch out for […]

Judge Signs $25 Billion Foreclosure Settlement It’s finally official. The so-called $25 billion foreclosure settlement has been signed off by a federal judge. This comes after the settlement was filed in court last month. DC District Judge Rosemary Collyer did the honors Wednesday. I won’t rehash my thoughts about what’s good and what’s bad about this settlement. Everything that needs […]