South Florida Law Blog

In 2021, more Americans have taken cash from cash-out refis than any time since the Financial Crisis of 2008. U.S. homeowners cashed out a record $152.7 billion in home equity last year, up from 42% since 2019 and the most since 2007, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac. Why the uptick? The pandemic has certainly brought challenges to us all. […]

Mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest rates in modern U.S. history this past week due to the fears that the coronavirus is weakening the U.S. economy. Usually, lowering mortgage rates stimulates home sales.  However, with “breaking news” daily reporting a worsening coronavirus epidemic may ultimately lead to home buyers staying at home rather than actively going out to look […]

As the U.S. stock and bond markets react to the news that the coronavirus may seriously disrupt the global economy, we have also learned that the United States is not immune to the ravages of the coronavirus that is impacting many parts of the world. In particular, the CDC has  recently warned that schools, governments, as well as businesses will […]

Trade Tensions and Stock Scares: In yet the latest escalation of trade tensions between China and the United States, this past weekend President Trump announced America will impose a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods and China responded by suspending its purchase of US agricultural products and lowering the value of the yuan, its currency, to its weakest […]

After I wrote my little letter to the President, I wondered what kind of response I would get and perhaps more importantly, whether my message would reach its intended audience….if any. Well the response to the blog, from my clients and from my blog readers, was instantaneous. Clearly I’m not alone in my thinking. I may not have received an […]

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. […]

Freddie Mac’s Regulator ‘Completely Puzzled’ by Allegations of Conflict If Edward DeMarco is puzzled by the outrage over the revelation that Freddie Mac was investing in securities that paid off if homeowners couldn’t refinance, then call us puzzled by his puzzlement. Either he’s a bold-faced liar or he is just plain dense. Does he really not get it? DeMarco, the […]

Florida real estate has more than hurricane season to worry about. We said it once, and we will say it again, drowning Florida homeowners need help! The whirlwind of mortgage debt continues to spin above the heads of many homeowners and the federal government needs to aggressively step in. A recent New York Times lead editorial highlights just that. As […]