POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Robert E.
Cauley and J. Christopher Clifton, or any
one of them acting alone, as her true and lawful attorney-
in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and
resubstitution for her in her name and stead in any and all
capacities, to sign and file for and on her behalf, in
respect of any acquisition, disposition or other change in
ownership of any shares of common stock of Opteum Inc. (the
"Company"), the following:

(i) any Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of
Securities on Form 3 to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission;
(ii) any Statement of Changes of Beneficial Ownership of
Securities on Form 4 to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission;
(iii) any Annual Statement of Beneficial Ownership of
Securities on Form 5 to be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission;
(iv) any Notice of Proposed Sale of Securities on Form 144
to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission;
and
(v) any and all agreements, certificates, receipts, or
other documents in connection therewith.
The undersigned hereby gives full power and authority to
the attorney-in-fact to seek and obtain as the
undersigned's representative and on the undersigned's
behalf, information on transactions in the Company's
securities from any third party, including brokers,
employee benefit plan administrators and trustees, and the
undersigned hereby authorizes any such person to release
such information to the undersigned and approves and
ratifies any such release of information.
The undersigned hereby grants unto such attorney-in-fact
and agent full power and authority to do and perform each
and every act and thing requisite and necessary in
connection with such matters and hereby ratifies and
confirms all that any such attorney-in-fact and agent or
substitute may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
The undersigned acknowledges that:
	(a) neither the Company nor such attorney-in-fact
assumes (i) any liability for the undersigned's
responsibility to comply with the requirement of the
Exchange Act, (ii) any liability of the undersigned for any
failure to comply with such requirements, or (iii) any
obligation or liability of the undersigned for profit
disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; and
	(b) this Power of Attorney does not relieve the
undersigned from responsibility for compliance with the
undersigned's obligations under the Exchange Act, including
without limitation the reporting requirements under Section
16 of the Exchange Act.
This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and
effect until revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to such attorney-in-fact.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Power
of Attorney.

Date:	September 20, 2006	/s/ Jeffrey J. Zimmer
			Name:  Jeffrey J. Zimmer