Alanna Schubach
Contributing writer
Contributing editor Alanna Schubach has over a decade of experience as a New York City-based freelance journalist. She has written about real estate for Brick Underground, Mansion Global, and Barron's. She has also contributed features, essays, and op-eds to The Nation, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Village Voice. She won a National Association of Real Estate Editors’ silver award in 2018 for her Ask an Expert column for Brick Underground. She is also a fiction writer and a creative writing teacher, and currently lives in Brooklyn.
Posts by Alanna Schubach:
How much more should I tip building staff this year?
December 21, 2020 - 09:30 AM
If you can swing it, tip at least 30 percent more, because most staff commute to work and have increased exposure to the airborne Covid-19 virus, our experts say.
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How can I save money on my co-op insurance policy?
December 14, 2020 - 12:30 PM
Increasing your deductible and scaling back your coverage for valuable personal items could help.
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Ask Sam: What does the new supermajority in Albany mean for NYC tenants?
December 8, 2020 - 13:00 PM
The Democrats victory in the New York Senate could present an opportunity to expand upon the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, the landmark rent reform legislation passed in 2019, says Sam Himmelstein, a lawyer with the firm Himmelstein, McConnell, Gribben, Donoghue & Joseph who represents residential and commercial tenants and tenant associations.
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I don't have a big income but I inherited some money. Should I buy a co-op or condo?
December 7, 2020 - 14:30 PM
Co-ops generally require a down payment of 20 percent, a demonstration of good credit, and post-closing liquidity—that is, enough money in the bank to cover two years of maintenance and mortgage payments. That money can certainly come from a gift or inheritance.
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I lost my job and got severance. Will this affect my NYC housing lottery application?
December 1, 2020 - 09:30 AM
Eligibility for NYC Housing Lottery apartments is determined by Housing Preservation and Development and based on strict income requirements and the size of the household. The application and approval process can take quite a while, so it's not unusual for an applicant's job situation and income to change while they're being considered.
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Ask Sam: I signed a lease with a concession, but when I renewed, my rent jumped by several hundred dollars. Can I fight this?
November 25, 2020 - 09:30 AM
There are currently class action lawsuits alleging that some landlords used rental concessions, which give tenants a period of free rent, in order to get around rent stabilization laws and hit tenants with unexpected rent hikes at renewal time. These lawsuits involve 421-a buildings—developments that received tax abatements, which requires landlords to make all units rent-stabilized until the abatement expires.
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