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 do co-op boards decide on maintenance fee increases?
February 24, 2020 - 10:00 AM
There are no specific legal restrictions on NYC co-op maintenance fee increases, our experts say, and increases are calculated based on a number of factors, which is why the fees can vary so much from one building to the next.
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Ask Sam: What's a 'major capital improvement,' and does it really mean my landlord can raise the rent?
February 19, 2020 - 10:00 AM
Changes to New York state's rent laws last year set new limits on the amount landlords can raise rents after making major capital improvements. Now they can only raise the rent by 2 percent a month at most, among other new restrictions.
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I changed agents in the middle of my apartment hunt. Who gets the commission if I buy?
February 18, 2020 - 10:00 AM
If you signed an agreement with the first broker, carefully review the document to see what they are legally entitled to by working for you. There should be a cancellation clause in the agreement, which may stipulate that you give your first broker a certain amount of notice before ending the relationship.
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Can my landlord make me pay for damage from an overflowing toilet?
February 10, 2020 - 10:00 AM
If the overflow was your fault, you're responsible for the damages, our experts say, but if it was the result of bad plumbing, then it's on your landlord.
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Do I need title insurance if I am paying all cash?
February 3, 2020 - 10:00 AM
Title insurance protects homeowners in the event that there are outstanding liens, open permits, or issues with previous owners of a property; lenders may require it of condo or townhouse buyers who are taking out a mortgage. But even for those who are buying all cash, title insurance is a good idea, even though it's not a legal requirement.
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What can I do about landlords who won't accept disability checks as rent?
January 27, 2020 - 10:00 AM
Show your prospective landlords a benefit verification letter from Social Security to serve as proof that you have these benefits and that they count as income.
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