Writer and real estate broker Diana Ventura had read the headlines before: "Fire blazes through apartment building! Entire neighborhood filled with smoke!" But she never thought she'd become the news herself. In the summer of 2015, lost her New York City apartment in a fire, forcing her (and her family) to sift through th literal and metaphorical ashes and start over. (She wrote an essay about it for Brick this past January.) And yet, this isn't the worst she has had to face in recent years. How did she put her home, and her life, together again, and what can we learn from her?

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For more about apartment safety (and, on a related note, home insurance), check out these stories:

• A beginner's take on renter's insurance

• Fire escapes: How to keep them safe and secure

• Is your building's fire escape safe? Find out

• Fire alert: Is your electrical outlet a hazard? 

This podcast was produced by Jhoanna Robledo, Jenny Falcon, and Chad Dougatz of Hangar Studios; our heartfelt thanks to Ventura and her family (and their Havanese, Pablo) for welcoming us into their apartment to tape the interview.

Have a great story about navigating NYC's maze of a real estate market? Or about life in this sometimes frustating but always fascinating city? We'd love to hear from you! Comment on this post or email us at: podcast@brickunderground.com.

And tune in every few weeks for more tales of NYC life, liberty, and the pursuit of real estate.