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:
Can a co-op board ask for my credit card statement?
January 13, 2020 - 12:00 PM
Legally speaking, if your application is already underway, there's not much you can do to push back against a co-op board's requests for information. In fact, doing so could cost you any deposit you've already put down on the co-op, but you can redact the specific activity.
Read More Ask Sam: Our landlord is renting to a commercial tenant without changing the Certificate of Occupancy. Can we withhold rent?
January 8, 2020 - 10:00 AM
If your building lacks a valid CO, you and your neighbors can stop paying rent until the situation is corrected.
Read More With mortgage rates so low, is it better to buy or refinance and renovate?
January 6, 2020 - 09:00 AM
2019 ended with mortgage interest rates lower than they were at the beginning of the year, and economists expect those rates to stay low in 2020, according to MarketWatch. To decide whether to take advantage by refinancing to renovate or buying a new property entirely, start by considering whether you are happy with your current place.
Read More What is the difference between a co-op offering plan and a proprietary lease?
December 30, 2019 - 10:00 AM
The offering plan describes how a building turns into a co-op. It provides a description of the cooperative building, budget and cost information, and a summary of the rights of the cooperative shareholders, the board of directors and the sponsor. The proprietary lease is found within the offering plan, and it covers the relationship between shareholders and the cooperative itself, outlining the rules for renovating, subletting, maintenance, repairs, and more.
Read More Ask Sam: Is a landlord allowed to 'warehouse' vacant apartments?
December 18, 2019 - 10:00 AM
Warehousing apartments refers to when landlords deliberately keep apartments in their buildings empty. It is not illegal except under specific circumstances during a condo conversion.
Read More Can I get my new wife's name on my co-op title by refinancing the mortgage?
December 16, 2019 - 10:00 AM
"In order to change the title on the co-op, you would first want to reach out to the building or management company to see what, if any, requirements they may have, says Brittney Baldwin, vice president of National Cooperative Bank.
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