‘Right place, right time’: How Libby Sosinski turned rocky start into $26M real estate career

A chance meeting led to a lucrative, multi-decade career in the Pittsburgh and broader western Pennsylvania market.

New York City’s new broker fee law survived another challenge last week led by the Real Estate Board of New York, the powerful real estate trade association.

U.S. District judge Ronnie Abrams last week denied another request for a preliminary injunction from a group comprised of REBNY, real estate firms, and landlords to stop the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act.

The new law took effect June 11th and shifts the longstanding burden of paying brokers’ commissions from renters to the landlords who hire them. Introduced by City Council member Chi Ossé, the FARE Act passed in November with support from 42 council members, more than enough votes to override a mayoral veto.

Abrams previously dismissed a June 10th challenge from REBNY to block implementation of the law and dismissed its claim that the FARE Act is unconstitutional and superseded by state law, narrowing the scope of the suit.

A ‘repackage’ of previous motions

On July 12th, the judge again rejected the plaintiffs’ claims that the FARE Act singles out brokers and limits free speech. The arguments “repackage” previous motions, she said.

The FARE Act,”does not unfairly target brokers, nor does it target their messages for disfavored treatment. Instead, as the court stated in its prior opinion, the FARE Act is content neutral,” the judge wrote.

The judge declined to “weigh their evaluation of the FARE Act’s wisdom against that of the City Council.”

She cited the claim that “consumers who want the option of paying a broker fee instead of higher rent resent having the choice taken away from them” through the FARE Act.

“The court disagrees. The City Council acted in the interest of the 54 percent of the city’s renters who indicated they would prefer to pay a higher monthly rent than a broker’s fee, notwithstanding the preferences of other renters. That policy judgment—good or bad—is not a constitutional violation,” Abrams wrote.

“The court therefore concludes that plaintiffs have not demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on the merits of their appeal. With respect to the other factors, the city will be substantially injured by an injunction,” the judge said.

 

New York City Transit is “on track” to have its best on-time performance on record. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is on pace for a record-breaking year, with ridership and on-time service improving across New York City Transit, the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad during the […]

The post NYC transit on pace for record-breaking year of ridership and performance first appeared on 6sqft.

Guild LOs said they have yet to receive any guidance on how the two platforms would collaborate after the deal closes.

The Bronx Zoo is shining a light on animals that thrive in the dark. After closing in 2009, the World of Darkness exhibit reopened this past weekend, showcasing 25 species of nocturnal creatures, from pygmy slow lorises and blind cave fish to blood pythons and Egyptian fruit bats. The exhibit employs a reverse light cycle, […]

The post World of Darkness exhibit showcasing nocturnal animals reopens at the Bronx Zoo after 16 years first appeared on 6sqft.

Mike Simonsen will lead the brokerage’s market analysis and insights efforts. Simonsen stepped down from Altos in May.

A new nautical-themed restaurant will open this week atop Chelsea’s landmarked Starrett-Lehigh Building. Operated by Crew, the team behind popular boat bars Grand Banks and Pilot, the Yacht Club opens this Thursday, taking up a sprawling 20,000 square feet across two floors at the former 1930s freight terminal. The 125-seat restaurant will offer top-tier seafood, […]

The post New nautical-themed restaurant brings yacht vibes to the Starrett-Lehigh rooftop first appeared on 6sqft.

Zenlist is a mobile-first app that enables agents and homebuyers to search properties together. Zenlist has more than 35,000 users and multiple brokerage and MLS partnerships.

An all-electric, 30-story residential tower in Downtown Brooklyn launched a housing lottery this week for 98 middle-income apartments. Located at 89 Dekalb Avenue, the sustainable development features a smart glass facade, thoughtfully designed residences, and academic and office space for Long Island University. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply […]

The post 98 apartments available at all-electric Downtown Brooklyn tower, from $3,000/month first appeared on 6sqft.

Your real estate wishlist changes when you have a child and are looking for an apartment in New York City. Things like views, amenities, and nearby takeout options may still matter to you, but these preferences are usually superseded by a need to find a place within a specific public school zone.

That’s right—admittance at most public elementary schools in NYC largely depends on neighborhood zones. There are some exceptions to this rule, of course, Not every public school child goes to their zoned public school—some students go to charter or private schools, or so-called “choice” schools. If you need to get up to speed on the elementary school application process, check out our elementary school guide for NYC renters and owners.

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[Editor’s note: A previous version of this story ran in August 2024. We are presenting it again in case you missed it.]

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So how do you figure out the zoned elementary school for an apartment or brownstone you are considering? Here’s what you should—and should not—do, because we at Brick Underground have heard a friend’s heartbreaking tale of plunking down a lot of money for a condo with an amazing school two blocks away, only to find out they weren’t zoned for that school (they got some bad intel) but for another one that was seven blocks away.

Read on so you don’t make a similar mistake.

Don’t rely on guesswork or word-of-mouth

Why take a risk when so much is at stake? Avoid the following at all costs:

Don’t just guess or eyeball the school. To reiterate the sucker-punch lesson from above, just because a school is across the street or next door from a building does not mean it is your zoned school.

Don’t take someone’s word for it, even someone who lives in the building you are considering or in the neighborhood. They might be relying on outdated or incorrect information, especially if their children graduated a long time ago. Things happen, zones get redrawn. The building may have been zoned for the school in the past but is now outside the boundary. 

Don’t take a broker’s word for it, either, whether the information is in a listing or comes up in conversation. (Brokers, who are people after all, can be misinformed or relying on outdated information.)

Don’t rely on listing sites. While StreetEasy and other websites include “zoned schools” in each listing, they usually come with a disclaimer like this: “School attendance zone boundaries are not guaranteed to be accurate—they are provided by a third party and subject to change. Check with the applicable school district prior to making a decision based on these boundaries.” Heed that advice.

Do your research and call the school to confirm

Here’s the best way to find your elementary school zone and avoid some expensive heartbreak: 

Go online to the New York City Department of Education website.

Click on “Find a School” in the upper left-hand corner of the site. 

Type in your address, leaving out your apartment number. The first listing is your zoned school, which is indicated on the accompanying map with a blue dot.

To be absolutely sure, call the school and ask for the parent coordinator to confirm that your address is in fact zoned for the school. 

You can also call 311 or use InsideSchools’s search to find the zoned school for an address, as well as other schools in the district that your child may be able to attend. But once again, always check with the school directly just to be 100 percent sure.