The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-21
The Experiences of a Local Real
Estate Agent.
WANTS OF THE GREAT PUBLIC.
How Some We're Supplied and Some Were
Nct-The Furnished Rooms
Nuisance

bSSoAIcs anu then II out
pardon NE, don't swear
'sfcll me something about it, asked the
scribe.
well, you see, last spring things began
to DC awfully dull m the real estate line,
and we began giving attention to .he
adiuncts Of cur business. Up to that time
we used to get MAJ if people mentioned
house TO rent To us One day l suggested
TO my partner there (5y the way, we are
not brothers--lo relation) that in those
duh Gays we could push the rental bust
ness 10 coed advantage Then when the
busy aeGson for real estate returned, we
would place the rental department
under the charge of clerk.
There was no firm IN town
attending 10 rentals il j systematized way.
This agent had house 10 rent and that
agent had another, but none cared to trouble
themselves with The petty details Of the
business. From what Eve since learaed. !
DON'T blSme them much. -
Every Sgdy wanted houses, and precious
few houses were to 6e had. So we decided
as the favor was for the tenant and not Cor
the house owner, We would make no charge
TO the owner Tor renting, bLt ask the com
mission FROM the. tenant We advertised
this facb ia the newspapers We lIred
man TO scour the town in search Of vacant
houses, always assuring owners that we
would rent their houses free Of charge We
got another buggy and set OF haluess I'VE
hau TWO horsesl in order 20 show houses
AEu we started a regular collecting agency
TO collect rents monthly from tenants
'Twenty-seven dollars That's the profit
we've made out of HOUSEKEEPING for the
summer; besides the fun we've had Aud
that So, mind you, don't include any pro-
portion OF office rent, stationery, use of
horse and buggy, or wear and tear on our
mental and moral faculties. It's Just the
plain commissions made, less the cost of ad-
vertising. printing OF rental cards and sal
airy OF man looking up houses.n
But you want the fun of it. We'll. here
is a memorandum of one days work in
rentals which ] made, and that day didn't
offer any greater variety than other days,
by the by 1t just gives you taste of our
everyday life.
ITO begin with, twenty three of those
want house real close in. good convent
ences and not too high Then here's a
great big broad minded man who is not at
all particular about being close in; would
Just as leave so four or even five blocks
from Main street, as not Think of that!
Ild you ever hear OF such paralyzing liber-
ality OF sentiment. Instead OF having
residence adjoining the Progress building
or the Coop, he is willing to move as far
out into the country as five blocks from
the posto1fice Actually, that man looked
hart because we couldn't accommodate him
within that big circle.''
The idea one gets from the average in
CURRY for houses is that everybody has
come from town of four or i've hundred
Inhabitants, where each man lives over his
store or within stones throw of the post
ONCE In Kansas City, Denver Wichita or
other like cities, people think nothing of
going twenty or forty blocks from the cen
tire OF the city, providing street cars are
handy. Here they all seem TO want to
live on Main street, or within two or three
blocks there1rom. Now, the fact is. that
every house within that distance brings
business prices, being in demand for ply
siclans, artists, music teachers and like
people, VINO are willing TO pay high prices
Houses there are hardly ever vacant a
minute, and command three times ordinary
rents. But let Us go on with the others on
our list:''
IA woman who wants six room house
with hot and cold bath, gas, nice lawn and
within walking distance of Hammond hal.
don't want TO pay over $40 or S25 Is as
tonished to learn such house rents for
$50 here and tells about house she left
like that in Los Angeles, from which she
gets SIS month rent
woman wants ten or twelve room board
ing house. Offer her one atSlG5 per month.
Says she couldn't make expenses on that,
Tell her the house is already occupied bv
roomers who win net her double that
amount Says she will take it on that CON
dition. Then break to her gently the con-
dition that she will have to buy the furni-
ture of present occupant-price. 81 SCO
Woman whirls and leaves.'
MAN comes in to take house on north
bench at S25. Declared two days ago he
would never go so far. Has concluded diff
1erently after two days Search
"Chinaman wants 'washee house, Will
pay good rent. Only in office for week
that hasn't been particular about condition
of house.'
Real estate agent rbings customer who
wants to rent house. Took customer to
north bench and rented house. Agent
afterwards comes back and wants half
commission. Whew The gall of man
who wants half of a s. commission, when
you have spent an hour with horse and
buggy showing house. However we di-
vide. 'Quoth the raven, nevermore'n
''Man and wife want small furnished
house for light housekeeping. Sent them
to one-didn't like it because il hadn't a
folding bed''
'.Compositor wants house close to print
ing Office. Gets four roomed house in back
alley-rent S25. 1t would have been cheaper
to buy house"
"Woman wants six or eight room house
close to Main for unmentionable purposes
Don't get it.'
Lawyer wants double house. of six
rooms each, brick preferred Haven't il. },
Lady wants eight room house where she
can rent out five of rooms for enough to
pay for ali. Has long story to tell of house
she was offered on lease year ago for $50
month, now bringing $40 per month. OF
all sad words, etc. y
'tWorkingnan wants four room house
near Denver & Rio Grande for two fami-
lies.n
Barber wants six room house. close 70
Main, with separate yard Will pay well u
woman wants three room cottage Sent
her TO one. Comes back and says owner
has raised SIS per month on rent over what
he listed it with US for''
Man wants fifteen or twenty room lollr-
ing house. Rent him one'
Those are one days inquiries for houses
alone. On the average it takes as much
time and trouble to secure house and rent
IL as il does to sell a piece of real estate
The house pays 81 commission a piece of
real estate anywhere from $50 to $500.
Nearly every enquirer for a house feels it
her bounden duty to stop and tell you
about her past troubles, her experience in
other towns and ends by railing against
Salt Lake.
Houses in Salt Lake city are scarce, and
rents are nigh, in some cases exorbitant.
Anything with roof ana four sides will
rent One landlord from whom we are
renting actually received 80 per cent of
the value of his property in yearly rents.
At the same time nothing so illustrates the
prosperity Of the city. There are 10000
more people here than there are desirable
accommodations for, and every train emp
ties new additions TO this crowd 1t is
true that in Los Angeles, Wichita, San
Diego and like places houses can be had al
most for the care of them. But it is