The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-30
REAL ESTATE AND BUILDING.
Evidence That the Usual Fall Increase in
Business Has Begun.
so1ToN BEACH PURCHASED BY A SYNDICATE.
Therc-ISc,l Estate

From the records for the past week in real
estate and building operations, it would ap-
pear that the summer dullness is about to
take wings, and that the activity which for
several years has been remarkable in these
two branches of business is about to be re-
sumed. Every year this same dearth of busi-
ness comes as soon as Washington is visited
by its first real hot spell. 1t is but natural
that this should be so as the moneyed people,
and these are the ones who deal most largely
in realty and building, leave the city for their
summer vacation. But this dullness is no
indication that the ridiculous assertion
which has been made that the bottom of real
estate values in the District would fall out
was about to occur. On the contrary, how
ever, it has invariably been the fact that with
the return of the citizens to their homes bust
ness increases with advanced values, and OPP
erations are not suspended until the winter
weather makes it impossible for the investor
to 20 sboutto personally inspect property,
and the frost and snow drive the builders
from the houses. The cool and pleasant
weather of the past week has brought many
ofthe absent Washingtonians to their homes
with the result that business has conse-
quently commenced to be renewed with vigor.
The outlook In both real estate and building
operations is of the brightest character and
dealers predict one of the most successful
faiI seasons that Washington has ever had.
good advance is looked for both in city
and suburban prices. The opinion is general
among real estate agents that nothing could
have been more beneficial to suburban prop
erty than the weather during the past sum
mer. Washingtonians who have remained in
the city have suffered but little by the heat,
and when there were one or two hot SPELLS
the weather was the same throughout the
whole country. This has had the effect
Of removing to very large extent the preju-
diced opinion that this city is unbearable
in the summer. Many of our suburban citi-
zens have acknowledged that they do not
want for any more pleasant summer resorts
than the pretty subdivisions wi.':h surround
the city and which are but short distance
away and OF easy access by the cars. The ef-
iect, investors say. cannot help but be to make
the suburban sales larger than ever before
That these places are rapidly growing up is
readily apparent TO the eye, but to those who
cannot obtain an opportunity to visit them
an exam cation OF the number of building
permits issued for houses to be erected in the
county will bear out the statement The larg-
est permit that was issued was for handsome
brown stone and pressed-brick dwelling that
will be erected for Mr.. Patrick O'Farrall on
Roanoke street on Columbia Heights. The
architect was W. r. Grimm. A stable 22x45
feet in dimensions will also be built The cost
will not be less than $4,000. The increase in
the estimated cost of the buildings for which
permits were issued during the past week over
that Of the previous week was over S600OO
The record for the two weeks was: First week.
fifteen permits were issued for the erection of
twenty-four houses to approximate in cost
S4l,55O Last week there were twenty sep
arate permits issued for the erection of forty
TWO different buildings, which will aggregate
in cost $lOl.20O. For the past week the per-
mits cover the erection of twelve buildings in
the northwest section to cost $3S, ,750, eleven
in the southwest section to cost $l7350, two
in the northeast section to cost 5000, five in
the southeast section to cost $1,000, and
twelve in the county TO cost $4,000.