Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
A Professional View in Regard to
the Markets Condition.
ABOUT RENTALS AND LAND VALUES
The Cost Of Building as Compared
With a Year Ago.
S ME- IMPROV EMENTa

A real Estate dealer the other dav i'm
talking about the condition of business.
from his special standpoint, remarked that
the market was dull. but firm. The expert
ence Of his associates in business would
probably confirm this estimate Of the pres
cit condition. 1t would be a surprising
state Of affairs at this season of the year
IL the real estate market displayed any
great degree Of activity. 1t is customary
for IL to take a rest about this time and
dealers and operators recognizing this fea-
ture generally manage to have their holi-
day time occur at this season. This year
is no exception to the rule, and Il may be-
said that the usual summer quietude per-
vades the atmosphere of the real estate
offices. There is some criticism, however,
that the usual summer period of Inactivity
began so early in the season, but this was
due to general conditions which affect al
classes OF business all over the country,
IL is expected that there will be the usuas
revival Of interest in realty at the openino
Of the fall season. There are different
views as 10 the degree OF interest which
will be displayed. but there are already in
dcations that business viii not be entirely
lacking.
lies in the renting of houses This is the
opening OF the season for rented houses. az
In the great majority of cases leases ter.
inmate on the last day Of August The re-
suit Is that the lists OF houses for rent are
always larger during this month than al
any otner period OF the year. While the
bulk OF the renting is not done until tho
latter part OF this month or the first OF
hext, there are great many forehanded
people who believe that the first corners
are apt 10 get the cream. II any exists.
whether at real estate Offices or at a bar-.
gain counter. So these people are now
looking around with a view of selecting a
home for the winter, ard when the late
c1mers put In an appearance many Of the
choice houses Will be gone This is the
reason why during the month OF Au-
gust the real estate dealers report more or
less activity in their rental department
Rentals and Land Values.
While. as has been stated. the real estate
mari ct, generally speaking. is dull and has
been for some time. il is also equally true
that prices remain firm. There is a scarcity
OF bargains which is surprising to a good
many people. who naturally supposed that
the hard times would fierce on the market
a good deal OF property This has not beer
the case In regard TO Washington real eor
tate. and there are not now. nor have there
been during the past year. more Of whaS
are Known as bargains offered than AMI
previoLs year. OF course. there are cases
here and there where men have gotten into
a tight place and been obliged to sell out al
a saorince. In some cases they have done
this by public sale. and in others by private
sete. The number, however, is surprisingly
SIR all 1t Is concluded from the showing
which has been made during the past year
held. and that its values rest on substantial
fcundatio
Some people assert that both land values
end house rentals are too high in this city.
20 q
high, as assert I'd. the owners will dis
cover that fact by the condition Of the
m arket. The law OF supply and demand
has got good deal 10 do with prices in
real estate as IL las with other things
v hich people want ard need. and this nat
ural law. IL is thought, may safely lie left
10 regulate the matter. The talk about
high prices. IL is asserted, Is a good deal
like the talk which was INDUCED in 20 a
considerable extent during the spring about
the number of vacant houses in the city.
The careful canvass which was made by
The Star showed that there were only = 900
houses vacant. while the common rumor,
which was based on nothing except asser-
tons, placed the number at s.Vn, ana in
some cases as high as io,ooo and l2oeo.
building lis Cheaper.
However il may be about land values and
rents it is said that building is much cheap
er than 1t was q year ago. This is attribut-
ed to the lower prices asked for building
recently started to build a house said that
his contract price was at least - per cent
lower than he could have built the house
for a year ago. Still larger percentages Of
reductions mentioned In connection
with estimates for work, and II is said that
the present is an extremely favorable time
70. building The building operations have
not been very active during the past spring
and summer. but something has been done,
and building operations are going on all
over the city. Ii is not likely that the
record for the present year will contain as
large a number OF new houses erected as
was the case last year. but still. the sum
total will not make such bad showing as
many might imagine. There is an apun-
lance of money awaiting investment, and In
that respect the present conditions for an
active period of building are favorable.
The building Record.
According to the building inspectors rec
ord for the week ending yesterday twenty
permits to build new houses were taken out.
asgregating in cost sS269o. This Was d.
sided among the several sections OF the
~ as follows: Northwest, ten permits,
-5,,,. southwest. one permit. $50; north
a., three ~ermits, sl,so and county. six
,er,nits, $3.50.
Arthur :. Brown ne~ eoilihenceu ti.e cree
ion of three handsome "eiines a. mum
umbia Heights. These dweIi:i.> VIII ps
,uilt of Indiana limestone and 4. esSro
rick by Jno n. Collier They will be 70. "
Get deep and siNt en- feet eight inches IronS
: b. kefe -stein is the architect.
A permit was issued during the week to
. G Nost for the erection OF three hand
ONE dwellings at numbers 1ol, s'D and 1u5
tn street northeast. They viii be heated
through by hot water and will be built
4 pressed brick and will be two stories
Ish and basement. Two OF these dwellings
siil be nineteen Feet front and thirty-two
eet deep. and the other will be eighteen
eet front and forty-eight feet deep. J. G.
-ost is the architect and builder
Mrs. Rhoda &. Kennedy will shortly build
n attractive dwelling at 2l27 California
venue, Washington Heights. This resi-
ence will be twenty-five feet front, ffty-
wo feet deep, and will be built Of pressed
rick. 1t will be three stories high, with
asement, heated throughout by steam,
nth mansard slate roof. A. II. Mullett d
o. are the architects and W. Z. Spier Il
o. builders.
Ferdinand Schmidt has commenced the
rection of a handsome dwelling at ll2S
9TH street northwest The building viii be
uilt of pressed brick three stories high and
asement. heated by hot water. 1t win be
feet front and ffiy-six feet
eep with one circular bay window forty
hree feet high.
EX-State Senator Sloan, nominee for Com
on the democratic ticket,
, diving at his home at Indiana, Pa, Of