Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-29
Business Shows a Sensible Improve
ment in Volume,
PREPARING PLANS FORNEW BUILDINGS
The Increasing Spaciousness and
Facilities of Private Residences.
THE BUILDING RECORD

The continued Improvement Of the real
estate market is one ct the features Of the
past week which has been the subject of
more or less comment 1t Is not meant
to be implied nor is 1t In fact generally
understood that there Is anything like a
boom. 1t Is true, however, that the volume
Of business has scnsibly increased and the
promise FOR ;he future IS bright and Gu
couraging. Although the season for ren'ei
houses opened rather late as compared
with preceding years. yet during the past
week there has been quite a demand for
houses and la:ge number have been rent
ell The SAME may be said of The house,
for sale. but the number of transactions
in this class Of property has not been
larSe. However, quite a good deal Of bust
ness has been done and transactions now
In various stages will be closed out in the
near future. Unimproved property is also
somewhat sluggish. but SIN something is
being done, and altogether the fall business
verifies the predictions that were made
early in the season.
The daily record Of the deeds placed on file
is gradually expanding in size,and an idea of
the present state of the market based on
the figures obtained from the office of the
recorder Of deeds would indicate a renewed
business activity. In the building trade,
the same encouraging indications may be
noted. A good deal of building is In pro-
gress and plans for new buildings which
have been lain aside for some months have
been brought out, estimates are being OBJ
tained. and 1t is probable that the coming
month will witness an increase in the
building operations in this city.
Some Substantial Indications.
One Of the leading auctioneers of the
city, who sells a good deal of real estate
that Is offered at public sale, said recent
ly that during the past month he had
offered good deal Of property for sale, yet
he had made but few sales. He explained
this by saying that in the great majority
OF instances the property had been with
drawn from sale. owing to a settlement
having been made. He thought that this
fact showed that the market here was in
excellent condition, as 1t was evident that
those who were delinquent in interest or
principal on real estate notes had been
able either to make new loans of larger
amounts or had In some way raised the
money. This condition, he thought, indi-
Gated an easier state Of affairs in the
money market.
One Of the notable facts in connection
with the recent financial depression has
been the small number of forced sales of
real estate. Property has been offered at
public sale from time to time, but instead
or those ordering the sale being ready to
take the highest bid offered, they exercised
the discretion, which Is usual in the best
times, of withdrawing the property in the
event that the price offered did not meet
their view Of what the property was worth.
The same thing Is true of property offered
at private sale, and the steadiness of values
during the past eighteen months is a pretty
conclusive evidence of the substantial char
ecter OF real estate in this city.
Spacious Private Houses.
The addition Of bah rooms to the facilities
Of private houses in this city is one Of the
recent changes In domestic architecture
which marks more extended style of
private building and social entertainment.
The dining room of ordinary size is no long
er regarded as sufficient to meet the de-
mands, and SO spacious rooms designed for
the most generous proportions of hospitable
mahogany is found In many of the houses
of recent date. The residence which Mr..
Charles w. Needham is just completing on
10th street, near the corner of Riggs and
adjoining the new residence of Mr.. Justice
Brown, contains a ball room which occu-
pies the entire third story. A dumbwaiter
Is provided, so that refreshments can be
sent directly to the ball room from the
kitchen.
In the fine residence which Mr.. Boardman
Is building at the corner of 18th and p
streets the library Is the largest room. This
occupies almost the entire frontage on 18th
street and is, perhaps, the most spacious
room in any private residence in the city.
Although this house can be properly classed
among the large houses, there are only
three rooms on the first floor, not counting,
however, great central hall. Opening
out from this hall is small reception par
lor, then the library ana back of this the
dining room. AS may be inferred, the in
terror proportions of this house are on a
palatiai scale rarely found In city house.
The Building Record.
The building inspectors record for the
past week ending yesterday shows that
fourteen permits were taken out for the
erection Of new buildings. aggregating in
cost s29,975. This was divided among the
several sections Of the city as follows:
Northwest, four permits, S10,325; northeast,
five permits, $4,000. and the county, five
permits, A,6JO.
ID r Croft of 11Q7 street Is erecting