Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-08
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
People Who Own Their Homes and
Those Who Rent.
WITH OTHER CITIES
The Confident Feeling Which
Characterizes the Market.
S o NJ E IMPROV EMENTS

AT this season Of the year there is prob
ably more attention given to the subject OF
| houses and rentals than at any other
| period in the year. This is, Of course. due
to the fact that in the fall arrangements
are generally made for the home life for
the year. III a change is to be effected in
the location Of the home II is as a rule
made at this time People who begin house.
keeping find that The fall is the convenient
season to make a start. The majority.
perhaps. of people begin their married life
at this period Of the year, and. Of course,
| their household gods must find a shelter.
Altogether, and from perhaps a number Of
points of view, the problem Of a home shell
| ter is widely considered
Some people are apt to imagine that the
area Of interest about such a problem is a
limited one. This conclusion is based on
| the supposition that the number of homes
| in this city, compared with other cities in
not large. Such an opinion, however, is
rot based on facts. Philadelphia has the
reputation of being the city of homes There
is very general impression that a large
percentage of the residents of the city OF
brotheriy love own their own homes either
IN whole or in part, and therefore form q
permanent abiding population. The sta
tstics. however-and they are Official as
they are prepared by the United States
census office-tell a different story. These
figures show that Washington has a larger
percentage OF people vino own their homes
either IN whole or in part, than Philedel-
phla- Oh the entire number Of people in this
city who are known home families,
which term means people occupying houses
in distinction from boarding houses 2a20
per cent own their houses. either in whole
or In part. while in Philadelphia % &c per
cent OF home families own their homes in
whole or in part.
washington's Home Owners
This may not be considered a high per-
centage Of homecoming families for either
city. But ii will be ssen that relatively
Washinstons percentage is high one.
Throughout the entire country of the whole
number of families, which in figures run up
TO more than l2,U1.ov1. only 41.SO per cent
own their own farms and homes while the
balance hire. The results for the nearly
s.V".oo OF home families show taat $3.50
per cent own their own homes. The per-
centage, however, Of home owners drops
considerably in the large cities. The statis-
ncs show that In eighteen cities having
lVuV0 population and over there are only
five in which the percentage of families
owning their homes in whole or in part ex-
coed 30 per cent 1t will thus be seen that
Washington in comparison with other
cities. holds high rank as a place where
the residents have such a permanent inter-
est in the city that they become the owners
CT me houses which they occupy.
IL is true that percentage OF only A lit
Tie more Than % per cent of the home
families who own their homes in whole or
IN part seems TO be surprisingly small IL
means that nearly IS per cent of the
families occupying houses in this city are
content 10 live on merely as tenants There
Is no doubt that this percentage Is smaller
man man ~ was some years ago. and that be-
fore the next census period the army of
mousse renters will show a still greater de-
pietion. The tendency in this civ is nm
g gS toward the ownership Of homes
Inc advantages OF owning rather han
renting are so evident that il needs no ar
sument 10 convince even those who are un-
familiar with business matters
Facilities for Home Getter~
The facilities which are offered TO home
getters are such as to enable any one
VINO Is industrious to start on the road
which will end I'm home ownership. In ad-
dition TO the actual saving of money which
one who is engagcd-in buying a house ac-
oomplishes as compared with one who On
merely tenant thee are the natural and
steady Increase OF values and the perma-
rency In values, which present Inducements
to the home buyer Of substantial gains.
ferhaps the main reason why more peo-
pie oo not own their own home is lack OF
courage 10 make the start. A young man
begins his married life in a rented house
relying on some turn of fortune or some
windfall to provide him with the money
with which ne hopes some day to buy a
nome. The expected may happen, or IL NAV
rot happen; the latter is the more fire.
quently the case, and in the meanwhile the
Tune is passing which. IL properly utilized
More Confident Feeling.
There is a more confident feeling I'm the
market tnan there has been for some weeks
past, and the opinion is generally expressed
That revival of activity is near at hand.
rms feeling is largely due to the steadiness
OF the market after a period of practical
inactivity for the past eighteen months
The solid character OF the real estate mar
ket has been fully tested, and this record
affords ample evidence for those who have
any doubt IL is believed that this condi-
ton OF anai-s in connection with the large
sums OF money which are awaiting invest
ment Will have a favorable Influence upon
the state of the market and that there will
soon be started a series of operations which
Will gradually swell into the hood tide of An
active market
The building Record.
The building inspectors record for the
past week ending yesterday shows that
nineteen permits were taken out for the
erection of new buildings. aggregatinz In
cost $iSS5o This was divided among the
several sections of the city as follows:
Northwest, six permits. S25, 400; southeast,
three permits. s.s50. northeast. three per-
mits, 5000; southwest, one permit 81 800,
and county, six permits, 81, loo.
Some improvements.
Messrs. Kennedy and Davis have planned
the erection Of five pressed brick dwellings
at Nos. 2l02 TO 2l0S o street northwes, and
l34c 2lst street northwest. They will each
be three stories high with cellar. thirty
seven feet deep, thirty-five feet high and
eighteen feet front and heated throughout
by steam.
James L. Paine will shortly build a red
brick residence and store at 162s Lincoln
avenue. Bloomin gdale. The building will
be three stories high with cellar, twenty
two feet deep. thirty-four feet high and
twenty-eight feet front. Richard L. Crunp
is the architect
A permit has been issued TO n. H. Davis
for the erection OF three dwellings at Nos.
SD, 33l and 333 L street northeast. Each
of these dwellings will be built of pressed
brick, twenty-five feet deep. twenty-eight
feet high and twen;y-eight feet front. II
is planne, TO have each Of them two stories
high
An addition to the residence l43s X
street will be made by the owner, W. Z.
Schneider. IL win be five stories I'm height,
with a frontage OF twenty-five feet and
depth of ITO. The front viii be Of brown
stone. and win correspond in design with
that of the main building.
Five three-story and basement houses are
to be built at the northeast corner OF ID
and A streets northeast.
Albert C. Brooke has had plans made by
w. Ii. Wood. architect. for three two-story
houses to be erected on the subdivision OF