The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-09
REAL ESTATE
INTERESTS MANY.
AGENTS SAY THAT INQUIRY FOR
CITY PROPERTY HAS IN
CREASED
FAR MORE THAN THE SALES.
COMMENTS OF EXPERTS ON CUR
RENT TOPICS -REPREsENTA-
TIVE TRANSFERS.

From the fact that inquiry has increased
remarkably within the last few weeks real
estate agents conclude that really healthy
interest is taken i'll city property by people
VINO have money to invest. Agents are
kept busy answering inquiries about all
kinds of real property in San Francisco,
but much of their business ends there.
The volume of sales has not increased
enough Tor anybody to grow enthusiastic
over the market, and at best the change is
an improvement in popular feeling regard
ing San Francisco. One great step has
been made IN the right direction. Con-
tdence has returned and that is good
foundation for the influence of correlative
enterprises and commercial development
to build upon for the city's future
greatness.
For the present there is nothing to create
positive change all at once. People who
would like to invest in city property will
not, as rule, pay what the owner asks,
and consequently very many transactions
fall through. If business had improved so
much to justify firm tone in real-estate
values, no doubt buyers would have reason
to pay whatever might be asked, but under
PASoNlio SOild4llOllS, Will d S1Cd1 bCd1 VI
dwelling property only per cent net no
lnducement can be offered to invest except
on very reasonable terms.
Regarding unnecessary street work,
Magee's circular for March says:
For the past two or three years an almost
fierce pressure has been brought TO bear upon
the Street Department to order street work
done where it is utterly unnecessary. This is
especially the case in relation to pavements.
stone blocks or asphaltum is ordered on streets
on the outskirts, frequently on hills where
there is no travel, on which mAcadam was re-
Gently laid, and which is still in irst-class
order 10 order new and costly pavements in
such cases, in these times of falling prices for
such property and famine scarcity of money,
is mere robbery, and tends most strongly to
force low prices still lower by compelling own
erS who cannot pay for the street work either
to sell out to avoid it or to sell to pay for it,
Another cause of unnecessary street work is
the sale OF cobbles taken up off downtown
streets by the CITY and sold to street Contrac-
tors for a song. Immediately street contrac-
tor makes purchase OF these cobbles he gives
neither sleep to his speculative eyes nor sleep
to his restless eyelids until he has secured d
Job to lay the cobbles on some sidehill street
where the macadamiZed roadway is in good
order, and where, there being no travel be-
cause OF the SteepneSS OF the grade new
pavement is not in the least necessary. We
beg of Mr. Ashworth, the Street Superinten-
dent, in whom we have every confidence, 10
put a stop TO these outrageS on unfortunate
property -owners.
March considerable space is given to the
idea of making Goat Island a terminal
depot. The article contains the following
pertinent statements:
By all means let US have the island; the
bridge will naturally follow Such arrange
ment would do very much to build up property
valnes IN the city, and particularly on the bay
trout That this portion OF San Francisco is
receiving considerable attention is shown by
the price brought the other day at auction by
the Old Pioneer Warehouse. We believe that
one of the features in 1895 viii be activity
along the water front. Many lots will change
hands and numerous Improvements be made
by the building OF substantial brick edifices in
the place OF the present tumble-down wooden
shanties
That there is revival of building in other
sections is shown by the fact that contractors
who build on speculation are again to the front
One who has been eminently successful in the
past, but who stopped building three years
ago. is about TO recommence. The addition of
Goat Island to the city and county and the
certainty that bridge will be built eventually
is bound TO add to the buoyant feeling among
all classes owing to the opportunity offered TO
escape from the clutches of the Southern Pa
cifc.
An auction sale will be held by o. F. Won
Rhein & Co. next Thursday when the fol-
lowing properties will be offered: Eighteen
First avenue lots, between Clement and
California street south (Deeth street, half
cash; corner Post and Buchanan, rents
$500; corner property on Clay, Sacramento,
Ridley, Hayes and Green Streets and i'm
proved and unimproved lots on Pine, Fill
bert, Stanyan Howard and Green streets
and Van Ness avenue.
OFarreu d Co. report the following
sales: Two baywindow houses on O'Far-
rell street, between Polk and Van Ness
avenue, and two flats in rear on Olive ave
nue., lot 27:6x120, $1250O; lot on Mission
street, near Norton, 50x100, S1750 lot on
Francis street, near Mission, 75x15O, $500:
house and lot on Washington street, near
Powell, 25x60, $3.50.
G. H. Umbsen & Co. report the following
recent sales
improvements and lot 55xS7:6 on southeast
corner OF Ellis and Jones streets, for $40, 600;
lot 81 :412X12O on north line of Eddy street
l3I 10 west OF Franklin street, for $4,000; i'm
provements and lot 20x67 IS east of Lycett
1920; lot 37:6x110 on southwest corner of
Scott and Fulton streets, for $4,000; lot 25xlOO
on southwest line OF Sixteenth avenue south
DO feet southeast of n street south, for $500;
lot 2oXllO:3 on east line of Guerrero street, 50
feet south OF Camp street, for $500: lot
25x110: % on east line of Guerrero street, rs
feet south OF Camp street, for $500; lot
3OXl0I on south line of Oak street
ITO west OF Steiner street, for $4,000;
improvements and lot, 216 Joice street, 2Sx77
irregular, Tor $3.50; lot 75x100, northeast
line OF Sixteenth avenue south, 225 feet south
east OF n street south, for $1,000; lot 25xI22:6
teet, east line OF Shotwen street, 80 north of
Fifteenth, for $4,000; improvements and lot
ZZXI2:6, 1902 Powell street, sold for $4,000;
lot 75X1OO, southwest line OF Twelfth avenue
$500; cottage, 131 Precita avenue, lot 25x1O2,
Tor SAB; Improvements and lot, 20 :3xS2 IS,
north line OF Turk street. los a east of Larkin
for $3.50; 90S Shotwell street, 20x72 :6 sold