Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03
Property From an Income Paying
Standpoint.
SOhIE PROBLEMS OF HOUSE OWNING
Mileage Of Unimproved Streets
Within the City.
SOME IMPROV E NJ E n 7 S

1t Is probable that when the period of
greater activity in real estate comes, and
Ii Is expected that 1t will not be deferred
much longer, considerable attention will be
paid to that class of property which yields
an income, as distinguished from what
may be termed speculative property. which
Is held to secure the advantage of a prob
able rise in values. The former appeals
TO the conservative investor as promising
II not as large, at least more certain re-
Turns.
There are in general two classes of this
property-that which is located in the busi-
ness sections of the city and that in the
residence localities. The latter, of course,
forms the largest percentage, and one of the
most Interesting questions in this con-
lection Is how to maintain it On q per-
manent income-paying basis. Frequent
changes OF tenants. and what may be
termed their depredations. and the con-
seQuent deterioration of the property, as
well as changes in the character of the
location, are all weli-racoSniZed causes
affecting the rental value of property.
Competition of New Houses.
Then. In addition to all this. is the COM
retition of new houses, and AS the latter
are fresher and more attractive, the aver
age tenant is Inclined to give up the old
1ingy house and go into the new building
Especially when the rental Is the same
While these uncertainties ha-ass the mind
Of the HORSEPOWER, 1t would seem that
there could be some profit gained from ex-
perience. 1t is evident that 1t Is with
In the power of the owner of q house to
keep 1t in repair and also equipped with
conveniences, so that the points of COM
Iarison with the newer buildings are re-
duced in number
iS nj I,1
owner of a house just vacated TO leave it
which every house, under such circum-
stances is liable to be in. A much better
plan. it Is urged, is to promptly clean the
wear andtear, and to place the building in
as good order as a careful tenant Is apt to
require before agreeing to sign a lease for
term of years. In this way prospective
tenants on entering the house at once get a
Favorable impression. just such an impress
zion as the freshness and cleanliness of a
new house conveys. and this in itself would
be a powerful inducement in The mind of
the ordinary house-hunter to select that
particular house.
ShOddy In House Building,
There is no doubt that a house fairly
built and kept in good order stands the
wear and tear much better than a house
ffmsily constructed and neglected by the
owner. This difference becomes more
marked in the progress of years and then
1t is found that a new house of this latter
class has Eot all the ADVANTAGES In the
minds of many who have given some at
tention t. property interests in this city
there Is a dangerous tendency in the move
ment which has resulted in putting up
rows or houses. especially those on the
long front of corner lots.
IN many instances such houses are built
more for show than for use In the course
OF a few years. they become shabby and
actually decrepid and they suffer In COM
parison with houses built at the same time,
but In less snowy manner. In other
words. 1t Is thought to be a mistake that
any enc should want to get house that
looked as IL 1t cost 10000 by paying only
5000.
UnimprOved Streets.
The recent decision of the Commissioners
with reference to the method of selecting
streets for Improvement in the future has
been the subject of considerable discus
sion. Briefly 1t will be recalled that they
propose to subordinate paving to grading,
and further the streets will be taken I'D
according to areas, marked by half mile
circles. with a center on 9Th street be-
tween d and E streets. From this point
a circle with a radius Of half mile will
be extended, and all streets that have
not been improved within that circle will
be given the first attention. After all
improvements IN that area have been made
the circle Will be extended half a mile
further, and 80 on until the entire Dis
trict Is improved.
1t will be interesting to note that there
are 1927 miles Of uninaproved streets in
the city OF Washington alone OF this sres
number. 1854 miles are in the northwest,
e.f9 miles are In the southwest, 24.71 miles
are In the southeast, 27.51 miles are in the
northeast, and 3.12 miles are in George
town. Up to the present time the District