San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-11-24
BUYING A HOUSE.
Some Difficulties of the IpstaIInaent
Plan.

Just how much good one may geto
of installment purchasing depends upon
circumstances, 1t is the easiest thing
i'll the world TO start in on an INSTALL
ment basis, but much more difficult
one to keep up the payments. and have
everything run smoothly until the pur-
chase money is all handed over. AS
general proposition, if one buys prop
erty with the house already built. a
price which would by the ordinary pur-
chaser be regarded as very high must
be paid for it. If lot is bought and
house is PIT up, there are many dis
couragements. good deal of aggrava-
ton, and more or less extra expense
attending it's construction. 1t is. how
build house than to purchase the place
ready for occupancy.
OF course, it is claimed that people
who put up blocks of houses. such as
they are, can build them for very much
less than the individual who undertakes
but the one job. That this is true in
some particulars and with some persons
no one will dispute, but at the same time
ii must be admitted that it is not only a
satisfaction to build ones own home.
but that, if the householder has time
and good sense, good deal of money
may be saved by it. One great trouble
is that people will not give themselves
the bother to study up on the require
ments of building. 1t is very much
easier to turn the job over to some one
who processes great things and takes
the chances with results.
1t is not at all beyond the capabilities
of the average person to understand
just how much material is needed for
a house and in what shape it should be
used. This information gained, and
house-building is shorn of many of its
breads and expenses.
One practical man with very little
money and good deal of brains and
good sense, managed by hard pulling
to get together enough money to buy a
lot. Then, when this was paid for. he
borrowed money from one of the
worthy building associations, one that
does not require the pound of flesh with
all that it involves. He got bids for the
excavating and foundation walls of his
house, studied up on mason work and
E1ortar until he knew when he had a
good job, then kept strict watch over
the materials that were used; the result
was that he had a splendid foundation
on which to place his dwelling. A frame
house was then erected, the man him
self purchasing most of the lumber and
holding the carpenter to strict account
for its use. He knew to an exactness
what ought. to be put into the building
end, after making allowance for de-
cent margin of waste, found himself
the possessor of home that had cost
about thee-fourths of the sum est:
mated by contractors. and it was built
in an infinitely better fashion than or
binary contract work. Several hundred
dollars saved in this way were put into
extra improvements both inside and
outside of the house. His INDECENT
neighbor who declared that it was too
much bother to investigate all those
things lived to regret his carelessness
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and one that cost him much more than
that of his friend.
1t is possible, if one chooses, to make
little money go great way with the
aid of a good building association. But
this help to the poor man must be
stripped of some of its extortionate de
Inands in order to meet the necessities
of those it processes most to benefit
One feature of these associations is
susceptible of great improvement.
There should be no question of the sub
scriber's ability to get the money he
needs when he most requires it. AS ii
is now, only the accumulation is sold,
and in case there are ten applicants and
only sufficient funds for two, the other
eight may go without There are build
ing associations in existence that, with
this exception, are as nearly perfect as
human intelligence can make such
things, but in this respect there is room
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