The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-02
HOUSES IN GOOD DEMAND.
FEW DESIRABLE PROPERTIES NOW
VACANT IN SAVANNAH.


Portable Homes which Cannot he
Supplied - Large Residences aud
Cheap Houses for Negroes the
CHIEF Buildings still ON the Mar
kets-LandIords More Inclined to
Improve Their Properties and
Hold Good Tenants Than 10 Lose
Them.
Savannah has seldom known such de-
rnand for desirable houses as Is reported
by real estate agents to have ruled dur
ing the past few weeks. Hardly a house
renting from so to $50, which is in de-
sirable locality, is now offered for rent
and the number of other houses, outside
of those for the lowest class of negro ten
ants, now on the market, said to be less
than al this time in either of the past two
or three years
The calls for residence properties have
surpassed the expectations of all agents
for such buildings. With the consider
able additions to the number OF homes
owned by their occupants it was reason
able to suppose that the number of I'M
rented properties at the close of Septem-
Der would be large and it is d gratifying
sign of better conditions in Savannah
that such is not the case.
Several real estate agents handling
large numbers of houses were seen yes
terday. Some of them have been in bust
ness for many years and have charge of
hundreds of dwellings and business build
ings. All of them reported demand that
indicated either a decided increase in the
population Of Savannah or a greater pros
perity which induced people TO leave fats
and occupy houses by themselves. To the
latter cause especially was the credit
largely given for the calls for houses,
which has about exhausted the supply OF
good properties bringing q rental in the
neighborhood of SO a month.
One agent stated that if he had fifty
houses, neat comfortable and in respect
table locations, which the owners we're
willing TO lease at $50 to $500 a year, ne
believed he could guarantee tenants Tor
every one of them In fortnight lie ana
the others interviewed agreed that the
pressure of demand was on the house
renting from $40 to $50, the class of houses
which the average salaried man can at
ford to make his home in.
Savannah slim needs, the agents seemed
to think, more houses of this class con-
venient homes with five or six rooms, bath,
gas ana proper sewer cOnucCllOLis. ISehi
after year the calls for such houses in
crease, and the Inability to adequately
supply them is regarded as One reason
why many men have gone into the various
building schemes out on the commons ana
started buying homes of their own.
Large houses, those renting from $40 to
$50 or more, are not so easy to secure good
tenants for. In some instances IL has been
deemed advisable to rent them out in flats,
alteraIiOnG being necessary for that
purpose Among the poorest class of
houses those designed TO rent 10 negroes
for few dollars month and to the re-
pairing of which little attention is given,
a large number are on the market.
Attention was directed to the fact that
owners of renting properties are keeping
their buildings in better condition than in
the past. The tendency, Ii was stated by
the agents, is to keep the properties up
to improve them to a reasonable extent
and make it so that good tenants will be
induced to stay from year to year. This
disposition of landlords is said to be re-
sponsible for the decrease IN the number
of removals.
Inquiry showed that the number Of
changes of residences was smaller than in
previous years. Agents have been having
old dwellings modernized TO some extent,
putting in bath rooms, introducing gas,
papering the walls, and otherwise making
them more what the average man of to-
day demands for his home, even though he
be not paying what might be termed
high rent. Some landlords have held up
their rents in this way, giving improve
ments in lieu of a reduction in the cost
to the tenant. Agents say, and they are in
good position to know, that never before
have the people of Savannah been as well
housed as they are at the present time.
Although In the last three or four years
several hundred hOuSaS hava boar I1,,t1k
in the southern section which are occu-
pied by families who previously rented
houses, there has been no corresponding
increase in the number of unrented prop
critics. At the beginning of the hard times.
and during the year or two afterwards
there Is said to have been a considerable
doubling up of families In a desire to
reduce expenses to meet reduced incomes.
Young couples, starting out in life also
rented fats. With better times these are
branching out into homes exclusively for
themselves. This extra demand is said to
have absorbed the increased supply of the
moderate grade of houses.
Two or three years ago there was a
general reduction in rents of dwellings,
ranging from 81 TO S. a month Since
then there has been no additional drop
and the cases where there has been a
reduction of rent this season have been
isolated and due 10 some local cause which
did NOT affect the general renting value
of property, 1t does not seem to be the
impression among agents that there is
likely TO be any further reduction with
in the next few years
In the way of business buildings in good
locations there is an absolute dearth at
present. A well located store for retail
business can hardly be found unoccupied
in Savannah at this time and there seems
to be no likelihood of there being any at
an early date. This is especially true of
the down town districts, along Broughton,
Congress. Barnard and Whitaker, in the
territory where the largest stores are To-
Gated
Real estate agents look on the conditions
existing as an augury of better and brisk
er times ahead. They doubt If any city
in the South can make a better showing
in regards to renting properties than Sa>