The herald., 1898-09-08
REAL ESTATE REVIEW
COMPARATIVE FIGURES FOR THE
MONTH oFAUGUsT
FIGURES FOR SAN FRANCISCO
How the Mortgage Indebtedness
Shows Up-Local Market Firm
and Outlook Satisfactory

The real estate men have been made hap
py by the repeal Of the city license tax OK u
per month which they have hitherto been
obliged to pay for the privilege OF holding
thenselveA before the world as dealers IN
realty.
The eagerness with which this repeal has
been sought and the qualification shown at
gaining 1t is pretty good evidence OF the
general dullness of trade. The man who
can make even two or three deals in a.
month thinks nothing Of paying u tax.
but with the numerous class who see the
months slip by and no trade made. tax or
Sl2 u year Is considerable.
The fact that out Of seventy licenses
against real estate dealers issued for COL
lection last month, only thirty-six had been
returned as paid, was not favorable TO the
continuance Of the tax under present condi-
uons. Now the insurance companies who
have to pay Il a month each to the license
fund OF the city. may be heard from, de-
manddng similar repeal In their case. The
license system Of the city, in the opinion Of
Councilman Toll, needs revision. and 1t will
doubtless get 1t. II the business Of selling
real estate Is to be taxed, 1t should be
taxed on the same basis as is applied to
CtTtdlu WuOICSdic HOuSCsp WAO pay uPOh tho
amount Of their gross sales for the month.
From the tables given below, 1t will be
seen that the realty business has apparent
iy been we'll maintained this year. as against
Q similar period OF 1897. the figures stand
ing for the first eight months Of 1898 as fol-
lows: SO07 transfers, amounting to 70 1884,
es5. as against S977 transfers, amounting to
Hol0,32e for the same period OF 1897.
In the same space Of time It will be seen
that the new mortgage Indebtedness of the
county was increased for the current year
$2,225,376 over the releases filed, while for
the first eight months OF 1897 1t was In
creased $2.S77,5O2 over the amount releas sed
Comparisons with San Francisco business
are always in order. and for the month Of
August they show as follows:
TRANSFERS
San trancisco .'..'....''.'zz ~ *oso 'l5s ~
AoS A"se''' Moc;RiTiiG;.A;GiEs '"A '''''''
San Francisco ....".........242 N,Ila,Sss
Los Angeles ..;;;;;..;...;.:;' :: r, Sio'Szs
San Francisco ......"......"..222 1851 ,329
Los Angeles .".................366 bS2 ,63S
The local market continues firm, with a
rather lHCEcdoiuS ucHudHO anu SOHuc SOOu
sales Just a-bornin'. Houses are in fair
demand for cottage sizes. Lodging houses
are a drug. Stores continue In plentiful sup
ply on the leading business streets, where
the ITO Let'' signs are abundantly de-
played. The expected filing up of num-
ber Of eligible locations has not yet taken
place; but. with the changed conditions
now In force, there is quite feeling OF
satisfaction exhibited among business men
and property owners and general expecta-
t,on that everything will be filled up and
running over in the fall.
Mortgages filed for the week ending Sep
tember 9Th were SO, amounting to $42S,546
as against 81, amounting to $129, ,532 the pre-
ceding week, and 105, amounting to $1S7, ,605
the corresponding week Of last month.
Releases Of mortgages for the week end
ed September 9Th were 65. amounting to
$59,S27, as against IS, amounting to $1S6 $40
the preceding week, and So amounting to
se4,Oo4 the corresponding week Of last
month.
Transfers for the week ended September
9Th were231 in number and amounted to $176,-
S59, as against 1876, amounting to 1894, ,119 the
preceding week, and Isl, amounting to $21c,-
1868, the corresponding week of last month