Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-21
A Profitable Return Upon Property
for Investment Purposes,
PROGRESS IN SEWER EXTENSION PLAN
Improvements in Several Sections
of the District.
v A R 10 U S M Frs

The upward tendency of values In real
estate is attested by a good many exam
pies, and no doubt they would be as
whole more impressive to the average mind
If they showed sudden and remarkable
jumps. While there are instances of for
tunes being made in real estate in the
course of comparatively brief time, yet
after all, such instances do not by any
means represent the average experience in
this OF in any other line of business. There
Is something theatrical in quick turns, and
when they occur much are made of them
and they are frequently mentioned in real
estate circles The gradual accumulation
of money through profitable Investments.
while substantial enough, has not the
glamour about it that insures 1t the main
place In the attention of the public for any
length of time. An instance of what NAV
be termed a rather common experience is
told by j. Eakin Gadsby, real estate broker
About ten years ago he sold a book Of ten
lots on Georgetown Heights for 60 cents
per square foot. Since then he has sold the
same property on an average of nearly
once each year, and each transaction show
ed an advance In the price of cents per
foot. The last sale he made the price was
81 per foot. The only feature about this
series of transactions which Is unusual is
the frequency of the sales of one piece of
property.
No Tenement Sections.
One of the features of the building regu-
lations of the District is the provision
which is made in various sections to guard
against the tendency, which is a perfectly
natural one in view of the prices which
are sometimes paid for land, to get out of
the land all that is possible In many cases
| those who are planning improvements think
the only way Is to occupy most of the
| ground. In this view the larger the build
| ing and the smaller the lot so much great
| er will be the return upon the money in
| vested.
1t is the prevailing opinion, however as
| SHOWN by the building regulations, not only
| in this District, but in many cities of the
| country, that considerations of public
| health are of higher Importance than the
| financial benefit of the individual property
| owner, even granting that buildings of this
| sort are in the end profitable. For this rea.
| son the regulations here require that there
snail be left space between the rear of a
building and the back line of the lot, II is
also forbidden to erect dwellings in ailevs
| OF less than thirty feet wide, so that 1T is
| impossible to have narrow courts lined
| with tenements, a situation which has beer
shown to be productive of disease and Grim,
| in other cities.
Climate and Architecture.
IT, however. there was no other con
sideration that that of the climate tha
/
Of the policy Of wide streets and abundan
space, which has prevailed here since the
foundation Of the city.
While the heat of the summer Is not al
| excessive as some people seem to imagine
| and as the general reputation of the cit,
| as a summer residence place would seen
| to imply, yet the winter season Is com
| paratively a short one and mild weather
| prevails here for the greater part Of tn,
| year. 1t Is wise to recognize this climati,
condition both in selecting location for
| home and in planning one.
In many instances too little regard Il
paid to the local situation. and houses tina
are comfortable in some respects as a win
ter home are not desirable as a place t,
live in during the summer. 1t is mis-
take, for example, not to provide an ali
space between the roof and the upper floor
and 1t is also bad arrangement to hay
the interiors SO designed that it Is impos
sible to get a direct circulation Of al
through the house. There is no doubt tina
il In these comparatively minor detail
| houses were built with due regard to tn
local requirements this city, in the opinion
Of n greater number of persons than a
| present, would be a very pleasant place Il
| spend the hot season. Certainly the charm
of the city during the earlier portion of tn
season is generally conceded, and Their
would hardly be q dissenting voice upol