The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-05
NO HOUSES FOR Rem
People Turned Away From
Wichita for Lack
OF PLACES TO LIVE
What Real Estate Men Say of
Rentals.

Wichita has arrived at the point whers
more houses to rent are an absolute ne
cessity.
Charles Davidson said yesterday: 'Peo-
pie are being turned away from Wichita
because they cannot find places here 10
live There is need in Wichita today OF
three hundred more houses TO rent"
This is the story you can hear on al
sides. Strangers who have come to the
city. having exhausted the rounds of the
rental agencies. go from store to store
asking il anyone knows Of a vacant
house. Citizens of Wichita are stopped
by strangers on the street and asked
this question
Although there IS no building boom on
in the resident portion Of Wichita, for
the the most part of it IS the building Of
homes. What Wichita needs is resi-
denees built to rent. If this demand is
supplied people will not have to go by the
city because they can find no place 10
live, and present rentals Will be kept
from going TO high.
Within the week three people have
wandered 20 the third floor of the Eagle
Office asking where they could obtain
houses.
The houses will pay a good interest on
the investment and there is just now
splendid opening for an investor who
viii go into this matter IF there IS no
such one, smaller investors will have to
supply the demand
For the demand is here. George K.
Spencer was asked yesterday about the
situation. He said: There are not six
available houses for rent in Wichita"
J. E. Conklin said; There has been
an appreciate advance in rents in the
last three months. 1t is now a raging
investment to build houses for rent on
cheap lots well located The number of
houses does not near equal the demand,
and 1 actually believe that there are
people who do not move here because
they cannot rent houses. Houses Of the
class worth from 500 to 1920 are badly
needed
Fred Israel said: There ara scarcely
any houses for rent. A year ago We had
about rs houses on our books. Today
We have six, and three of these are for
sale and We do not want them occupied.
1T is a fact that there are people in
the city who are living in houses with
board walls and canvas roofs There il
a man on the West Side who had to
move out on account Of his house Re ng
sold, and so he built a shanty in the alley
and is now living in it"
E. G.. Robertson of the Hartford In
vestment company: Houses are mighty
scarce. We had an ad in the Sunday
Eagle and had twelve applications the
next day We have any amount of in
quiries for houses at So a month and We
are unable to supply the demand. a good
many strangers come here and want to
buy property located between Main
street and Santa Fe avenue and south of
Murdoch avenue. We have to turn these
people down, as there is hardly a house
for sale within these limits. Snaps in this
locality are a thing Of the past. Thre
are still some snaps left and the building
of new houses is also a good invest
ment'
Stewart & Burns: I'VE could not rent
any kind Of a residence. We have not one
on our books. Cottages that would rent
for from $40 to $40 a month are a good
investment if well located
Coler Sim: 'AIl the houses that we
have charge of are occupied, and I PIE
sumo that houses are pretty scarce. But
stiu there are good many for rent. As
yet rents have not advanced to the point
where they pay a god dividend on the
investment This is especially true Of
residences Of the better class About the
best rent that is paid in the city IS Ss5.
and these houses would have 20 rent for
three OF four times this amount before
they viii pay reasonable interest"
J. F. Reese OF Reese < Co: 4 know
os many families that have moved here /
from Norwich, Conway Springsg. and I
>iowa within the last year and think /
that this proves that houses can be /
bought and rented at very reasonable /
prices. Many OF these gentlemen are /
2attIenen who have moved here 20 give 1
their children the advantage OF our pub /
lie schools.
Nearly all our houses are occupied. /
The demand for good houses exceeds he /
supply. Residences with modern i'm 4
7rovements. such as can be built for I
2 60 or $3.50, would be good paying
Investment
Daily Eagle delivered. loc per week