The Topeka state journal., 1900-04-07
REAL ESTATE.
Interviews With a Number of
Topeka Dealers.
Bright Prospects For Capital
City Property.
FEW VACANT HOUSES.
Topeka Renters Now Looking
Around For Homes.
Confidence of Eastern People in
Kansas Securities.
FEW VACANT HOUSES.

we have found a gradual improve
ment from the latter part Of 1898 up to |
this present time, an improvement |
While marked in Topeka and Shawnee |
county is no less noticeable in the |
south and north central counties of the |
state. we have sold a large number of |
farms in the north central counties, and |
great many tracts of pasture lands in
the south central counties, and sold
them at fair prices, as compared to
what they could have been sold for
three or four years ago. In the city of
Topeka, as in other towns in the state,
we notice houses ranging from $500 to
S1,600 have been in good demand, which
shows that the working men are be-
ginning to be prosperous again. While
they buy with extreme caution and de-
mand good bargains, yet they have
been ready and willing to purchase if
they found what they wanted.
THE better class of properties and
houses, ranging from $1,000 to $4,000
have not yet been sold in any great
numbers, but there is some inquiry
lately developing for even this class of
| properties The basis of value when
people make purchases now seems to
| be largely income produced. Even when
| people are buying homes, where the in
| come producing qualities would not al
! ways be considered, but where location
! and the qualification of their own wish
| eS, desiring to be surrounded by partic-
| ular friends, etc. would obtain, still the
| idea of income as a source of getting
/ at the valuation, largely prevails, but
! the rental of properties is gradually in
| creasing also, and there is evidently a
! very general improvement.
! 1.-The truth is that property in Kan
| sas IS from 20 to rs per cent cheaper
than in any other western state, if in
come producing capacity is the criter-
| ion. Gradually the people east of here
are discovering that fact, and are be-
ginning to mako inquiry, and we are re-
| ceiVing some little immigration, and as
| the advantages of Kansas are better
known, they will increase. We look for
a slow advance during this year, but
the movement increasing in momentum
all the time, and in the next two or
! three years, we think there will be a
| very decided and very rapid improve
| ment in prices. but 1t will be a good
many years before income will cease to
be the measure of values again, as it
| did during the boom.
"A great many of the people in To-
peka, especially those who work for sal
aries, have been aVailing themselves of
! the low prices at which property has
| been selling to get themselves homes,
and that desire upon their part has Gre
| ated very considerable activity. The
Iar1nS throughout the state are bring
| ing more money than they did. Kansas
| farming seems to be done upon a diff
ferent basis, and different spirit
seems to prevail. The wastefulness of
| the farming Of ten years ago has been
succeeded with more careful attention
to details The poultry products and
the dairy products and the fruit pro
uucLlOn winch were formerly ignored,
now form important elements in the eff
forts of most farmers. While the i'm
proVement proceeds very slowly, yet
there is a constant advance, and we are
very hopeful of the future"
HOUSES ALL RENTED.
T. E. Bowman & Co.: Different par
ties throughout the state are asking for
prices of lands which they have in
their charge. We are selling farms now
for which a year ago we could hardly
| offers. ic
factory prices. We are closing out
houses in small towns, placed in our
care by eastern clients who had taken
them mostly by foreclosure SUITS and
loans made by other companies The
outlook is good for 1900. There seems to
be a constant demand for all classes of
houses, and the rental list is all check
ed off at the present time, every house
F in our charge being occupied. We are
receiving letters from people in the east
+ inquiring the price of Kansas land, and
as to the prosperity of the state The
sales of loans are larger than for many
years. This indicates that eastern peo-
pie have confidence in Kansas real es-
tate securities"
WILL EXCEED ALL PREVIOUS
YEARS.
? Barnes Real Estate company: "Our
1899 business exceeds that of any pre-
? vious year in our experience. Our sales sc
: far for 1900 indicate the real estate bus
mess will be far in excess of that ot
homes at from $1,000 to $1,000, which sell
= quick for cash if in good locations We
! find some demand to buy rental proper
: ty. AS money is getting more plenty
and rents are advancing the rentals are
: better than per cent loans"
FEW VACANT HOUSES.
Benedict & Co: "Our business fol-
the last year has been active. The
e number Of sales for 1899 was forty
, eight, aggregating about $40 OO0 OuI
I ! real estate collection business amount.
ed to $4,000. Since January 1, 1900 we
/ | have sold fifteen properties. amounting
] in value to $23,350 This is exclusive
\ | of trades. There is good demand OF
= the part Of buyers, especially newcom.
Y ers. Out of 100 properties in our renta
r charge for rent there are only two va
cancies at present; that is, propertie.
for which we collect the rents. w
have listed, however, about thirty othe
rental properties which are still va
l cant. The Washburn college people 70
: whom we are agents, have instructed u
y that within fifteen days they will ad
- vance their prices on 130 lots whicl
they own. Many Topekans who hav
been renting for several years are nov
? seeking homes on the best terms the
can secure, having decided that prop
erty will be no lower. Good propert
in Topeka is surely on the upwar
grade. The number of such propertie
rs is fewer and the prices are stronger.
= OUR BUILDING BOOM
u u Topeka is experiencing a create
- amount of building right now than sh
1r has before since the boom days, an
y there is not a boom on. either. In ev
cry part of the city since spring opene
ne carpenters have been kept busy Ne
sh residences of all kinds are appearing o
er / vacant lots and in addition to thes
r | many improvements are being made
rs the way of remodeling and enlargin
y | old houses.
n The greatest amount of money ths
will be spent on any one building wi
r be on the new auditorium, the walls
a- lninh now heirsr I1iflIx ra11shnd