Evening star., 1901-06-29
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Favorable Condition of the Market in
Its Various Phases.
PURCHASES MADE BY SPECULATORS
Improvements of Various Kinds
Throughout the District.
B BUILDINGS AND LOTS

During the present season workmen will
be engaged in building house which is
to be the home in the future of Miss Julia
Magruder. who is widely known to lovers
of fiction charming story-teller. Miss
Magruder spent last winter in this city,
where she had a rented house. She de-
cided. however, to own her home, and so,
having bought lot at the southwest cor
ner Of 10th and Cincinnati streets, near the
street railroad bridge over Rock creek,
she commissioned Mr.. Waddy 3. Wood,
architect. to design house. The latter
has completed the design. which is marked
by the spirit of the early English style Of
architecture.
The exterior walls are to be finished with
pebbly dash and brick at the corners and
beam work In the tall gables. The roof is
to be low and overhanging and covered
with red tile. With the entrance on 10Th
street, which is the broad side Of the lot,
the house will be a double one, and will
therefore permit the roomy effect of
large central hall separating the main
rooms in the various stories. On the first
or parlor floor the result of this arrange
ment will be practically to make 1t posi-
BILE to throw the entire space into one
room.
On the second floor this arrangement al
lows spacious library at the front of the
house, with the central hallway and a
chamber occupying the balance of the
space. The basement will be utilized to
much advantage. In addition to the kitch-
en- there will be a servants room, with
bath, and a cold storage room.
Miss Aliens Residence.
The same architect has designed a house
which Miss Frances Lee Allen will erect
for her own use. 1t will be located on the
Adams Mill road, near Lanier avenue, look
ing south on Columbia road AS far as the
material used for the exterior walls and
the design are concerned, it will very much
resemble the row of houses by the same
designer which Is on the south side of Co
lumbia road at the corner of 18th street.
There is to be kitchen on the first floor,
and the balance of the space will be taken
up with parlor, central hall and dining
room.
The adjoining house is being built for
Miss Scott and the design was made by a
woman architect
The Care of Parkings.
The increasing care and attention given
by citizens to the lawn spaces in front Of
their houses Is an evidence of the influence
Of attractive surroundings. While these In
tervals between the front doors and the
sidewalks are in one sense the front yards
of the residences, yet the fact remains that
they are parts of the streets and belong to
the public. In the latter particular they do
not appeal to the pride of ownership. In
spite of that and also of the annual ex-
penSe of keeping the parkings In order, 1t
is rather the exception than the rule to see
one that Is allowed to lie neglected The
cost of maintaining trim, wel-kept lawn,
varying ell the way from ten feet to forty
feet long, Is, of course, appreciated by all
who have had any experience.
1t Is recognized that grass is the most
difficult crop to raise in the city, especially
when fine quality is desired. Each year
considerable sums of money are expended
by householders, and the result is that the
attractiveness Of the city streets with their
setting of trees is greatly enhanced.
Attention to Trees.
The interest In this matter Is so great
that provision is made by those leaving the
city for the summer to have their lawns
looked after In their absence. and the in
stances were householders neglect to do
SO becomes conspicuous by reason of the
contrast with the neat surroundings of
the homes of more careful residents.
Along some streets, where the shade Of the
trees Is rather dense, 1t Is more difficult to
keep the grass growing. For this reason
bare spots are seen in lawns that bear all
the marks Of being well cared for, and SO
the responsibility for these blOtcheS must
rest on the trees.
1t is possible to cure this defect by trim
ming the trees. By removing some of the
lower limbs the sunlight could gain admis-
sion to the soil near the foot Of the tree
and bring back life to the growth which
may be there This condition is specially
noticeable along such a street as Massa-
chusetts avenue, where there is a double
row Of trees, and also on streets where the
trees have attained large proportions. In
these cases 1t is thought that If the trim
ming were judiciously done the appearance
Of the localities would be much improved.
Favorable Conditions.
The condition of the real estate market
is regarded as not only satisfactory at this
time, but promising for the future. The
season which just closed has been the best,
all things considered. that has been known
in the local market since 1893 This fact
Is shown not only by the record of trans
actions, but also by their character. Large
sums of money have been put in realty dur
ing the past six months, not for specula-
tive purposes, but mainly for homes. The
demand for houses has also been good
one, and in some sections more dwellings
have been erected and sold to people for
homes than ever before in the history OF
the market.
In the majority of cases where vacant
ground has been bought the purchasers in
tend to make some Improvement Under
the influence of these better conditions
prices have remained firm. with perhaps a
slight tendency to advance which. In some
instances, Is merely wholesome reaction
from the low figures Of the period Of de-
preston. TteHlS dlSO nave SOHucWudI bLI-
fened in spite of the fact that the house
accommodations have been enlarged by the
phenomenal increase in the number of
apartment houses. The past spring season
holds the record thus far for the number
as well as extent Of these structures which
have been built or begun.
A Promising Outlook.
The advance in prices of land and houses
has not been very appreciable, SO that there
has been no check in the revival of activ-
ity on that score. 1t is not anticipated
that there will be any marked change in
this respect as, owing to the expansion of
rapid transit facilities, the area of the city
has been much enlarged, and now people
can live five miles or more from their places
of business and yet need allow only half
an hour for the trip each way.
1t is likely that the movement of growth
outward which has been such a notable
phase of the progress of the city during the
past decade or more will continue. In this
connection close observers note tendency
toward speculative buying, and 1t is eyi-
dent that those who have money see cp-
portunities for profits in enhanced values of