The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-04-02
That Many to Be Built This
Spring Near Washburn.
Real Estate Men Report Great
Activity Among Buyers.
ERA OF IMPROVEMENT
More New Residences in Pros.
pect Than For Long Time.
Success of Santa Fe Extension
Means Much to City.

The movement of real estate in To-
peka this spring has been the largest
Of any spring in many years. and this is
shown by the records of the various real
estate dealers in the city.
With the opening OF spring weather
win begin a new era of building. and
one that will far surpass that of any
other year in the past decade IL the
present indications are a criterion.
We are selling a great deal of prop
erty in the southwestern portion OF the
city" said Elmer Barnes. Of the Barnes
Real Estate company, this morning
THE new building viii be mostly in this
section this spring" he said. a great
many Santa Fe men are beginning to
buy land and build nice homes on the
west side. Nearly all the houses in the
city are occupied. 1t is almost impos-
sible3 to rent desirable large modern
houses now. We have from a dozen to
two dozen calls for houses every day.
and the weather has been SO unsettled
that not nearly all who are moving
have selected new quarters yet. pre-
surge that the first few nice days will
seel vthe Office almost flooded with peo-
pie looking for houses"
E. B. Merriam, Of the T. f. Bowman
company, said: Business wish cur
company has keen Unprecedented for
this season Of the years We fiEA that
the matter of the loca ton of the Santa
Fe improvements in this city has had
a great deal to do with business. Ever
since the proposition began to look Ia
vorable prospective buyers. both those
who are making purchases as an invest
ment and those who are in the specu-
lative line, have been buying and sell
ing land and other properties at a. great
rate. Others who have been more con-
sentative have been trying to secure OPP
lions of various pieces of property.
Il presume that land values in the city
will from this spring grow rapidly
higher 1t is not unlikely that most
property will be worth IS par cept. more
a year from today than kk ts now.
I'VE have several large deals on hand
contingent upon the passage Of the bond
proposition"
j. Il. Terrence said that he had had
more inquiries from prospective buyers
this year than at any time in his ex-
peTience during the same months He
spoke enthusiastically about the growth
in the past year of the district between
Bethany and Washburn colleges. Dur
ing the past year. he said, there has
been more building in this neghborhood
than ever before Why, at one time
remember there were sixteen houses in
the course of constructor within a few
blocks Of my home. I fully anticipate
that during this year from fifty to
seventy-five residences will be built near
vVashh,lrn T7his portion of the CITY is
being rapidly filled up now The pave
ments being completed the drive into the
business portion of the city is a very
pleasant feature of living in that part
of the city,
The same story is told by all the local
real estate dealers They all tell of a
better class of residences being erected
on which the best paints are being used
and around which the grounds are being
carefully improved The fact is APP
parent that a better class of residences
and flats for rent are needed. Real
estate men are unanimous in the opinion
that small six or eight room flats IN de-
tached buildings, for the use Of two
families, could be rented as fast as
erected during the coming summer.
j. G. Holland, who has designed and
made the plans for several flats and
one that is now IN the course Of con-
struction. said: THE demand for the
rooms in long brick flats where there is
no opportunity for proper ventilation,
and where the stuffy rooms are suffO-
have in Topeka several buildings of this
nature, but they do not bring good
rents consequently they are not prop
erly kept up, and they soon become dis
reputable looking.
FLATS built in two stories, for two
families, one on each floor, in deta ched
buildings, after the summer villa style,
are in great demand. Besides giving op-
pOrtunity to work out artistic arrange
ments one may make the buildings cool
and comfortable and fit them with all
the modern conveniences1
There is a great demand for places of
this kind in Topeka and a dozen such
flats could be rented at once. I will not
be surprised to see a. number of such
buildings erected during the summer,
capitalists have begun to see that such
investments pay good dividends +"