The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-16
HOUSES NEEDED.
Scarcity of Homes in Topeka
for Rent.
Agencies Can Not Meet the Con-
slant Demand.
A GOOD INVESTMENT
Tenanted Properties Bring in a
Steady Income.
Even Small Cottages Are in
Great Demand.
1 GOOD INVESTMENT

Houses for rent are at this time and
have been for several months back one
of the most profitable financial invest
ments to be made in Topeka. The only
complaint of the real estate agents is
that they have not more houses to let.
The man owning unimproved real estate
is besieged with demands that he build
houses upon it. 1t is far easier to rent
a house than to sell a piece of ground
for building purposes.
Contrary to the general and natural
supposition that the present situation is
the direct result of the flood most of
the real estate agents say that this con-
dition prevailed for months before the
flood which put most of the rented
houses in North Topeka out of use for
time. The flood naturally made the
demand for houses on the south side
somewhat greater, temporarily at least,
but that excess is gradually lessening.
w. S. Bergundthal said this morning
that he believed the North Topeka rent
ers would all be back in North Topeka
inside of the next sixty days.
The house building that has been go
ing on in Topeka steadily during the
last two years, and more has been
principally done by people who intend
ed to live in the houses they built.
There has been no dimfnution in the
number of the renting population, which
has, if anything, been on the increase.
A number of real estate agents were
called on this morning to give opinions
regarding the situation.
Louis Strauss, of the Strauss agency,
said: I'VE are short of houses to rent
and 1 think everyone else is, too, just
now. The inhabitants of North Topeka
are being taken care of on this side and
greatly increases the demand for resi-
dence rentals. There has been a strong
call for rented houses all spring but of
course it is greater now than ever"
w. S. Bergundthal: Il don't know
Ihat the situation is particularly alarm
ing. There are few houses to let There
on this side. but these viii be back in
side the next sixty days. They are
leaving this side already"
E. 4. Roudebush said: Houses for
rent have been scarce all this year. We
had difficulty in supplying the demand
before the flood and as far back as last
winter. Houses for renting are GER
tainly good investments at the present
time and have been for a good while
back. / see no reason why they will
not continue to be for a good while to
come"
At the c. NJ. Noble real estate agency
the statement was made that rented
houses are in very great demand at this
time and have been for long while,
that most of the building being done in
the residence districts is by persons who
are building for themselves so that the
supply of available properties for rent
is not increasing rapidly.
Harry Barnes of the Barnes real es-
tate agency said: THE flood filled the
empty houses on the south side of the
river with people driven from their
homes in North Topeka. although there
were only a very few houses not occu-
pied before that. But the call for houses
to rent on the part of strangers who
have just moved into town is greater
than ever"