Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-17
Real Estate Review Shows Steady Business

I mont to Salt Lake city. Hundreds
and thousands of mon have their fam
ilIes In Salt Lake for educational adj
yaniagos while their business interests
are situated in other sections OF tho
state
Where e was possible, a few years
ago, TO pick up favorable business To-
cation at almost any time, buyers arc
continually on the alert at the present
FOR anything offered, even on the out
skirts OF the bushes district, The gem
ulne business section OF Salt Lake can
be defined as All that region between
South Temple and Fourth South, north
and south, and between State and
Yves, Temple, cast and west. There is
some overflow ON either side on Second
South street, but the district mentions
ed Is essentially business. II Is stated
on good authority that $4,000 per front
foot was offered the past summer for
one business corner. and refused. That
Is clearly the high water mark In Salt
Lake realty prices, In residence lots
as much as $1,000 per rod has been
paid during the past year, From these
to the hundred dollar suburban lot,
with los $500 cottage, there has been
every variety OF property transferred
during the season just passed Yet, as
before stated, a close analysis OF Tho
buying and selling during the year re-
veals but little speculation. This, too.
is evidenced by the fact that the small
real estate dealer has had close pick
ing while old established and large in
stituuons With influential connections,
! have done a large business. As In pre-
yious years the expensive business and
| residence sites have chiefly fallen into
the hands Of men connected with Titan
| mines. The Bingham and Park City
c0ntingonts have been the largest In
yostors, and when any Of this crowd ac-
| Qulre property IL may be regarded as
out Of the market permanently II IL
estimated that over one-half OF the
choicest Salt Lake business property
Is now owned by mining men,
What has the Salt Lake Real Estate
association accomplished during the
year past? Have the promises and ex-
| pectatIons Of q year ago been realzedP
| Is IL permanent institution, or viii II
go the way OF It's predecessors?
ThOge are questions that naturally
| arise IN connection with a review OF
| the real estate market In answer to
these questions It may be asserted
that the association has done FAR more
than even It's most sangulne friends
could have hoped II has stopped a
goodly share Of knocking has dis
semlnated honest and reliable informa-
| ton about values. has stopped several
abuses which prevailed, has establish
ed harmony In the fraternity and has
promoted uniform usage That II would
correct every shortening or make an
gels out OF very materlalastlc men no
one expected. During the summer.
when real estate Ia Invariably most
quiet, the association got up the larg-
est and most successful excursion to
| Saltair that Utah has ever known. In
stead OF applying the profits 10 a fine
building for Itself or for settling COR
poratOn debts, the association opened
| a bureau OF information for the collec-
ton OF statistics, gathering OF exhibits
and exploitation Of Utahs resources.
Manifestly, this Is for the benefit Of the
| property owner rather than the agent,
! yet the bulk Of the expense from tho
start fell to the Real Estate assOcia-
| ton
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
Another direction IN which the as-
| ISOLATION has made itself felt has been
In the promotion OF public improve
ments To the initiative OF It's mem
bers do we owe the large extension OF
the sidewalk districts, the paving OF
business streets and tho movement
| started for increasing the water sup
| ply. While the Commercial club has
looked more directly 20 the mercantile
interests, the Real Estate association
has applied Itself 10 the problems con-
nected with taxation, public improve
ments, the granting Of franchises and
the regulation OF public utilities In this
! connection not a small part OF the as
| sociatl0ns success has been due to It's
/ cool-headed progressive, energetic
/ president j, w. Houston. Il is an as
ISOLATION which In its very nature needs
| careful management and intelligent dl-
rection. This rs president and direc-
| tors have furnished. A number OF the
! members, working together, have con-
summated several large deals which in
. NtfNNAio etNilf NhhlN nave NttN uudDlt
! 10 handle successfully.
As 10 the coming year all Indications
| point TO increased activity higher
! prices and continued improvement. IL
Denver Kansas City or Omaha were
| on the eve OF the completion Of a new
| transcontlnental railroad 4 would be in
| a frenzy Of excitement, and the pos
| siblllties Of new business from such a
| source would be proclaimed every day
| IN the year. But Salt Lake Is as lg-
norant OF the way Il IL growing as
| l2-year-od boy is OF his growth. We
! don't wonder at our new business
| blocks and our scores upon scores OF
now residences, and our superb new
| public buIldIngs-they are Just a part
Of the "of course" development. Just
think OF the great federal building,
the spacious Y NJ. G.. A. building. tho
| costly Lafayette school and the Pack
ard library all In one yeor-and a com.
munity that don't onthuse over H. but
expects as much more or better to come
along next year, Truly, we don't com
prehend what a big Justly strong,
growing community we are-nOt even
IA