Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-08
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Erection of Houses in Various
Sections.
BUSINESS PROPERTY
LARGE BUILDINGS PROPOSED TO
COST LARGE SUMS.
Opportunities for Investment and How
They Are Being Improved-De-
mand for Houses.

four-story apartment house is to be
erected by John L. Warren at the north
east corner of California avenue and 18th
street. According to the plans as pre-
pared by Hunter & Bell, architects, the
new structure will have four suites on each
floor and they will consist of five rooms and
bath each. The exterior will be colonial
in design and will be attractively finished
Under the name of the California, the new
building is to be known.
Three houses will be built by J. H. Gulick
on Dartmouth street earf11th street. They
will each be three stories in height.
Car Lines and Building.
The fact that building follows street car
tracks is so well recognized here that it has
come to be commonplace, something that
Is accepted as matter of course. At the
same time, when changes are observed in
a locality, especially the increase in the
number of houses, citizens are apt to be
surprised. The causes of things are not
always carefully looked into, and even when
they are 1t is not always possible to ac-
count for such urban growth as has taken
place and is going on. 1t is well known
that sometimes lines of street cars are con-
structed and the stretches of building sites
along the line do not seem to draw the
builder. The company operates it's cars
through territory that does not always
yield sufficient return to pay the running
expenses.
The Chevy Chase line and the City and
Suburban line, not to mention others, af-
ford instances of the kind where the en-
terprise was somewhat ahead of an ade-
quate patronage This goes to show that
While the trolley can help along the de-
velopment of a section, and is absolutely
essential to such a development, it cannot
always Immediately produce it. The recent
extensions of the Connecticut avenue and
the 18th street lines have, no doubt, led to
considerable activity in building in the sec
tons which have thus been supplied with
such facilities.
New Homes Going Up.
There is some building in progress in
Ingleside, which is a subdivision at the end
or near the end of the Connecticut avenue
line. Grant street is being extended be-
tween 18th and 10th streets, and will have
an opening along the latter to Lowell street
which is the extension of Park street in
Mount Pleasant. On Grant street Mr.. ]. B.
Lackey has bought lot fifty-two feet front
and on that site he has planned to erect a
house which will have a side yard and an
abundance of light and air.
A lot of similar frontage has been Sc
cured by Mr. c. G. Sloan on the Same
block, and he intends to improve it by the
erection of a house which will not be shut
in, as is the case with the average city
home.
A house of colonial design is being built
by Mr.. F. B. Carter on Lowell street near
the corner of 18th street and opposite the
residence of Mr.. Byron Adams
residence is also being built by Mr.
James A. Twohey at the northeast corner
of 18th and Grant streets.
The Kennedy-Davis Company is building
eight three-story houses at the corner of
Grant and Joliet streets. They will each
have a frontage of twenty-five feet.
Inquiry for Business Property.
Owners of property, especially in certain
sections of the area that is supposed to
constitute the business portion of the city,
have had their attention called during the
past few weeks, with more or less fire.
quency, to the fact that there is demand
for business places. At least they have
been approached and asked what they
would take for their properties or perhaps
told that a certain amount might be Of
fered them under certain circumstances
or, more definitely, that such an offer is
actually at their disposal. Whatever the
nature of the inquiry made-and there are
all sorts, as any one knows that has had
an owner-the fact that there is any inquiry
at all is looked upon as a favorable indica-
ton of the state of the market
A certain portion of all activity of this
nature is undoubtedly due to the enterprise
of real estate brokers, who not only like
to have customers, but they are also desir-
Gus of having something to offer a Gus
toner, supposing one should turn up seek
ing an investment of that character. 1t is
of course, possible that much of what is
going on now may be merely in the nature
of getting ready for market that may
never materialize, and owners and brokers
may never get any farther than an ex-
change of views in regard to what may
turn out to be merely their personal ideas as
to the values of properties in question.
Chances forInvestment.
At the same time there III no question that
there are prospective, buyers, men who are
looking about for a chanre to invest their
money to advantages 1t is remarkable the
number of such inquiries that come into the
local market every year, And it often hap
pens they are from people whose actual
acquaintance with the city comparatively
recent. However, they perceive with clear
ness, which is frequently denied those that
have chances at closer range, much about
the present and future of property values
in this city and vicinity. all of which leads
them to place their money on the faith of
possibilities which they see here.
Men of this sort have frequently won the
most substantial prizes that have been
plucked from real estate investments here
have seen what those who live by have been
unable to make out. A local knowledge is
pretty good asset. but after all, it is we'll
to look at ones city home from as large a
point of view as possible. This is espe-
cially the case with city like Washington
where its growth keeps pace with that Of
the country, and its development, in what
ever fashion. 1t may be measured, shows the
same curving line in the upward ascent as
does that of the nation.
Enlarging the Business Section.
There is one thing that seems to be quite
certain ms far as the fxna n ajop f,f he h,,sf.