The Washington times., 1905-05-28
SMALL HOUSES
IN GREAT DEMAND
ALL OVER CITY
Unusual Activity in Real
Estate Circles.
WHAT A BROKER THINKS
important Real Estate on
New York Avenue
Sold.
WHAT A BROKER THINKS

There IS unuaiStaka bic activity in the
real estate market. 1t does not mani
fest itself in exceptionally large trans
actions, or in the transfers Of unusually
valuable properties, but in the steady
sale of houses at modest prices. While
goodly proportion OF these is bought
Tor Investment purposes. the majority
OF purchases is made by homeseekers.
One broker who has been in the har-
ness for many years declares that more
really healthy business has been done
this spring than could be recorded at
any time in the last decade.
The desire TO acquire homes, SAIL
this broker. appears TO have taken
hold OF our people IN the most remark
able manner, and is especially noticeab bic
among those classes who have no very
large amounts Of money at their dis
posal- This Is all the more remark BILE
when we consider the enormous number
OF cheap apartment houses gong up in
the city. These with their centralized
eonveniences, one would think, might
appeal re men OF moderate means as
abiding places. and to their wives be-
cause of their labor-saving tendencies
But IN spite of the fact that the apart
ment houses are all rented even before
they are half finished the quest for
cheap private residences goes steadily
on
For Thrifty Men.
When I speak of cheap residences
continued the broker, II mean to in
dicate houses ranging in pr.ce from,
s5.900 TO $500 CT $1,000 Properties like
these fail within the means Of the in
dustrious and saving mechanics and
department clerks. and among these
classes will be found the majority of the
buyers. AT the same time, a good deal
OF this kind Of property is bought as in
Yestment. because a small house will
rent more readily than larger one, and
viii bring better return on the money
put into 1t than one more pretentious.
Besides the cost OF keeping such a house
IN good repair for the tenant is much
less proPorticnately. and therefore gives
the owner a good deal less trouble
Where de all the people come from
VINO ill up alike apartment houses and
private residences SO rapidly? have
taken the trouble recently TO make some
Investigations on this point and have
come TO the conclusion that they are
drawn from boarding houses and rented
rooms. This is more particularly true
OF those boarding and reona-renting es-
adjustments that arc not eIassed as
fashionable. 1t is in these that the
man OF small means has had 10 content
himself, but with cheap apartments and
houses that can be bought at reason
able prices on the monthly payment
plan. the opportunity is offered to the
thrifty man 10 become his own land
lord, or at least live more comfortably
IN fiat than it was possible for him
and his family to exist in a boarding
house. Again. 1t must not be lost sigslt
Of that Washington is growing apace.
as our latest police census shows, ana
doEiciie has 10 be found for the aug
mented population
There is. no doubt that this broker
has sized up the situation pretty ac-
curateIy. Houses that can be sold at
from $500 to So COO are going up In all
parts Of the city. and also N the sub
urban sections. In proof of which can
be cited the projected erection of some
thing Ike sixty houses In one of the
Northwestern Subdivisions.