The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-29
HOUSE HUNTERS DEMANDS.
Some Of the Human Peculiarities
the Grand Forks Agent Has
Become Accustomed To.

o 9 8 Q g . . o 8 o 9 o o o o o O o
There are several varieties of house
hunters which might have been cast
in the same mold, to Judge from their
resemblance to each other. There is
the young married couple in search
of their first house. who are excess
sively self-conscious and blush fur
iously when the agent points out the
beauties of the new porcelain bath tub.
There is the sharp-featured boarding
house keeper. who bitterly deplores
the waste of space in the halls, where
the insertion of partitions would have
made little closets in which to stow
away boarders. And there is the bust
ness-like, middle aged couple, who
are experts at the fame. who never
enthuse over the advantages of the
house, and who sniff suspiciously and
make semi-audible remarks about de-
fective plumbing for the purpose of
attaining concessions on some point
or other connected with the residence.
All these have SO many peculiarities
in common that an experienced agent
handles them easily, and has we'll
defined line of conduct for each.
In seeking a home the first objec-
ton is generally the location. If the
location Is satisfactory. there is GER
tain to be something wrong with the
arrangement of the house. If both
house and location are suitable ther>
the neighbors. And the house hunter
generally has to make up his or her
mind to accept unpleasantness in one
or the other of these respects.
The fact is that it is almost impos-
sible to secure satisfactory house
soon becomes patent to the house.
keeper.
The real estate agent has his trials
and tribulations, the most grievous of
which is,of course, the defaulting ten
ant. Then the evaporation of find
ing the woodwork scratched or the
bathtub cracked when the tenant
vacates, would stir up unchristain
thoughts in any mans mind.
The question of Objectionable ten
ants is point which has to be weigh
ed very carefully. and is another cross
which the agent has to bear. A house
will not only lose its value if rented
to a certain class of persons, but will
also depreciate the value of the sur
rounding property. The occupancy
of house by clairvoyants or persons
practicing similar professions will al
most invariably spoil it's renting value
afterwards. Many persons Will refuse
to rent a house after it has been &C.
cupied by doctor on account of
their fear of infection. while a house
once rented as a boarding house is
seldom used again as private resi-
dence unless its advantages are eX-
ceptional. One agent asserts that the
renter really has the best of the bar
gain in securing home. as he can see
for himself exactly what drawbacks
or advantages the place possesses, and
if he fails to notice some drawback
1t Is his own fault. As to the agent
he must always be to a certain extent
in the dark as to the merits or de-
merits of n tenant until he learns by
experience.
The relation between the house
agent and the renter is generally
somewhat strained, and If there is any
defect in the house of which the renter
is ignorant at the time of signing the
lease, the agent experiences the SEN
sation of living over live volcano
where an explosion is momentarily ex-
pected. At the best of times. their
relations resemble those which exist
in household where both Irish and
negro servants are employed. And
this state of affairs will doubtless
continue so long as there are houses
to rentand people to fill them.
The house hunter of today heaves a
sigh and thinks wistfully of the days
gone by, when there were no such
things as plumbing, gas or furnaces
in houses, and three great stumbling
blocks OF today did not. in conse-