Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08

week and was offered s4.5oo for IL. He
was not especially anxious to sell IT, bus
without giving the matter much thought
accepted the offer at profit of 81 500 To-
Gay according to the sales that are taking
place In Lanier Heights, those thirteen
acres are worth about 5000 goo
Belair Heights Is another instance OF
rapid rise In real estate values In the north
west section OF the city. That was one or
the pieces OF property It was desired To
take into Rock Greek Park fifteen years
ago. II was not purchased FOR that ptfr-
pose. however, and It was sold for $500 an
acre after the park had been defined Bel
air Heights runs down to the creek IN some
portions of It, so that It is all NOT what
might be considered promising FOR sites for
homes But that property within the fas+
year has been selling at an average OF 81
foot, which gives Il an average yaTup OF
Sftoop an acre, compared with $3.50 an acre.
Tor which It was sold fifteen years ago
Apartments in Nearby Suburbs.
One interesting feature of suburban de-
velopment has been the construction OF
apartment houses on the edge Of the sub
urbs. and during the past year the popu-
larity of ventures OF this kind has been SO
great as to be encouraging TO investors.
With a quick railroad service the apart-
ment house in the suburbs gives a peculiar
combination of city converleuces together
with the luxury OF the fresh air of the
country and rural surroundings generally.
Many real estate men believe that tha
present spring will prove To- be one OF the
most active periods In the history Of the
city for the sale OF suburban real estate
because SO large number Of people have
IN one way or another become Interested In
suburban property that the public mind is
directed to II very forclbIy The suburban
nome with surrounding OF green fields a
detached house. plenty of sunlight ana air.
with the pleasures Of a garden and with AN
FY 10.
cured In suburban residences are combined
attractions that are proving Irresistible to
a very large number OF families
An evidence OF the activity in real estate
Is shown by the fact that during the month
of February the increase in the building
operations in this city over those OF the
same month last year amounted to % per
cent. In fact, in fifty-nine large cities Of
the country only sixteen showed a decrease
In building operations for February COM
pared with the same month year preYl-
ouslys
Boom is Normal.
Some of these Increases were very much
in excess Of that Of this city. but the inter-
esting feature of the washington market
Is tho fact that tie Increase is entirely nor
NAL. and in the judgment OF real estate
men Is apt to be continued. Although tho
spring has Just arrived, when the greatest
activity In building operations is about 70
begin there Is no surplus stock of brick Oh
hand In any OF the large brick yards about
the District. The fact Is, as a rule, tine
winter trade is SD slow that the brick men
have supply OF brick In order to care for
the spring business. At the present time
the demand for brick is so great that the
local brick yards VIII have to be worked 70
their full capacity If they are to provide
all that are needed The Office buildings
for the Senate and House of Representa-
tives, the buildings for the new National
Museum. for the Agricultural Department
and the union station are projects or
unusual magnitude. and each one will
quire very large amount of brick,
Not Beyond Reach.
One OF the interesting phases Of suburban
development in the northwest is the fact
that in the choicest localities where people
are seeking for homes, Just beyond the old
limits Of the city or what is now Florida
avenue, prices OF land have not advanced
beyond the reach of home-seekers. Along
all that range of hills that skirts the city
to the north and west, where there was the
greatest real estate activity fifteen years
ago. there is now constant building steady
improvement in all conditions that make
life pleasant and yet prices have remained
normal. An enormous amount of land is
still available there at prices not more than
81 a foot IN very many cases. The very
fact that there is no tendency toward in
fated prices along those sections or the
suburbs that are now getting to be part
of the city itself, in the judgment of real
estate men. insures the continued building
up of such sections. In many cases build
. Ing has, been stopped by infia ted prices OF
land, but that IS not so in these parts OF
the northwest suburbs conveniently located.
Another interesting phase of the building
beyond the old city limits Is the fact that
while there is at all times a very large
class of people who purchase new houses.
and who will neither rent nor buy n house
that is not strictly modern with all the lat
ffaF0aa
older houses all find tenants without any
appreciable lowering of the rents.
Character Of improvements.
During the past year the improvements
on the heights have been marked by the
construction Of many apartment houses,
and while residents who had established
their homes in these localities have fire.
quertly protested against the tall struc-
lures that have been put up alongside OF
them, yet the apartment house has become
recog nized as a necessary adjunct in the up
building of a great city. During the year
the activity in the construction of apart
ment houses in the northwest has been
quite as great as in any other year, and
as money is readily loaned for the con-
struction of such houses it is believed by
real estate men that buildings OF this class
win continue, especially as tenants are
readily found for all such structures.
Tie Improvement In transportatIon IS
looked upon as one. of the most import
ant inducements to the people to go into
the suburbs. 1t snot long ago that
Columbia Heights, reached only by horse
cars, looked upon as too far out for
the busy man who wanted to get home
promptly after his days work was over.
Such an objection now is not heard by
real estate men in the case of properties
they have to offer at a much greater DIS
lance than Columbia Heights.