Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-09-02
TIMELY REAL ESTATE TALK
Wees Of the Renter Due to Dearth Of
Available Houses.
DEMAND FAR EXCEEDS The SUPPLY NOW
Omaha's Population Grows Faster
Than the Capacity to House Them,
Despite the Great Activity
I'm Building.

People are awful pernickety about their
houses these days" said a woman the
other day as she walked out Of a real es-
tate office. unsuccessful in an attempt to
rent a house for herself and family.
Whats the matter7' asked friend,
sympathetically.
"Well, you can't get house without
recommendations, that's ALL went to
five or six offices before / found a house
at all and when 1 did find one for rent
that was suitable the agent asked me a
hundred questions. He wanted to know
how many there were In the family and
how old each of the children were, what
kind of furniture did expect to put In the
house and would 1 ever take boarders or
allow my relatives to live with me. Then
he wanted to know where my husband
l. worked and how much his wages were and
| Il he drank chewed tobacco or stayed out
late nights. After I had answered all
| these questions to his satisfaction ne said
| could have the house II paid rent in
| advance. provided I would get a state
| fnent from a banker. lawyer or grocer to
| the effect that 1 was honest and indus
trious."
We'll, / never" said the other woman.
! his nave Deen an eXceptlOnal
| case. but the incident actually happened.
| and 1t Is true that landlords are more par
ticular than ever before about the sort OF
tenants they get. They have a right to
be, and It pays them to be, for there
seems to be about three or four families
after every house In town which is for
rent, and the landlords are In position to
| take their choice. II a man doesn't want
tenant who stays out nights he doesn't
\ need to have him, for perhaps the very
| same day another will come house seeking
who stays by his own freside after sup
per. A renter OF Omaha property in the
year 1906 has to have someone TO vouch
| for his good character and his ability to
pay or he doesn't have any house.
The realty men are making the predlc-
| ton OF a severe famine in dwelling houses
this fall. About September 10. when
gardens are a thing of the past, people in
| the city will begin to seek new locations,
and about that time also, numerous wage
| earners from the country and small towns.
attracted by the advantages OF the city. will
| begin to pour in From that date on to
the middle OF October is always the busy
| rental season. That the famine in houses
this fall will be more severe than last year,
/
knows conditions were bad enough then.
At the present time the demand for cot
| tages is much larger than can be supplied,
and when the rush is on the real estate
men will be subjected to all sorts Of wor-
ries on the subject of rentals.
Omaha needs more houses. say the realty
men. in chorus. Its population is growing
faster than houses are being built to accom-
modate IT. This year has been one OF
great building activity, houses having been
erected in ali parts OF the city in large
numbers, but It has also been a year OF
growth in all lines, and there are more
| people IN town than a year ago. when
houses were not any too numerous for the
population The demand is greatest for
modest cottages, say Ave rooms. with no
modern conyenienees but city water, the
rent being from si2 10 SIS a month. The
majority OF renters are wage earners. and
they cannot afford to pay more than this
much for a home. Houses of this sort rent
quickly. and they pay the builder as large
per cent on his investment as the more
pretentious ones
Since the Western, Real Estate Trustees
OF Boston bought the northeast corner of
Seventeenth and Capitol avenue, not long
ago. John l. McCagae OF the McCagus In
vestment company. which Is agent for the
| Boston people. has made casual inquiries
regarding the price OF several other busl-
ness corners. practically all OF them occu-
pied b. buildings. Mr.. McCague is supposed
| TO be getting line on the asking price
| OF a list of good properties with the idea
Of suggesting them to his eastern clients
! for investment AS long as the Boston
people have invested in the property by the
postoface after having been inactive I'm
Omaha property since their investments Of
the SOS. 1t is generally thought that their
purchases in this city will be numerous,
as they were in the earlier days.
Even some OF the men who were very ac-
tive In getting the postofice building at its
present location are now doubtful as to the
wisdom OF their idea One of them re-
marked a few days ago that as far as he
could see the postofiice had done nothing
to increase property values along North
| Sixteenth street. though the object In get
ting the building where Il IL was to help
I FIII.I