Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
!. REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Interest in Property in the
Business Section.
BUYERS ARE IN EVIDENCE
importance Of the Movement to Own
Individual Homes.
THOSE WHO MAKE THE MARKET
Change In Opinion as to the signih-
canoe Attached to Such Prop
erty Holding.

Much of the current talk in reaI estate
circles relates to prospective transactions
IN business properties. There Is lack OF
proportion between what 1t Is said Is go
ting to be done and that which is actually
done, but nevertheless 1t Is looked upon as
q good sign of the market when people are
giving attention to real estate to the ex-
tent Of even talking Vabout possible pur-
chases. There Is no doubt that much IN
terest Is being manifested in what Is
known az business. property. and wnere
K can be shown there Is a chance In any
given piece to afford a suitable return upon
the money, whether. In its present state
or following improvements. 1t Is said that
there Is no dificulty about finding pur-
chasers. ~.--- ~
In that way II Is asserted consideration
Is now being given to several properties.
and while the amount OF money that WIN
be needed to swing transactions Oh the
character Is very large, still that does NOT
seem to be the Important matter. 1t In
understood that this Is the situation with
regard to the large holding at the south.
west corner of 1irh and q streets, ana II
Is not known whether any development
In the matteromay be expected in the near
future.
For Business Use.
The erection of the proposed ONCE ouilo-
ing at the northeast corner of 14th and
streets has been begun, and. according to
the terms of the contract, it Is to be COM
pIeted and ready for occupancy by the
middle Of September next 1t Is stated
that negotiations are unOer way with
firm engaged in the retail business mere
for the lease of the entire ground moor
of the new building. which will be some
eighty-four feet deep. 1t Is said the an
nual rental which Is asked Is $1O,OOo
The large office building which Is oeins
Cd nv NptrODolitaQ Bank on 10
street between and q streets IS TO De
finished early in the coming spring. WMie
the building put up by Mr.. Henry A. wa
lard on the south side OF + street between
I4rh and 18th sur. Is, and which Is also
designed for use IS office building, Is
now practically finished.
During the past week the purchase o!
the property at the southwest corner OF
18th and G streets was completed. and
the new owner. Mr.. John Mariner, IN
tends, soon as he can get possession
of the property. which will be some time
in February to erect there a building for
business purposes.
Change in Location.
Mr.. Hnliard T. Owen will about the first
of the month remove his real, estate office
from 1412 G street to s19 18th street. He
has acquired the real estate business of
Robert F. Shepard, who Is retiring, and
Is having the new place fitted up specially
for his USE The location, on 18th street
between II and I streets, is one that has
become a center for activities OF this
character. ~ .' --s--.. te., e-+ 80
Residences Leased.
The residence 1854 Massachusetts, avenue,
which was occupied last season by Mr.. j.
c. Downey will be his home for the next
few years, as he has just secured long
lease on it.
The residence 1921 New Hampshire ave-
nue. has been leased through j: Murray
Cobb to w. d. Douglass of New York city.
Buying of Homes.
The buying of houses by people who want
them for homes has been such feature
of the realty market in this city for several
years past and still continues to be. that
It naturally has attracted a good deal Of at
tention. The interest In the subject Is not
confined to the builders who are trying to
supply the demand or to the brokers who
endeavor to bring se.le. and buyef together,
but IL has wd3. kcor- II II recognized
by those " he are watching The Development
of the city as Whole that the home-puynS
movement Ii one of great significance.
The observers realize the value to any
place OF a population that to any CONSIDER
ssSle extent has either the AFFINITY or inc
desire t" own tous"s instead of renting
them. In the first place 1t Indicates some
degree Of prosperity when man passes
from the ranks Of the latter class into that
or the FORMER. w nat II perhaps Va hAOt
consequence is that 1t shows the ability to
handle to good advantage the Income which
results from the labor OF the individuai;
There Is also a degree OF self-denial ana
which the average buyer OF home Is
clIiged to exist before he can succeed
III such an U.lc~: taxing.
Desirable Glass Of Citizens.
Altogether the home-owner is looked upon
as possessing many of the qualities OF de-
sirable citizen, and therefore any increase
In the number of such peop,e lay be con-
sidered as Of much consequence In esti-
mating the future of a place and especially
its material advancement. 1t 10 not sur
prising therefoc4- tLat some attention ID
being given to the matter
The question Is asked who are those
people who are buyIng houses and where do
they come from? it Is not an easy matter
to answer such QUESTION with accuracy.
There Is no way IN which the ngures can
be gotten together. There are some isolated
facts however. which have bearing on
the subject and waic1 a-e obtained mainly
from men engaged In the business OF build
ing houses for sale who endeavor as far a.
possible to have some notion OF the buyers
and who they are In order that they may
have some guide for future operations.
The Government Employees.
One OF this class is Of the opinion that
great many employees of the government
are buying homes. He says also that they
do not as a rule take od' tntage of the offer
that is usually made N aes I)J all such
transactions Of small cash first payment
with the balance pe!able in installments
covering suite a psiiod o. time On the
contrary. such buyers generally have
large sum of money available which they
have saved up for such a purpose SO that
they are able to start on the road of home
owners to a good advantage.
1t Is not claimed that the demand for the
more expensive grade or homes which are
built for the sale market are taken by
this class But when II comes to houses
that sell for 5000 and less 1t Is said that
they are largely bought by government
employees and by men engaged in various
lines of business either proprietors of
small places or men employed In respon-
sible positions.
More House Buyers Than Usual.
1t is the belief OF this observer Of the
situation. who is actively in the market,
that the number of persons In the service
of the government who are buying their
homes. Is larger at the present time than
ever before in the history of the city. In
other words Uncle Sans employees are
putting their savings in investments In