Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22


plete nor expensive; but their scope is
clearly defined in the contract. With |
reputable, responsible dealers, there is no |
fear that the contracts will not be car |
ried out.
The purchaser pays in the end for the
improvements, of course; their cost is
included in the purchase price. but he |
what he is getting
Sometimes the subdivisions are |
"opened" with an excursion, a band of
music and even a free lunch, but these
savor somewhat of boom times and are
usually dispensed with In the event that |
the tracts are outside the city limits free
tickets are given prospective purchasers, |
a practice that has given many two
bit junket to persons and families that
never intended to purchase a lot
1t is really amazing how fast the new
subdivisions, if they are reasonably close |
In and with corresponding advantages, |
are built up. Usually there are building
restrictions ranging from $1,000 up some
of the more aristocratic tracts having a
minimum of $4,000.
One great help to the rapid building and
settling up Of the new subdivisions has
been the excellent electric street car eys-
TENS, which are constantly being extend |
ed and which have annihiiated both time
and distance. The accompanying ilius.
trations show the class OF houses built
in the new tracts.
Nowhere else in the country are the
principle and practice OF owning ones
own home carried SO far as In Los AM
geles and It's suburbs The favorable
climate has much to do with producing
this result. but the real estate man has
assisted nature in no small degree.
In many cases a lot coating from $500
to $500 can be purchased for $50 down
and $40 month; and the "easy terms"
so frequently exploited In the faai
estate advertisements do not stop here.
Within the past three years theHss ads
of lots have been sold In the suburbs
of Los Angeles for one dollar dawn
and one dollar a week, with T6 iRtaf=
est to pay at that These tFasta aFs; af
course, farther out than the RigRsf
priced ones. and they do not have the
expensive street improvements whtSR
make the latter attractive. Bit tiia
trolley lines which EridirSn I56s Ans
seles and the surrounding esHnties
for "A distance of from fftssn Ia Afty
miles have made them easily RsssssiRis.
and the wori<ingman has ssiFsd uHan
the opportunity to own his own iaf9s;
to an extent that Is little short af
marvellous.
He pays from SIS to $3.50 or 5000 for
his lot and Immediately proceeds to-
build. if he has money or credit. Re-
member, this is Southern California,
where little fertilization against cold
and ice and snow is required. The
home may be a large tent, and it is
surprising how comfortable and attrao-
tive a tent home in the Land of Sum
shine may be made, or it may be a
humble frame dwelling erected at n
cost of from 5000 to $500. However
humble 1t is home. a place where land
lords cease from troubling. There are
weekly or monthly payments to be
made to be sure. but the man who pays
them has something besides his tenancy
to show for them. Several thriving
little communities have been built up
on tracts sold on the dollar a week
plan. and it's feasibility has been thor
oughly established OF course the
plan could not be carried out SO we'll
in colder climate, so far as building
is concerned, or where the trolley has
not made time and distance minor fac
tors. One thing that should be mem
toned is that the regulation size of
lots is 50x150 feet. though some tracts
are divided into forty-foot lots.
In not few cases the tract owners
will build homes for purchasers of lots
on quarterly or monthly payments.
Another interesting phase of suburban
home making Is the sale of small tracts
ranging from one-half acre to five acres
for chicken ranches. vegetable and flower
growing. Poultry raising is profitable
industry for those who understand the
business. and it appeals strongly to those
who desire light out-of-door employment,
and to those who wish their home to
help make their living. There are sew
eral such tracts within easy access OF
Los Angeles, possessing graded streets,
piped water and other urban facilities.
In some cases the tract owner will build
chicken ranches for those who purchase
lots, and the acreage. like the city and
suburban lots, can be purchased on very
easy terms. \.
In brief, everything is done which will
induce the investor. the homeseeker and
the wage-earner to buy lots and build
homes. Indeed, Lit is oftener harder to
refrain from buying than 1t is to buy.
AS has already been remarked. 1t is es-
sential that common serse and good
judgment be used in the requirement of
real estate; but it is fact that the ease
with which homeAmaling is carried on
M Los Angeles has been an important
factor in its rapid growth. On the other
hand the real estate dealer could not
swing the enormous capital necessary to
carry on the sale Of subdivisions in town
lots If the increase in population was
not large and permanent.
49,