Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Progress Made in Building Up
Entire District.
LIMITS OF THE OLD CITY
One Feature of the ome-Buying
Movement.
e+y-
SELDOM GOES TO AUCTION
Phase of the Current Market, Which
Is Not as Active as
Usual.
LIMITS OF THE OLD CITY
SELDOM GOES : TO AUCTION


own blocks of land, of large or small size
are not requesting'the surveyor to ascer-
tain the metes and bounds with the view
of turning them into building lots.
1t Is obvious to any one familiar with
the business situation Why this is so.
Owners OF property have no'u use for sur
veys of that sort just now. for the
reason that they don't want to build or
rather they can't build. IF they want to,
and everyone else is in the-s same Loaf,
and in consequence there iss no demand
for changes in property for (which sur
veys of the land might prepare the way.
Depends on Building Activity.
4 drop in activities OF that kind does not
n.san there is a stoppage merely in sub
urban development, but rather there is a
check along the entire line of building
The surveyor is called in;practica1ly when-
ever a new building is put up In order
that there may be no mistakes sabout the
lines. In the event it Is single building
that Is going up or in the case OF one or
more structures it is desired that the por-
tion of the ground should De dennltely
and accurately marked -
The city surveyor is, therefore, IN
great demand when business Is active,
and now that a period of inactivity has
set in 1t is natural to expect the erect
would be manifest in that office In this
connection it might also be noted that
subdivision does not in the majority OF
cases mean that a large tract or acre
age property is going to be divided into
!,;:ilding lots. Some people have the no
lion there is not much acreage property
eft in the District.
Still Plenty of Room.
The new map of the District which has
tust been issued confirms such an idea,
rs it shows the city blocks extended over
ne entire area. But that does not mean
lie streets and the squares of land thus
Ges!neated actually exist. for there is a
good deal of land that Is still in its
9-;zinaI packaees. so to speak The
progress toward building up the entire
District is a continuous one. and each
year adds something to the area OF the
streets and city squares, but there is
good deal to be occupied.
1t is quite evident the time when prac.
t,cally the entire territory of the District
will be built up and when there Will De
continuous buildings from the old center
of the city clear out to the District Inn.
it's is not as remote possibility as 1t
appeared to be several years ago. In
fact, 1t Is probable there is no one whose
Judgment in this respect Is of any value
who would be willing to go on record as
expressing any skepticism of the growth
of the city to that extent. a,.s. :
Old Boundaries Disappear.
1t IL easily within the range Of the
vision of most. any one. even those dim
of sight, that Washington is a growing
proposition. The old bounds Of the city
that some years ago appeared to be so
generous In the provision OF room for the
city to grow are now SO inadequate to
provide for the population that Is already
hnr hal
ago the closely built up sections OF the
city passed the imaginary boundary line
between the old municipal bounds and
that Of the old county of Washington, so
that the rising generation in many in
stances would be unable to point out with
accuracy the original city limits. ~.
Even the name has been changed, and
what was once Boundary street. binding
the entire northern border of the original
city, is now Florida avenue. In the midst
of built-up streets and with no indica-
ton that on the south side was once the
city and on the north side the country.
Property at Auction.
The sale Of property at auction has not
been such a feature of the fall season as
might have been supposed would have
teen the case. This is due to no defect
in the demand for property offered in this
way. but simply to the lack of offerings.
For one reason or another the amount of
property that has been advertised for sale
at auction has not been as large as was
the case last season. or at least that is
the experience of some of the auctioneers
Of the city.
On the other hand they have found that
when such sales have been undertaken
the demand has proved to De good and
he prices better than was the case last
year at this time AS rule, auction
sales are looked upon by most people as
forced sales, or at the most sales ordered
oy the court in settlement of some estate.
This view does not take into account the
property holders who avail themselves vol
lntarily of this method of finding pur-
chaser for their holdings.
Not a Signal Of Distress.
They find that it is good way of dis
posing Of property, for general attention
s attracted to the sale, and the attend
ince not only of bargain hunters Is in
bured, but also Of investors. There Is one
thing about realty holdings in this city,
and that is what is known as forced sales
ire infreauent. 1t does not seem to mat
Ter how narrow the money market be-
comes, or what the condition OF business,
she owners of real estate always appear
10 be able to hold on SO that the req nag
Of the auctioneer as signal of distress is
seldom in front of property In this city.
The explanation is not found in the
TACT that property owners here are
irawn from the ranks of the well-to-do,
rs in fact quite the contrary is the case.
This is especially true of the accessions to
he ranks of realty owners in recent
fearss and during the period when home
buying has been such a feature of the
market. Thousands of houses have been
buf1t and sold. and the purchasers in the
great majority OF instances have been
people of limited means who have been
lble to gather together a few hundred
lollars to make the first payment on their
ZONES, and the balance of the money Is
lue in the form of monthly or other
aotes.
Home Buyer Reliable.
II Is seldom when a man starts on the
Dad that is going to make him the owner
u his home that he encounters failure
md he is compelled to see his house sold
iver his head In some way the payments
ire kept up. and when the prevalence OF
he custom in this city OF buying homes on
he installment plan in considered II
must be looked upon as rather remarkable
hat Instead os its being a weak placs
the market il is on the contrary an
dement, of strength.
IL is that consideration which gives not
My stability to the market but lends
Huch an impulse to the building of houses
or sale. The market Is so good that
builders are able to make quick sales and
urn over their money rapidly. and for
h in sir 70 sail