The San Francisco call., 1907-02-02
Business Sites in
Demand Among
Local Buyers

obtained a. lease or the main corner
store In the building to be erected on
the Blythe block at Geary street and
Grant avenue, many real estate men
believe that Geary street will become
one of the most prominent retail shop
ping thoreugnfares In the city. The
people renting places on the Geary
street side, it is alleged, have no long
leases, so there will be no delay in be-
ginning construction of the building
at that corner. The Blythe block has
frontage of 1856. on Geary, 2T5 on \
Grant avenue, 401z ON OFarreIl and
2S3% on Market.
The: Blythe block will be on the
most approved plans and will be an
ornament to the city. 1t will be. the
first time that this block, which is one
of the most advantageously situated in
San Francisco, will be built up entirely
with high structures, and will no doubt
attract a. superior class of stores. The
fears that were entertained that the
present temporary structures would be
there for many years seem now to
have been .groundless.
NOT MODERATE IN DEMANDS
The real estate, market has been
somewhat dull during the week and
men engaged in the business attribute
the cause to the inclemency of the
weather. There is still another class
who are complaining of the policy of
realty owners who persist in placing
the same valuation on their property
as they did before the fire, and also
Of those who ask bigger prices for
their vacant. holdings than when they.
were covered with fine buildings.
1T is useless to- argue with these
people, said real estate man. They
have taken into their heads the notion
that their property has increased in
value, and nothing can induce them to
be reasonable. There would be a good
many. more sales if people would only
be fair in their demands. For in :
stance, there is a person in the city:
who was anxious to sell his land. In
fact money was badly needed, but the
owner insisted on asking. just 10 per
cent and IL per cent more for the land
than it was worth before the disaster.
The excuse was that the losses had
been heavy by. the fire and that some
thing must be done to get even. What
was the result? There were no sales.
Then reason entered the mans head,
a fair. price was fixed and a sale was
made at once. This demanding more:
than the property was worth before
the fire. has just had diametrically the
opposite effect than was anticipated
Buyers now are offering about 10 and
IL per cent less than what they expect.
to give, and in some instances am
convinced they will win out. 1t does
not seem possible to me or to any one
else, not property. owner. that values
have so Increased by 10, IL and 20 per
cent since the fire as to make a. man
ask more. for bare Land than when it
had a. six or. an eight story building
on it. In my opinion. and in the opin-
ion of many of the dealers, 1t seems
childish on the part of owners to
think they can carry their point"
HOTELS AND APARTMENTS
There is good ground for entertain
ing the belief that within a short time
there will be a. general reduction in
rents. A great many lodging houses,
apartment houses. and private hotels are
being opened in the residential districts,
which ali. means that the congestion in
private houses will be relieved and that
rents will be lowered The owners of
private houses have reaped, since the
fire, a golden harvest in the way of
renting rooms; and one fiat, 1t is said.
which was rented for something like
$35 a month, has been made to produce,
since May, in the neighborhood of 5000
a month. A good renting business was
done in offices in private houses, but
these are gradually being deserted, as
large: Office buildings are opening up.
down town. Eddy. street looks well:
now, and there is more than one private
hotel which will shortly be start
ed on. that street The first hotel there
to open up for business in perma-.
nent structure is the. Hotel Hamlfn on
the corner of Eddy and Leavenworth
streets. It is modern house and is.
well suited for either transients or
permanent boarders. There are also.
some apartment houses on this street
which are ready for business, which all
means that San Franciscans will soon.
be comfortably settled and have all
those 1uxuries to which they:were ac
customed before the fire.
:. The regeneration of Polk street is
one of the marvels of the city. The
same markets and stores that were on
this street before the. fire have been
duplicated, and w. Bradbury has re-
built the Hotel Bradbury on iexactly
the same plans. AS far as can be. seen
now there: will be no change in the
stores on that street. The men who did
business ON that highway have every
confidence in it's future and have all
gone back to their old locations, and
with the extension of the electric street
car line they assert that Polk will be
one Of the most prosperous of business
streets.
WILL SELL 900 LOTS
Parkside is attracting the attention
of people who are desirous of pur-
chasing a home In the suburbs. and G.
H. Umbsen & Co. announce the early
sale of 900 lots west of Thirty-fr
avenue and south Of T street. The
property is laid out beautifully. There
has been no expense spared in orna-
menting the place. 1t is well. lighted
and has an abundant water supply and
the promoters have made arrangements
for a speedy street car service to and
from the city. Parkside promises to be
among the choicest of the suburban
districts in San Francisco.
There has been steady rise in Rich
mond values, and lots which could have
been purchased for $3.50 one month
ago are now held at $500. There is
also a big demand for Mission street
property, especially between Sixteenth
and Twenty-sixth streets, and the same
Is noticeable at the foot of Van Ness
avenue. Several inquiries have been
made lately for warehouse lots on Bay
street. All the purchasers demand is
that the lots be not too far away from
Fort Mason.
1t was mentioned in these columns
some melths ago, on the authority Of
real estate man, that San Francisco