Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22

SUBDIVISION
PROVIDING HOMES FOR MULTI
NTuDEs
BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS IN
SUBURBS
How II Has Encouraged Los Angeles
to erow and How 1t Has Eneour-
aged Home Lovers to
Come

The growth of Los Angeles in popula-
ton and building has for several years!
been more rapid than that of any other
city Of it's class In the United States.
This rapid growth has evolved several
phases of expansion more or less peculiar
to the city, and of these none is more
remarkable or more interesting than the
tract, subdivision or addition. as 1t is
variously called.
Twenty thousand souls are added to
the permanent population of Los Angeles
every year. These must have homes
A large proportion have sums Of money
ranging from a few hundred dollars to
many thousands for investment Those
who do not own their own homes, or at
least one lot, are eager to become land
owners because increase in value has
made the ownership Of real estate more
profitable than any other one form OF
investment. always providing the invest
ment is made with wisdom and good
Judgment. Twenty-dollar gold pieces are
not buried in every town and suburban
lot, any representations to the contrary
notwithstanding.
This explanation, though 1t may sound
like q verse from the siren song of Boom,
is based upon actual conditions and is
necessary in view of what is to come
While the subdivision plan is by no
means p6CulldI " LOS <AliBOiSS NiSA4Sf -
where else is 1t carried to such perfec-
ton. In most cities, particularly in the
east, when the growth makes encroach-
ing demands upon the outlying districts
tract of land may be divided into lots
and streets and sold off to homeseekers
and investors. Few If any improvements
are made. Building goes on as rapidly
as may be, and when the locality Is
sufficiently settled up in the opinion OF
| ~ 10 mr. iS u19da for grad
ed streets, sidewalks and curbs, city
water, lighting, street railway facilities
and other evidences of urban ripening.
The people get these essentials sooner
or later, usually later. Public utility
companies are slow to respond unless
they can see profit for themselves. They
do not pretend to serve the public from
purely philanthropical motives. On the
other hand, 1t Is hard to secure con-
certed, sustained action on the part OF
the people In sentence. the improve
ments mentioned are hard to get ana
slow in coming to the outlying sections OF
the average city.
1t is not so In Los Angeles, where the
subdivision plan has been carried to its
greatest perfection. That the plan Is both
popular and profitable is shown bJ the
| fact that no less than 1000 additions TO
the city and county of Los Angeles have
been recorded within the last two years
| Now, as to the plan itself, which Is
| fathered, fostered and carried to its log
ical conclusion by the lively, enterprising
and ubiquitous real estate agent, who has
become such an important factor IN the
business activities of the city
+, The first move is to secure eligible, con-
Yenient acreage, on car line or con-
venient to one or more, or directly IN
| the path of that progress which will
| soon bring the coveted transportation Ia
cilities. 1t may be inside acreage that
has been held for an advance in price
but nearly all such land has long ago
been swallowed by the city's growth.
| More often 1t is the property OF the
rancher, dairyman or vineyardist who for
years has lived the simple country lire
almost within sound of the urban roar
but never a part of 1t. Suddenly he is
overtaken and finds that his acreage is
wanted for subdivision purposes ana tnat
he is no longer a mere suburban quantity.
The price he receives-anywhere from SoOo
to $4,000 an acre, according to locaton-s
far beyond his most sanguine dreams OF
former days Many a rancher and dairy
man has been made comfortably well or
with the price received by him for acre
age that had afforded him but modest
living,
The real estate man may have pur-
chased the acreage himself, or in compa-
ny WITH one OF more OIHer uSdlelS, VI ~"
may have formed a syndicate to acquire,
improve and dispose of 1t. The first step
is to get 1t surveyed, laid out and stakeu
into town lots. If it be a large tract there
will very likely be a boulevard or even
small park, The survey must be filed
with the city or county engineer and ac-
cepted by the city council or county board
of supervisors before any lots may be
legally sold; but there Is nothing to pre-
vent lots from being reserved by the pay
ment of a small deposit until such time as
1t may be legally acquired, and In the
case of especially desirable tracts many
lots are primarily disposed of upon this
basis.
Street improvements come next. In
some cases these, are put in before the
tract is placed ON the market, but usu-
ally the real estate man begins to sell
lots as soon as the plat is accepted, Civ
ing the purchaser contract binding the
seller to execute the mprovements--to
grade streets, sometimes to roll and oil
hen, g ~ = c0sasEs vF5iA5 anu vurDs
and to pipe water to each lot. In many
subdivisions the improvements are as