Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-11
MEN WHO ERECT HOUSES
Facilities Offered Which Enlarge
Scope of Transactions.
SOME CURRENT HAPPENINGS
Various Matters of Interest That
Mark the Opening Season in
World of Realty.

II is regarded as interesting to those
who have anything at stake in this city
TO know the character OF the buying that
is now most common in the realty market.
II what is being done in that particular
comes from those who have only the
transient concern In the city of the specu-
lator. then 1t loses largely its value. GER
tainly all that arises from what is perma-
nent. There Is no question but that there
is a strain of speculation running through
the entire mass of the transactions in real
estate. Men are buying land and also
buying houses and buildings and erecting
others with the view of getting for them
selves the appreciation in values in land
or of making use of the market for build
ings of all sorts.
1t is said that men who build houses TO
sell are spectators. although that word
Is more commonly employed to describe
the business of those who buy land and
then await a rising market in order to dis
pose of II. But buying of the latter kind
forms but small part of the current bust
ness, and in that particular the market
has undergone radical change compared
with several years ago. when the main
feature was the buying and selling of lots
or blocks OF land.
Not as a Speculation.
CHlcSS a Se tract Is 10 De ACQUIRED
for subdivision purposes or a block of
land for building, there is now only little
dealing In land as such. 1t is seldom
bought with the view of holding II until
an advance comes and it can be disposed
of at a profit Land is not dealt in now
as merely land. but more from the point
OF view of its use. Unless the prospective
purchaser has some enterprise in mind of
h,,iI
of improvement. he Is not apt nowadays
10 buy land unless. of course, as stated
there is an opportunity for placing it as
subdivision on the market
Instead of lots. houses are now the fea-
ture OF the market. although there is
many a lot bought now. but as a rule by
people who intend to build. 1t is the lat
ter class that are engaged in extending
the suburbs, and they are also helped
along by men who build large number
Of houses which are adapted to meet
what are supposed to be the needs of the
market.
Day of Home Buyers.
In the case of the larger class of buyers
in the market. namely. the house buyers.
who are they? This is a question OF I'M
doubted interest and Importance to all
actively engaged in the market. and at
the same time it is enc that cannot be
would be difficult to get together the da TIA
as to who are the real estate buyers In
this market. but 1t is possible to say that
they are people who want 10 own their
own homes.
Such people are not always the new
corners. although there are many of that
class. In many instances they have lived
here perhaps good many years, and also
have had during that time a fair in
come When they take an account of
stock, as most people do some time or
other, and not always voluntarily, and
try to sum up their lives and what they
have accomplished and especially what
provision they have made for the possible
unproductive years to come. they are apt
to have a feeling of disappointment and
also of chagrin that they have not done
something which is now perfectly plain
would have been to their advantage.
But It Is Not Too Late.
Such a conclusion is almost inevitable
to those who can look back at all in the
past of the realty market and while per-
haps all such cannot claim that they
might have had fortunes. for the reason
they did not have the necessary capital
TO start with, still there are very few who
would not by this time have at least
owneu the houses they live In
This latter consideration is one that is
not at all pleasant for most men to con-
template. but they feel better when they
realize that il Is not too late, and that by
adding somewhat to the monthly payment
Of rent they can make start on the road