The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-20
AUTUMN ACTIVITY
IN REALTY IS HERE
Dealers Confident That Fall
Market Will Be I'm
usually Good.
HAVE GOOD GROUNDS
FOR THEIR HOPES
Recent Busy Buying and Building
Now Under Way Point TO
Active Season.

Early autumn activity showed itself
clearly at the opening Of the week just
past In the local realty field, and after
a somewhat timid appearance on the
scene. It seemed to gain confidence
and finally to decide to stay.
Dealers are now confident that the
market this fall will be an unusually
good one. 1t is already satisfactory
10 most Of them, although the sea
son OF the year is taken into con-
sideration, when an opinion is formed
as 10 the present situation. Activity
10 an extent equal to the busiest times
Of this or the past few years has not
yet developed, of course, but the vol
ume Of business that is now flowing
through the offices indicates that later
in the fail a much larger stream Will
develop. One Of the best autumns for
several years in the real estate market
is indicated by the outlook.
Reason for Belief.
The phases of the situation that point
TO such an eventuatIon include busy
buying IN the recent past, and pres
ent and prospective purchasing. to-
gether with the remarkable building
operations that have been finished since
the opening Of the year; also those
that are now under way and those
that are planned so definitely that the
completion Of them is assured.
In all of these are included buying
OF vacant lots, private dwellings, apart
ment houses. and office buildings: also
the construction Of magnificent ediices
for the Government, OF large office
buildings for syndicated capital and of
4 Co 20 90
HES; and, finally, preparations have
been made for more Of each class Of
these buildings, the contracts for the
erection Of which will be awarded in
the near future.
Well Grounded.
II is clear. therefore, that the san
guine hopes of the dealers are nOC with
out foundation. They have been par
TALLY realized already. in fact. the ef-
feet Of such partial fulillment being
merely to create expectation Of even
better things 10 come. A peculiar Tea
ture Of this state Of affairs is that pleas
urable anticipation of the future is not
confined 10 real estate men exclusively
BY AM. means. It is being carefully fol-
lowed, as It IS even created, by the host
OF home jewellers who have located here.
portant army of people who have in
vested their funds permanently in real
estate in the District OF Columbia.
This order Of things does not prevail
IT, many other cities There are places
where the real estate dealers have
doomed" land and houses to a point
where there was a veritahle rush to
make purchases. People FASTENED for
ward with the savings of lifetime and
told the land agents. in effect: Here
are my savings Of a lifetime; please
take them from me-" Needless to say,
they were taken.
The Aftermath
once the boom" was over it hap
built; water mains were never cor
structed. and so on. And such things
happened not always on the prairie. but
happened and are happening in large
cities, where the prospect Of quick en-
hancement Of values led 70 the market
ing Of non-recIaimable land In out
skirts where habitatiOn would be poor
even for goats
In such cases the investors quickly
lost interest in their holdings and the
real estate % statesmen naturally
FASTENED to other fields and pastures
new. Sc absolutely the contrary is true
in Washington that the excellence Of
the situation here is tainted by even
emphasizing the contrast.
Outlook for Suburbs.
In this city land is limited in extent.
The greater part of residential posi-