Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Significance Noted in the
Style of Houses.
QUOTATION OF LAND VALUE
Larger Dwellings and More Spacious
Sites Now Popular.
QUOTATION OF LAND VALUE
MARKET FEATURES OF YEAR
The Outlook for a Revival in Build
ing Activity Regarded as Promis-
ing by Realty Experts.

been familiar with condit.o nS in the cit V
for several years past that the style of
house which is now so popular-the main
entrance a level with the street-had
its start here some time ago and that the
present vogue is merely a revival The
reason for it's introduction here at that
time, as compared with the object to be
gained at the present time by such a
method of house arrangement illustrates
forcbly a phase in the development of the
city.
The designers of such houses at present
have in view provision for an elaborate
manner of living. whereas the same style
was tried here a number of years ago
mainly as an eNpedient for utilizing lots
with narrow frontages. With an entrance
on level with the street the staircase
can be placed about in the center of the
house. with the approach to it through
the entrance hall. On the next or first
floor the landing of the staircase will be
between the front and back rooms thus
giving both rooms the fun width of the
house. Part of this space would be taken
up by the staircase and necessary
halls If the plan of starting the staircase
from the main entrance should be fol-
lowed
Use of Narrow Lots.
in the bedroom stories. so that it is APP
parent where the building lot is narrow
one the basement plan of arrangement
is not only economical in space but also
conducive. to more comfort. There is, of
course. in most cases a loss in the en-
trance hall or reception room on the
ground floor. but that is amply made up
by The advantages gained in other por-
fjnnc of he hn,t
no doubt finally put this style of interior
house ARRANGEMENT out of commission
was the provision for the kitchen on tn,
floor below the dining ROOM instead of
adjoining that room.
Those who remember the days when
not only the basement kitchen but the
basement dining room was quite the thing
for houses in this city will no doubt be
puzzled to learn that Il downstairs kitch-
en- has fallen into disfavor; but such is
the fact. To get it on the parlor floor
means the additional expense of back
building. The economy in space of the
old-time plan of a dining room and kitch-
en- in the basement is readily perceived
but nowadays the same class OF people
who were obliged some years ago to live
. in that style of a house have homes
where the basement is given up to heat
Ing and storage purposes. with perhaps a
laundry AL the living rooms are as
rule above'the basement. and the space
lost in that part has not been regained SO
much by adding to the height of dwellings
as by increasing their depth.
Size of Building Spaces.
1t ia quite evident that land is used
more freely for houses than was former
~ the case. and certainly more so than
during the period when the narrow base
ment houses were somewhat in vogue
For by the general use of back buildings
TO Provide space for that kitchen and
dining roofn on the first floor not only
has there been an addition 10 the cost of
rile building. but wider lots are needed in
oreer 10 allow for light and air in the
AS>ar portibn
kLarser houses have taken the place Of
TIE twotstory structures which were
Hm9riyi built for general use. and yet
>in) spite lof the addional ground used and
tic added amount of building. it is re-
sarded /as possible to do. more with the
same amount of money in the way Of
puSADS- house than was the case say
Twenty years ago. Today three-story
SSr~nse containing nine or ten rooms with
large back yard. with bathroom on the
second iioor and possibly also one on The
tnlra 1ioor- can be bought for less money
than was formerly asked for "a six-room
two-sfory house.
Land Values.
This apparent change in values can no
accounted for. in part at least. by tho
improved methods of building. Rv carry
ing on the business on a large scale. with
the best management and the saving
HXnich comes from buying in Iare, tuantf-
Mes. II is possible for the profession.1
builder to do more with the Same amount
of money at this time than ever before.
1t Is also true that land values have
iaHen on. due IN nart to the widening of
the market of available property nv m.
extension of the street car tracks and the
rapid service of the electric trolley. This
chanSe is also indicated in the growing
custom of building detached and semi
detached houses as we'll as In the larger
building sites which are used
Large Prices for Sites.
Another feature of the situation which
Is noticeable is that this Iessening in land
values is not uniform. as is shown nv
the record of sales of building sites during
Inc year Just closed The prices oh
tanned for land, especially in localities
where dwellings of the larger class are
erected show instead of decreas. an
actual increase. and some of the best
prices given in recent years for house
sites were paid in that period
IN Iact the purchase of large blocks o.
ldHu IN residence localities by thosa in
tending to erect homes for their own usa
was marked characteristic of the mar
Ret during the early months of Iast wear
Al the same time a number of large
houses were either started or were in
course of erection. and this movement
taken In connection with continuation
OF the purchase of houses by peoDl, who
wanted homes. impaired to the realty
market for the first part of the wear a
degree of activity that was rather re-
markable in the light of SUBSEQUENT
events.
Building and Money.
The coming of the financial stringency,
which developed full force in the fail. was
foreshadowed to some extent by a letting
up In the building activity. owing To the
difncuity in gftting money on loans. The
cost of building materials and of labor had
reached high level but owing to the ex-
ceilent demand for houses and apartments
builders were able to cut down their
margin of profit in view of the ability TO
turn their money over rapidly, and they
reduced expenses by economies in m ethods
of handling the work of construction
When the supply of money ceased
building operations largely came TO an
end. and have not rallied up to this time
1t Is expected. however. that financial con-
ditions will continue to improve, and in
that case loanable funds will become
more abundant. When that time comes
II is the belief of those most familiar with
the market that building will be resumed