The San Francisco call., 1910-01-15
ACTIVITY of Buyers in Large Deals Marks Opening Of New Yea
GOOD AGGREGATE
FOR TRANSACTIONS
Sale Involving 100000 Starts
Week, Confirming Predictions
of Increased Business

The hrst day OF the present week
wrought the announcement of a sale in
Volving 100000 Since then other
transactions that collectively make I'D
1000 aggregate have taken place. The
brokers' who have conducted the trans
actions report that the terms have been
81 'isfaetory alike to owners and to
purchasers. In way the beginning Of
Inc year fulhIIs the predictions that
nave been made for some months that
1910 would open with strong NANTES
fations OF interest in the realty situa
lion. In view Of this prompt appear
7nce OF buyers on liberal returns il is
not unreasonable to suppose that this
VIII be an active year.
In fact all the conditions are favor
able for A good year for property own
efs- No one can say that there is not
"a better outlook now than there was Al
The beginning Of 1909. yet the sales
last year Of city realty amounted TO
S38.6s9.0I2, which is an increase Of
A2.So0.000 over the total for the year
1908 and also an increase of 50. .0OO. 900
compared for the record for 1907.
The record made by the year 1909 is
therefore the highest since the fire It
is q safe prediction that the year 1910
viii surpass that Of 1903.
LARGE IMPROVEMENTS
Each week sees large improvements
started in some important part of the
city. Each of these improvements is
not only an assurance OF confidence on
The part Of holders Of realty. but also
Is an invitation to the outside to cast
IN his lot with San Francisco. In the
last six DAYS a large holding In Market
street, within a few blocks OF the ferry.
has been freed or the temporary struc-
lures that had dishgured it. and in their
place class r structure viii be
erected IS soon as possible On the
frontage Of the gore where Market and
Bush streets run together a brick
building is in construction. and Just
above that. in the north line of Bush
street. a building that is TO be II sto-
ries high and that stands Oh a lot only
20 feet wide bears testimony to the
oStiTs ted earning capacity of real es
tate in that direction.
4 brick and steel structure in Market
street, running through TO Steuart
street has 5een practically completed
The Marlborough estate is enga ged in
-recting z large brick and steel build
ing IN the south side Of Market street
~ q 2 important corner. Two large and
street, not far from East street. ST.
lnuIts neouslY more land has been
cleared up for permanent buildings in
Van Ness avenue.
IMPETUS TO GEARY STREET
The opening Of the Columbia theater
las again accentuated the trend OF
business and amusement enterprises
back toward the old centers. While
lfeary street has never until now been
e0nsidered a street for theaters the
site selected for the Columbia -theater
is very accessible from all parts of the
.ity and viii be made more so when
the Geary street line is converted into
an electric road.
A remarkable feature Of the situa-
ION is that no one considers the per-
Inanent value Of Van Ness avenue to
have been deprecated by the removal
~ stores and other business enterprises
Crom its territory. II was inevitable
that the streets between Van Ness ave-
nue. and Polk street should lose much
n their Immediate business Importance
when the wholesale removal took place
from Van Ness avenue. At the same
zine Polk street is fast resuming its
old Importance as a neighborhOod shop
ping center and the buildings that are
planned 70 be put up there are Of
better class than those that preceded
them and that were swept away by
The fire.
COLONIZATION PROJECTS
An announcement is made that one
concern is about TO open tract in the
Sacramento valley more than 50 miles
long. An Office has been opened In a
building in Montgomery street for the
sale OF 250.O00 acres in Colusas and
Glenn counties which is known as the
Kuhn -Pittsburg syndicate project
This land lies between the Sacra-
mento river and the Shasta route and
extends from Arbuckle and Colusa on
the south to Hamilton City and VIII
lows on the north. The size Of this
project has previously been alluded to-
about 50 miles Of canals and laterals
have been constructed to supply water
10 the first 1000 acres now ready for
settlers The main canal Will be 66
miles long and the laterals win even
tually measure some hundreds of miles
Real estate auctions continue to at
tract large sssemblages of persons
who are interested in the prices and
also in the indications that they afford
~ TO the popular estimates OF value.
The offerings contained in the cata-
logues Of the sales have up TO date in
cIuded mainly residences and residence
lots The bidding is reported by the
brokers to have been brisk, and the
popularity of the sales is indicated by
their continuation.
In all the brokers' Offices during the
last week inquiry has been marked;
in fact more so than at any time dur
ing a period Of months. A great deal
of attention is being paid TO the mat
ter OF fire insurance rates. Some time
20 a delegation from the San Fran
cisco real estate board conferred with
the Pacific board of fire underwriters
for the purpose of securing reductions
as measure to promote activity in
real estate deals. and also as a general
inducement TO the outsider to consider
the advisability of becoming a land
owner in San Francisco.
INSURANCE REDUCTIONS
Underwriters assured the rep
resei .Cives OF the realty board that
they would take favorable action, and
IL was expected that such result would
take place in 1909. but the expectations
Of the public were disappointed in that
regard. New representations are about
TO be made. and it is to be hoped that
they will have a favorable outcome.
There is no question that the city is
much safer from fire than it was two