Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-17
Real estate as an investment"

| rear estate as an eStment."
| This topic has been discussed from a
greater variety of angles, possibly, than
any other In that field of finance with
| which the great body Of the people are
I brought into contact. It was taken up
directly at the recent meeting in Min
| neapolis of the National Association of
Real Estate Exchanges, and A. II. Fred
| erick. one OF the leading brokers of st.
Louis, read paper in which he empha-
sized many Of the strongest points Of
fered by real estate investments as con-
trasted with other forms of securities.
| In part Mr.. Frederick said:
The question Of the safe investment of
! money always has been a troublesome as
we'll as difficult one. Whenever an in
vestment is presented the questions nat
urally are asked, Is it safe? and is it
profitable? Usually where one of these
features predominates the other is lack
ing.
| U. S. Bonds Produce Small Returns.
| For instance money invested in United
| States bonds has the element of safety to
the greatest possible extent but 1t is the
| least profitable sort of an investment.
On the other hand. money invested in
stocks and bonds, in options and mar
gins in grain may possibly produce the
largest profit, but 1t carries with 1t the
greatest possible risk Safety and profit
| always are desirable, and consequently
| are sought after by those who have money
| to invest.
Tho business of the merchant and
| manufactures IL constantly subject to loss
and many times to only q small profit.
Statistics show that only q small per-
| centage OF those who enter into CONNER
| ciai life are successful, and the sands of
! time are strewn with the wrecks of those
| who have invested their hard-earned
! money in business enterprises. Only d
| few, compared to the large number who
| invest their money In this way, survive
| all Of the vicissitudes that befall them.
| Real Estate Offers Both Elements.
| Real estate offers both of the desirable
| elemepts-safety and profit. Money In
vested in real estate Is safe and 1t does
produce Professionalism very great
| profits. The foundation Of our wealth is
| In real estate. and all Of the great for
! tunes Of the world have been made by
| those who persistently and constantly in
| vested their all in this way.
| "Evefy large city In the United States
Rs had men who by investing their
money in real estate have become inde-
pendently rich. There is perhaps no better
example Of this than that of John Jacob
Aston OF New York and his descendants.
When he came to New York in 17s2 the
| city consisted Of $4,000 people. Aston set
aside his Income for Investment in real
| estate. Before he died his estate was
worth $2U,OOO,VOO William B. Astor. mis-
son. followed the Old mans ,postuIates
and added piece by piece to his real estate
holdings, and thereby increased the estate
until he was worth S45,OOO.OOO. John
Jacob Aston III went ON with similar
plans and left $7o.O0O.OO0 to his posterity.'
70 give you an example Of what pront
the Aston family has made in real estate,
1t is said that they bought 100 acres on
the Harlem river, near High BRIDGE in
1883, for the sum Of $3OO.0U. They sold
twenty acres of it a few years afterward
for $3OoOOO and refused $3,OO0.OUO for the
ha lance.