The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-13
BadW eatherC CutsOf Su-
&burban5 Folks, but Hurts
Not City Dealers.
GOOD SALES MADE
AND MUCH INQUIRY
Real Estate Market Decidedly
Active-Investors, While Anx-
ious to Invest, Are Cautious. I.
Holders Of Property Hold
ing Firm-Buyers Are
smilingly Conservative.

Just why Richmond real estate
agents. who seem to be wide awake
on all other subjects. will cling to
the old.timo idea OF selling and buy
Ing property right on the ground In
stead or in q "Rea1 Estate Exchange"
liz rather hard to understand. or
course, There are many deals that
need to be made that could not be
made in an exchange. because a view
OF the property may be absolutely nee
essary In some cases before the bar
gain can be closed, but In at least
as per cent. OF the trades made In
Richmond. they could Just as we'll be
concluded on the papers produced. in
Guiding maps, as upon the real dirt cx-
hibited. II there was real estate
exchange in Richmond. business would
not vary so violently. according to
weather conditions. For instance:
week before last business In all real
estate circles was decidedly active.
that did not do good business. and
tho total OF sales ran up to something
like half a million dollars.
The sun was shining all OF week
before last and there were not only
large sales, but there were very many
deals put on the string that were
more than likely to be closed within a
few days. that Is to say, during last
week. but then there came the bleak
weather. some rain. much snow and
altogether a weather condition that is
rare In Virginia in the good spring
month OF March. This unusual wealth
er ran the real estate men In their
holes and business In real estate cir
cics was practically wound up on
Wednesday afternoon. when the bad
weather showed up. Business would
not have stoppe ed had there been such
a splendid thing as a Richmond real
estate exchange. a
Good Sales, All the Same.
or course, some otfice business was
OF It, and 1t is probable that more
than quarter OF million dollars OF
realty changed hands during the
week, that Is, counting some big
deals that have been on the string for
some time and possibly have been
heretofore reported, but reached the
recording period only the past week.
In this category may be mentioned the
sale OF the Westbrook property, the
Glnter homes tcad, to New Yorker
by the name OF George Miller. This
sale has already been reported in the
local columns and the unsophisticated
local writer's allowed the real estate
agents to hoodoo them to the extent
OF making them think this property
brought 100000 or more.
Down to Cold Facts.
It did not sell for anything like
that figure. because In the nature OF
the case It was not. worth 1t. The
deed which conveys the property to
George Miller. OF New York, says the
consideration was $40 and other val-
llable concessions" One OF the real
estate agents who claims to be some
what on the inside, suggests that the
other valuable, concessions. added tc
tho $40 cash payment. would foot ur
3s550o.
This is exactly $14,5oo less than
the sane agents first report, and is
probably Just as far from the facts.
The probability is that Mr.. Miller has
taken In the Ginter place. which has
been hanging fire for a long time, at
about $4,000. and that Is about all It
Is worth. unless Mr.. Miller proposes to
cut 1t UP into a new suburb and sell
off f1fty-foot lots to actual settlers
thing he proposes to do: but nobody
knows. Mr.. Miller will be In; the city
this week, and If he knows what lie
intends to do with his new purchase
Tho reporters will in some way OF
another pump the information out ol
him. Ono real estate man says he
heard somebody say tina somebody elst
said that Miller told some body thai
llis intention was to cut the 156 acre.
up into villa sites and sell them ont
by ono to desirable neighbors and
cash: handed villa site seekers.
BiE Suburban. Deals.
Another big suburban deal. tho prin
cipal facts about which were given II
this column a week ago, Is 3still8a sub
ject Of discussion and much interest
The Hammond flower gardens. etc.
4 that We're sold to j. Scott Parrish a
The handsonaelgfgure OF 100000, in
cluded a lot OF good ground that Will
not be required In the flower busin ess
md 1t is understood that Mr.. Parrish
/ has closed this out to the Suburban
Developmont Company OF which Johl
w, McComb is present. The propert.
at once. be Ssubdividcda into eligibl
lots and the same put on tn market.
Another big suburban deal was tn
sale of tho Brookdale property to TIL
.Avondalc Land Company, a new com
pany5 that proposes to do "a great dea
OF development and building in tn
West End and In tho suburbs. JohnsT
Il aud =. II, Howe are the sales agents
who. In conjunction with Irving +
Campbell, have made the deals tha
have resulted In bringing this styaluab bl
property on the market.
a snowstorm In the middle Of tn
week necessarily cuts off business !
the suburbs-that Is to say. real estat t
business Nevertheless there was no
III a little OF activity before the ba
weather came, and tho ability
E that there II ever wa So time In tho his
tory of Richmond when tn ere was NOR
I II vigorous inquiry for home itesgln tt
beautiful suburbs su urround Ing the Git
9 beautiful Many deals for land dsolrl
homes and sites for hand some home