The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-20
VIRGINIA FARMS
IN GREAT DEMAND
Real Estate Agents Report One
of Best Weeks of
Year.
MANY BUYERS COME
FROM THE FAR WEST
Vacation Period Causes Dizziness
in City Sales, But Demand
for Property to Rent is
Enormous.


parativeiy few sales of city property
during the past week. the spirits OF
the various real estate dealers are
kept more than buoyant by the stead
lily increasing number of customers
desiring to rent. This applies, OF
course only 40 tnose dealers who con-
line their operations Almost exclusive
~ TO property within the municipal
limits. Dealers IA iarm lands are
Jubilsnt In practically every in
stance comes the report that the
week just ending has been one of the
most successful OF the year.
This state Of affairs, despite its con-
trast TO the temporary inactivity re-
garding city property. is easily 10 be
accounted Tor. There has been but
little demand for the later from a
buying and setting standpoint because
Inc average Richmonder possessed of
means enough to buy. is taking a
vacation He does not wish TO talk
business one way or the other.
ON the other hand. in most of the
sales recorded during the week, the
buyer OF farms has been an out-of-
town resident. lie too. 80 far as his
own locality is concerned. is on a
vacation, but he uses that period OF
recreation in coming 10 Richmond to
inspect properties which he has seen
advertised. And in goodly majority
Of instances these visitors turn out To
DE customers, and good customers.
Rains Factor.
The inactivity in the local market
has really been no more pronounced
during the past week than has been
the case for several weeks. Business
has unquestionably been dull Even
had the coming back" period been
on the verge Of setting in however
IL would have been ut least delayed by
the intermittent rains which have
swept Richmond SO many times dur
Ing the past seven days.
There has been little or 40 chance
10 show property to its best advantage
and when such Is the case il is diff
cult 10 make a sale. Appearances
count for much in the real estate
mans business. and knowing this, the
wise dealer has not even attempted 10
take his prospective customer to the
spot he hoped to sell him.
On the other hand. however. a num-
her or good prospects" have been
lined up. and when the vacation season
ends these Will be seen, and proba bly,
he induced to help swell the total
profits of the local concerns.
Even though there have been few
sales, the activity OF the demand for
btusGs 10 rent mas more IMAM COM
pensated the agents According TO
member of the firm OF Green Il Rsdd
IL Is not improbable that there will be
less than score OF vacant houses On
September !, Many people are NOV
Ing. but these, OF course. must have
new quarters. The houses and apart
ments they vacats. too. are rarely al
lowed to remain Unbiased for more
than few days. Ii has been neces-
ys sEot.k
tanning list of house which may be
leased several times at all tina offices
engaged in this business, and the clerks
are kept busy drawing up rental
agreements,
Demand 10 Even.
There seems 10 be "a remarkable
evenness between demand for apart
ments and for houses. During the
early part of the week there was little
call for anything save apartments.
: Throughout the last three days. how
ever. the demand has veered and GUS
toners have wanted houses. Those
who wanted the former in almost
every instance were young married
couples. Those who wished the latter
were more settled couples, not infre-
Quentfy with several children.
The apartments and houses which
have met with the most popular de-
nand have rented for $500 or $500 an
nually. Such rental suits the purse
Of the average salarfed man. There
has. however, been no lack In the de-
mand for more expensive homes, and
apartments renting as high as 81, 1000
annually have been leased during the
pas week.
ME demand for farms. as already
stxted. has been unusually active.
Tracts of land containing anywhere
from SO to 1900 acres have been sold
by the Wilds Land Company. by r. b.
GhHffiu & Co., and by GasEefman & Co,
and others. The last named firm has
put through fouh sales within the past
week. the largest Of these being q
700 acre farm in Powhatan county,
the purchase price of which was $i2.-
000 This farm was sold to Western
man. who intends to raise sheep.
Other farms have been sold In Hen
rico and Chesterfield counties. all
bringing good prices.
In addition to the sales already
made. the dealers in farm lands are
being practically swamped with letters
Of inquiry from interested persons in
all sections OF the country. In years
gone by a. majority or these inquiries
went to dealers in property In North
and South Carolina, but more recently
Virginia farms are leaping to the fore
and are commanding almost undivided
atatention from those bent on taking
UP rural life.
Many Western Buyers.
Strangely enough, too. q majority
of these inquiries are from the far
West: Arkansas being especially we'll
represented. Those Westerners who
have already bought farms In this
State have written such glowing ac-
counts Of their success to their friends
In their former homes that the latter
seem to have become possessed OF
desire for emulation.
There Is. too, another class OF buy
ers who might be classed as business
Gentimalists. These are former resi-
dentsl OF Virginia. who have gone to
other localities andiprospered In busi-
ness. and wishing t0-retire. return to
x<s+.tinalAA an Second Page.)