The Washington times., 1912-03-02
LOANS ON REALTY
AND INVESTMENTS
NEAR HALF MILLION
Activity in Capital in Febru-
ary Sets New Record
in Deeds.
BULK OF SALES IN
OUTLYING SECTIONS
Money Market Shows Large Ad-
vance in Last Week of
Month.

Investments In the purchase of and
loans on real estate reached a total of
N.5O0,000 during thR month of February.
The sum is s1,5OO,OOO short OF the figures
for January, but If the extraordinary
sale of the Arlington Hotel property be
deducted this difference Is about ebit-
Grated and the activities of the first two
months of 1912 stand about on a par.
"A decrease of a half million dollars is
shown this month from the total in-
Westments Of February. 1911, when the
digpres reached nearly $5,O00,OCO.
In the Recorder of Deeds office the
number of papers filed exceeded by 200
the number recorded in February, 1911,
and with its total recordation of 1886
papers the past month set new mark
for February in the history of the office.
AS January broke all previous records
for the initial month in the year, 1t
looks like 1912 is destined for record
smashing. A comparison of the number
of papers filed last month with the
\ number recorded in February, 1884,
shows that the figures have nearly
Ydoubled in the past eight years.
Total Transactions.
The brokers closed total of j3l
transactions during February sustain
Ing an average of twenty-five sales for
each working day of the month. There
were 1858 lots and parcels of real estate
Involved in the months business.
A slight increase Is noted this week
in the result of the efforts of the brok-
ers, as shown by the closing of 13J
transactions as compared with 13l sales
consummated in the preceding week.
"a total of 397 lots and parcels of realty
was involved In the sales of the week.
an increase of more than 100 lots over
the volume of trading of the preceding
week.
The lions share of the weeks sales
was in the outlying suburban sections,
where 25S parcels changed owners out
of the weeks total of 397 lots sold. The
near-urban district ranked second, with
sixty-four lots to its credit. Within the
city proper the northwest led with
tifty-two lots conveyed, followed by the
southeast with eleven lots sold. There
were ten lots transferred in the north
east, and two in the southwest.
Largest Sale of Week.
Tie chief sale of the week involN ed
cash transaction of 100000. Melvin
Behrends counted out this sum in 81 ZOO
notes when he settled with r. Percy
Myers trustee, under a court sale, for
premises 720, 100 and 724 Seventh stI Get
northwest. Mr.. Behrends occupies two
of the stores. and will take over the
other as soon as improvements are
made.
The next most important sale If the
week was the acquisition ny the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company of l2,0J0
feet of ground at the corner of Four
Ieenth ard G streets northwest from
the estate OF Caleb c. Willard. The
land fronts 1O feet On Fcurtc"nth street
and extends from the corner OF c street
10 the cCmpany'S plant. the COnSidera
tion rHnCd IN the deed is hOminal but
the property !s assessed at $IO,@9, which
is considered but little more than half
Its value.
Other business property figuring in the
weeks record included premises &C."
Ninth street northwest bought by
Rufus E. Boyd from Howe Totten; store
BIO Ninth street northwest, acquired by
the Miller Brothers; and the corner of
Nineteenth street ard prnnsvlvania
avenue northwest, purchased by John
stood, wos involved iE this last named
transaction. 1t Is rumored n large offic9 ;
building will be erected on this corner
by Nr. Nolan. The property belonged
10 the estate of the late Representative
BabcoHk of Wisconsin.
Money Market.
The money market advanced 30 per
Gent this week over the figures for the
\ third week of February. The total of
loans this week was $557. DIS borrowed
on the security Of 10 lots. Thar money
dropping cf thH average interest rate
this week TO 5la per cent, being one
point lower than has prevailed for sew
eTal weeks.
The bI TX of the weeks business was
in straight loans. which reached $751;
22S.20. The building associations met in
creased demands from borrowers and
took second place with total outDut
of Sl23,150. The sum of all the notes
given for deferred purchase money was
k73,419.OS.
County owners. Hs might be eNpectrl
frcm the activity OF the sales in this
section, made the largest demands on
the money market. The total secured
on county property was S237,S70. IS.
Loans on northwest property aegre-
gated Sl99, $3.50. The record o. loans in
the other city sections shows: North
east, $72160; southeast, -$24, T5n: and
southwest $500.