The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-08
Weather Conditions and
Some Other Things
Retard Business.
SOME LARGE SALES:
MANY SMALL ONES
Some of the Agents Getting Tired
of Weather Hold-Backs-Try-
ing to Overcome Ancient
Custom, but Rubber
Shoe Men Are
Still Here.

"eathcr conditions have moro to do
with the real estate business in Rich
mond. perhaps than In any other city
on the map If the weather is bad it
is foreBone conclusion that business
In tho real estate line Is to be duh, and
all OF that is due to the fact that n
majority of the real estate agents, and
the real estate dealers in little old,
solid old Richmond will persist in hold
ing OH to an old -timey custom of do
Ing the real estate business right on
tho ground, the actual ground mind
you. And 1t is the rarest thing In the
world that buyer, or a seller either,
il satisfied to make a turn in an Office
or 10 trade for things that may be
just as well depicted on the blue man
The Richmond Real Estate Exchange
has been trying to remedy this evil,
III such II may be called. but 1t has NOT
yet succeeded IN convincing the buy
ers and the sellers that the exchange
is the better place to buy and to sell,
just as a stock exchange room Is the
best place In which to buy and sell
| stocks Some OF the agents have tried
to set pace that way. but somehow
the pace won't set. For instance last
week one of the leading agencies, one
that is heart and soul with the en-
change, advertised especially. and in
! black type, that an auction sale it
would have on hand would take place
IN the exchange. This was to be a
sale under mortgage agreement. At
the last moment the man against whom
the claim was held. somewhat TO the
surprise of the agent who advertised
the sale. waltzed up to the rack,
settled the whole bill and called the
sale of. And thus 1t happened that an
exhibition sale at the exchange did not
ma terialiZe
| Must Sec the Ground.
Another agent told me this story:
| He had Il considerable deal ION tho
| string that lie had thought would ma
terialize last week. The buyer in the
! case was man we'll advanced in
| years He had seen the property to be-
bought, in fact, had been seeing it Off
and on FOR many years. and yet before
/ closing the final deal, which he had
/ almost decided upon, he insisted on
seeing 1t once again, and last Thurs
day was the day set for taking final
look at il.
| That day the weather was bad, very
pad. The snow was falling, and there
was rain and not a little OF hail and
all the like OF that. The would be
4 buyer is ccnstitutionally opposed to
! wearing rubber shoes. and without them
ON such day a. was last Thursday.
| lie was liable TO get his feet wet. lie
blandly told the real estate agent that
l under the conditions lie would let tho
| deal go by default before he would
| wear rubber shoes or take the risk OF
getting his feet wet. And thus. am
I deprived OF the privilege of reporting
Il $4,000 sale tina. miHh,
made This same agent told me OF
! TWO other deals, or smaller calare,
| that might have been made but for
the bad weather.
The Cause of 1t All.
/ This little lecture seems necessary
| To explain why business in the real
| estate realm was dun last week when
/ under all the conditions, except that or
the weather, il ought 10 have been very
/ active. AS il was. some fairly good
! business WAS done For instance tho
\ sale OF the Broad Street property
| tis? East Broad, which has already
been told about In the local columns,
| was g record breaking sale. The buy
ers OF that property are said to be out
| of-town investors, who propose when
/ they can get possession or the very
valuable ground they have bought, 20
improve the same to II large degree
| y rumor went forth that the same
parties were negotiating for the adj
| joining property. 206 North Fifth
street. Elan \. Funsten. who have this
| property I'm hand. tell me that no sale
/ mas Yet been made, and, as Il matter
/ OF fact, no figures have been set or
| even asked On the property.
| Another interesting sale OF the week
] was the ono by which Henry w. An
! dcrson becomes the owner OF the val
| liable residential property. 913 West
I Franklin street. This residence was
| owned by T.. Il. l.. Myers, and he sold
/ II to Mr.. Anderson. who will make it
! his home. Tho consideration in the
| deal was $4,000.
+! Mooretield & Blake tell oc the fol-
! Xrittss
I Grove Avenue, 10 and i5-A North
! Allen Avenue. SIPS Floyd Avenue, 500
/ North Rowland Street, 306 Minor
! Street, and 4ol West Baker Street:
| these. with several other houses and
lots. exact locations OF which are not
| given, total Sis.16:.5O
/ such other sales rs | have heard of
/ wSrc on the small order that Is TO say
I ON minor residential property. Nu-
/ fAcrous homes were bought and sold,
4 both within the city limits and out in
| the suburbs, and if all OF these sales
I were footed UP the figures would bo
! largely over $4,000. which amount,
aided 10 the figures Of the large sales
| mentioned above, would run tie fig
'res up TO something worth talking
/ about.
Farm Land Moving.
The dealers in farm properties Just
out from Richmond and out in tho
nearby counties report business Very
sine. They tell me that prospectors
| from other States have been here icok-
! ing over the situation, ard the same
has resulted in some very fine sales OF
| farming lands.
! One night last week til. members
Of tn firm of Il; l.. Schmidt x Co, OF
! 500 East Franklin Street, and all OF
! the clerical force OF the house cello
brated the anniversary OF the pro-
| grossive house by enjoying theatre
party, which WAS followed by a din
ncr Among those who gathered ut tho
| board We're T.. T. Schmidt, {. - HIT
X. ). Hudglns. Jr., y. d. Smith. IL w.