The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-27
Many Prospective Clients Are
Being Found Among Those
Who Seek Homes.
LOOSE ENDS ARE
BEING GATHERED UP.
Half Week Holiday Welcomed
by Many Who Have Put in
Hard Years Work Even
Better Conditions Indicated.

The Christmas rush. which. divert
ed much money from real estate cham
nels. over. realty men of the city are
taking their annual holiday rest and
inctden tally are preparing for lsle big
ger business which. from all indica-
tons, looms up ahead. The coming
year. with the growing demand ON the
part Of people seeking homes. Is pre-
coded by the promise that many OF
these homeseekers will shortly be-
come the possssors of realty in the
suburbs or in the city. on which their
homes may be erected at moderate
cost Many inquiries are coming from
a distance for farm properties ana
numerous negotiations are under way.
Though the rest period provides -
total of but three days away from the
Office and from business, those three
days are welcomed on every hand and
business men will go back to their
work tomorrow ready for what may
come their way.
Bright Prospects Ahead.
Things will be slow. in all likeli-
hood In coming In their direction dur
ing the coming week, but this fact,
too. Is a welcome fact, for they all
have many loose ends to clear away
at the close of the year. The latter
part of the week is likely to produce
a number of sales of size. according
to those who nave now under way
various city business and residential
and suburban farm propositions.
The closing year has been a much
better one than the realty men a year
ago looked forward to, and men IN
this line Of business are finding salts
faction in their prospects for t1ae COM
ing year The last week was a COM
paratively quiet one, the week having
A-- Atxz1
occurrence of Christmas Most OF
the offices closed Thursday afternoon
until tomorrow morning. and no busi-
ness of note was done during the last
two and a half days. All dealing
earlier in the week was that of the
smaller purchaser, the man looking
for a home for himself Many recent
deals have been in this class. and In
dications are that home-buying Is be-
coming one of the biggest featurs not
ed on the realty market.
General Business Better.
The coming week closes a good
business year for lines other than real
estate, as witness the best holiday
trade local retail business places have
ever enjoyed, increased business ac-
tivity In many OF the trades. larger
dividends and greater clearing housa
figures. The improvement In the sit
uation Is not confined to local BUSH
ness. but It appears to be general
Improvement throughout the nation
Fifteen out of twenty Of the Lead
Ing clearing house centers in the
country this week report increases.
During recent weeks several OF tho
centers reporting have shown de-
creases. Richmond is one OF the
cities that has consistently reported
increases, and this week this city
stands third in the list OF twenty. be-
/ ing preceded only by Kansas City and
San Francisco. Richmond's increasa
was 25.4 per cent, it's total clearingo
being $9.192.000.
Bank clearings in the United States
showed comparatively small do
crease under those OF week ago, due
to the fact that the week was Of but
four days in length, but there was an
increase of more than $3.50, 100000
over the corresponding week Of last
year.