Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-13
fewer VACANT HOUSES
THIS SEASON THAN USUAL
Unrented Properties Are Mainly Old
s and Without Attractive Mod
crn improvements.
MANY NEW APARTMENT HOUSES
Real Estate Agents Discuss Condi-
tons Affecting Markct-Car Re-
routing to Help North and South
sitlcs-Suburban Property Active.

~ lions Affecting Markct-Car Re
rs routing to Help North and South
sitlcs-Suburban Property Active
~ With the approach of September
r. Rchmond's annual moving day. iher
L is no greater number of vacant house
!, in the city, In comparisoa with tn
Il development of Richmond during tn
IL past year. than there was nj this tim
II year ago. according TO statement
y made yesterday by leading real estate
. agents. although many new house!
- have been erected during the past fe"
= months. During the early sprinG
Is months building operations, cspeciali,
= for modern homes and apartment
Il houses, were unusually heavy. and this
a has reacted TO q certain degree on the
z real estate business.
The agents said yesterday that the
"a Number Of notices they had received
!, June /, advising that the tenants
u would change their quarters September
q /, was not unduly heavy. The state
S ment was made BY q well-known agent
& however. that OF this number fully 80
: per cent merely gave notice for the
( purpose Of securing certain improve
{ ments desired 20 the properties. Fully
.s per cent he said probably will move
IL they can find more desirable loea-
lions. while the remaining IS per cent
I will change their quarters.
II has been known IN realty circles
for some time, and. in fact word has
gone forth 10 the owners, that extern
sive repairs and improvements must
be made TO certain properties Il ;he
houses are 10 compete with the later
ones that are now bei-r erected. In
many cases tbs handwriting on the
wall has nct been needed. and. as
result older houses will probably re-
main vacant this year unless they are
placed II ;he best OF condition.
STEADY IMPROVEMENT
IN LIVING CONDITIONS
For ;h+ pas; three years there has
been steady Improvement n the liv-
Ing conditions Of Richmond. making
great demand To- ihe most improved
homes Apartment; houses have he
come popular y Ire ci,y, and many
more are planned 70. erection Kills Igil.
The coaveniences OF :he average apart
nent are far greater than the average
detached rental house, even though the
same rate IN many cases IS charged
Within the past few months there have
been numerous apartments erected,
and there are some half dozen hand
some structures of this kind already
planned for erection this fall. The
average cost of these buildings VIII
! be about s25,0o0. providing the best OF
living quarters for eight to ten fanai-
lies.
So far as closing up leases for Sap
TENDER, several of the agents yester-
! day reported that during the past ten
days they had been very busy. In July
/ there was little or no business OF this
! kind, tho tenants delaying renting un-
( til the last moment. But with only two
1 weeks before the first of the month
I tho rental business is heavy. Last
i week several of tho agents closed moro
leases than they did during the entire
month of July, and still greater ac-
: tvity Is expected this week
GROWTH OF SUBURBs
b ALMOST PHENOMENAL
~ The growth and development OF
Richinonds suburbs Is almost phe-
nomena! and with the improved street
3 car service that Will be provided by
a the rerouting of TWO crosstown lines.
iaciiitleS VIII be greatly enlarged and
the agents anticipate still greater
speed IN the development OF these SEQ
/ .iohs. This is especially true of the
'..,,orthsiue' where, in many sections
there Is not q vacant house
The far West End is lust ON m.
threshold OF development, but is be-
ing he4d up by certain improvements
TO be made by the Richmond, Frcdcr-
icksburg and Potomac Railroad and
the city. just as soon as this work
Is completed, which will be in the ncrt
&c" months, direct thoroughfares will
De opened through extensive properties
and viii permit of great DEVELOPMENT
seFeral new sections We're opened in
the past rev months on the Nor,hside
ana these have been quickly disposed
OIL building operations in these sub
arc EXTENSIVE also, and many
new homes are being erected
From scports In realty circles and
from Information furnished by archi-
tects' the indications are that building
'hls raj Will he unusually heavy. The
most encouraging feature, however 10
me fact that in these conte,nplated
operations there arc many corauercial
.IutuFes ana several Office buildings,
representing large expenditures
NEW OFFICE BUILDING
AT SMITH AND GRACE
., IL was reported In building ciroics
mat plans are being COMPLETED for
the new Office building at the norm
east corner OF sixth and Grace Street.
ana mat this project will 20 forward
iate IN the IAN. early next sprInr
-a'chNects are also preparing plans for
scNei1i apartment houses and for mum
crous residences
The following expressions wera made
Yesterday 10 The I!mes-Dispa,cb hv
leading agents; 'S
ELAN &; Funsten said:
ne dcNt!opncnt OF the suburbs
Spe"h" ti Nht.t. and al that anyone
. mas To co Is 10 look over th,m for
themselves Many now houses are be-
',s esectea. some OF them within a
very snort time, and there Is al,nos,
CONTINUOUS au!ld!nG being done in
shcse sections The number OF vacant
houses IN ne City is not any greater,
CONSIDERING the extensive building dur.
ing the spring. than there was al mi.
{ time last year '''
inc many new apartments have
{ hht"rai!y hurt nc rental Of other nrn,,.
cries TO ccr-a!n extent. but the va
M M, houses GU, are mostly old properties.
Heh'ehccs mus; remain vncan, ,,ul,ss
repairs are made. for the renter Of
3 these days demands all the la,.s, con.
y venienoes IL house. Whl, ,nar>.
people have delayed renting houses
there is far less number o., 49,.
= houses IN me city than there was %
y fEHOTT1NG OF STREET cans
s 10 HELP NORTH AND South
The rerouting of certain street q -,