The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-08-31
REALTORS REPORT MARKET ACTIVE;
 MANY DEALS MADE
Demand for Homes on In- crease Despite Building Activity-DivisiOn of
 Homes Suggested
By FRED CUMBUR

Unprecedented activity attended the real estate market throughout the city last week, and although confined to small buying and selling, was one of the strongest weeks thus far of the year. Not a real estate dealer in the city bu. that vouched for a good showing in the selling and renting of homes. All unite unanimously in decrying the shortage of residences in the city and say that deviation of this trouble. It was stated the first part of the month that house. holders with surplus rooms would be asked by real estate men to partition off into apartments these spare rooms and rent them.
 An appreciable number of owners have done this and have helped Iit- tie, but as one of the realtors says, It is merly drop in the bucket" The consensus of opinion of real estate deal CTS is not the renting or selling of prop erty that is their problem at this time, but getting the homes and real estate to sell.
 CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES
 
 The construction of a number of homes have been started during the past week, but small lot owners as well as the large property owners and promoters are still displaying a distinctive reserve along this line, owing to the high cost of build- ing materials.
 An example of the increased cost Of building compared with few years ago was shown in a statement of Hubbert Smith of the Smith-Throckmortor- Schultz Realty company. Two years ago a man who is not large property owner built a small apartment house in Norwood at cost of $12,000 and had had no dealings in real estate since that time. Last week, hearing of the shortage in the housing situation. he decided to build a similar apartment house in another section of the city, but found when talk ing to contractors that the same apart ment house would now cost him s23,5O0''
 I. c. Beatty of the Birmingham Realty company said Our company is build ing between 50 and 60 new residences in different sections of the city, but the housing situation is so acute that even this number of homes will be only a droI in the bucket towards alleviating the problem Business has been very brisk with us during the past week, and while wo do not wish to announce them yet, we have transacted some very nice sales"
 TRANSFER OF PROPERTY
 In commenting on real estate activi- ties for the past week and the month of August, J. B. Drake, who is connected with A. c. Montgomery, said: We have negotiated several good transfers of property this week and could not ask for better opportunities than are now offered in this field We are carrying out the Improvements announced the first part of August in Arlington Place and business in all other sections of the city where we have dealings, business is very good. We have effected the trans ing the past week."
 '"The best week of the month, and the best month of the year," was the an- nouncement made by Mosely, Henderson & Davis for last week and for August.
 HOUSING SITUATION
 In regard to the critical housing situ- ation, H. R. Terry of McConnel-Anglin- White issued the following statement: Tn April of this year we were hundreds of houses behind the demand, due to the fact that Birmingham is growing and growing rapidly. People began on April to place their application for homes for October l. In place of homes becom- ing more plentiful between April and October the situation is daily becoming more critical and if something is not done I really think there will be people on the streets for lack of houses by October. This is explained by the fact that many people have moved to Bir- mingham in the past few years. and as the government stopped building for while, the population increased faster than homes did. Many people are buying homes to protect themselves, but this only adds to the confusion as renters have to move to allow new owners to take possession The situation will rem edy itself in time. but will require at least several months. Buildings are slow ly commencing, and people are dividing the unused nooms of their homes into apartments to rent, but this will take time.'
 ''The best week in many months" is the verdict of M. P. Messer of the Mes ser Realty company. Our main busi- ness has been the sale of small homes during the past week, but We have had absolutely as much of that as we could handle. It is not so much problem of selling property these days as 1t is getting property to sell