The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-04
RICHMOND REALTY

IS
There has never been a time in his
when Richmond was 80 over
DIVIDED with people and 10 under
ppited with houses in which to put
en-. This Is the opinion not only
hundreds Of people who are seek
vainly for house room here, but
2 frank confession OF realty deal
and rentals agencies which have
Zen working overtime ina desperate
Tort to I'LL the drafts made on them
r houses-houses big and little.
buses modern and those not quite SO
TO date.
The conservative idea that prevails
certain quarters, that extensive
lilding operations must be delayed
pr asfew months until there comes
reimbursement in prices Of material
hd~oost Of labor, is not shared al
Zgether by many OF the operators.
- simply 4 question with us Of
tttng busy and running UP houses,
Throwing up our hands and an
nuncing to the world that we re.
rd~ Richmond as big enough at
esswt," is the way Fl, T. Richerson
u The case 10 the Virginian yester-
Ay. We must either take caro- OF
nd house the thousands OF people
no want to come to Richmond to
nsage IN business and manufacture
Il and meet the demands Of already
ping concerns. or let them pass on
become permanent residents of
her cities along the East Atlantic
faboard, where property owners are
READY now throwing up houses and
ringing into development whole
reas that a few years ago were re-
Frdcd as Impossible properties.
We have got TO build, and little
r we have made our plans. we must
r All immense amount of 1t before
ext winter"
The scarcity of houses and tho In
sing demand for detached homes,
rtiients and flats has been taken
it~~ of by the landlords, and notice
been given agents by hundreds
them that with the new occupa-
or year, beginning Sept. l. there Is
y Nc an increase In rental rates. SO
nnaarous have been the notices serv-
n on agents by their clients that
PTS week most OF the agencies have
[r-cted letters to owners whose hush
'eN they are handling. making
Pauiry AS to the rents they will ask
pr properties in the new leases to
3e effected June I. Not one OF the
tents yesterday would undertake to
precast tho percentage of rent in
|rcasc. but il Is expected to be suffi-
fent I'd meet the added" costs in the
fsy Of upkeep,
And 1t does cost great deal more
% Keep house in shape today than
p prc-war times" said a weil-known
lealer. For instance. there was a
lime when we could send a plumber
kat On a Job at -sIpar hoar@New
PIE bill comes in around $3.50, and
fou know master plumber charges
rom the time his man leaves the
Hop to go on a job until he returns.
Again, used to have a room papered
II a cost of 25 cents a roll on tho
fall. now we are paying around Is
Ind 50 cents. The carpenter who
(Ues out TO make repairs these days
s not the So man who used to go
tut. The electrician who wires the
louAE or make corrections In faulty
FIRING system is piutocrat compar-
d 70 the wage Garner who did the
AmN job three years ago. All these
tenae add to the annual cost of house
ipkeAp, and I see no way out for
he property owners except a gen
Ifal advance tn yearly rentals"
IT is q fact that rents may go up,
nut I do not look for any unreason-
Iblc demand from house owners"
ain o. A. HAWKINS. manager of the
cal estate. department of the Rich
nond Trust Company. when asked II
10 anticipated new values to be
laued III the fcaseg june l. ----'---
"fn any event what may be charac-
erixed as high rents will not prevail
n Richmond, and there is no dispo-
ii;ion among property owners TO take
advantage OF conditions brought
bout by the war. l expect to see
usiieient advance to take care OF the
rcrcHscd cost of maintenance, but
he addition OF hundreds OF new
,cfncs which will follow upon the
educiion in price OF building ma
eriaf will lead to a general readjust-
1T -.