Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-02-24
REALTY MEN SEE MANY HOME.
LESS UNLESS HOUSES
ARE BUILT.
DEMAND FAR EXCEEDS
HOUSES OFFERED TO RENT
Heads Of Families, Unable to Rent,
Buying acknowledgements Forced
to Move But Have No Place to 60
Demand Causes Bidding and In.
creased Rentals.

What are people going to do who
will be without homes March !?
This is the question propounded by a
local real estate dealer in response
to the query from prospective
renter who asked where 'he could
find house. If the business housing
situation of this city is bad the prob
lens of housing the people is worse.
Just how serious the situation will
be March / and later in the spring
only a real esate agent may guess,
in the opinion of the agent.
Unable to rent residence property
and not desiring to build with prices
of materials at democratic attitudes,
many have bought homes and a
goodly number of these are to take
possession of their new residences
March l. With the transfer of such
properties present tenants will be
dispossessed. During the winter
many farmers have retired from
their farms and have purchased
homes in the city. With every such
purchase a family in the city Is
obliged to look for a new place to
live.
How Many Will Be Homeless?
Just how many persons will be
without homes is a question which
brings disagreement among realty
men. One said scores, another said
possibly a hundred and third de-
clares a thousand persons must be
housed whiting the next six weeks.
With the scarcity constantly in
creasing rentals have shot higher.
AS soon as it is known that house
is to be vacated there is mad
scramble of prospective buyers or
renters ready TO bid for the privilege
of moving in their goods.
An owner of small residence in
tenant, rented the place for s25 a
month. Before night ne was beseig-
ed by house hunters Offering more
money. He declared the house was
not worth more than So a month
and that it had been rented. Still
, there We're those who persisted thai
as he had not signed lease the
house might be re-let at higher
figure. The original renter, however,
got the place.
Bought Place; Ordered Out.
a landlord of different type was
the man who ordered tenant out.
after the latter had bargained 10
keep the house until April l. The
tenant held the house temporarily
having purchased home which is TO
be transferred April l. But the
landlord had an opportunity to rent
the place and insisted that the
tenant vacate at once. The tenant is
stall occupying the house and insists
on staying III &c more weeks.
Real estate agents declare there
are no houses TO De had, and as soon
as rurnor is ahUat that property is
TO be Vacat ted house hunters are on
the scene and deposition Of the lease
I is dependent largely on the one VINO
! bids the highest.
| Few Vacant Houses Unfit.
There are not a half dozen empty
J houses IN the CITY ana tLoSe lew are
/ unfit for dog kennels one agent
/ close to the situation said.
Unless houses are built at once
! this city is going TO lose some gooG
! citizens Something must be done
| TO provide living quarters. Marshall
/ town is not keeping pace with other
( cities either in the matter of business
! houses or places of residence"
! A collector for a prominent busi-
ness firm Of the city who visits every
! section of the city weekly, has care
( fully canvassed the situation, and de-
! clares there are today four vacant
houses in the town which are habit
! able and all of these are in need Of
repairs.
THE situation is so serious" de
clared a business man, that boil
the Marshalltown Club and the city
council should get on the Job ant
seek some means Of providing homes
for our peoule. The situation affords