Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-01
Home Owners
BY JACK LEE.

The progress and stability of city may be deter
mined unreservedly by it's home owners. According to
business men, the city with majority of home owners
is bound to succeed. One man put it this way, Men
who their homes do not throw bombs or join
in revolutionary movements. They too busy being
good citizens to be interested in anything that does not
help in the welfare of the city.
Omaha stands we'll toward the top among the cities
of the United States in the number of homes which
owned by heads of families. From figures compiled
at the office of the register of deeds short time ago,
it was learned that there were 4l,520 families in
Omaha. Of this number 9,o99 owned their homes,
5000 lived in apartments and 1000 in flats.
This included homes which have already been paid
for and those which payments still being made.
The average cost of these homes, according to an
Omaha real estate man, may be placed at $4,000. This
shows that there is great deal of the wealth of Omaha
invested in something besides manufacturing and in
dustrial concerns
The value of home to the city is almost
boundless. 1t seades who apt to be careless
of his money, teaches judcious saving awakens per-
sonal pride, and creates feeling of power in
after he has worked hard and paid his savings for
something in which he can feel complete ownership.
Many of the homes which have been bought have
been paid for on the part payment plan In fact the
Consider the psychological effect on man who is
buying home and is conscientious about meeting all
his payments He works earnestly and diligently at his
job in order to make money to pay on his home. He
his money to buy things for the home There
awakened interest in his family He works to beau
tify his place and finds time to mngle with the idle
With the pride he feels in his own home, is born the
pride in the homes of others. He compares his home
with those of his neighbors and strives to have his
good, if not better. With that feeling comes civic
pride which in time broadens and takes in every phase
of activity.
Since men lived in caves they have wanted homes
of their own. The caveman sought out his own cave,
where he could house his family and be the boss.
The home impulse is instructive and has come down
through the years. Of course since the equality of
woman has been recognized, man has not always been
boss in his own home, but usually where you find
home ruled by the woman the payments on the house
are surer
This home instinct should be cultivated in every
young 1t should be encouraged by business men
and means should be devised whereby worthy young
family could be helped to buy and own their own
homes on plan of payment which would not be too
hard, yet not too lax thus making home owning too
easy and cheap.
1t is the striving and work one has put into any
thing that he has accomplished that really determine
the value of that which has been attained A man who
his home will take better of it. Inside
and out it will be neater.
1t is the fulfillment of the home owning instinct
that keeps alive the building and loan associations and
other organizations of such character who sell stock in
their institutions Payments these shares of stock
are merely deposits of savings which by careful and
steady accumulation and reinforced by interest in time
put the depositor in way to own his own home.
During the days Immediately following the great
war, when money plentiful and the slk shirt cpl
demc' at its height prospective home owners were
not extravagan They steadily adding to the saw
ngs already in the banks.
The first of this year, practically every building
and loan and other mutual savings organization and
every savings department in the downtown banks started
off with greater deposit of savings than had been
known in years. Officials of these various institutions
say that the savings increase is not urry but is con-
tinuing to be steady growth, which will make this
year of the best in point of savings they have
known.
Owning ones home places a responsibility on one
that not be shirked. 1t is this responsibility that
keeps the home in the right path He is settled
steady in his habits reliable aid in any insti-
tuition in which he may be employed and he has more
pride in his city, because he owns part of it.
The goal of having home should be uppernost
in every young The desire should be cultivated
and nurtured not by the land and rent sharks but by
the substantial real estate dealers and business men of
the city.
The home is very, very seldom in JAIL he is
not revolutionary and above ALL he has regard for
the property rights of others.