New-York tribune., 1922-07-09
Interesting Spots in the Realty Field Caught by the Camera
Real Estate
Is Best Form
Has Pitfalls, but Not as
Many as Other Fields;
"Shyster" Builder Mar
ket's Greatest Culprit


Real estate is one Of the best forms
Of investment that may be found any
where. but lie other investments 10
has its pitfalls. However, these pit
falls are not as numerous as In other
investment fields nor are they so In
trigued that II takes an expert 20 steer
clear OF them. Those who have lost IN
real estate as rule can lay the fault
% themselves. Had they exercised =
little more care In selecting the tale
might be different.
IL is in buying improved property
that most get "stung," as the phrase
goes. In buying lots people are more
or less skeptical Of their value, espe-
cially In the suburb. and study every
feature carefully before making a pur-
chase. The travelling facilities arc
looked Into, the trend Of development
is observed and the section Is looked
over several times before the deal Is
closed. For this reason the walls from
those who have invested in vacant land
are not very numerous or loud.
Or course, there are unprincipled
men in realty like in other businesses
who will use every means possible %
sell their lots, whether they be fair or
foul IL is only those who get into the
clutches Of these men that get "stung."
Buying Improved Property
II Is in buying improved property IN
the suburbs that care must be exer-
cised. There arc a lot OF men In tho
building business who should be dig
ging ditches, making caps, repairing
shoes or doing anything else other
than building houses. What they don't
know about building would take several
pages OF a newspaper 20 tell. They arc
clever enough 20 confne their opera
tions 10 the suburbs. In the cty's field
their shortcomings would soon be dis.
covered, and probably after disastrous
results.
These fellows put up a row Of houses
at time from the same design, which
In most cases Is poor one. They are
built 10 catch the eye. Anything that
Is exposed Is fairly good or is made 20
look like the real article. IL Is only by
close inspection that one sees the de-
ception. Many think they have hardwood
floors. What they really have Is an
ordinary wood treated over 10 look like
hardwood. But that makes little diff
III tNt PRICE, NNAEu - NN0Akn
TO warrant the real thing.
The rooms are laid out badly. Hero
Is the kitchen, then the dining room
and then the bedrooms and parlor.
Closets or storage places, which mean
so much 20 the appearance Of home,
arc limited Space that could be used
for this purpose is wasted because OF
the bad layout.
The aim Of the builder and his archi-
tect seems 10 center In appearance.
The apartments are given an atmos-
phere Of richness, but IL Is only an
atmosphere and nothing more. In the
dining room is a massive side board.
The women are taken up with II on
first sight. Must have cost a lot Of
money. Such fine carvings and its
hardwood, oak or mahogany. lt e1-
tends from the floor 70 the ceiling. In
the center is what looks like a genuin12
French mirror.
Appeal TO Sentiment
skirting the room are plate shelves
Of the same material. The dining
room also has beam ceiling. 10 mueh
admired by the ladies. Then hanging
down In the center Of the room Is .
gorgeous chandelier. The bedrooms
are tinted white with blue trimming,
or blue with white trimming. These
colors never fail 20 win the heart OF
the person who has lot Of sentiment
In his makeup.
On the parlor, Of course, Is given
the best ideas Of the scheming builder.
There is an arch Of lattice work, hard
wood, Of course, dividing the room into
nA
mantelpiece Is built Of the sort Of
wood that Is supposed 20 cost several
hundred dollars. II extends from tho
floor to tho ceiling, hanked by two
heavy pillars.
This is a description Of the general
run Of suburban houses. The house
looks all right, but IL is not all right, by
any means. II Is nothing more than
an imitation. II Is false alarm"
as one real estate man put Il. But the
purchaser pays well for IL. OF course,
he does not think so at first. In fact,
he thinks he has great bargain, be-
cause over on another street the same
kind Of house Is selling for 81 BOO
more. Inside OF two years Mr.. Homo
Owner or Mr.. Newlywed finds out tho
extent OF his bargain. The house on
the other street, which was built by
competent man whose reputation was
his work, he finds out was wort hS5,0O0
more than his house. He paid for
what he thought was the real thing,
but he got only an imitation. Because
OF poor construction the wind and
cold get through the walls. under tho
window eases and the badly fitting
doors, making the rooms unfit for
occupancy. The coal bill as a eonse-
quence is high. Naturally under such
conditions a tenant cannot be expected
70 remain long in such a house. This
means a depleted rent roll and plenty
Of repair bills. In the bargain house