Evening star., 1922-07-22

Outlining coming conditions in the
real estate field. Roger w. Babson.
adviser to some of the country's
leading business executives. today is
sued a statement urging the purchase
of suburban property before it is
too late"
The big movements in real estate
usually get well under way" says
Mr.. Babson, before any one realizes
what is going on" Because they
most people think it will always con-
tinue So This is why the original
holder seldom makes any pro1t from
real estate The value is so close to
his nose that he does not see it.
"A fundamental change in real
it has proceeded quietly without
much publicity. Few people have re-
allied it, The fact is that people
are moving to the country. A rev
wise heads have discovered the bar
gains in country homes and they are
quietly buying up all the land they
want for themselves and as much
more as they can carry for a specuia-
ton.
Advises Buying mt Once.
MY advice to those who want sub
urban real estate is to buy at once.
For the past decade or more people
have been crowding to the cities.
Now. however. a reverse movement 10
the country is beginning which prom
ises to be the greatest shifting IN
population since the institution or
the railroad. Within the next ten
or more years the building of sub
urban homes should rival the growth
of the automobile, good roads, the
movies phouoSraph or radio.
N
sible the suburban movement. A few
years ago country homes were
limited to the rich or to those en-
ployed in the country. because only
such people could afford means or
Transportation Now automobiles have
come within reach of the great mid
die class of people. They are in
creasing at the rate of more than
Il million a year. Ten years ago tnere
were 100000 passenger automobiies
in the United States. Today there are
about 10000, 900. which is an average
of one car to about every ten people.
They are bringing new and better
roads and opening up millions OF acres
of hitherto inaccessible land. The
more cars purchased. the more fami-
lies there are who can have a sub
urban home. even though the bread
winner must work in the city. Wage
earners during the last period of
prosperity spent their money for
motor cars; in the next period of
prosperity they Will buy country
homes.
The motion picture has put the
local town hall on par with the city
theater. The motor truck is giving
the rural or suburban dweller nearly
the same freight and express facili-
ties as has the city. Motor bus lines
are covering routes which never could
be served by trolley cars. Auto
mobiles are bringing the schoolhouses
and the village to within a few
minutes of the country home. Chain
stores are carrying to every commu-
nifty the same efficient merchandising
as the city dweller enjoys. Last but
not least. the radio. especially II de-
yeloped on Gen. SQuire's wired basis
gives to suburban homes the finest
city lectures and music.
Reasons for Expansion.
THE reason for suburban expansion
however. is not alone the attraction
of country home. In the cities con-
gestion of dwelling house space and
high rents have long been brewing
discomfort. For more than five years
now these conditions have existed.
Rebellion on the part of the rent
payer is. reaching the point OF ex-
plosion. Almost any kind of change
age city worker realizes that with
few hundred dollars and f1ivver he
can get a house OF his own with all
the land he needs. the chances are
two to one he will move. :,
The city no longer has wall
around II. Railroads make the first
breach, but the railroads opened up
only narrow strips along their lines
radiating from the city. In most
cases the railroads followed the val
levs and lowlands. which are not the
best building location. Between
these lines are miles Of land much
more desirable for building but which
have been inaccessible to the COM
mufer because men had no means OF