Evening star., 1925-11-28
RY I. SYDNEY JENKINS.
OF the Louisville Real Estate Board

OF the Louisville Real Estate Board.
II cheap construction was always a
matter Of economy. no one would be
particularly affected, but I believe
that more than Is per cent Of cheap
construction or the so-called jerry
built houses constitute actual frau
because these houses are sold to peo-
pie who know nothing of constrnc-
tion and, in their anxiety to own
home Of their own. are induced by an
attractive arrangement OF longtime
monthly payments and will purchase
these properties. and think they are
getting honestly constructed houses.
The Louisville Real Estate Board
has now under consideration plan
whereby houses would be certified and
classified into various classes accord
ing to their quality and construction.
This will be explained little further
on. This plan has brought about con-
siderable interest among real estate
men and builders throughout the
country.
The conditions existing since the
great war are responsible, OF course,
for the cheap houses being buiit TO-
day. Following the war there was
an actual housing shortage in the
country and almost every one VINO
money. Encouraged by our Govern
ment, who did all 1t could to speed
up the production of houses, millions
of dollars were diverted from other
investment channels into real estate
mortgages. Life insura nee compa MES.
which had never before invested tnelr
funds in small homes, began TO oHer
this type of loan. At the same time
the general prosperity Of our country
- tn a
savings which has found investment
in real estate mortgage bonds highly
profitable, and as A result we nave
a condition of easy money, perhaps
never before experienced.
Eliminate Jerry Homes.
am Of the opinion that the cream
II off specua tive building and l be-
Heve that the building business today
is no longer an outsiders job. The
sooner we can eliminate the Jerry
builders and put the building business
hack in the hands of proper people.
the better it will be for all OF us and
the country as well.
know of no greater tragedy than
that which befalls newly married
couple anxious to start life right by
acquiring a home of their own, in
buying a cheaply constructed house.
These people who have been fortunate
enough to save $500 or 81 900 are at
tracted to one of these houses by tn.
MANY features Of modern conren-
fences they find there. The parquetry
flooring in the living room and dining
room catches their eye and they are so
delighted that they never stop TO eX-
anime the floor ioistS which support
this floor, and the built.in bathtub is
absolute proof that the plumbing job
is perfect The attractive paper on
the walls pleases their eyes, so they
never stop to wonder what sort OF
plaster is underneath. The concrete
walks and basement floor have not
been used much, consequently they
know it must be an absolutely good
concrete Job.
They never stop to see If the house
Is storm sheathed or even covered
with building paper or protected wv
Byrkit Iath and they have to wait
until the dead of Winter to find that
their under-sized furnace must be led
twice as much fuel TO warm the
frozen drafts that find their way in
from the outer walls. They haven
even taken the precaution To find out
II one of the Q by 10 bedrooms will
hold bed and a dresser at the same
time. nor did they wait for a rainy
day in order to see how much water
seeped in from the outside through
the honeycomh foundation. They
didn't know that the concrete walks
around the house We're built on filled
ground and would he cracked and
aunken after the rains next Spring:
and they never stopped to ask about
the grade of composition shingles on
the roof Of the house or to inquire if
they would continue to lay fiat after
Drawing the elements after a year or
two.
Learn by Experience.
All these things Mr.. and Mrs.
Homeowner overlooked. and the sad
part was that there are only a few
eases where they could find some
one to look at the house and advise
them on it's class of construction.
They figure out that certain month
ly payment could possibly be met by
the strictest economy. but after they
have been In the house several wears
they find by bitter experience the
thing we al know so wen. The best
is always the chea pest and the cheap-
est is always the most expen ensiVe.' -
So the '1ove-nest" turns out to be a
liability. and our young couple ave
cut their eve teeth, become hard
boiled and died-in-the wool knockers
on home owning.
The problem today Is to spread the
gospel not so much for better built
homes. but against cheaply built
homes.
How are we going to stop 1t ," Is a
pretty broad proposition. hut I belie>
the most effective method Is by cut
ting off or reducing the amount of
mortgage money loaned on this class
Of property. 1t is not fair that man
engaged in legitimate business of
building honest homes should he
penalized in the amount of money