Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-22
HOME & GARDEN
INCREASE IN LEVIES REFLECTS
GROWING REALTY VALUES HERE
Million-Dollar Jump in Assessments Sets
Record and Gives Evidence of
Soaring Real Estate

ment and which are expected to bring
the total nearer $1,000, 900. 900.
Decisions i'm appeals from the valu
atoms set by the assessors of the Dis
trict. of course, will alter the total.
The boosts in the values assigned in
the new assessment are not to be
found in all parts of the District.
Some sections were found not to have
enjoyed growing values. and increased
assessments were not made. Boosts.
however, are to be found in points
throughout the District.
Several years ago the tax assessor
made a horizontal raise in building
values, assigning as a cause the high
cost of construction.
This year land values will receive
their greatest boost since the erection
of new buildings, costing more than
$100,000.000 will cause the same
amount to be reflected in land values.
according to the assessors office.
In other words, land values and
building values in all cities generally
are approximately the same.
Land values, however, will not be
increased with any uniform step-up
over the entire District. In some
places there is practically no change
noted-and in other places the as
sessment as finally set on July 1 next
will be several times the old assess
ment. During the last three years,
many new plots or squares of land
have been laid out and improved.
Deep ravines have been filed, hills
have been lowered. streets paved, un-
foreground improvements made and
new buildings erected-all of which
has added many times to old land
values.
hnc TIT cd Lao hot he
erection of so many hundreds of build
ings have decreased the available sites
and thereby adding value to sites
heretofore not in particular demand.
The increase In population also has
added to the value of the business
community. in the opinion of asses
sors, although sales in that section
are reported in period of quietness.
To be more explicit regarding the
increases in assessment, the North
west of the city has received a gen.
erai and rather uniform boost in valu-
alton in land assessment. The North
east, Southeast and Southwest Of the
city has been touched only in spots.
The section west of Rock Creek has
received great increases In new sub
divisions and this may be said also
of the North and Northeast. Beyond
the Anacostia River, acreage property
has been found to reflect little or no
changes, but the settlement of Ana
costa is said to have received 'some
needed attention" regarding assess
mentS.
Comparison of the 1928 fiscal year
assessment, just completed, shows
strikingly the growth over the assess
ment figures of previous years.
In 1913. for instance, the real es-
tate assessment was about $340 900 900
"a figure that would have to be multi
piled three or four times to equal the
total value set for the~192S assess
ment. The revenue raised on the 1918
assessment was $5.0O0.OO0. For 1927,
the revenue obtained through realty
assessments amounted to SIT 200, 900
and for the coming fiscal year, the
real estate tax may be nearly four
times the 1913 figure, or $4,000 900,
Continued on Eighteenth Page.)