Evening star., 1941-04-12
SHOP TALK
News About Builders
And Reul Estute
Personalities

Waverly Taylor, president of the
Washington Real Estate Board, an
nounces that next Thursdays ma
tlonal symposium on defense hous-
ing will originate from a special
board luncheon at the Mayf1oWer
Hotel. 1t should be an interesting
meeting, and the program will be
broadcast over the N. B. C. blue net
work from 2 to 2::30. This broadcast
will be carried locally by WMAL
The symposium is sponsored by
the National Association of Real
Estate Boards. Local real estate
boards throughout the country will
hold simultaneous meetings for dis
cussion of the housing problem in
the defense emergency.
There will be three speakers.
Charles F. Palmer. defense housing
co-ordinator, will cite defense hous-
Ing needs of the Nation. Federal
Housing Administrator Abner H.
Ferguson will describe available
Government financing aid to help
solve the problem, while Philip w.
kniskern, president of the National
Association of Real Estate Boards,
will tell what realtors are doing and
are expected to do to meet housing
needs.
Preceding the symposium and
broadcast there will be an informal
"let your hair down" lunch for news
papermen, at which time the three
main speakers will answer any ques-
tions which may be raised.
X
The real estate firm of Moore e.
Hill, which was one of Washington
largest and most prominent a num-
Der OF years ago, has been reorgan-
lied by William A. Hill, partner in
the old business. Mr.. Hill went into
business first in 1900 with the late
David Moore. In 1902 the firm was
incorporated. Mr.. Hill acquired the
entire business in 1905 and was its
head for more than rs years, during
which time 1t was one of the most
active Offices in the Capital.
Mr.. Hill said his new organization
will conduct a general brokerage
business, and will specialize in erec-
lion OF better class houses. The Of
fees are located at 804 Seventeenth
street NV.
Residents of Maryland who are
busy right this minute, or should be
in making out their State income
tax returns, no doubt will be COM
forted somewhat by the knowledge
that a high percentage of the levy
will be returned to their home COM
munities in the form of public i'm
provements.
Thomas H. Welsh, president of
the Hyattsville Building Association.
who drew attention to the above
phase of the Maryland tax law,
points out that a fourth of the
amount paid by every taxpayer is
returned to the county to be spent
Tor local street, park and other COM
munlty improvements. Not only
does this amount return to the
county, but the State treasurer sees
10 1t that Is per cent of the countv's
rebate Is spent in the actual taxing
unit, or township. in which the tax
payer resides. Mr.. Welsh says he
knows of no other State where such
q procedure is in effect. Well, that
helps some.
To you who are interested in home
construction costs, and most eyery
one Is whether he is a builder. home
owner or prospect for a house. it
costs almost $500 less to build
standard six-room house in WASH
fngton now than it did four months
ago. However. the cost of this house
is still about $500 higher than it was
. year ago. If you like to size I'D
the house in cubic feet, the increase
Is slightly less than cents cube.
This information is compiled by
the Federal Home Bank Review.
Construction costs here and in
all other parts of the country
reached its most recent high in De-
cember when the full impact of the
defense building program was felt,
This was the time when construc-
tion of Army cantonments used up
about all of the available supply of
lumber and building craftsmen. The
six-room house here cost $6,416 to |
build then. Now it costs S6,236. The |
'fhouse" used by the Review is Just |
the bare house OF $4,000 cubic feet. |
and does not include cost of lot, or
of wallpaper, or of equipment such |
as lighting fixtures, refrigerators.
stoves. heaters, etc So don't 60 out |
and tell the builder in your COM
munity that he is charging too much
for his six-room product.
r
Designation of Washington by
President Roosevelt as a defense
area, thereby making avail
able for local builders the financing
benefits of National Housing Act |
Title vi, will solve the problem for
some of selling houses for invest
ment through the r. H. A. plan. 1t !
will also enable those would-be |