The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1945-12-06

TODAY
and
TOMORROW
By DON ROBINSON
HOUSES
By DON ROBINSON

HOUSES scarcity
The thing which amazes most
real estate agents these days is
the fact that, when nightfall
comes, everyone still seems to
have roof over his head.
To get a little practical insight
into our nations housing prob
lem, I spent the evening in the
office of a busy realtor who sells
and rents homes in group of
New Jersey towns. When l left
the office at eleven o'clock in the
evening the business was still
going strong. Frantic veterans
and their wives were rushing in
and out, the phone was still ring
ing constantly, and tired real es-
tate saleswomen were trying to
think up new ways to say, eyes
I know the house isn't worth it
but I'd advise you to grab it."
Other snatches of conversation
which l gathered as I listened in
on the quick sales which were be-
ing transacted were:
shouldn't 1 see the house be-
fore I sign the contract?"
IF you think it over over night
someone else is apt to put a de-
post on the house."
mo, madam, we haven't heard
of thing for rent since last
May"
1T certainly is a bad time to
buy, but prices are apt to go up
another 20 per cent by next year"
well, you can't expect to get
much house for $4,000 these days."
"Oh, that house. Yes, it was
$4,000 last week but now it's
eleven"
PRICES frantic
I found, by going around to
look at houses with a real estate
salesman, that the old sales meth
DDS have completely changed.
Instead of rushing you past the
cracked ceilings in the bedroom
to divert your interest to the mo-
dern tile in the bathroom, they
now point out the faults of a
house as well as its merits They
apparently figure that they are
going to have no trouble selling
the house anyway, so they might
as we'll be frank.
The real estate people are in
the drivers seat. But the poor
backseat drivers-the millions of
families who are taken from one
place to another in frantic search
to find a place to call home-are
in a position where they can't
win. If they find what they want
the price is undoubtedly out of
line. If they insist on sticking to
the price they can pay, they must
resign themselves to buying a
home which isn't at all what they
desire. And worst Of all are the
people who don't want to buy,
who can't afford to buy, but are
forced to do so because they can't
find any place to rent.
So far as real estate IS con-
cerned, the much-heralded infla-
ton has arrived. People who
have money are offering higher
and higher prices to get what they
want, and those who haven't mon
ey but need roof, are forced to
bid more than they ever dreamed
they could in order to get any
kind of a home.
LOANS government
There are two possible ans
wers to the situation.
One is for the government to
continue it's control over rents, to
enact similar controls over the re-
sale price of homes and farms, to
control prices of building materi-
ais, and to launch a building pro-
gram by granting big mortgages
to anyone who wants to build.
The other possible answer is for
the banks, the insurance compan-
les and the finance institutions to
loosen up with the billions Of
dollars they to invest and show
real faith in the future of Amer
lea by being more liberal with
y l.