Evening Star Newspaper, February 3, 1923, Page 13

REAL. ESTATE. D. 0, BATURDAY, FEBRUARY REAL ESTATE. m Washington’s Growth Reflected in Real Estate and Building News FIVE BILLIONS FORESEEN , AS 1923 BUILDING OUTLAY Activity in U. S. Estimated From Reports of Architects, Contractors and Manu- facturers of Materials. Surpassing all previous records, bullding activity during 1923 in the United States will involve an esti- mated expenditure of $5,000,000,000, according to reports from architects, contractors and manufacturers of building materials. This means that the 1922 volume will be exceeded by more than $1,000,- 000,000 Tables prepared by The Architec- tural Forum from compilation of re- plies from 1,767 architects show that bullders have carried their opera- tions through the winter, maintain- ing an almost steady line from the heavy demand of the fall and winter months of 1922. 1 Dividing the total estimate in gen-| eral groups, it is seen that plans for 1953 i3 expected to clinch the argu- | &chools, colleges and similar public structures lead the list, with $570,064,000, Apartments are next, with $662,835.” ( 000, and industrial buildings are| third, with $548,037,000. i Totals for Dwellings. H An interesting comparison is shown | in the total for dwellings. which is: $414,132,000. almost as great as the total for offices and also for hotels. Similar activity of vast proport ts planned by railroads. budget figures for thirty-one roads, controlling 40 per cent of all track- age in America, call for the expendi- | ture_of $357,000,000. Estimates oy | the Railway Age place the total cost| of all rail improvement and construc- | tion at approximats $900,000,000 | during 192 Iconomic experts. studying the con- struction field, declare the basis for this unprecedented activity lies in the actual “building season.’” Building operations in 1922 reached | unexpected heights during the sum-, mer and carried on through the fall and winter with little abatement. ln| many localities contractors completed work which in other years would | have been carried over and in mid- winter accepted new contracts tor prompt deliver: | The result has been orders for steel, cement other building 'materials from the start of the year 1923 than at ime in the history of the coun- far heavier| trim and | ntractors, realizing the advan- of maintalning thelr forces of workmen intact from season to sei- son, have carried work right along, | cxcipt in the extremely cold sec tions, and have ordered additional| crial for immediate delivery, which they will store until ready for use on new contracts. The early peak load of demand on! freight traffic is expected to feel re- lief from this steady movement and | manufacture! also have been able to pass along the benefits of the longer season. Many plants which in the past were forced to suspend operations in the| winter because of overloaded ware- | houses have been able to run at fair| rate and are ship] & steadily. ] Advertisements for contractors Inj current periodicals specify that con- tracts will be taken for sixty-d: )" id ety-day delivery of home: af hitherto unheard-of thing thus early in the year. This means that m rial¢ and labor are promptly avail- «ble and that wherever possible the lengthening of the so-called | were announced today | worked forestalling _the possibility of a builder being buried beneath a mass of unfilled contracts when the de- mands of the so-called building sea- son are in full swing. The greatest difficulty faced by the building industry in America has been the problem of the short season. T'welve months of proposed activity were forced into seven months or less. Transportation became, an acute problem, affecting all basic tries. Building materials, coal, food- stuffs and other essentials were hope- lessly tied up semli-annually. The salvation rested in a spreading out of the traffic demands of the ma- terials industry and lines affillated with the construction field over & longer season. During 1922 the first effective dem- onstration of these claims was given to the public, and with a record start ment. Estimates of the amount of money which will be spent for building &0 s high as $7,000,000,000. One expert has gone so far as to estimate ex penditures by sections and also classes of buildings His figures follow New England states. s stern Con w Jerses and . 1,395,000,000 nt, northern N South Carolina. . 825,000,000 Westeru ennsslva X ginia. Ohio, Eastern 733,000,000 250,000,000 Wisconsin, 3 nesota 1,66000.000.000 Oklalioms, Tdaho, Nevada, Uinh._Colo’ rado, Arizona and New México. 000,000 Total.. £6.000,000.000 By class $960.000.000; dweilings. $456,000,000; dustrial buildings, ,000.000; office buildings, $616.000.000; public build- . $252.000.000; public garages, 000.000; schools, $1.180,000,000. Total, $6,000.000,000. “COCOANUT GROVE” ROOF GARDEN TO BE BUILT 0of garden of a Apartment: $406.000.00¢ i hospital! 000.000; i of buildings. Plans for a new novel nature, elaborately decorated after the Spanish le and to be known as the “Cocoanut Grove, ‘The roof gar- den will_be laid out on the roof af the Le Paradis restaurant and will be owned and operated by Meyer Davis, proprietor of the restaurant. The decorative scheme Is being out 1 William Lawrence Bottomley, New York architect, who has sailed for Europe to secure pot- tery and other art objects with which to equip the resort. A portion of the roof will be onstructed gfo that it may be easily inclos from the veather when desired. Roof garden equipment of the latest design will be installed, including a dumb waiter using thermostatic containers for | keeping food contents hot or cold. The floor will be constructed for dancing. The place is scheduled to indus- | NEW BUILDING CODE CUTS DOWN COSTS Secretary of Architects’ In- stitute Praises Work In- dorsed by Hoover? Marked reduction in bullding costs will follow the adoption of the model building code for small dwellings just issued by the Department of Com- merce, according to D. Knickerbocker Boyd, former secretary of the Amer- ican Institute of Architects: This code is the work of a commit- |tee of architects and engineers ap- pointed by Secretary Hoover and Is the outgrowth of an investigation‘in- stituted by a Senate committee 1920 to probe into the high costs of building construction. . Senator William Calder of New York went to many cities to obtain {data. The net result of the inquiry was to give publicity to the fact that the majority of the building codes | throughout the country insist on the |use of an cxcess and wasteful amount ‘u! building aterial in the construc- |tion of all classes of bulldings. Hoover Urged Code. by | When Mr. Hoover took office he set |about providing a remedy for this state of affairs and the model code is result. The first part of this ., covering the small house, is the | The most striking of the excessive |requirements found was that in many lcities the building code demanded a |twelve-inch and even greater thick- ness for the outside walls of a brick house. A survey of the country by the bureau of standards disclosed the {fact that in many large cities brick walls eight inches thick for the first and upper stories were being suc- |cessfully used in countless thou- sands of houses, said Mr. Boyd. | Cities _compelling a greater thick- |ness than this are adding an extra and needless burden to the cost of a {brick house, he said. The model code, recognizing this. specifies solld eight-lnch brick walls or the upper thirty feet, or thirty- five feet, including the gable. of a residence. This height would in- |clude three full stories above the |round and an attic [tion of the orinous strength of an {eight-inch brick wall will bring the cost of a well constructed brick home | {down to about that of | cheaper and less desirable subs in_most sections of the country. Mr. Boyd also drew attention to the {fact that the new brick hollow wail recognized in the code und is spe fied s desirable and safe for two- |story and attic_houses. This wa the ideal wall—has just come succe fully through a grueling series of s made upon it by the bureau of | standaras. Big Reduction Made. | Tt was devised by the common brick |industry of the country to stiil fur- ther reduce the cost of brick houses. | Fifty per cent is cut from the cost {of interior basement partitions. The model code points out that brick walls four inches thick are amply | strong as _interior bearing partition. | whereas the minimum thickness now generally allowed in_most codes is Cight inches. Prof. Ira G. Woolson. |consulting_engineer of the Nationai {Board of Fire Underwriters, was the |chairman_of the tommittee of ex- {perts. The adoption of the model building code now rests with the building commissioners and building code committees in various cities and This recogni- | APARTMENT HOUSE FOR 16TH STREET. ace, for, David A. Baer. to be erected on the adjoining lot. 200,000, Stern & Tomlinsor NEW BULDINGPERMTS FOR WEEK $238.00 Municipal Inspectors List Provides Chiefly for Erection of Cottages. re | Local builders were granted per-|{ Members mission last week to proceed with the erection of buildings to cost, In the aggregate, $298,000. according to the records of the municipal building inspector. The list of permits follows R T. Hanell, to build, 3014 Cleve- land avenue; cost, $15,000. Natlonal Capital Realty Compan to bulld, 5706-5710 Tth street; cost, $7.200. A. B. Campbell, to build, 1630-1684 324 street; cost, $15.000. J. D. Garman, to build, densburg road; cost., $4,500 E. T. Creecy, to build, 130 Van Bu- ren street; cost, §5,000. P. and G. T. Steuart, to build. 12th street northeast; cost, | tunctions ! cessful du members business. Brokers, frequently 2421 Bla- | clients other brok R. How 1 14th ein. to build, treet southeast; and sales At regular ‘sm...’.n_ not only Rose Sak to repair, 10 street; cost, $1,500. Terrell & Little, to repair, 1206 15th street: cost, $3,000. \ J. D. Hill. to build garage, Water street between L. and M streets; cost, $10,000. | * M. C. O'Nefll, street northeast; cost, $29,000, Jeffery. to bulld houses, 13237 Lawrence street northe: $10.000 W. Preston, o build, 1421-1433 Spring place northwest: cost, £42,00 Martin, Bros. to_build, 4313 Argyle | terrace; cost, $11.300. 1 Baer, to build, 4922-4926 Wis- { consin avenue; cost. £30,000. City Central Corporation of Boston, to repair. 1307 F street northwest cost $22,500. H.'S. Van Devanter, to build, 6701- 6703 Sandy Spring road; co: Breuninger & Pederson, rear profession The to build, 321-327 V| tion 1o Ch | Gill, Schwab, Marshall 1335 910 £30,000. H. A " " | quaintanceship -among further develop a spirit of good f lowship. The meetings have been su the past year and have seration of the transaction of their resulted in t h other and thi ct that inte of properties all of the program . but generally ne prominent man on practical |in pertaining to the real estate committee in luncheon mectings consists, in addi- airman Adams, of Theodore James E. Mackintosh and H. A, Kite, rtment hullding to be erccted on 16th street northwest, corner A three-story structure of similar dexign The combined cost is expected to e architects, FEAL ESTATENEN TOHOLDLUNCHEDN Gathering Will Be Held Thursday | Afternoon at 12:30 at City Club. of the Washington Real Estate Board wiil hold their monthly luncheon next Thursday, 12:30 o'clock, at the City Club, it was announced to- day by Benjamin F. Adams, chairman of the luncheon committee. These luncheon ducted by the local realtors as social | in order to rin - mutual ¢ in who attend the luncheons | nances i with | consummate one are thereby lunch relud vice president Earl M. McKibbin, 918 12th street northeast; cost, | yersey Kite, to build, Yuma street; cost $15.000. to build two homes, 54 and 55 Observatory circle 5.000. Huddleson, meetings are increase ac- members and Jeuls is due lars broker ma ested in particular types hat are controlled by an- - This mutual exhange re- sults in bringing the parties together consummate n meetings is provided, some form of enter a short talk |population of charge the to build, 416-420 15th |V Street southeast; cost, $£18,000. 3804-3806 | WANY U.S. CITIES USE ZONING PLAN Building Regulations Prove Popular in Rural Districts " Also, Says U. S. Report. Approximately one-seventh of the total population of the United States live in zoned cities, towns and vil- lages, according to figures gathered by the division of building and hous- ing of the Department of Commerce. Computations show that the homes of 27 per cent of the total urban popu- lation of the country are located in zoned municipalities, and it conse- quently follows that most of these homes are protected from intrusion of garages, stores, warchouses, manufacturing plants or other bulld- ings of a similar character which tend to cheapen the value of resi- dences. Zoning regulations provide, by a neighborly kind of agreement, that districts, in which the uses for which structures may be bullt, thelr maxi- mum height and the area of the lot which they may cover are established. Objects of Plan. In line with the zoning plan, cer- tain districts are set aside for resi- dences, for apartment houses, for office buildings and for manufactur- ing. Ample provision is normal growth of business and indus- trial districts, but the builder of a garage or factory is not allowed to erect it within a residential neighbor- hood regardless of the annoyance and money losses that may be involved. The department investigation shov that in 1922 zoning spread consider- ably, especially in smaller places. Fourteen towns. with five to ten thou- sand inhabitants, were zoned during the year, bringing the total zoned towns in this class to twenty-three. Twelve places, with 5,000 inhabitants or less, were added to the list in 1922, making a total of seventeen for this lass. The percentage of large citles which have already becen zoned re- mains much greater, of course, and of the fifty largest cities In the coun- try twenty-two have zoning ordi- effect. In the entire country 109 citles, |towns and_villages were zoned in 1923, as compared with fifty- ear ago. D. C. In Zomed. Cew York has been zoned since 1916, nd, in contrast, the smallest zoned 4 |community had only 131 inhabitants. per cent of the urban New York stats lives zoned municipalities. California ranks second among the states, with 71 per cent of its urban population zoned; Minnesota, third, with 58 per cent: New Jersey,efourth, with 57 per cent, and Utah, fifth, with 55 per icent. i & 1 The entire District of Columbia 18 zoned. Tn the number of plac leads, with 31; with 17; California, th 14: Dlinois, fourth, with 10; {Ohio, fitth, with 9. and Massachusetts and Wisconsin follow, with 6 each. —_— On the whole continent of Europe, according to the latest statistics, women outnumber the men by 25,- ghty-one zoned, New New York is thi second, a city or town shall be divided into| made for: OFFICIALS OF NATIONAL REALTY BOARD VISIT D. C. Local Realtors Praised for Work Done in Last Year. L. F. Eppich of Denver, Col., presi- dent of the Natlonal Association of Real Estate Boards, and Herbert U. Nelson of Chicago, executive secre- tary of the organization, visited the offices of the Washington Real Es- tate Board during the past week and commended the realtors on their work. tour of boards in the eastern cities on their return from the recent meeting held i{n Jacksonville and spent an en- tire day in Washington studying the |local situation. They commented fa- vorably, according to Charles S. Shreve, the local president, on the de- velopment that has been accomplished in Washington within the past year or so. Special emphasis was made by the national officers on the fact that the local board, situated as it s at the seat of government, really repre- sented the National Association in many respects and could be of great assistance to it in forming contact | with which the National is co-operating in the solution of | problems pertaining to real estate. | The executive committee of the lo- cal board entertained the visiting realtors at luncheon at the City Club |2and later took them for a short tour of the city and federal departments. {COST OF HOME BUILDING | ~ TROUBLING BALTIMORE | BALTIMORE, February 3.—The cost of home construction in Baltimore is still a vital question, due to the fac that building materials and wages are !6till high. Another reason assigned to present conditions is that the demand for new homes I3 greater than tiie sup- The question has been ralsed, when will the cost of construction come dow: This is, of course, hard to answer. Ba timore expects to have a bigger co: 2(?!1071 year in 1 than it did in Indications at the present that the general jabor condi the construction industry are conduc to a continuance of building act on a large scale. stabllized with meneral tendencies toward slightly higher levels in some localities, and there appears little prob- ability of any retarding developments during this vear. he unempioyment skilled labor here every day. There is, shortage of plasterer: n e are not situation among moreover, due to tl nough men in this 1e of work to supply the demand. The demand for labo few weeks has been very heavy, more 80 than other winters for several years past. = D. C. FIRM PLANS HUGE BALTIMORE BUILDING BALTIMORE, February 3.—Plans for a twenty-story office building, to cost $2,000.000, on the site of tha Lafayette State Bank structure, Cal- a big drawn by th Company of Wa George W. Page, receiver for the insolvent bank, has asked permission of the elrcuft court to sell the prop- ©. He sald the Washington con- cern had made an offer of S$17 which i{s almost $50,000 less than the amount originally paid by the bank, but that the upkeep is now costing the receivership more than $30 a day. The site, which is directly oppo- William K. hington. Hartung The naitonal officers were making a., | with the different federal departments | Association ' Wages zre becoming | is becoming better | fact | during the last | vert and Lexington streets, have been | PETTY ADVOGATES EXCLUSIVE LISTING Declares Property Owner Should Place Sale in Hands of One Competent Broker. John A. Petty, executive secret of the Washington Real Estate Board, delivered the closing lecture of the Y. M. C. A. real estate course this week, taking for his subject “Ethics.” Mr. Petty has been the Instructor throughout the year. In referring to the development of real estate ethics in recent years, Mr. | Petty stated that the or tion of real estate boards throughout the | country combined in a national ganization had provided deiinite dards of practice which were damental and throughout the nite standards, which | duced to a code of rules, specifically set forth the obligatious and responsi | bilities of real “estate brokers and agents to their clients, the public, and between fellow brokers tled to Competent Advice. s pointed out th clfent in ing the service of 3 ker, is e titled to expect competent and i gent advice and complete prot | of his interests. principle is fast becoming bgnized through the active work of real estate boards in their practical methods of =preading the doctrin ethical practic A larg centage standings complain in real estate trans ticularly as between br pointed out by to ceived di listings th and accurs understandings to te transaction reached Advocates Exclusive Listings. To overcome this difficulty practice of exclusive listings was ad- | vocated by Mr. Petty, who explained that an exclusive listing simply meant that the owner recognized one broker as his agent, and for a given time and in nces for a unlimited ti relativ t tran through that ave responsibil the exclusive tings of properties excl render special service and give spe- cial a on to th In consideration « s an exclusive e every means e when an ulti- involv a sale i on must and to make a his client s should a of prop- erties that they are not qualified to intelligently and promptly handle and should re their work to such properties as their particular organ- lization is hest qualifie render | competent service. he w office and the cou of the most valuab ~ downtown section and just on om the city hall and n -doliar memorial buildi v is being erected in honor c the Maryland heroes who died in wor cost, 000,000, work will be pushed to completion, | open early next summer. towns throughout the country. = ANNOUNCEMENT For Those Who Seek a Home At Last! of Real Worth and Rare Charm Homes Priced to Fit Any Man’s Pecket MR. G. LEA STABLER, who has had a wide business experience in various lines, including real estate, is now associated with MR. STABLER is in charge of the SALES DE- PARTMENT. With the co-operation of the firm and the good sales organization which we have, Mr. Stabler will prove to his friends and the friends and clients of this office that it is to their advan- tage to continue to submit to us their real estate propositions. Gardiner & Dent, Inc. W. GILBERT DENT, President Main 4884 717 14th St. N.W. During the past few years Washington has had the biggest building boom of its existence. Hun- dreds and hundreds of houses have been built and sold, but-the average price ran well over $10,000, and the average man, the man who really appre- ciates his home most, would not pay that price. - Now— READ THIS CAREFULLY—On 18th street, between East Capitol and A streets S.E., and just in front of the magnificent new Eastern High School, one of the best builders in Washington has put up twelve brick homes. And they are real homes—they look good and they are good. Each home has 6 comfortable rooms and bath; electric light; the new, efficient one-pipe heater; laundry tubs; screens throughout; fixtures and wall dec- orations of excellent taste, and a large back yard. AND BEST OF ALL- THE PRICE IS $6,550 The Terms: $750 Cash and $65 Per Month s .l | = Py Ef.#gn iz ': e e APARTMENT FOR RENT 5330 Colorado Avenue N.W. Located Between 14th and 16th Sts. at Kennedy Half Square to Cars 3 ROOMS AND BATH 4 ROOMS AND BATH 5 ROOMS AND BATH 7 ROOMS AND 2 BATHS Building entirely detached and is surrounded by large oak trees. This will make a desirable home. OPEN FOR INSPECTION WM. H. SAUNDERS & CO. 1433 K St. N.wW. Main 1017-16 From a Photograph Giving a Partial View of These Dignified Twin Residences at 1410-12-14-16 Ingtaham St. Between Fourteenth and Sirteenth Sts. THE artistic and architectural beauties of this quartet of exclusive homes are too numer- ous for adequate description here. So we shall confine ourselves here to a general view and a hint of their more practical advantages, leav- ing the refinements of detail for your personal observation, appraisement and approval FEarly English architecture is carried out in subdued but warm-toned old English burned brick, with wide win- dows, arched entrances, and sloping, gabled roof. Scat- tering oaks provide a setting truly in keeping with the traditional site of an Eng- lish hall. *And the lots are consistently expansive: 160 feet deep, extending to a paved alley. Inside is a fine reception hall leading to “a spacious living room with open fire- place, thence to the dining room—and all these rooms have gracefully paneled walls. There is a large, light, com- })letely e?‘n(pped, composition- loored kitchen and pantry beautifully appointed bath- rooms, sleeping porch and airy attic, Other unusual equipment includes an electric refrig- erating svstem and built-in, and below stairs is a cement double<doored linen cabinet. floored, plastered basement Three of these houses are with hot-water heating plant, griced at $23,600 and num- large instantaneous hot- er 1416, being somewhat water heater and built-in larger, at $25,000. Sample range_ having both heat and house is now open for in- light. spection and you will find a representative on the prem- ises every day. 2 These are figures that any one can meet—a good, honest house at plainly fair price and terms. J. PAUL FOWLER o w Formerly with This is the first announcement. < L. E. Breuninger & Sons Upstairs are four hand- some bedrooms, and two Open Sunday From 11 AM. to 6 P.M. Wishes to announce that he is now associated with the office of WM. S. PHILLIPS Realtor—Builder 1409 N. Y. Ave. EXCLUSIVE AGENTS MEMBERS WASHINGTON REAL ESTATE BOARD 1415 I Street N. W. Main 4752 713 14th St. N.W. New York Office No. 2 Rector Strest N Exclusive Agents