Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1930, Page 17

REAL ESTATE BUSINESS BUREAUS SCORE “FREE LUNCH” SALES PLAN “Investigate Before Investing,” Impartial Agencies Warn in Questioning High-Pressure Lot Selling Method. Some phases of the “luncheon-lecture” system of seliing lots in undeveloped vesidential subdivisions, a_system emploved in a number of sections of the country, were described in this column last Saturday, showing how such promoters depend upon mob psychology to accomplish quick sale of a large mumber of lots. verbal Promises being given purchasers that they can soom resell their parcels at a profit ther phases of this system, which merit the attention of prospects since the buvers, as a Wilicd S Easiness practice. are wroed 1o enjoy the promised auick profits. s based on a lecture on “How To Make un- ule ake. decisions quickly if they wish" fo BY DON S. WARREN. ETTER BUSINESS BUREAUS B verbal promises of a quick resale investors. of a number of cities of the coun- try, where the luncheon-lecture system of selling lots in unde- veloped sections has been employed, have been just as quick to question the method as the promoters have been to make of the lots at a fat profit to the High-pressure tactics employed in the sale of any commodity may be perfectly legal and honest, but better business bureaus have recommended “Before Investing—Investigate” so that buyers may be fully aware of what they are spending their earnings for. Two Unusual Elements. Special attention is attached tq two elements in the luncheon- lecture s: the customary means of selling real estate. One is the method of getting a large crowd of prospects together at one time and the other is the system of closing sales in a tiny private booth where the purchoser as a rule has no opportunity of having a friend present as a witness to verbal promises the vendor of the lots may make. Better business bureaus in scat- tered sections of the country re- port that they have found that prospects have been moved to sign on the dotted line because of promises of an early and profit- able resale, only to find that the sales contract specifically states, often in small type, that the com- pany does not guarantee any re- sale of any lot. Thus the two elements of the plan mentioned above assume places of im- portance since they are vital to the luncheon-lecture system of selling un- improved subdivision lots How do promoters of such unde- veloped subdivisions get so many pros- pects together, day after day? This is & question often asked in cities where the luncheon-lecture system of selling lots has been employed. Plan Is Simple. The plan is as simple as it is ef- fective, reports from various sections ©of the country indicate. Attractive young women are engaged by the promoters to gather in the prospects by means of giving cordial invitations to a free luncheon and to hear, afterward, an interesting lecture on psychology. ' Absolutely no obliga- tion is assumed by accepting either the ride or the luncheon. These young woman agents, seeking to make an honest living, are paid 50 cents or even a dollar for each person they can interest merely to the extent of agreeing to visit the subdivision, eat the free lunch and hear the lecture. These contact agents also are promised & commission if a prospect buys & lot. The contact agents go about among business acquaintances, friends, strang- ers and sometimes interests groups of club women or church organization: 5351 Nevada Ave. N.W. $12,500—Detached Big Rooms—Wonderful Grounds Easy Terms—Open Nl’flr Lincoln Park 220 13th N.E. Attractive brick home fac- ing small government park, two squares from Lincoln Park. Excellent condition, front and two large rear porches, modern, two-car | gence, They obtain a total of from 50 to 100 or more prospects per day. Now comes the chauffeur-salesmen who call for the prospects, drive them to the subdivision, seat them in the Juncheon-lecture hall and then become butler-salesmen, serving the guests plate Juncheons or dinners (at evening sessions). “How to Make Money Quick.” ‘The lecture, as described last week, is based on an explanation of “How to Make Money Quick,” with special em- phasis, cleverly worked into the lecture, on a statement that the successful men and women of today are not those especially blessed with super-intelli- but rather those having the power of decision. In other words, those who can view the facts and then act without hesi- tating, or depending on the advice of father, mother, wife or husband or friend, or banker or lawyer, are the ones who succeed. The implication is, of course, that to make money in this subdivision one must decide now and buy now, before others flocking to the section create a demand that will further boost sale prices. Naturally, it is explained, one should buy when prices are low and sell when demand has lifted prices to a higher level. Many prospects, having enjoyed the ride to the property, the free lunch and the free lecture—all without obli- gation—are in a receptive frame of mind and the arguments are telling. __When_the_chauffeur-butler-salesmen (Continued on Second Page.) brick garage. MUST BE SOLD! Priced Accordingly OPEN SUNDAY GG, Smithy, Gompary | Sty o Ne. Natl. 5904 oo 1418 Eye 4627 44th St. N.W. $10,450—Detached Large Rooms, Porches and Grounds ‘ Easy Terms OPEN 938 Quincy St. N.W. The Only Jameson-Buslt Home in This Section Remaining Unsold An Unusual Opportunity to purchase a good house at the right price. 6 large rooms, 3 porches (rear upstairs purch en- closed), modern improve- ments, garage, paved street. Ofpen All Day Sunday Thos. A. Jameson Co. OQuwners and Builders 906 N. Y. Ave. Nat. 5526 stem—which is a radical ‘and spectacular departure {rom!‘r"mn houses dgcated WASHINGTON, D. C, VAGANCIES HERE BELOW AVERAGE Only 2.5 Per Cent of Houses| Found Empty by Board of Trade Survey. [ [ Two and & half per cent of the old houses of Washington (old dwellings as distinguished from those but recently completed) are now vacant, according to & survey just completed for the Washington Board of Trade by Rufus | S. Lusk, Inc. This figure is believed to be less than that of any other large city of the country. | The survey data on vacant houses | are to be included in the real estate | section of the master community sur-,‘ vey now being rapidly brought to com- pletion for the trade body. Covered Whole City. The estimate of the percentage of | old houses vacant was based on an actual count made of approximately | in 26 different sections of the District. Care was taken | in selecting the various sections so that the final count would be repre- sentative of not only different parts of the city, but different types of houses, | Lusk reports. | “In making a survey of this char- acter,” Mr. Lusk stated, “it is not neces- | sary ‘that all houses be counted, since after reaching & certain number the | percentage of Vacancy remains approxi- mately the same. In this particular | count the percentage of vacancy from 1,000 to 5,000 houses, as they were be- | ing counted, did not vary 1 per cent, showing the accuracy of the ‘sample’ method used to acquire the information. Less Vacancy Here. < “There is probably less vacancy in dwellings than in any other type of | structures. It should be remembered in this count new houses were not included. It is_probable from infor- mation which I have been able to gather from other cities where vacancy surveys have been made, the vac in Washington is apparently less than in any other large city. The vacancy in the different parts of town varied considerably, although in no section | was it greater than 5 per cent.” ‘These vacancy figures are to be ana- lyzed further in the surve§ to be pub- lished by the Board of Trade and a still more detailed analysis will be made in a special issue of the Wash- ington Current Business Review. Maj. Donovan Buys Residence. Maj. Daniel J. Donovan, District auditor, has purchased the new resi- dence at 2924 Courtland place, it was announced today by H. G. Smithy Co. The property, bullt by the N. L. Sans- bury Co., contains six rooms and two baths and is of the English style of chitecture. Let Us Help You Plan + And Build After Own Pet Ideas Den't wait until you've saved the money to build that dream home you've been treasuring for years. You may never get it that way. In fact there'll never be & better time than right now to make that home a happy reality. %k % %k k k ok _And you can take the first practical step today by driving out to Sligo Park Hills and choosing your homesi' Pay a little down and a little each month. Getting started is the big point. ner. awaits the it alone. EE T inexperienced home * % ” Next—without obligation on your part—call en our engineers and architects to help carry out your pet home building ideas in a workable, economical man- They can save you from many a pitfall that builder who goes to * % % % % X If you really want a home of your own—if you're really open to conviction as to where the best home site values will be found—| you want fine neighbors, country life, city conveniences—all amid acres of E. BROOKE LEE, Pres. DIRECTIONS: tree-sheltered parkland, then come out and build in beautiful Sligo Park Hills this Fall. Drive out P. BLAIR LEE, Vice Pres. CURTIS WALKER, Treas. Sixteenth Street, Y with a high point for your home—a rolling hillside for your ing trees for friends—$1,400 Homes, with plenty of trees, $9,850 to $13,500. via Alaska Avenue to Georgia Avenue, over District Line, watching for large Sligo Park Hills sign—turn right, following arrows. %1&? SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1930. | BUILDING' NEWS Residence at 7100 Meadow lane, Meadowbrook section of Chevy Chase, | which has been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Leary from the builders, M. &R B. Warren. ANCIENT TERRACED STRUCT URE PARENT OF SKYSCRAPER TODAY BY FRANCES FLYNN PAINE. With the astonishing masses of con- crete and steel about us that are the American architects’ contribution to modern life, one wonders how much | longer they will go to Europe for the study and background against which | to erect their daring panorama. Projects presenting problems in de- sign and materials so peculiarly Amer- ican in character have no precedent in Europe, but ths consummation of them | fulfills 'the requirements of a modern | race and a colossal Nation in the making. They are problems to the solving of which are brought to bear the brilliant genius and daring deter- mination of our architects and engi- neers. There 1is, however, an nntecedemw which can be studied, curiously and | appropriately enough, right here on the | western continent. In Latin America, | and in Mexico in particular, have been found the first “set-back” and terraced forms of architecture, as at Chichen- Itza, San Juan Teotihuacan and other ancient cities now in process of res- toration. These earliest known cities on the continent are the true lineal architectural ancestors of our modern citles. They have handed down their physical qualities and spirit, which recur, even though they may jump a | few generations, just as surely as does the Hapsburg jaw. What a surprise it must have been | for the Spanish conquistadores to find places like Tenochtitlan, populous, beautiful, so amazingly different from Your Wide, deep lots—always garden — and protect- $3,500. eeecoe Modern, individualized all they had known in Europe and yet so0 prophetic of the future of this con- tinent. Obviously thesesancient races were not confronted by the same prob- | lems as we are, of congestion and| transportation, but there remains the indisputable fact of a striking similarity of design and characteristics that in theeir modern aspect are conceded to be_distinctly American. More and more, as the beauty of outline and ornamentation of _the Aztec, Toltec and Maya architecture is | studied and assimilated, will its adap- | tation be recognized and utilized in | | race Investment Co., | ceed $600,000. INVESTMENT FIRM BUYS LA REINE Beach Terrace Co. Acquires Apartment Structure for $600,000. The La Relne Apartments, large new structure on the northeast corner of Connecticut avenue and Legation street, | has been purchased by the Beach Ter- an organization of local investors, according to an an- nouncement today by Hedges & Land- voight and the J. A. McKeever Co, who acted in the transaction. The consideration was reported to ex- The building is a five- story structure of modern design and equipment and has a storage garage with a capacity of 70 cars, for the use of tenants, The property was acquired from Gold- smith & Keller, who constructed the building two years ago. It contains 95 apartment units of varying size. AID IN BUSINESS UPLIFT Fire insurance has been a major factor in bringing about improvements in the construction of American homes, office buildings and manufacturing plants during the past decade, it is declared by Frederick I. Ettlinger, in- surance company executive. “In the home construction field the influence of fire insurance has been & powerful one, both directly and indi- rectly, in_encouraging the use of fire- proof ‘material and the development of complete fire-protection _equipment within the community,” he asserts. House of Bacon's Rebellion. Bacon's Castle, on the James River, in Surry County, Va. was bullt about 1660 by Arthur Allen. The house earned its title when it was seized and fortified in Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. the future architecture of this conti- nent. In thése ancient habitations are A NEW NEW in de and representing of Announcement 1522 K St.' NW. the newest group will be made mnext Saturday. Reserve mext Sunday for a visit, ‘The unusual triple chimneys and the rough-hewn timbers testify to its early to be found the real “Early Americans.” date. FOXALL GROUP of Double-front English Group Homes is nearing completion at Forty-fourth Street and Volta Place (south of Reservoir Road). ign . . . NEW in planning . . . NEW in equipment . . . setting a NEW standard of excellence for modern homes the most values “in Washington. outstanding Forty-six Double-front Howmes, containing six and eight rooms with one and two baths, have been built recently in our Fox- all development between Foundry Branch Valley Park and Foxhall Village. have all been purchased . . . and by dis- criminating home lovers. These opening of the WAVERLY TAYLOR. S DEVELOPERS AND OWNERS Nat'l 1040 garage. $11.950 Open every day for inspection until 9 P.M. then right (North) 4511 Ridge Street One of a group of attractive new homes having six well arranged rooms, tiled bath and completely equipped kitchen. Colonial motif in deco: this house. Colonial fireplace. dining room depicts a hunting scene in Early Colonial days, and the three bedrooms are papered with an Early kitchen, of course, is si exceptionally well arranged. To Inspect—Drive out Connecticut Ave. to Bradley Lane; turn left (West) on Bradley Lane, three squares to East Ave., on East Ave. ome block to Ridge St. M. and R. B. WARREN Buslders—Wis. 2873 Separate The builder has followed a strictly ting the interior of In the living room is a quaint The paper used in the onial print. The ctly modern and boteoteadeade el B—14 i iy BOARD TO HEAR 32 PLEAS FOR CHANGES IN ZONING More Than Half of Petitions for Fall Meeting Oc- tober 1 Propose Shift From Residential to Commercial. ONING problems will command the attention of Government of- ficials and property owners here again on October 1, when 32 petitions for changes in classifications, affecting the use of property, will be considered at a public hearing before the Dis- trict Zoning Commission. Eighteen of the petitions propose changes in the permitted use of properties from existing residential to commercial of one class or another. This will be the Fall meeting of the Zoning Commission under the new system, which provides for but three public hearings a year. One case, considered at a prior meeting, will come up for rehearing. ‘While the list of petitions sched- uled is more lengthy than was the | two amendments to the zoning average under the old system of‘code was debated, in addition to more frequent hearings during a|a long list of proposed classifica- year, the number is somewhat |tion changes. less than at the last hearing, when '~ (Continued on Second Page.) 5417 Nebraska Ave. $11,950 In Chevy Chase, D. C. Detached, New, All-Brick House—Slate Roof—Built-in Garage—Electric Refrigera- tion—Open Fireplace—Beautiful Bath With Shower—Unusually Large, Well Landscaped Lot. Open Daily 9 AM. to 9 P.M. BOREELPS e R & REALTORS DRIVE OUT CONN. AVE. EAST TO NATIONAL 9300 NEBRASKA AVE. AND OPERTY e 3 % : 0, RX 3 ! Desig’n In years past "Hnmmnr-md-Sqw Architects” were thought to be a “necessary evil” in the degign apd construction of moderately priced homes. Pos- sibly that accounts for some of the atrocities that oscasionally appeared. With the growth of large-scale developments and the construction of groups of many moderately priced homes by one builder, came the opportunity to employ the same high degree of architectural skill, ability and experience theretofore employed only by the builder of the most expensive types of homes. Today the more experienced large-scale builder secures the services of the very best of architects in planning and designing moderate sized homes, and is better able to translate these plans and designs into beautiful homes at a minimum cost. Visitors at Meadowbrook have been lavish in their praise of the beauty of dengn. the careful planning that has obviously gone 'into the homes constructed in this ideally located development. They have been delightedly astonished that such homes, embracing so many modern features and conveniences, could be purchased at such prices. Probably this accounts for the remarkable sal record established since the opening of the develop- ment several weeks ago. Four of the first group of five homes were sold immediately on completion. Two other homes, to be built, were sold from plans and specifications. A completed house is now available and open for inspection. Visit Mesdowbrook todey and ‘see this home, and the new group of five, now under construction, to be ready in a few weeks. 2o o300 2, RN 5 % et ade ey 9, s 3 XIX > "'“ o o% % o% XEXIXTX . S el redredoofralrardoad e > 0 " ealradoafeedesd . reieeeale sl "’ The Exhibit Home will be open for inspection all day Sunday and on week days from 1 to 9 p.m. Drive out Con- necticut Avenue to Columbia Country Club, turn west (left) on West Cypress Street (Bethesda-Sliver Spring High- way) one block to property. Telephone Wisconsin 2764. A 'AlllN DEVELOPMENT IN CHEVY CHASE v v « ¢ David J. Howell & Sons, Engineers Parks & Baxter, Architects Louis R. Moss, Architect John H. Small III, Ldndu'upe Architect W@WW&@%&M K M‘W«%"i ol