Evening Star Newspaper, December 1, 1934, Page 19

REAL ESTATE. THE EVENING GAINS REPORTED IN REPAIRS DRIVE Capital Leads Country in Home Modernization Activities. (Continued From First Page.) and equipment, and the re-employ- ment of labor. Housing heads plan to keep the campaign alive during the Winter months, and to intensify it next Spring. It is anticipated that the | greatest success in modernization will | be achieved when warm weather re- turns. Title I of the housing act, the property modernization section, does not expire until the end of 1935. It is believed that every home owner will thoroughly understand the ad- vantages of the low-cost insured im- provement loans by next Spring. Many Drives Planned. P. H. A heads estimate that more than 3900 modernization campaigns are being organized in as many cities and towns of the country and that more than 100 million dollars’ worth of work on renovation and repairs has been started. Latest reports show 50 per cent increase in dollar volume of alterations and repairs for the last 30 days as compared with the same period a year ago. In some sections of the country waiting lists for skilled laborers have actually been established. In Ratoon, N. Mex., the modernization commit- tee has had to slow up its campaign because skilled laborers are all at work. In Sacramento, Calif., there is not a painter available, and there exists a shortage of journeymen and craftsmen in practically every craft, the administration reports. It is estimated that 75 per cent of the money paid out for repairs and modernization work is going directly for wages, and these wages are being spent for other products which the workers require. F. H. A. announced that Washing- ton, since the modernization drive began, has showed a greater per capita expenditure for property re- pairs and alterations than any other large city in the country. It is esti- mated by Thomas P. Littlepage, gen- eral chairman of the Washington Bet- ter Housing Campaign, that approxi- mately $2,500,000 has been spent so far on property modernization; that is, since the drive began late in August. In addition, the average amount of the loans here has been larger than the country-wide average. Exposition Continues. Although hampered by unfavorable weather, the Better Homes Exposition which got under way in the bus center of Washington, Sixth street and Penn- sylvania avenue, last Monday night, has attracted sufficient interest to please its sponsors. Alfred L. Stern, . director of the show, announced today that exhibitors report that business in home improvement material and house equipment has improved greatly since the exposition was launched. It is planned to continue the exposition for another week. Tonight officials and members of four local organizations will be guests of honor at the exposition. These groups and the presidents who will be in attendance are: The Probus Club, John D. Sadler; Monarch Club, Laurance H. Riggles; the Zonta Club, Dr. Mildred W. Dickerson, and the Soroptimist Club, Mrs. Edna Knight Gasch. The show will be closed tomorrow, but will be open daily next week from 2 to 5 and 7 to 9:30 pm. Admission is free and the public is invited to inspect the 33 attractive exhibits. Many of the country’s largest firms have started to co-operate entirely with the Housing Administration. A report from Nashville, Tenn., states that the manager of the largest sheet metal and roofing firm in the city announced that his business has dou- bled in the last 30 days and that his plant is now running at full capacity. Nearly a million dollars is being spent for modernization in Denver, Colo. The president of the Michigan Con- struction League reported the follow- ing results of the better housing campaign to date: “Our league represents the larger construction firms. Many of them handle construction for the main in- dustries. Some of them have reported in the last week that they have taken in more construction work in the last month than they had handled in the whole previous three years. “Detroit building permits were over & million dollars for October, the larg- est in several years, and gratifying because they were the aggregate of many small items. While part of this may be due to better general feel- ing, it has largely resulted from Fed- eral Housing Administration recondi- tioning activities. Our industry feels encouraged and is glad to express ap- preciation on this effort, and hope for its continuance.” D. C. FIRM WILL PRINT BALTIMORE TAX ROLL Kirby Lithographic Co.’s Award Ends Fight to Make As- sessments Public. Bpecial Dispatch to The Star. BALTIMORE, December 1. — A Washington firm, the Kirby Litho- graphic Co., has been awarded the contract for printing the real estate tax roll, which will show the assess- ment on each piece of property in Baltimore. Awarding the contract brought to a ! close a 10-year fight the Real Estate Board has waged to have all assess- ments open to the public and the en- tire cost, which is being borne by the board and the city, will not be over $2,500. The printing will cost $1,240; compilation work $900, while miscel- laneous expenses will total $300. The books will be ready for distri- bution shortly after the first of the year and will cost $10 a copy. Sales of the book are expected to cover the entire cost. The Best Value in Petworth 5222 5th St. N.W. $5,750 'Most comfortable home for the. small family. Vacant and recon- ditioned like new ice_rooms—3, big porches—good lot—garage. Reasonable cash payment — bal-, nce small monthly payments until paid. No mortgage renewals. See This Sure Open_Sunday—10 A.M.-8 P.M. Week Days—2-8 P.M. Floyd E; Davis Co. House Typical The house presented this week by Donald S. Johnson, architect, is inspired by the informal characteristics of the white-washed cottages of the Prench hillsides, and often found in rural Ireland. Economic advantage has been taken of the steep drop from the front of the property toward the rear, customarily be the second floor level, and the very decided side slope. Entering on what would , one comes into a hall, the opposite side of which has an open arched balcony treatment overlooking a two-story living room. Located on this hall level are three bed rooms and two baths, and a two-car garage. small guest room or den, which opens gardens to the rear. below are entirely above grade level. An interesting feature of the second floor plan is a onto a covered porch overlooking the Due to the slope the important rooms of the floor The architect estimates that the cost of such a house will not exceed $10,000 if a similar piece of property is used. Air Conflitioning Interest of Public Shows Faith in New Method of Control. BY LAWRENCE TUCKER. If you should stop most any person on the street and ask him what he thought about air conditioning his answer would more than likely be, “I think air conditioning is the next big business and a good thing.” The fact that this strange art of manufacturing weather is going to be the next “big business” should be of interest to every one, not only because its ultimate effect will be felt by every | one in a climatic way, but it will no doubt help pull this country out of what remains of a depression. Almost every large manufacturer has turned or is turning to air con- ditioning equipment to reopen plants and boost balance sheets to former levels. Engineering men in every part of the country are searching for new ideas to sell the public and millions of dollars are being spent in adver- tising and sales promotion. In other words, every one is firmly convinced that air conditioning is going to sweep the country in much the same way it was swept by automobiles and radio. Possibly the only difficulty that the more optimistic souls will encounter is the fact that air conditioning is slightly more of an engineering than it is a merchandising problem. The | elements that are involved in solving an air conditioning problem do not vary in any fixed relation to one an- other, hence one solution might not apply to any other. On the other hand, American ingenuity delights in doing the unexpected and we will no doubt be surprised by the products of | the imaginations of the massed forces | of industry. Even now, with the air conditioning business practically in its infancy, we are beginning to see the results of the great new interest that has been aroused. People are talking about it at parties and gatherings of all sorts; women are discussing it over their bridge tables; in fact, a noted charm | expert recently stated that air con- ditioning ranks with aviation, the next war, revolution and communism as one of the topics most often discussed. The young men from the colleges are being urged to go into the air- conditioning business because it probably offers the greatest field of endeavor since the bond houses ceased taking in graduating classes. There will be a great deal of money made in the next few years, but there will also be lots of mistakes made and money lost. In fact, at the present time there are hundreds of com- panies manufacturing and selling equipment, but it will be only a mat- | ter of time before many of them | will be forced out of business in much the same manner as hundreds of | automobile, radio, refrigerator and | oil burner companies have failed. The scoffers are hard at it. as they always have been with everynew inven- tion. They are saying the whole thing is an impractical idea, an unnecessary | luxury. and that people who live in air-conditioned spaces are even apt | to be unhealthy. Of course, they scoff, but the increased patronage shown by theaters during the Sum- | mer months, the jammed restau- | rants and the increasing number of office buildings using air condition- ing to insure rentals, all paint a much rosier picture. The most tremendous market will open up, of course, when the public has become more completely ac- quainted with the year-around ad- vantages of air conditioning. They will then begin to demand it for their homes just as they now de- mand automatic heat and refrigera- tion. A constant temperature of 70 degrees or thereabouts will be uni- versally required, together with the exact amount of humidity, proper cleanliness and possibly the addition of ozone or some other reactivating agent. That day is not far distant and we would do well to learn more of the details involved in obtaining those conditions. Next Saturday this column will present the first of a series of articles that will endeavor to acquaint the reader with the types of equipmen available at the present time, an if there are any questions arising relative to air conditioning we will be glad to answer them. REAL ESTATE | LOANS MADE ON HOMES OCCU- PIED BY OWNERS IN OR NEAR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Applications given immediate attention | THE WASHINGTON | LOAN & TRUST CO. b F Street at 9th 17th Street at G HOUSING SUBSIDY BY U. S. OPPOSED BY HUGH POTTER (Continued From Pirst Page.) provided under the Federal housing act. Potter again stated that the associa- tion is squarely behind Administrator Moffett in the work of the Federal Housing Administration, which has announced $102,000,000 in applica- tions for mortgage insurance already on file. He called for sympathetic study by realtors and mortgage groups and for co-operative effort of all busi- ness, civic and social agencies to_help put into active operation Title II of | the national housing act, setting up a system of Federally supervised mutual insurance for mortgages on homes. The Nation's present and future housing and the financing of that housing is a problem that must be dealt with as a single problem, what- ever the governmental agencies that may be engeged with it, he continued. The National Association of Real Estate Boards welcomes discussion | which calls attention sharply to this | essential unity, Potter stated, and urges co-ordinated action of all gov- ernmental agencies to take advantage of present economic trends which greatly encourage both new home | building and new stabilized long-term | investment of our accumulated private | capital resources in financing this needed new home building and home buying. Wider Area Held Possible. Encouragement of normai private activity through governmental instru- | ments obviously would minimize home financing costs over an incomparably wider area of activity than could be | brought about by any direct govern- mental subsidy of subcredit families. It would bring about re-employment | in the building industry on an in- comparably wider scale than any di- rect Government building could do, and be able to achieve a much more stable re-employment, Mr. Potter pointed out. Local member real estate boards of the association, at its request, are now engaged in a study of the various | State laws governing mortgage invest- | ments of banks, savings banks, insur- ance companies and the like, looking to such changes as may be necessary to authorize use of Federal home mortgage insurance and purchase of insured mortgages by all lending in- stitutions who are eligible mortgagees. Natural Wood Charming. For a certain simplicity, many like | a natural wood finish in furniture. | The wood is first rubbed down with sandpaper or steel wool. If open | grained, such as oak, ash or chestnut, a filler is applied to seal it and cre- ate a perfectly smooth surface. A thin coat of varnish is then put on, which is protected and freshened up | with liquid or paste wax applied and | rubbed down. Surprising Value CHEVY CHASE, MD. 4822 Chevy Chase Blvd. ‘6’75"“ A lovely bungalow on a lot 50 ft. wide. All brick and having 5 large rooms and attic the full size of house; finished, heated and insulated—slate roof, mod- ern kitchen, fireplace, up-to- date in every respect, and garage —paved street. Drive out Wisconsin Ave. to Chevy Chase Blvd. (opposite Chevy Chase Club grounds); turn left to home. Open for Inspection Saturday and Sunday Phillips & Canby, Inc. NAt. 4600 Investment Bldg. and Home Sells for $16,500 living room, porches. extra I than rental. 1119 17th Street STAR, WASHINGTON, D. of Cottages of Rural France Living Roem Ve w2l e | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1934, SAFETY ASSURED INHOUSING PLAN Magazine Editor Lauds F. H. A. Caution Regard- ing Insured Mortgages. Sufficient caution is being displayed by the Federal Housing Administra- tion with regard to regulations for in- sured mortgages under title II to as- sure sound and safe operation, E. L. Gilbert, Eastern editor of American Builder magazine, declared today. “The forms appear to be compli- cated,” said Gilbert, “and require care- ful appraisal of both pi and applicants; this feature is to be ac- claimed rather than condemned be- cause stringent regulations can al- ways be liberalized and it appears to be the intention of the Federal Hous- ing Administration to make any later changes necessary. “The contemplated fee of only $3 per $1,000 of mortgage amount ap- plied for is extremely reasonable and REAL ESTATE. H clent money provided in the beginning to adequately finance the entire job, the whole question of home building and home ownership faces a period of greater attraction for the general pub- lic. This stabilization, contrasted with comparative chaos previously, can re- sult in nothing but a sound and steady improvement; such improvement will also have an indirect benefit for ex- isting home properties, making them more readily salable and therefore more valuable as current assets. Proposal of Contractors. “It is also very encouraging to note that estiriates of cost to be included in the application for an insured loan are to be actual proposals of the con- tractors who are to erect, install and complete the work,” said Gilbert. “This inclusion of the practical men of the home building industry argues that accurate estimates and sound appraisals will be a regular feature; txact estimates by experienced con- tractors will eliminate much of the bunkum found in irresponsible ap- praisals in the past. “Title I, which covered insured loans for modernization and home repairs, has been very successful in directing the attention of the general public back to the home,” Gilbert concludes. “Only title I is of a temporary nature, whereas titles II and III cover perma- * B—5 nent betterment in home building practices. With the average man again contemplating his home interests with rerewed confidence, titles II and III will follow through and consolidate the progress obtained to date, as well as pave the way for more permanent improvement. “All those who own homes and those who dream that one day they, too, shall own the roofs over their heads, may take heart and look for- ward with greater anticipation as one result of the national housing act. This legislation is sound in copcep- tion. It is being applied In an ex- cellent manner, and the decisiors handed down to date have appearc | to be eminently practical.” RAIL RATES REDUCED Real Estate Men May Attend Con- vention Cheaper. Reduced railroad rates have been secured for the annual business meci- ing of the National Association of Real Estate Boards in Houston, Tex. January 22-25. Speaking for genera) sessions and for institutes and divi- sions will be men nearest to present changes directly affecting individual realter’s business. PINE LAWN cpres [Leon pus upprr - Pant Lividg Roem no one who has had experience in try- ing to obtain first mortgage money for home property during the last few years will object to so low a first cost. ‘That the entire operation of titles II and III will be along conservative lines must certainly encourage private in- vestors and thereby stimulate more home building from this time forward, Deterrent to Building. High costs in home financing, to- gether with exhorbitant fees, charges and discounts for second mortgage A Gentleman’s Small Estate (2% Acres—Stable for 4 Horses) 6817 Glenbrook Road, Edgemoor, Md. Priced to Sell or Rent Bordering on the open countryside, nestled among whispering pines, this beautiful home offers everything desired—excellent neigh- borhood of quiet refinement. 22 minutes by motor to the heart of the city—it is custom built of the best materials—it contains 11 rooms, 4 baths, first floor lavatory—large porch, 2-car garage, stable for 4 horses—oil heat, electric refrigeration—flowers, boxwood, old- 20,000 FEET OF WOODED ACREAGE Spacious grounds richly crowned with stately trees. Sturdily built, modernly convenienced dwelling— Convenient first floor lavatory. Eight ge closets-on second floor. New, modern automatic heating plant. Monthly payments less W. C. & AN MILLER A = - == Jeemp NEW ROBOT SAVES HEAT| Chronotherm Control Finally | in Reach of Home Owner. Half a century of laboratory re- \‘ search and manufacturing skill has | finally placed the new robot chrono- | therm control within the reach of | the average home owner. The engi- neers of a large Minneapolis manu- facturing concern who have perfected | the new instrument have been baffled by the problem of eliminating “time lag” in ordinary home heating de- vices. This ingenious invention is said | to accomplish the ultimate in tem- perature balance and fuel economy by actually feeling temperature trends and compensating for them intermit- || tently before “time lag” can jeopardize | health or comfort. i Lacquer Painters Avoid Dust. Great precautions against the tiniest particle of dust marring the glass-like surface of their lacquer work were taken by the old Japanese lacquer painters. Their finest work was done aboard a boat anchored far out from land where the air is purest. Each of the many coats of lacquer was care- fully rubbed down before the next was applied. These Homes [ 311 Milton Avenue Langhorne, Clarendon, Va. An all-brick home, located in an ideal suburban home com- munity. Only fifteen minutes’ drive from the Treasury. this home is_easily reached by crossing Key Bridge and tak- ing Wilson Boulevard through Clarendon past monument to Milton Avenue: follow signs to e hom 121 Leland Street Chevy Chase, Md. Located between the forest section of Chevy Chase and Meadowbrook, adjacent to Columbia Country Club, this lovely dwelling with its home-like features is a real buy at this price. [ 3101 Northampton Drive out Conn. Ave. to Nebraska Ave. to North- aempton St. to reach this spacious brick house con- taining all modern im- provements; built-in two- car garage; screened liv- ing porch. 38th St. 16x33 ft., two large sunnmy sleeping ol Teeaser X A e FlLooa PLame service, have been the principal de- terrent to the building of hundreds of thousands of private homes needed during the last few years. With first mortgages rarely exceeding 60 per cent thus making second risk paper neces- sary in a majority of cases, home building has suffered more, perhaps, than any other industry of equal dol- lar volume importance. “Provision for lending up to 80 per cent of the valuation of a home prop- erty, plus discouragement of secondary liens beyond this percentage, will wipe out the second mortgage bugaboo,” Gilbert stated. “Thus, the first cosf as well as unpredictable renewal charges every few years, will be lifted from the home owner’s budget, mak- ing it cheaper and less worrisome to own a home. In addition, with suffi- \ ashington Hei i !f ’ : facated between Connecticut coavenient neizhborhood. n Ueautiful grounds of St. T o view of Rock € beauty, well-appointed rooms. second floor: lcreens. weatherstrips. mai t Suitable for Physician or Dentist 1928 Belmont Road N.W. Newly Renovated of the appraised valuation formerly, | fashioned rose garden, arbors, etc. Lane 5 squares fo 1108 16th St. shrubbery, evergreens, Drive out Wisconsin Ave. (at Bank of Bethesda), fruit trees, grape to Edgemoor Lane turn left on Edoemoor Glenbrook ~ Road—left 2" squares to property—drive in the driveway. Open Saturday and Sunday R. B. Warren OWNER Wis. 3068 was furnace; 2-car garage. 5520 Conn. Ave. Eight Rooms—Two Baths Avenue and Columbia Road in a refined ar car the Taft Memorial Bridee, overlooking ih esa’s and School of Sisters of Notre Dame. witl lev. it assures one of a continuous picture o and outstanding corner, individually built, with There are four bed rooms and two baths on the hardwood It is an impo: hot-water heat A repossessed home that has S A value you cannot afford to overlook. 729 15th St. N.W. Price Only $13,500 - Open Today and Sunday to 9 P.M. L. T. GRAVATTE Realtor National 0753 District 4464 | FIRST MORTGAGE LOANS... for— CONSTRUCTION or REFINANCING Homes in Maryland— Investigate OUR PLAN ... It provides for the repayment of loans in easy monthly installments —over a period of 1114 years. Your Application Will Receive Prompt Action THE CHEVY CHASE BUILDING & LOAN —ASSOCIATION, INC.— 6660 Wisconsin Ave. Wisc. 2488 Brand-new, ill 5416 Nebraska Avenue Chevy Chase, D. C. One of the best locations in Chevy Chase. dition, excellent community. *11.250 Large living room with open fireplace, attracti room, kitchen with built-in cabinets, electric refrig three large bedrooms (master’ New house con- dining ation, s bedroom with private bath), OPEN SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Edw. H. Jones & Co., Inc. Cleveland 2300 WHERE CAN YOU BUY MORE VALUE THAN THIS? *8,750 ~376 Sheridan St. NW. Sheridan Park This beautiful home sold for many thousand dollars more than its present price. Con- taining six rooms, sleeping porch and breakfast porch, two baths, log-burning fire- place, electric refrigerator and built-in garage. This is the home — the price and terms you can easily afford. Inspect Today and Tomorrow Drive out 16th St. N.W. to Sheridan WARDMAN, Inc., Agent District 3830 | age-old Beauty in Homes ‘ of CONCRETE ASHLAR Concrete Ashlar is beautiful —as the time-softened mellowness of some weathered old-world manor house is beautiful. Itis enduring. It is fireproof. It is highly in- sulatingagainstsummer’ssunand winter’s cold: Itis decay-proof, damp-proof, vermin-proof. And it is inexpensive. Let your architect show you the wide variety of color, pattern and texture treatments offered by Concrete Ashlar. More charm, more economy, more real kive- bility, per dollar. The coupon will bring a folder on the subject, eatitled “Happy Living.” r-----——-—- Paste this coupon on & postal card - — —— — e ) PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 837 National Press Bldg.,Washington,D.C. Please send me folder “Happy Living.” ——————— ]