Evening star. [volume], April 04, 1936, Page C-3, Image 25

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
F. H. A. RELEASES
“Contract Documents for
Small House Construc
tion” Is Title.
As additional protection for private
lending institutions, as well as the
mutual mortage insurance fund, the
Federal Housing Administration today
released a publication titled, “Contract
Documents for Small House Construc
tion.”
The booklet outlines and describes
“the type, kind and the extent of
the information which should be con
tained in a complete set of docments”
submitted by mortgage applicants.
"The experience of the Federal Hous
ing Administration has shown,” ac
cording to the booklet, “that it is
extremely difficult to obtain well
drawn and complete contract docu
ments upon which it can, with confi
dence, issue its commitment to insure
a mortgage in cases involving new con
struction. The need for such contract
documents would seem obvious. De
snite this, it is found that many pros
pective home owners, very exacting in
their usual business dealings, permit
loose and irregular contractual agree
ments when building their homes. It
is also found that many sound and
otherwise well-managed institutions
are willing to make firm commitments
to lend money without adequate con
tract documents.”
Taking cognizance of the risk in
volved in such procedure, the Housing
Administration, to avoid these risks,
must take all precautions available to
assure itself that the dwelling and the
security on which it makes a commit
ment to insure a mortgage will be built
as agreed upon when the commitment
was made’. It, therefore, requires that
each application be accompanied by
adequate contract documents.
The booklet goes into details con
cerning the agreement, general con
ditions, specifications and working
drawings. A form for small construc
tion contracts, issued by the American
Institute of Architects, is included in j
the booklet, together with a set of j
working drawings as an illustration of |
the type and kind of information to
be presented.
The booklet will be distributed to
Insuring offices of the Federal Housing
Adminstration and to others upon re
quest.
HINTS ON PLANTS
Excessive Water and Fertilizer
Retards Flowers.
Too much kindness is not good for
flowers any more than it is for
humans.
Flower plants which are given an
excessive amount of moisture are not
so likely to produce a large number of
blooms as those watered moderately,
according to scientists of the Ferry
Morse Seed Breeding Institute. An
excessive supply of nitrates in fertilizer
might have the same effect.
In general, an oversupply of nourish
ment or an extremely lush growth
will tend to cause a plant to go to
leaf-growth rather than to bloom-pro- j
duction. Only in rare cases, however, j
can flowers have too much sunlight. |
Growers are cautioned against plant
ing flowers between houses in plots !
which the sunlight seldom reaches. j
' Pastel Colors on Ceilings.
Painting the ceilings in pastel colors
gives a pleasing contrast, even when
side walls are very light hues. To ob
tain the greatest reflection value from
a ceiling, however, it should be painted
a flat white.
‘ NEW AMERICAN HOMES
idjoining Rock Creek Park at Beach
Drive and Leland St., with Air Condi- I
^tioning and Electric Health Kitchen,
from $15,950 to $20,750
.WAVERLYTAYLOR.^
1922 K STREET NAT'L 1040
Semi-Detached
Lot 30x117
1312 Allison St. N.E.
Michigan Park
Six Room*—Two Bath*
Southern exposure: the sleeping
and breakfast porches overlook St.
Paul's College grounds <part of the
Catholic University of America). ]
Only 4 years old. this modern, up
to-date home has copper piping,
copper screens, weather strips, is j
thoroughly insulated. Has Bryant ,
Gas Furnace; Garage is detached. J
Only $8,950
Open Sunday, 2 to 6
L. T. GRAVATTE
72® l.-.th Realtor Nat. 0T53
Up op hew houes "
V®S«a5T..-t
I C0^sfi?lNGRASSUNDS 1
1 YOURSELF '. munlW plannel I
l _oa.SSLANDS»?“™ purchaser of I
1 """other ho.^0 4 l
*S2§ mohroe v/arreh \
I Sjr^^ Eorle M. Dawson, 1
1 house. Sales I II
■ ■ — IL
Attractive Dwelling in Glenbrook Knoll
... - ->. ^ ;■■■■■-■ «—■—t.,i,n■■ <■»...■ ■rti.w.ra .■ nw,■ fth.. mmMm
New home at 104 South Brook Lane, Glenbrook Knoll, which has been purchased by Mrs.
Mary L. and Miss Clara L. Robinson. It is one of the “thriftee-step" homes, built by Alfred T.
Newbold —Star Staff Photo.
Home Modernization
Available Closet Space May Be Arranged in
Practical Way to Care for
DV I IH'Drvrc rRflMI'!!. ! nnmhpr nf cmrmpnts. If the Closet
“A place for everything and every
thing in its place” is an old sea-going
theory, but it is still a mighty good
one to follow about your own home.
Unfortunately it seems to be almost
impossible to find "a place for every
thing” in the majority of houses or
apartments, due to the dearth of closet
space, but there are things you can
do to closets that will help that diffi
cult situation tremendously.
No matter how charming your
home is in other respects, unless you
have a lot of room in which to put
things away, the place is bound to
look poorly managed and messy. The
easiest way out is to take the closets
that you now have and renovate them
so that they will do a great deal more
work for you. The average house will
usually have a coat closet, a broom
cupboard, a linen closet and closets
in the bed rooms. In apartments these
spaces may be so small that you have
been mistaking them for rat holes, but
nevertheless they can be converted to
do a much better job.
The clothes closet, wherein hangs
is shallow but still over 20 inches
deep, enough to use a hanger, you
can use two or three clothes brackets
which will hold four hangers each.
The space at the top of the closet
should of course be used to take care
of hats. If you want to be particu
larly efficient at this point you can
use a number of hat holders, pegs
with large knobs on them, such as
are used in hot stores for display.
These is nothing quite so irritating
as having to search about a dark
closet. Even if you did happen to
have a match or a flashlight when
you wanted one it would still be an
annoyance to look about in the inky
blackness w’ith coats getting in your
way and the object of your search
very carefully staying out of reach.
When you stop to think of what an
easy job it is to amply light a small
space like that, you will possibly run
right down town and buy the material
needed to brightly illuminate it. A
fixture should be located above the
door of the closet and connected to
a Jamb switch if you want a really
well-lighted closet. With an arrange
ment of that sort, whenever the door
is opened the switch will turn on the
light automatically, and off when you
are ready to close the door again.
The broom closet is usually a
storage space for a multitude of
articles besides brooms, and is essen
tially an accessory cupboard. Brushes
of all sorts find their way there, as
well as vacuum sweepers, hand sweep
ers, mops, polishes and dusting mate
rials. Each of these articles should
have an individual hook or shelf to
avoid a mad jumble on the closet floor.
The bed room closets are certainly
the most important ones in the home.
To get the most out of a bed room
closet, or vice versa, it should be
divided into the same three divisions
that we discussed for the coat closet.
A space for shoes, clothes and hats.
Always arrange it so that the closet
floor is upraised about six inches to
facilitate dusting and make the shoes
more accessible. If you want to have
even more shoe space why not install
little racks on the doors, made of wire
or wood, and your shoes will be still
closer at hand.
With the closets in your home or
apartment arranged in this efficient
manner you will possibly be surprised
to find how much floor space the old
homestead has after all, providing of
course, that you use the closets after
1 you modernize them.
me uutuuur ui me i<xuiny, id
usually located somewhere near the
front door. Usually it must accom
modate everything from overcoats to
tennis racquets, so it must be arranged
in an exceptionally efficient manner.
Raised above the floor should be a
shelf, or shelves, for rubbers, over
shoes and galoshes, which may be
divided into compartments, one to
each pair.
At one end of the closet a built-in
umbrella rack will help to solve that
sliding-down condition that drives
most people a bit crazy.
If you have a rather deep closet in
your front hall, be sure to install a
heavy wooden or plated metal rod
parallel to the longest wall. This wall
eliminate the use of hooks and will
enable you to hang up a surprising
A SENSATIONAL VALLE!!
i “ —k., 4 wnr*
ULD
TAYLOR ST.
N.W.
$12,750.00
Cost Owner About
$17,500.00
—new with man; im
provements since added.
• 8 Rooms
• 4 Bedrooms
• 2 Baths
• Brick Garage
• Oil Burner
Don't fail to see this remarkably underpriced home.. Located in
select upper 16th Street Heights, this home was built by one of Washing
ton's foremost builders. Now in new condition with added features of
electric refrigeration, awnings, screens, weatherstrippings and other modern
improvements.
Open All Day Sunday
FRANK S. PHILLIPS
927 15th St. Exclutive Agent District 1411
■ ■ ■ •..
Live with the birds, the flowers,
the trees and congenial neighbors in
Greenwich Forest
Maryland’s Picturesque Natural Park
Only twenty minutes from the center of town;
five minutes from stores, schools and churches.
The most accessible of all Washington sub
urban communities, and yet the most exclu
sive, even as it is the most beautiful. Every
home is especially designed for the setting it
is given, surrounded by its own garden spot.
Truly a gem of a home.
Exhibit Home
5702 Mid wood Road
Furnished by Hutchinson with draperies by Ligon
—just to show you how home-like it can be made.
Don’t hesitate to inspect. There is no obliga
tion. Greenwhich Forest Homes, are many of
them sold before the ground is broken, so en
trancing is the environment and so appealing
is the price from an investment standpoint.
Open Every Day and Sunday
-Easy of Access
Drive out Wisconsin Avenue to Bethesdo traffic light—
_rf.*.u_ turn left on Old Georgetown Road to Wilson Lane
UtAITU uniK (Women's Farm Market). Turn left on Wilson Lane to
L HtALIHHlM J Greenwich Forest.
Cafritz Construction Co.
Developer*—Architects—Builders
Phone Wisconsin 5204
$636,935 in Permits in Last
Two Years Probably
Record Figure.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
FALLS CHURCH, Va„ April 4.—
Probably establishing a record for all
Northern Virginia towns the last two
years in building operations, building
permits totaling $636,935 have been
issued by the town of Falls Church for
the years 1934 and 1935, according to
figures made public today by Mayor
L. P. Daniel.
Permits for the year 1934, including
both residential and business, amounted
to $63,625, while for 1935 the figure
mounted to the tremendous total for
a small town of $573,310, the report of
the mayor indicates.
An idea of the growth of Falls
Church during the two-year period is
reflected in the fact that but 21 per
mits were issued in 1934, compared
with 123 for 1935. Of the 1934 permits,
6 were for business places and 15 for
residences, and for 1935, 12 were for
business places and 111 for residences.
Realty Values Increase.
MftVnr Danlpl smrorPfitprt thaf. in Hrrhf
of the permit values, realty values have
probably Increased as much as $1,
000,000 over the two years. He said in
securing permits the natural tendency
of builders is to keep estimated costs
as low as possible.
At the same time the mayor ex
plained realty values would further be
augmented by the additional tangible
values brought into the town through
new homes and business places, all of
which add to local taxable values.
In one day during 1935, 27 building
permits were issued, believed to be a
record for any other town in this sec
tion of the State. Of all the permits
Issued during 1934 and 1935, 116 were
for new residential structures and 10
for new business establishments. The
other permits were for remodeling.
Hillwood Building Active.
Contributing largely to the building
development of the town has been the
construction activity at Hillwood and
the building of two new theaters here,
Indicating that the heavy building
program is due to continue in Falls
Church without Interruption is the
statement from the developers of Hill
wood that it is hoped to erect at least
150 new homes this year, perhaps
reaching the high total of 200.
The greater bulk of the budding has
been in the Fairfax County side of the
town, which it is hoped will make up
to a large extent the withdrawal of
the Arlington County portion, re
cently affirmed by the Court of Ap
peals of Virginia.
A New
Breuninger
Built Home
at a Host
Unusual Price
Stratford Road and
Morgan Drive,
Chevy Chase Gardens
6 rooms, 2 baths, oil heat,
built-in garage, furred and
insulated walls and many
other unusual features.
Open Saturday
and Sunday
Drive out Wisconsin Ave., about 14
mile begond District line, turn west
on Morgan Drive one block to
propertg.
L. E. Breuninger & Sons
1515 K St. N.W. NAt. 2040
- ■
DECREASE NOTED
IN FORECLOSURES
Home Loan Bank Review
Cites Lowest Level
Since 1931.
Foreclosures In 75 leading metropoli
tan counties, with a combined popula
tion of 42,790,000, reached in February,
1936, the lowest level of any month
since 1931, according to the first com
prehensive index of its kind so far de
veloped, published in the current Fed
eral Home Loan Bank Review. Since
the areas covered embrace about 60
per cent of the urban families in the1
United States, the reports are believed
rpflprf. arriirafplv thp non-farm
dential rentals and home building per
mits. The index shows that the rate
foreclosure trend for the country as a
whole.
This Index of foreclosures will be
carried forward each month in the
review, affording useful guidance to
the building, home finance and real
estate Industries throughout the coun
try as a barometer of conditions. In
cluded is a combined running chart
illustrating the monthly trend of fore
closures, cost of construction, resi
of home building is in inverse ratio
to the foreclosure trend.
While foreclosures have steadily de
clined since about a year ago, they are
still over 2 ‘/2 times the 1926 rate. The
review points out, however, that a
factor In the temporary rise in fore
closures early in 1935 was the improved
market value of homes, which
prompted foreclosure and sale of
properties on which such action had
been delayed due to the previous
stagnant demand.
During February rentals continued
the slow advance begun in January,
1934. Observers of the home construc
tion cycle find that Increased con
struction volume usually follows an
upward movement in rental with a
delay of about one year, the review
asserts.
Reports of the volume of building
permits throughout the country con
firm this opinion.
*
Country Atmosphere
Intown Convenience
3821-47 Calvert St.
j Just West of Wisconsin Ave.
^ YOU don’t have to drive out to the coun
' try—you can enjoy country atmosphere
right at your doorstep here. You don’t have
to drive in town, either—you are in town
at this convenient acjfiress that offers mod
V, / erately priced homes equipped with every
A modern building innovation and convent
\ ence.
(FURNISHED EXHIBIT HOME
3831 Calvert St.
Six rooms, two baths and
recreation room.
Open Saturday and Sun
day. 10 A. M. to 9 P. M. f (HO0EBI1 1
Daily, 6 P. M. to 9 P. M.
Drive out to Wisconsin Ave. and Calvert St. (4
blocks south oj Mass. Ace.J, turn west to homes.
Experienced Advertisers Prefer T he Star
II—ini——1^1———^^—————
^ HOME in COLONY HILL, an Early American Village destined
to become one of America^ outstanding developments
I 1723 HOBAN ROAD N.W.
Beautiful in its extreme simplicity, reflecting the sturdy character of our early American
ancestors. Contains 9 rooms and 4 baths (including recreation room and maid's roomand
bath); 2 fireplaces; 4 real bed rooms; automatic heat and refrigeration; 2-car garage. Over
looks beautiful wooded Government park on the east. All in excellent condition. Price, $21,500. >
Out Cue St. to Wisconsin A tie., north to Reservoir Rd., ices t to Ho ban Road, north to house.
OPEN SUNDAY 11 to 6
BOSS b PHELPS
REALTORS
Advice for Springtime
Buy Your Home in
Srnokiml?
i—-————"i
4706 Cooper Lane
“A Community of Distinctive Small Homes”
A restricted environment in which the builder has undertaken to develop
a community where homes of individual design and character incorporating
the best materials and workmanship, can be bought at exceptional prices.
Price, $10,250-Federal Housing Financing
Open foe Inspection Drive out Wisconsin Ave. to River Rd.,
Daily and Sunday ?"[ °\R‘°'[ "il ? ? *’T
I blocks beyond 46th and Fessenden Sts•
Until 9:00 P.M♦
COOPER LIGHTBOWN & SONS
Builders and Owners
* ”!