Subdivision by Frank Meline Realtor Los Angeles

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106 The Eealta BIue Baok ol Cal'ifqrnia FRANK MELINE

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Page 1: Subdivision by Frank Meline Realtor Los Angeles

106 The Eealta BIue Baok ol Cal'ifqrnia

FRANK MELINE

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The Redty Blue Book of Cdilonin

SubdivisionB? FRANK MEI,INE

Open'ng New Terr; lory-Art , f . ia l l ten,oad, and Spef l .ln l ;o a-G rou p it' g -4i1 Dcdelopneat Subd iuisiow-Fo r nLand Subd,i0isions-FoorHal snd.. Hilt Crest Sites-TheInl,estor's Dutlt-T n n sf)ortatialL Fs,cilities.

CTUBDMSfONS ar" rhc logical r"sulL or groM rh and davptopmenl.J There is nothing subt le about their incept ion. The proaess of- subdividing is simpl) a (odrdinated plan of laying op"n ncw ter-

tory for habitation. It provides for systematic expansion along well-d€fined and intelligently thought out li[es, and insures home-buyers,etc., conveniences ihey otherwise vrould not have.

Incidentally it eliminates haphazard settling by the "pioneels,,'who naturally gmvitate to the outskirts of any metropolis, to seek theopen places and the DomiDal living costs they Drovide.

THD SUBDIVIDDR'S RESPONSIBILITY

the subdivider, however, laying out new territory in fhis man-ner, takes upon his shoulders an immense responsibility, both moraland financial, that cannot rest lightly there.

Assuqing, fol instance, that it is a home-district he Dlaces uDonthe market, he obl igales himself {o providp streets. water, !as,electricity and all the other improvements that his agreements ialllor.

Suppose he sells but a half-dozen lots out of a Dossible hundredor more over a period of months. The improvementi rnust go in juslthe same. The few people who have accepted his guaranteei and'hisIvord must be taken care of.

NO FIELD loB TIIE OPPORTUNIST

The subdivider, therefore, must be so financially situated that hecan live up to his agreements in the face of unforeseen circumstances.IIe must have provided for every possible exigency. The subdivisionfield is no field for the oppoftunist who expects to ride in on a tide ofrising values and brisk buying, \yithout having In'ade thorough prep-arations to vreather changes in the market.

OPERATING NEW TERRITORY

In justice to himself and to the public, the subdivider should givemost serious consideration to the matter of opening up new territory.

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108 Thc nealt t Hlut Eook oJ C,r l t to,-nia

He should klorv, to his full satisfaction, that the t€rritorv he isopcning up is n€e.ted by the conmunitl' he is ser\ring. He shouid havescl isf i ,d l . n-sal l . ' iAr hr i ._ful f i l l ine a gcnuine rpquirenarrr . and no,s l n . n l j l 2 k g r d \ a t , l a g c o i 3 n l p p a r F r t o n p o i u n i l y t o c a s h i n o n aouylng market,

ARTIFICIAI- DEMAND AND SPDCUIIATION

Artiflcinl denlrlnd is sonetillles cre,rted Ly a plcdisposjtion on l.hepar-t of the public to blry real estate on speculation. This is often tr.uewhere new townsites ar.e created far. frcm established home commun-ities and business centers. When the matter is all sifted alown analthe exciteneDt is over, it is fouDd that no one expects to build or.livein that newly fomled commulrilj,. Thev have all accetrted thea s s . ' n n t i u n l l a r t l ^ p l p s r " r t h p b L r \ . r s i n r p r r d 1 o d o l l p b u i l d ; n q r l s ts\al l "naL, thp:r D-onarrJ i r . rpane in velup b) leaps xnd bounds. Thismakes {or. bittcr djsappojltment and cancelled contracts. wh€n thecontr:1r'y is disclosed.

DESIITABILITY AS HOMESITES

The subdivider will meet with the sreatest measure of succesiw l o l e l p . r s h i s r r r . r s f | o . r - h " \ i p w p o i n t o f t h " i r d a s i r a b i l i r ) a s h o n e -s:Les. lJfor rh; . in. lor dntra| |ds / / ; ; / s . . .s! , .of i , ;s as ho' .r(s iresthat they will fall irto the hands of the uttimate buyer. In setectinghis tracts florn the sta dpoint of desilability as homesites. the etemenlof accessibilit)' anrl tr.anspor:lation facjlities must not be lost sisht of.Pleasir .g p' ] . ;c j r l j nd c.anic FrtrA. j ions atonp musr nor be t i ie crr-terion. The nratter oi implovenents, too, is a nost impoltant factor.The subdivis io must bc so si tuated thnt ut i t i t ies are ai , i i t , rblo.

CROUFINC

Subdivisions natulall]. sroup themselves jnto foLrr- prinrar'r-

1. laesideDtial Tracts-2. IDdustr ' ia iTr-acts.3. FaIm Lands.L Oi l Delelopments.

' I 'he f i r 'st gloup is re divided as fol lo\r ,s:(a) Citv Lots.(b) Suburb:rn.

' fhe thi ld sroup pemrits oI a niher ' \ f idc rar i€t-y ol sub-( lassi fca-t ions, anrong the pr ' i c ipals b€ing:

(a) Snlall Falnls.(b) Olchmds.(c) Vire-va]'ds.(d) Poultly lianches.(e) DairT l'al.rns.( f) Mis(el laneous.

In(luding beIN lrrms. live stork Ian(:hes. t rck falrns. etc., :111of which are mor.e or. less covered by rlass A.

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CENE&AL ASPECTS

Subdivisions as a whole assume two general aspects. Primarilywe think of them as being suburban additions to already establisheddistlicts. Very often, however, they mark the creation of an entirelynev and distinct residential, indust al or a$icultural district.

With sufficient capital behind them, ne townsites are not un-comlltonly stafted or ne'w far:m conmunities created.

Industdal enterprises are sometimes started in this manner,bringing to life a new city where nore existed before. In this mannera site for a new industry is secured at a nominal cost, avoiding thebuying of property at prohibitive pdces, rthere s considerable acreag€is needed. Cary, Indiana, is a notable exampl€ of such an achieve-ment.

INDUSTRIAL SUBDIVISIONS

Industrial subdivisions are often the result of a desire or' thenecessity for big business to unify its activities in a central industrieldistrict. Sometimes this is caused by voluntary a.ction on the part ofthe firans themselves, In such cases they are seeking to take advan-tage of transportation facilities and availability of ra'w materialsupplies. Often such action is the result of municipalities wishing toEegregate tleir industries. Alhambra provides a stdking exampl€ ofthe latter. This thriving little city has protected her home-buildersiy setting aside a zoned district of 360 acres to house her industries-

The Reolta BLrLe Boak of C,xtl,ifotnia 109

rARM LAND SUBDIVISION PROJECTS

Farm land subdivision projects usually Iesult through largecompanies splitting up huge ranches or falms for the purpose

of admitting the Bmaller land holder. This makes possible the salepmpefty for which a single buyer wbuld be impossible to find, and

secures higher prices for the property than if wholesaled.By specializing in some particular product to which the soil or

ic conditions are peculiarly adapted, the cormunity is createdconcentrate their eilorts on this line, and usually plan on disposingtheir products through a common market outlet, formed as an

on.

Oil development subdivisions customadly come into beirg out ofbelieJ on the part of geologists that the lands in question are

ial oil lands. By redividing the holdings among a large numbersmall investors, eech owning a deinite por"tion of the propedy, th€

is to provide a profit for the promotels, out of .the work, anal

OII, DEVELOPMENT SUBDIVISIONS

to net funds for drjlling t€st wells.Development projects of this nature are entitled to be classed aslivisions only in that the general procedure follows th€ subdivid-method of splitting the property up into lots. Usually such pro-alo not pretend to provide improvements, but are founded upon

hope tlat oil will be found.Many subdivisions are conlbinations of thesepnmary groups.

they combine lesidential or homesites with

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110 The Reqlta tsltre Book ol Calif,n nia

others. A larg€ number of subdi\risions provide some business front-ages, which customarily I'ield higher prices than tlose plots restdctedto home-building.

RESIDDNTIAL SUBDIVISIONS

Residential subdivisions provide a wide variety of home-sites.Most conrmon is the ordinary "city 1ot." Located in flat, or nearly flatterritory, such lots have little to recommend them one above the other,except in point of closeness to lines of transportation, comers, etc.Such tracts habitually sell out faster than other types in clistdctswhere a genuine demand for home-sites has beert created. This isdu€, perhaps, to the fact that the average city dweller has accustomedhimself to living on a flat expanse and that pr-ices are usually lower.

FOOTIIILL AND UILL CBEST STTESA type of home-site that is rapidly ffnding favor, patticularly in

Southern Califorria, is the foothilt, hitlside and hillcrest location.So marked is the demand for locations of this nature that availableclose-in sites are bringing what mayr seem to be stadling pfces. Thisclass will soon be taker up, as their number is comparatively limited.For this reason, pfces will continue to advance.

People of refin€ment and culture axe finding that such sites lendthemselves to a greater variety of architecture, and afiorcl more roomfor the imagination of the artist and architect. Likewise they insuredistinctive and individualistic homes. The varying topography of thesites demands original conceptions.

THE SUBUEBAN ESTATE

Undoubtedly the ideal type of home-sites that California providesk the suburban estate. In the past, the gaxden spots of Californiahave become the property of persons of great wealth, whosought out the secluded treasures of nature, away from the metropolis.

These estates are rapidly being thrown on the market, due to theconsiderable returns they net their oqners, anal pelsons of butmoderate wealth are finding it possible to acquire these small estates.They rang€ in size from ore-half acre to five, eight, ten, twelve and ashigh as the homeseeker cares to go.

IBANSPOETATION FACILITIES

The admirable transportation frailities afforded in California, andthe mimy ranges of low-lying foothills that abound here, contrive tomake possible these small estates in sufficient number to care for alarge number of people of wealth who come to enjoy California:ssunshine.

TYPES OF BUYERS

There are trfo general tpes of buyer.s who choose from the nanytlTes of subdivisional offedngs. First, ihere is the homeseeker. Heis out to find that ideal home place that he has chedshed for months-perhaps year's. It is for the subdivider not to disappoint him. He

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Tl& Real,ta Blue Boak of CdtlonLin

TIIE IN\IESTOR

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should adverl,ise and describe his property in such a way that the homebuyer knoszs what he is going to find when he visits the lract, Th€rcaction against disappointment is hard to overcome, and the sub_divider must expect to sell the rnajor portion of his p;opedy on tllerecornmendation of those who came and found what thei sought, andwerc pleased enough to tell their friends.

Th-e otler Lype-of buyer is rhe investor, who buys for the purposepl]on$ng through the rise in values. It is his own duty to look

U i"t_r fu merits and advantages of dre tract. fie shouldrl to the depths as lo its desirability as a home-site. Fof he

Iemember ihat tle value of tlat property is going Lo be deter_. rn tne cnd, by the desire o[ people to l ive there.

INJUNCTION TO PROSPDCTI\,'E BUYER

Perlaps lhe mosl impof lant jn junct ion lhat can be given thepec$l,p D!-yer. atter that of carefully studying the advantages oftracr irself. is rhat hp sha[ give t]oright rd th; fir; ;r l;dl-v u;jr whom he intends 10 do business. He must remernbar lhat the

' of paying will undoubtedly be spread over a Deriod of month;aps years. I l is importanl rhat he do busi;ess with a frrn

sc inlpgr j ty is beyond quest ion, \ rhose responsibi l i l t . is assurpdwnose tuclgment has stood the t€st

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