Homes Are Still Our Very Best Investments

Bv Flovd Dernier Lumbermen's Service Association, Los Angeles

Conditions and experiences of the past few years have given us ample opportunities to analyze investments and when all forms of securities are considered we can come to but one conclusion and that is, the ownership of a home has no comparison.

Even in the face of unreasonable assessments and taxation this is true, for no one can refer to a single commodity that has not deteriorated to a greater extent and we know of many investments in other fields where the original capital has been entirely lost.

You need only to compare the stock quotations of I9?9 to those of. 1932 to fully agree with us, and while it is true many have lost their homes, in the majority of instances these losses can be traced directly to the home owners themselves. The foolish desires on the part of some families to acquire homes far in excess of their ability to pay or in accepting speculative builders' houses that were 40 per cent over priced, represented the poorest kind of judgment on the part of all concerned. Eventually such transactions could have but one ultimate conclusion, the return of the property to the original seller or money lender.

Yet homes that were carefully planned, constructed of durable materials and competent workmanship and properly financed reflect the best and thriftiest kind of investments, for even though the lot and improvements cannot be sold today for the amount of money they represent, eventually not one dime need be lost and in most instances with the saving in rents credited, the home owning budget would be balanced.

There never has been a time when it is cheaper to rent than to own, for the same amount of money invested in rent receipts will pay for a home. The only question for consideration then is whether you eventually want the title vested in your orvn name or continue buying homes for landlords.

The common expression we hear among renters is that they wish they had built a home and furnished it with some of the money wasted on timely pleasures and questionable securities; these families are the best building prospects today.

Another very important consideration and one which many home owners are accepting is the protection of their present homes through a program of remodeling and modernizing. Homes represent too much of our efforts for us to allow them to deteriorate and grow old-fashioned. Especially is this true when every dollar exchanged for improve- ments and conveniences will return double value in protection and satisfaction. 'Many families are including home repairs in their budget to provide perpetual money for rejuvenation purposes.

Surely now is the time to build and repair as building matdrials, appliances, conveniences, etc., together with competent labor are more reasonably priced than at any time during the past twenty-five years. Everyone who has the money or ability to borrow should build or start at once bringing their home up to modern-day standards of attractiveness and conveniences.

After all, it is the home owners of America who enforce our moral laws of love and justice and in our own homes is where we find the most worth-while happiness and congenial atmosphere, for these and many other reasons we should be desirous of owning and maintaining modern homes, as everything we do to aid success, even success itself, is a reflection of ideal home surroundings.

When we stop to realize the importance of home ownership, just what it means and stands for, the wonder is that any of us would allow one penny of our savings to be invested in any outside channels until we first become the owner of a home of our own or until our present place reflected and contained the most modern of home improvements.

Hammond Carries Redwood Stock in New Orleans

Getting ready for the business revival that will come along one of these days the Hammond Lumber Company has recently established a warehouse in connection with their New Orleans sales office, where they are carrying a stock of Redwood to fill rush orders.

Allard Kaufmann, formerly with the Southland Lumber & Trading Company, New Orleans, is in charge of the offrce and warehouse. J. L. Kemper, technical engineer, who was formerly in charge of the New York office, covers the territory from Texas to Florida. C. J. Quinteau is local salesman. The New Orleans office is in the New Orleans Bank Building.

Harry W. Cole, of the San Francisco office, recently paid a visit to this office on his way back from a trip on which he visited the company's Eastern sales offices.