House report
1500 E Berks St
4 bd · 3 ba · 3 stories · 2,010 sqft · RSA5 · built 1925
Investor / LLC · assessed $682K · sold 1×. On the 1500 block of E Berks St.
Reading this house's deeds, permits and assessments…
The investment read
How this house has moved and where it's pointed: the city's assessed value (not a listing price) over 12 years, charted against its block; appreciation is that history's pace, and the 5-year figure simply extends it. Yield estimates rent-vs-price from area rents. Ask the analyst below to dig into any number.
Value vs. the block, over time
built new under a 2023 permit (tax-abated), sold for $270K in 2022.
- 2022 $270KSold
- 2023 Interior Non-Load-Bearing Wall Demo.PermitNew construction, addition, GFA changePermitAddition and/or AlterationPermitAlterationsPermit
- 2024 Addition and/or AlterationsPermitAlterationsPermitAddition and/or AlterationPermit
- 2025 Certificate of Occupancy (CO) (may inclu…Permit
Flags: tax-abated — the bill lags real value · active rental license. Informational only — not investment advice or a consumer report (FCRA).
The abatement clock
This house pays about $4,143/yr under a 10-year tax abatement that steps down every year. In 2036 the bill reaches its full ~$9,542/yr — a step up of $5,399/yr, 9 assessment years out. Drag the slider.
Estimated from this parcel's assessment record (taxable vs. exempt split) at the 1.3998% millage and today's assessed value — reassessments will move it. Program inferred from when the exemption first appears (2026: post-2022 taper, 10% steps). After expiry an owner-occupant can claim the Homestead Exemption (~$1,400/yr off); an abated home can't hold both.
What to do with this
The record, translated into moves — what a buyer, the owner, and a landlord would each want to check next under Philadelphia's actual rules.
If you’re buying
Today's $4,143/yr reflects a 10-year abatement. It steps up every year and reaches about $9,542/yr in 2036 — $5,399/yr more. Price the full bill, not the current one.
Federal law requires a lead-paint disclosure at sale for any pre-1978 home. If it will be rented, Philadelphia also requires a lead-safe or lead-free certificate before a rental license can issue.
Single-family rowhouse (the classic Philly row). Converting to a duplex or apartments needs a use variance the zoning board rarely grants — Pennsylvania courts require a physical hardship of the lot itself, and economics alone do not qualify.
If you’re the landlord
Built 1925: every rental unit needs a lead-safe or lead-free certificate on file with the City. Without one: fines up to $2,000/day per unit, tenants may withhold rent, courts can order rent refunded — and no eviction will stand.
Renewal requires city tax clearance and zero open L&I violations on the property. A lapsed license suspends the right to collect rent or evict.
Derived from this house's public records and the city's rules as of 2026 (abatement ordinance, Homestead, rental licensing, lead certification, L&I process, excavation protections). Informational only — not legal, tax, or investment advice.
The house, on paper
The city assessor's field record — the physical spec sheet behind the assessed number.
OPA field-assessment attributes. Condition and grade are the assessor's codes, not an inspection.
Run the numbers
What owning 1500 E Berks St takes, at your price and your rate. Taxes are this house's actual bill from the city record; rent starts at the area median. Assessed value is not an asking price — set the price slider to the real one.
When this house last sold (2022) a 30-year mortgage ran about 5.34% — Freddie Mac's average that year.
Estimates for orientation, not advice. Assumes a 30-year fixed loan, $1,400/yr insurance, 1% of price/yr maintenance; taxes from this parcel's record (with the abatement toggle above).
Next door: 1502 E Berks St · 1504 E Berks St
Where this comes from
- Assessment, spec sheet & owner — OPA Property Assessments, Office of Property Assessment
- Sales & deed history — Realty Transfer Tax records, Recorder of Deeds
- Permits, violations & inspections — L&I Property History · Atlas
- Back taxes & liens — Real Estate Tax Balances, Dept. of Revenue
- Zoning appeals — L&I & Zoning Board appeals
- Neighborhood income & rents — US Census ACS 5-year estimates
- Historical mortgage rates — Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, annual averages
- Imagery — Street photo © Google · Aerial © Esri, Maxar
City datasets are fetched live from OpenDataPhilly (phl.carto.com) and cached briefly. AI-written passages are generated from these records only and rejected if they state a number the record doesn't hold.
Official city record ↗ · L&I history ↗ · See the whole block · Download this record (JSON)