2026 taxable assessment $592,600 × 1.3998%. Estimate—not a bill or account balance.
OPA also publishes a 2027 assessment of $697,900; it is not the 2026 billed-year value.
House report
1929 Kater St
2 bd · 1 ba · 2 stories · 1,557 sqft · RSA5 · built 1920
Owner-occupied · assessed $693K (2026) · 2027 OPA assessment $698K · sold 4×. On the 1900 block of Kater St.
Property summary
Assessment$692,6002026 OPA assessment · 2027: $697,900
Last sale$379KRecorded 2015
Est. tax bill$8,295/year2026 OPA · Homestead-adjusted
Tax delinquency—Snapshot unavailable
Permits8Dated events in report
Violations0 openNo historical match in fetched records
“Open” reflects records available then historical records keep their source dates estimates are labeled
BlockReport AI · cited public records
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Property tax
The estimate, live balance, and back-tax record are different.
BlockReport can calculate the annual tax from the City’s taxable assessment. Payments, credits, interest, and a current amount due live separately in Philadelphia Tax Center.
A Tax Center balance is net of bills, payments, credits, interest, and adjustments. A credit—or an amount due—is not automatically “back taxes.”
OPA 3010227002026 OPA removes $100,000 from the taxable assessment through the owner-occupant exemption.
Historical delinquency sources No current conclusion
The June 2022 delinquency snapshot was not verifiably available in this cached report. No conclusion about a match—or today’s balance—can be drawn from that absence.
For a purchase, refinance, or closing, request the City’s official Property Payoff statement in Tax Center under “More options.”
What stands out
From the public recordNew construction
Why it mattersBought for $165K in 2008, built new under a 2009 permit, sold for $379K in 2015.
View supporting records →City Property History
Fetched L&I and zoning records
Every row successfully fetched for this report is counted below. Dataset availability and matching can differ from the City's interactive file; use the official link for current detail.
- Recorded owner
- Individual owner on record Analyst access to view
- Tax mailing address
- Private for individual owners
- L&I district
- —
- Building ID (BIN)
- —
- OPA account
- 301022700
Permits0Unavailable
Violation cases0Unavailable
Investigations0Unavailable
Building certifications0Unavailable
Business licenses0Unavailable
Appeals1Completed · Granted with conditions
PermitsPermit number, issued date, work and City status0
No permits matched this parcel in the fetched City dataset.
Violation cases0 individual violation records; resolved history remains visible0
No violation cases matched this parcel in the fetched City dataset.
InvestigationsEvery inspector visit, including CLOSED outcomes0
No investigations matched this parcel in the fetched City dataset.
Building certificationsInspection result and filed expiration date by L&I building ID0
No building certifications matched this parcel in the fetched City dataset.
Business licensesHistorical and active licenses are both retained0
No business licenses matched this parcel in the fetched City dataset.
AppealsApplication status and decision are separate City fields1
ZBA Permit Denial - VarianceAppeal ZP-2020-009198
Apr 6, 2021 Completed Granted with conditions
PERMIT FOR THE ERECTION OF AN ADDITION ABOVE AN EXISTING ATTACHED STRUCTURE WITH A ROOF DECK ACCESSED BY ROOF DECK ACCESS STRUCTURE. SIZE AND LOCATION AS PER PLANS. FOR A SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSEHOLD LIVING.
City of Philadelphia OPA, L&I and Zoning Board records, shown as filed. A CLOSED investigation is an outcome label, not a missing visit; an appeal's application status and decision may differ.
Legal due diligence
What this record proves—and what it does not.
These checks are triggered by this property’s actual City rows. They identify the controlling document to verify; they do not declare a use legal, a building safe, or title clear.
1 resolve before relying
1 verify
Resolve before relyingZoning approval is not the occupancy fileAppeal #ZP-2020-009198: Completed · Granted with conditions.
Why it mattersPhiladelphia says a zoning approval or Property Sales Certification can identify a use without proving that it was established under the Building Code. A change of use, unit count, exits, or fire rating can require a Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy.
Verify nextVerify the lawful use, unit count, associated construction permits, and Certificate of Occupancy with L&I.
Open the controlling City guidance ↗VerifyHomestead is tied to owner occupancy and the deedOPA shows the Homestead Exemption.
Why it mattersPhiladelphia limits Homestead to an owner’s primary residence. The City says a deed change can require a new application or update.
Verify nextA buyer should apply in their own name and not assume the seller’s benefit continues.
Open the controlling City guidance ↗Closing file: checks no public-record summary can replace5 documents/searches to assign before settlement
Property Sales Certification
The seller must obtain Philadelphia’s certificate showing the base zoning, last use in the zoning record, and open violations. The City warns that it does not prove Building Code occupancy or show zoning overlays.
Next: Obtain the fresh certificate and compare it with the CO, permits, and Atlas overlays.
Official guidance ↗Date-effective City Property Payoff
The Tax Center Property Payoff covers Real Estate Tax, Commercial Trash, and L&I abatement-work invoices. Philadelphia says it does not include business-tax debts or liens, water and sewer charges, or fines for code violations.
Next: Request the City statement effective through settlement; read every period and invoice.
Official guidance ↗Professional title and water-lien searches
OPA ownership, deed summaries, and a zero tax balance are not clear title. Mortgages, judgments, municipal claims, water liens, easements, heirs, and other encumbrances require separate searches.
Next: Use a Pennsylvania lawyer/title company and obtain owner’s title insurance; order the separate water search/payoff.
Official guidance ↗Separate water-lien guidance ↗Seller-specific tax relief is not the buyer’s bill
LOOP and low-income or senior Real Estate Tax freezes depend on the qualifying owner and continued program eligibility; a buyer cannot assume the seller’s capped or frozen bill continues. A separately verified property abatement often remains with the property for its remaining term, but program-specific new-owner filing, use, and tax-compliance conditions still must be confirmed—not inferred from the reduced assessment alone.
Next: Have Revenue or OPA identify every current benefit, model the buyer’s bill without seller-specific relief, and confirm any verified abatement in writing.
Official guidance ↗Separate water-lien guidance ↗Seller disclosure and independent inspections
For a covered Pennsylvania residential transfer, obtain the statutory seller disclosure. It reports the seller’s knowledge; it is not a warranty, title search, code review, or substitute for inspections. Because OPA dates this building before 1978, separately obtain the required federal/City lead disclosures and any test results.
Next: Have the agreement and disclosure reviewed for this transaction’s coverage and exceptions.
Official guidance ↗Informational only—not a legal opinion, title report, code inspection, tax payoff, or substitute for a Pennsylvania lawyer, title company, inspector, or tax professional.
Records to verify together
Rule-based groupings across this property's dated public records. Each flag shows the records that belong in the same verification step and where the inference stops.
Assessment/permit mismatch
The assessment jumped 46% in 2025, but no matching permit appears in the property timeline.
Evidence: assessment moved from $474,400 to $692,600 · no permit shown in 2024-2026
Limit: Not proof of unpermitted work; reassessment, corrected data, or a permit under another parcel can also explain it.
Transparent record rules, not a score or forecast. Each flag is a prompt to verify the cited records, not a prediction or allegation.
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
Built 1920: lead rules apply
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.
Zoned RSA5: one household by right
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.
Derived from the fetched property records and linked City guidance as of 2026. Assessment treatment is not a substitute for an exemption approval, live balance, title report, license, occupancy certificate, or inspection. Informational only — not legal, tax, or investment advice.
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 record to dig into any number.
Assessed value
$692,600
2026 billed-year assessment · 2027: $697,900 · built 1920
Price / sq ft
$448
block $490 · below block
Appreciation
+177%
+10%/yr, city 6.5%
In 5 years (~2031)
~$701K
+10%/yr own pace held 5 yrs — extrapolation, not a forecast
Est. tax bill / yr
$8,295
1.19% effective
Jun 2022 tax snapshot
—
Gross yield
4.5%
≈$3K/mo rent
Times sold
4
Value vs. the block, over time — sales, permits & L&I events marked on the line
This houseBlock median & rangeZoningPermit
The paper trail
New constructionBought for $165K in 2008, built new under a 2009 permit, sold for $379K in 2015.
- 2008 $165KSold
- 2009 MechanicalPermit$357KSoldPlumbingPermit
- 2015 $379KSold
- 2016 PlumbingPermit
- 2021 New construction, addition, GFA changePermitAppeal granted with conditionsZoningAddition and/or AlterationPermit
- 2022 New Construction or AdditionsPermitAddition and/or AlterationPermitAddition and/or AlterationsPermit
Flags: 1 zoning/board appeal on record. Informational only — not investment advice or a consumer report (FCRA).
The property, on paper
The city assessor's field record — the physical spec sheet behind the assessed number.
Bedrooms
2
Bathrooms
1
Stories
2
Interior
1,557 sqft
livable area
Lot
800 sqft
Basement
Full, finished
city code A
Heat
Forced hot air
city code A
Central air
Yes
Exterior condition
Average
city code 4
Above averageBelow average
Interior condition
Above average
city code 3
Above averageBelow average
Quality grade
C
assessor's grade
ABCDE
Zoning
RSA5
city zoning code
Zoning appeals
1
Completed · Granted with conditions · 2021
OPA field-assessment attributes. Condition and grade are the assessor's codes, not an inspection.
Run the numbers
What owning 1929 Kater St takes, at your price and your rate. Taxes start with an annual estimate from the City’s taxable assessment, not a current bill or balance; 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 (2015) a 30-year mortgage ran about 3.85% — Freddie Mac's average that year.
Mortgage
—
P&I · 30-yr fixed
All-in monthly
—
+ taxes & insurance
Cash to close
—
down + ~4% costs
Cash flow
—
rent − all costs · /mo
Cap rate
—
NOI ÷ price
Cash-on-cash
—
year-1 return on cash in
Estimates for orientation, not advice. Assumes a 30-year fixed loan, $1,400/yr insurance, 1% of price/yr maintenance; taxes use this parcel's taxable assessment, not a live Tax Center balance.
Block context
1929 Kater St sits on the 1900 block of Kater St. Open the block report to compare its parcels, ownership and public-record history.
See the whole block →Next door: 1927 Kater St · 1931 Kater 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
- Tax delinquency snapshot · June 2022 — Real Estate Tax Delinquencies, Dept. of Revenue
- Historical tax ledger & liens · through 2016 — Real Estate Tax Balances, Dept. of Revenue
- Current property-tax balance — Verify with Philadelphia 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
Methodology & freshness
This report was assembled Jul 9, 2026, 8:52 PM ET. Available City datasets are queried from OpenDataPhilly (phl.carto.com) and the cited City ArcGIS feeds; record queries paginate rather than silently taking a first page. “Unavailable” means the source query failed or was not supplied, not “no record.” Reports re-pull on view after seven days and on an overnight rolling schedule; citywide benchmarks recompute weekly. Source dates still govern: the parcel-level tax-delinquency snapshot is June 2022 and the separate detailed tax ledger ends in 2016, so neither establishes today’s balance. The live balance and date-effective payoff must be verified in Tax Center. AI-written passages are grounded in the assembled record and rejected if they state a number the record does not hold.
Official city record ↗ · L&I history ↗ · See the whole block · Download this record (JSON)