The Block Report

House report

3239 Cottman Ave

6 bd · 3 ba · 2 stories · 1,416 sqft · RSA5 · built 1925

Owner-occupied · assessed $340K (2026) · 2027 OPA assessment $307K · sold 5×. On the 3200 block of Cottman Ave.

Property summary

Assessment$340,2002026 OPA assessment · 2027: $307,200 Last sale$295KRecorded 2024 Est. tax bill$4,762/year2026 taxable assessment × 1.3998% Tax delinquencyNo 2022 matchNot proof account is current Permits1Every fetched City permit Violations0 open66 historical across 28 cases

“Open” reflects records available then historical records keep their source dates estimates are labeled

BlockReport AI · cited public records

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BlockReport can explain a discrepancy, but it cannot rewrite an official City record. Use the agency that owns the underlying fact:

Street view of 3239 Cottman Ave
From the street — imagery © Google
From above — imagery © Esri, Maxar

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.

Estimated annual Real Estate Tax$4,762/year

2026 taxable assessment $340,200 × 1.3998%. Estimate—not a bill or account balance.

OPA also publishes a 2027 assessment of $307,200; it is not the 2026 billed-year value.

Official current account balanceCheck live

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 641150500
Open Philadelphia Tax Center →Choose “View period balance” to see the tax year and any credit, interest, or delinquency.
Exemption classificationNo exemption shown

2026 taxable assessment equals the full assessed value.

Historical delinquency sources Record found

This parcel did not match the June 2022 delinquency snapshot. That absence does not confirm the account is current today.

A separate historical parcel ledger ending in 2016 records $2,785.30 and a lien entry. It is shown as historical context only.

2016$2,785.30 total · $2,218.26 principal · $33.28 interest · $22.18 penalty

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 record

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.

Dated record flagAssessment/permit mismatch

The assessment jumped 52% in 2025, but no matching permit appears in the property timeline.

Evidence: assessment moved from $223,300 to $340,200 · 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 1925: 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.

If you own it

$1,399/yr may be unclaimed

This home reads owner-occupied but shows no Homestead Exemption, which removes $100,000 from the taxable assessment (worth up to $1,399/yr). Applying through the City is free and takes minutes.

$2,785 in the historical tax ledger through 2016

Historical context only, not a current payoff figure; that ledger also contains a lien entry. Verify today's balance and lien status directly with Philadelphia Revenue before relying on it.

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
$340,200
2026 billed-year assessment · 2027: $307,200 · built 1925
Price / sq ft
$217
block $192 · above block
Appreciation
+147%
+9%/yr, city 6.5%
In 5 years (~2031)
~$309K
+9%/yr own pace held 5 yrs — extrapolation, not a forecast
Est. tax bill / yr
$4,762
1.55% effective
Jun 2022 tax snapshot
No match
not proof the account is current
Gross yield
6.4%
≈$2K/mo rent
Times sold
5

Value vs. the block, over time — sales, permits & L&I events marked on the line

$0$250K$500K2018: Sold $40K2019: 5 L&I violations 2019: L&I: 2 failed, 2 passed 2019: Sold $130K2020: Sold $160K2021: L&I violation 2021: L&I: 1 failed, 2 passed2022: L&I violation 2022: L&I: 1 failed, 1 passed2024: L&I violation 2024: L&I: 1 failed, 1 passed 2024: Sold $295K$340K201620182020202220242026
This houseBlock median & rangeSaleL&I violation
Highlight

The paper trail

Improved

Bought for $40K in 2018.

  1. 2018 $40KSold
  2. 2019 5 L&I violationsL&IL&I: 2 failed, 2 passedL&I visit$130KSold
  3. 2020 $160KSold
  4. 2021 L&I violationL&IL&I: 1 failed, 2 passedL&I visit
  5. 2022 L&I violationL&IL&I: 1 failed, 1 passedL&I visit
  6. 2024 L&I violationL&IL&I: 1 failed, 1 passedL&I visit$295KSold

Every dated deed, permit, inspection, license, violation, certification, and appeal—together.

The timeline combines the report’s transfer history with every successfully fetched L&I and zoning row. A date or status is the City’s filed record, not a statement that the condition remains current; use the official file for live detail.

Open the City record ↗
Recorded owner
Individual owner on record
L&I district
EAST
OPA account
641150500

What this record suggests

The City file documents 1 permit touching plumbing. 1 carries a completed, issued, or approved status; that documents the filing, not the present quality of the work.

  1. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2024-034641 · PASSED

  2. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA WEEDS

    Case CF-2024-034641 · Violation VI-2024-028375 · COMPLIED

  3. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2024-034641 · FAILED

  4. Recorded transfer$295K transfer

    2024

  5. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2022-033340 · PASSED

  6. ViolationRUBBISH & GARBAGE

    Case CF-2022-033340 · Violation VI-2022-025896 · COMPLIED

  7. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2022-033340 · FAILED

  8. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2021-036442 · PASSED

  9. LicenseRental

    License 868570 · Inactive

    JIA XIN DONG · Expires 2025-05-16 · Inactive 2025-07-15

  10. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case 670809 · PASSED

  11. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2021-036442 · FAILED

  12. ViolationRENTAL LICENSE- ONE & TWO FAMILY (R3)

    Case CF-2021-036442 · Violation VI-2021-027403 · COMPLIED

  13. Recorded transfer$160K transfer

    2020

  14. LicenseVacant Residential Property / Lot

    License 822891 · Closed

    MENG QIN CHEN · Expires 2020-09-04

  15. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 699247 · Violation 5133971 · COMPLIED

  16. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 699247 · Violation 5133973 · COMPLIED

  17. ViolationLICENSE - RENTAL PROPERTY

    Case 699247 · Violation 5133972 · COMPLIED

  18. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 670809 · CLOSED

  19. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 670809 · FAILED

  20. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 670809 · Violation 211955879 · COMPLIED

  21. ViolationVACANT PROPERTIES-GENERAL

    Case 670809 · Violation 211955877 · COMPLIED

  22. InvestigationPRECOURT

    Case 636514 · PASSED

  23. InvestigationPRECOURT

    Case 636519 · PASSED

  24. Recorded transfer$130K transfer

    2019

  25. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 636514 · CLOSED

  26. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 636519 · CLOSED

  27. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 646967 · Violation 4759369 · COMPLIED

  28. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 646967 · Violation 4759368 · COMPLIED

  29. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 636514 · FAILED

  30. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 636519 · FAILED

  31. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 636514 · Violation 4773744 · COMPLIED

  32. ViolationVACANT PROPERTIES-GENERAL

    Case 636514 · Violation 4773745 · COMPLIED

  33. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA SANITATION

    Case 636519 · Violation 4773727 · COMPLIED

  34. ViolationEXTERIOR STRUCTURE WINDOWS

    Case 636519 · Violation 4773729 · COMPLIED

  35. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA MOTOR VEHICLE

    Case 636519 · Violation 4773728 · COMPLIED

  36. Recorded transfer$40K transfer

    2018

  37. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 597109 · Violation 4405431 · COMPLIED

  38. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 597109 · Violation 4405432 · COMPLIED

  39. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 580716 · Violation 4292677 · COMPLIED

  40. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 580716 · Violation 4292676 · COMPLIED

  41. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 566360 · CLOSED

  42. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 566360 · FAILED

  43. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 566360 · Violation 4242273 · CLOSEDCASE

  44. ViolationEXTERIOR STRUCTURE WINDOWS

    Case 566360 · Violation 4242274 · CLOSEDCASE

  45. ViolationVACANT PROPERTIES-GENERAL

    Case 566360 · Violation 4242275 · CLOSEDCASE

  46. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 563337 · Violation 4143489 · COMPLIED

  47. ViolationRUBBISH/GARBAGE EXTERIOR-OWNER

    Case 563337 · Violation 4143488 · COMPLIED

  48. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 563337 · Violation 4143487 · COMPLIED

  49. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 544956 · Violation 4013867 · COMPLIED

  50. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 544956 · Violation 4013866 · COMPLIED

  51. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 500409 · CLOSED

  52. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 500409 · FAILED

  53. InvestigationPRECOURT

    Case 491512 · PASSED

  54. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 504861 · Violation 3728622 · COMPLIED

  55. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 504861 · Violation 3728621 · COMPLIED

  56. InvestigationADMIN INSP

    Case 446242 · PASSED

  57. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE LICENSE

    Case 500409 · Violation 3820852 · CLOSED

  58. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 491512 · CLOSED

  59. ViolationEXT S-WINDOW REPAIR/MAINTAIN

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654254 · COMPLIED

  60. ViolationEXT S-WINDOW REPAIR/REPLACE

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654255 · COMPLIED

  61. ViolationINT A-EXTERMINATE/MAINTAIN

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654252 · COMPLIED

  62. ViolationEXT S-DOOR REPAIR/REPLACE

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654256 · COMPLIED

  63. ViolationEXT S-WALLS REPAIR/MAINTAIN

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654253 · COMPLIED

  64. ViolationINT A-TRASH REMOVE

    Case 491512 · Violation 3654251 · COMPLIED

  65. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 491512 · FAILED

  66. InvestigationADMIN INSP

    Case 446242 · FAILED

  67. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 446242 · Violation 3596788 · COMPLIED

  68. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 446242 · Violation 3596789 · COMPLIED

  69. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 394058 · Violation 3025189 · COMPLIED

  70. ViolationDOWNSPOUTS

    Case 350403 · Violation 2678968 · COMPLIED

  71. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 350403 · Violation 2678172 · COMPLIED

  72. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 350403 · Violation 2678171 · COMPLIED

  73. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 324045 · Violation 2415318 · COMPLIED

  74. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 324045 · Violation 2415319 · COMPLIED

  75. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 214672 · Violation 1464517 · COMPLIED

  76. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 214672 · Violation 1464518 · COMPLIED

  77. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 207544 · Violation 1400246 · COMPLIED

  78. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 207544 · Violation 1400248 · COMPLIED

  79. ViolationVACANT BLDG KEEP CLEAN GET LIC

    Case 207544 · Violation 1400247 · COMPLIED

  80. ViolationRUBBISH/GARBAGE EXTERIOR-OWNER

    Case 190494 · Violation 1225398 · COMPLIED

  81. ViolationWINDOWS DOORS - GLASS, FRAMES

    Case 190494 · Violation 1225399 · COMPLIED

  82. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 190494 · Violation 1225397 · COMPLIED

  83. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 177578 · Violation 1087434 · COMPLIED

  84. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 177578 · Violation 1087435 · COMPLIED

  85. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 168446 · Violation 1013562 · COMPLIED

  86. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 168446 · Violation 1013563 · COMPLIED

  87. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 129732 · PASSED

  88. ViolationWINDOWS DOORS - GLASS, FRAMES

    Case 129732 · Violation 691084 · ERROR

  89. ViolationDOOR - REPAIR REPLACE EXTERIOR

    Case 129732 · Violation 691083 · COMPLIED

  90. ViolationRUBBISH/GARBAGE EXTERIOR-OWNER

    Case 129732 · Violation 691082 · COMPLIED

  91. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 128557 · PASSED

  92. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 129732 · Violation 691077 · COMPLIED

  93. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 129732 · Violation 691078 · COMPLIED

  94. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 129732 · FAILED

  95. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 128557 · Violation 682140 · COMPLIED

  96. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 128557 · Violation 682139 · COMPLIED

  97. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 128557 · FAILED

  98. PermitPlumbing

    Permit 93461 · COMPLETED

    CURB TRAP, FAI

  99. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 108142 · PASSED

  100. ViolationCLIP VIOLATION NOTICE

    Case 108142 · Violation 538607 · COMPLIED

  101. ViolationRUBBISH/GARBAGE EXTERIOR-OWNER

    Case 108142 · Violation 538608 · COMPLIED

  102. ViolationHIGH WEEDS-CUT

    Case 108142 · Violation 538609 · COMPLIED

  103. InvestigationHCEU INSP

    Case 108142 · FAILED

  104. InvestigationL_CLIP

    Case 43919 · CLOSED

  105. InvestigationL_CLIP

    Case 43919 · FAILED

  106. InvestigationL_CLIP

    Case 14622 · CLOSED

  107. InvestigationL_CLIP

    Case 14622 · FAILED

How Philadelphia’s property system works

These explainers are free because the record only helps if you know what it can—and cannot—prove. Use the linked City guidance for the controlling rule.

Permits and inspections 1 on this property

This property’s file includes PP_PLUMBNG permit record. A permit documents authorized scope and a City process; it is not by itself proof that every described improvement was completed, remains in place, or meets today’s condition expectations.

L&I inspections are scheduled at defined stages; final inspection and required certifications are separate steps in closing out applicable work.

How construction and repair permits work ↗See City inspection stages by permit type ↗
Assessments and taxes

The OPA assessment is the City’s value on the tax roll—not an asking price, appraisal, or live account balance. The taxable assessment can differ from the full assessment because the City roll records exemptions or other treatment; the report keeps those fields separate.

Your annual estimate uses the taxable assessment. Payments, credits, interest, and the amount due are maintained separately in Tax Center.

How the Office of Property Assessment works ↗Philadelphia property-tax guidance ↗
Violations, cases, and status check current status

An open row is a dated City status, not a diagnosis of current condition or a conclusion about the property. Read the case, notice, and any subsequent inspection together, then verify the live file.

How L&I code enforcement works ↗City violation and order types ↗

Flags: historical tax ledger through 2016 recorded $3K with a lien entry. 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
6
Bathrooms
3
Stories
2
Interior
1,416 sqft
livable area
Lot
1,965 sqft
Basement
Full, finished
city code A
Heat
Forced hot air
city code A
Central air
Yes
Exterior condition
Average
city code 4
Interior condition
Average
city code 4
Quality grade
C-
assessor's grade
Zoning
RSA5
city zoning code

OPA field-assessment attributes. Condition and grade are the assessor's codes, not an inspection.

Run the numbers

What owning 3239 Cottman Ave 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.

$295K
20%
6.875%
$2K/mo

When this house last sold (2024) a 30-year mortgage ran about 6.72% — 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

3239 Cottman Ave sits on the 3200 block of Cottman Ave. Open the block report to compare its parcels, ownership and public-record history.

See the whole block →

Next door: 3237 Cottman Ave  ·  3241 Cottman Ave

Where this comes from
Methodology & freshness

This report was assembled Jul 10, 2026, 6:53 AM 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. For this property: Permits: queried · Violations: queried · Investigations: queried · Appeals: queried · Licenses: queried · Building certifications: queried. “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)