House report

5530 Catharine St

3 bd · 1 ba · 1 story · 1,486 sqft · RSA5 · built 1925

Owner-occupancy signal · assessed $183K (2026) · 2027 OPA assessment $176K · sold 1×. On the 5500 block of Catharine St.

Street view of 5530 Catharine St
From the street — imagery © Google
From above · selected parcel outlined; choose a neighboring polygon to open it — imagery © Esri, Maxar
BlockReport AI · cited public records

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Property summary

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

Question or correct this record

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

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$2,564/year

2026 taxable assessment $183,200 × 1.3998%. Estimate—not a bill or account balance.

OPA also publishes a 2027 assessment of $175,700; 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 463105200
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 No current conclusion

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

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
Finding

Permit on record

Record summary

$125K transfer recorded in 2025. Alterations permit recorded in 2025.

View supporting records →

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.

3 open violations: the clock matters

Most L&I appeals must be filed within 30 days; unsafe or imminently dangerous orders can carry a shorter deadline. Unresolved notices can lead to fees, court enforcement, City abatement work, and liens. Read the dated notice and verify its current status with L&I.

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.

Assessment and tax history

Every fetched annual City assessment for this house, compared with its block and ZIP. The figures show assessment change, the billed-year tax estimate, dated tax records, and recorded transfers. They do not estimate market appreciation or investment return.

Assessed value
$183,200
2026 billed-year assessment · 2027: $175,700 · built 1925
Price / sq ft
$118
block $118 · in line w/ block
Assessment change
+124%
+8%/yr since 2016 · 2027 -4% vs 2026
Est. tax bill / yr
$2,564
1.4% effective
Jun 2022 tax snapshot
No match
not proof the account is current
Times sold
1

Assessment vs. the block and ZIP · every dated City record marked on the line

$0$100K$200KZIP 19143 median$176K2015201720192021202320252027
Property assessmentBlock median & rangeZIP 19143 medianAssessmentDeed / saleL&I violationPermitInspectionLicense

Scroll horizontally to move through the years. Each icon sits on its recorded date; records without a day are labeled and centered within their year. Select one to explain the filing.

Highlight
Every dated record10 events · exact dates, newest first
  1. L&I violationVACANT STRUCTURE & LAND
  2. L&I violationEXTERIOR AREA SANITATION
  3. L&I violationEXTERIOR AREA WEEDS
  4. InspectionL&I investigation
  5. PermitAddition and/or Alteration
  6. PermitAlterations
  7. PermitAddition and/or Alterations
  8. LicenseVacant Residential Property / Lot
  9. Deed / saleDeed / sale $125K
  10. LicenseVacant Residential Property / Lot

The paper trail

$125K transfer recorded in 2025. Alterations permit recorded in 2025.

  1. 2025 $125KTransferAddition and/or AlterationPermitAddition and/or AlterationsPermitAddition and/or AlterationPermitAlterationsPermit
  2. 2026 3 L&I violationsL&IInspection failedL&I visit

Browse the source ledger

The chart above is the primary timeline. This drawer preserves every underlying dated row and its filed status for source-level review.

Open the City record ↗
Browse 11 dated records deeds, permits, inspections, licenses, violations, certifications & appeals
  1. ViolationVACANT STRUCTURE & LAND

    Case CF-2026-060441 · Violation VI-2026-036751 · Code PM15-301 · OPEN

  2. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA SANITATION

    Case CF-2026-060441 · Violation VI-2026-036752 · Code PM15-302.1 · OPEN

  3. ViolationEXTERIOR AREA WEEDS

    Case CF-2026-060441 · Violation VI-2026-036753 · Code PM15-302.4 · OPEN

  4. InvestigationL&I investigation

    Case CF-2026-060441 · FAILED

    The cited inspection visit was marked failed; later rows may show follow-up or resolution.

  5. PermitAddition and/or Alteration

    Permit EP-2025-010846 · Issued

    Installation of the new 200 amp electrical service and wiring throughout lights, outlets and smoke detectors as per 2017 NEC

  6. PermitAlterations

    Permit PP-2025-014673 · Issued

    1 kitchen, 2 full bath, 1 hot water heater and 1 laundry 9 FIXTURES

  7. PermitAddition and/or Alterations

    Permit MP-2025-005982 · Issued

    EZ PERMIT DUCTWORK & WARM-AIR APPLIANCES- For the installation of New Ductwork, Registers/Grilles/Diffusers, and Warm-Air Appliances as per attached standards. Deviations from these standards require submission of construction and site plans. Additional permits may be required.

  8. PermitAddition and/or Alteration

    Permit RP-2025-010782 · Issued

    EZ PERMIT STANDARDS ALTERATIONS- For alterations to an Existing One Family Dwelling as per attached standard. Deviations from this standard will result in permit revocation and require submission of construction plans. Separate permits are required for plumbing and electrical work and the installation of heating/cooling appliances. STRUCTURAL ALTERATION OR REPAIR IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED UNDER THIS PERMIT. PROHIBITED STRUCTURAL WORK INCLUDES ANY MODIFICATION TO EXTERIOR WALLS, PARTY WALLS, FLOOR/ROOF FRAMING OR FOUNDATIONS; INCLUDING UNDERPINNING, EXCAVATION, AND REMOVAL OF FOUNDATION SLAB. NO WORK MAY BE PERFORMED IN THE BASEMENT OR CELLAR. Interior alterations as per EZ Standard & Engineer's report.

  9. LicenseVacant Residential Property / Lot

    License 0988659 · Closed

    PHH Mortgage Corp (PHH Mortgage Corp ) · Expires 2026-09-11

  10. Recorded transfer$125K transfer

    2025

  11. LicenseVacant Residential Property / Lot

    License 722382 · Inactive

    CHAMPION MORTGAGE · Expires 2017-12-06 · Inactive 2018-02-04

What this record suggests

The City file documents 4 permits touching kitchen work, bathroom work, electrical work, plumbing. 4 carries a completed, issued, or approved status; that documents the filing, not the present quality of the work.

Flags: 3 open L&I violations. 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
3
Bathrooms
1
Stories
1
Interior
1,486 sqft
livable area
Lot
1,680 sqft
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 5530 Catharine 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.

$176K
20%
6.875%
$1K/mo
Mortgage
P&I · 30-yr fixed
All-in monthly
+ taxes & insurance
Estimated cash needed
down + 4% planning allowance
Modeled cash flow
rent − shown costs · /mo
Modeled cap rate
modeled NOI ÷ price
Modeled cash-on-cash
modeled year-1 return

Scenario for orientation, not advice. Assumes a 30-year fixed loan, $1,400/yr insurance, 1% of price/yr maintenance, and buyer cash equal to the down payment plus 4%. Taxes use this parcel's taxable assessment, not a live Tax Center balance. Cash flow and returns exclude vacancy, management, utilities, HOA or condo fees, leasing costs, income tax, and unplanned capital work.

Block context

5530 Catharine St sits on the 5500 block of Catharine St. Open the block report to compare its parcels, ownership and public-record history.

See the whole block →

Next door: 5528 Catharine St  ·  5532 Catharine St

Where this comes from

Methodology & freshness

This report was assembled Jul 11, 2026, 6:01 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)