New construction
Why it mattersBought for $405K in 2023, built new under a 2023 permit (tax-abated), sold for $646K in 2023.
View supporting records →House report
854 N 5th St
4 bd · 1 ba · 2 stories · 1,520 sqft · RSA5 · built 1977
Owner-occupied · assessed $511K · sold 2×. On the 800 block of N 5th St.
Property summary
Assessment$511KCity assessed value
Last sale$646KRecorded 2023
Est. annual tax$2K/yearAssessment × 1.3998%
Tax delinquency—Snapshot unavailable
Permits1Dated events in report
ViolationsNone openNone open when assembled
“Open” reflects records available then historical records keep their source dates estimates are labeled
BlockReport AI · cited public records
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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:
What stands out
From the public recordRecords 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.
Post-purchase work pattern
A recorded purchase followed by 1 permit event matches the early part of a renovate-and-resell sequence.
Evidence: purchase recorded in 2023 · permit activity in 2023
Limit: This does not show that the property is listed or that a sale is planned.
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
The current tax estimate is temporary
The taxable assessment implies about $2,402/yr under a 10-year abatement. It jumps to about $7,156/yr by 2026 — $4,754/yr more. Underwrite the post-abatement estimate and verify the actual bill with Revenue.
Built 1977: 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.
The last transfer was not a sale
The most recent recorded deed moved for nominal consideration. That is where tangled-title problems live — budget a real title search. (Occupants untangling an inherited deed can get help from the city's Tangled Title Fund.)
If you own it
When the abatement ends, file for Homestead
An abated home cannot also take the Homestead Exemption. From 2026 it can — knocking about $1,400/yr off the full bill.
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 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
$511K
built 1977
Price / sq ft
$336
block $292 · above block
Appreciation
+72%
+5%/yr, city 6.5%
In 5 years (~2031)
~$512K
+5%/yr own pace held 5 yrs — extrapolation, not a forecast
Est. tax / yr
$2K
0.47% effective, abated
Jun 2022 tax snapshot
—
Gross yield
4.9%
≈$2K/mo rent
Times sold
2
Value vs. the block, over time — sales, permits & L&I events marked on the line
This houseBlock median & rangeSale
The paper trail
New constructionBought for $405K in 2023, built new under a 2023 permit (tax-abated), sold for $646K in 2023.
- 2023 $405KSoldDeck (Exist. One-Family Dwellings)Permit$646KSold
Flags: tax-abated — the bill lags real value. Informational only — not investment advice or a consumer report (FCRA).
The abatement clock
This house’s taxable assessment implies about $2,402/yr under a 10-year tax abatement. By 2026 the assessment-based estimate reaches ~$7,156/yr — a step up of $4,754/yr. Drag the slider.
now: ($511,200 assessed − $339,604 abated) × 1.3998% ≈ $2,402/yr
2026: $511,200 assessed × 1.3998% ≈ $7,156/yr
Flat 100% exemption (pre-2022 program, started 2016), then the cliff — reassessments move both lines. After expiry an owner-occupant can claim the Homestead Exemption (~$1,400/yr off); an abated home can't hold both.
The house, on paper
The city assessor's field record — the physical spec sheet behind the assessed number.
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
1
Stories
2
Interior
1,520 sqft
livable area
Lot
2,616 sqft
Basement
Partial
city code H
Heat
Forced hot air
city code A
Central air
Yes
Garage
1 space
Exterior condition
Average
city code 4
Above averageBelow average
Interior condition
Average
city code 4
Above averageBelow average
Quality grade
C
assessor's grade
ABCDE
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 854 N 5th 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.
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 from this parcel's record (with the abatement toggle above).
Block context
854 N 5th St sits on the 800 block of N 5th St. Open the block report to compare its parcels, ownership and public-record history.
See the whole block →Next door: 856 N 5th St · 858 N 5th 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
Available City datasets are queried from OpenDataPhilly (phl.carto.com), then reports are cached and refreshed on a rolling schedule. Source dates vary: the parcel-level tax-delinquency snapshot is June 2022 and the separate detailed tax ledger ends in 2016, so neither establishes today’s balance. Other dossiers re-pull on view once stale, and citywide benchmarks recompute weekly. 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)