131 Buttonwood St · Norristown, PA 19401

$149,900

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 666 sqft · Townhouse public records · 7 Days on market

Built 1956 2,100 sqft lot Est $140k · 7% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the D- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +13.2/30.0
• 1% rule +4.9/10.0
• ARV discount +4.3/15.0
• Livability +4.2/5.0
• DSCR +4.0/10.0
• Rent growth +2.8/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.2/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Opportunity awaits at 131 Buttonwood St. in Norristown! Situated on a desirable corner lot, this property offers great potential for an owner-occupant looking to build equity or an investor seeking their next project. Originally configured as a 2-bedroom home, the current owner converted the layout into a spacious 1-bedroom, but it can easily be transformed back to a 2-bedroom design. This home features gas heat, gas cooking, a newer water heater, and an electric fireplace for added comfort. Enjoy the fenced-in yard, front porch, and rear deck—perfect outdoor spaces for relaxing or entertaining. The walk-out basement offers excellent potential for additional finished living space, sto

Key facts

• Front porch
• Gas heat
• Walk-out basement

Tags

• CORNER LOT
• FENCED-IN YARD
• FRONT PORCH
• REAR DECK
• WALK-OUT BASEMENT
• GAS HEAT

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: On-street parking
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Municipal trash service
• Home design: End of row townhouse; Fee simple ownership; Average condition; Shingle roof
• Construction: Brick construction; Concrete perimeter foundation; Above-grade and below-grade structures
• Exterior features: Awning(s); Sidewalks; Deck(s); Porch(es); Chain link fencing

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen (appliances not listed)
• Bedrooms: 2 bedrooms on main level
• Flooring: Carpet
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom on main level
• Heating & cooling: Central heating (90% forced air); Natural gas hot water; Window cooling units; 100 Amp electrical service
• Interior features: Living room; Dining room; Kitchen; Basement (walkout level, unfinished)
• Laundry & utility: Laundry in basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $150k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-2 ($-19/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $150k (0.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $148k (1.4% below list).
• Recommended offer: $148k (1.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.3% vs local median 4.5% in Norristown — top-decile yield for the area; either an underpriced asset or a hidden risk that comps aren't pricing in. Stress-test before assuming the spread holds.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 84/100 on livability (#100 in PA, #720 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: schools C-, crime D-.
• Norristown Area SD (suburban): math 18% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #466 of 539 in PA (top 86%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 70% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.3%/yr); 164 active listings in the ZIP; 13 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 1,936 units permitted in Montgomery County in 2024 (530 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Montgomery County population projected at +5% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 3 sale attempts since 30y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $56k; list at $150k implies a 168% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.6% of price; built in 1956 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→15/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $147,872 (1.4% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. Built in 1956 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. Crime grade is D in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
6. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
7. What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
8. What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
9. How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.99% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.28%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.04%
• DSCR: 1.00
• GRM: 8.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $139,860
• Comps found: 1

Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
131 Buttonwood St	0.00mi	2/1.0	666 (0%)	0mo	$140,000	$210	100

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 1.29% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -18.5%
• Equity multiple: 0.36×
• Total profit: $-26,786
• Equity at exit: $22,351

10-year hold

• IRR: -15.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.22×
• Total profit: $-32,945
• Equity at exit: $12,961

Cash invested: $41,972 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 62 Landlord-Friendly
• State Pennsylvania: 62 Landlord-Friendly · EVEN
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day notice; Philadelphia has eviction-court diversion + some protections; otherwise moderate.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 19401

• Rents YoY: 1.3%
• Active inventory: 164
• Price-to-rent: 8.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,479 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$786
• Tax from tax record: −$321 /mo · $3,854/yr
• Insurance: −$62
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$311
• Net cashflow: $-2

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,481

Max offer price $149,628

Occupancy floor 95%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $37,475
• Closing costs: $4,497
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 13 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1029 W Main St Unit 1R Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	700	$1,295	$1.85	24d	1	0.19mi
449 Hamilton St Norristown, PA	2.0	1.0	582	$1,519	$2.61	1d	5	0.23mi
203 Forrest Ave Unit 6 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	500	$1,400	$2.80	44d	1	0.33mi
835 W Marshall St Unit 6 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	550	$1,150	$2.09	24d	1	0.45mi
221 W Main St Unit 7 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	740	$1,450	$1.96	24d	1	0.68mi
712 George St Unit 1 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	700	$1,500	$2.14	44d	1	0.68mi
1 W Main St Unit 504 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	623	$1,595	$2.56	18d	1	0.86mi
1009 Markley St Unit 1009 1R Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	750	$1,295	$1.73	44d	1	0.91mi
917 Swede St Unit 1 Norristown, PA	1.0	1.0	600	$1,295	$2.16	24d	1	1.01mi
309 W Poplar St Norristown, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	712	$1,745	$2.45	44d	1	1.21mi
18 Westover Club Dr Norristown, PA	3.0	1.0–2.0	911	$1,985	$2.18	1d	19	1.24mi
801 Laura Ln Norristown, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	787	$1,695	$2.15	24d	1	1.41mi
209 E 9th St Bridgeport, PA	2.0	1.0	657	$1,675	$2.55	44d	1	1.50mi

Listing history 7 events

1. 2026-06-08
   status $149,900 Pending 7 DOM
2. 2026-05-16
   listed $149,900 Active
3. 1998-12-15
   historical
4. 1998-07-06
   soldstatus $56,000
5. 1997-12-17
   listed $54,900
6. 1997-09-25
   historical
7. 1996-09-28
   listed $59,900

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast PA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $3,854 · $321/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,854 · $321/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 6/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥102°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 6/10 Major 27% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 4/10 Moderate 3 unhealthy d/yr today · 5 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $17,745
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,397
• − Property taxes: −$3,854
• − Insurance: −$750
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,420
• − Management: −$1,420
• − Depreciation: −$4,361
• Taxable loss: −$2,456
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$589
• After-tax cash flow: $571/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Norristown Area SD
• NCES district ID: 4216980
• Math proficiency: 18% ▼ -11.00%
• Reading proficiency: 31% ▼ -14.00%
• Median HH income: $56,024
• Composite: 22.17/100
• National rank: #8166
• State rank: #466 of 539 in PA

Livability — Norristown

• Score: 84/100
• State rank: #100
• US rank: #720

Category grades

Amenities A+ Commute A+ Cost of living A+ Crime D- Employment C Housing A+ Health & safety A User ratings C+

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Norristown, PA
• County: Montgomery County · 712,331 people
• City population: 87,376
• Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• Population (ZIP): 43,359
• Household income: $69,908
• Rent vs Own: 54.8% rent · 45.2% own
• Severe rent burden: 2725.0

Population outlook (Montgomery County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 856,074 people
• By 2030: 870,887 · +1.7%
• By 2040: 891,195 · +4.1%
• By 2050: 896,417 · +4.7%
• By 2075: 903,212 · +5.5%
• By 2100: 843,240 · -1.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Highly diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.72)
• Race & ethnicity: White 33% Black 29% Hispanic / Latino 29% Two or more races 16% Asian 3% Native American 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 16% Puerto Rican 5% Dominican 2%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 3% Slovak 1%
• Foreign-born: 17% · Canada, Jamaica, South Korea
• Languages at home: 71% English-only · Spanish 22% Other Indo-European 2% Russian/Polish/Slavic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Montgomery

• 2024 margin: Strong D (+22.8) · D 60.9% · R 38.1% · Other 1.1%
• 2008→2024 swing: +2.0pp toward D · 2008: 20.8pp · 2024: 22.8pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+22.8 2020: D+26.3 2016: D+21.1 2012: D+14.3 2008: D+20.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -203.75%
• Current HPI: 301.7748
• Rent YoY: ▲ 1.29%
• Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.68%
• F500 in state: 34

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in PA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Healthcare	2	$309B
▸Insurance	2	$27B
▸Telecommunications / Media	1	$124B
▸Industrial Distribution	1	$22B
▸Financial Services	1	$20B
▸Chemicals / Materials	1	$18B

Price history

+150.3% since first listed

6 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-16 Listed $149,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 1998-12-15 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 1998-07-06 Sold (Public Records) $56,000 Public Records
• 1997-12-17 Listed $54,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 1997-09-25 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 1996-09-28 Listed $59,900 BRIGHT MLS

Property tax history

+2.6%/yr

Latest (2026): $3,854 · +2.3% YoY. Source: county tax records.