1202 Morton Ave · Chester, PA 19013

$125,500

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 882 sqft · Townhouse public records · 102 Days on market

Built 1940 871 sqft lot $142/sqft · 27% above area Est $99k · 27% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the C 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 +27.7/30.0
• DSCR +9.7/10.0
• 1% rule +7.4/10.0
• Rent growth +4.2/5.0
• Livability +3.7/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +0.8/10.0
• ARV discount +0.0/15.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

This is a great property for first time home buyers or for investment. It delivers exceptional value in today’s market. Welcome to 1202 Morton Ave, a 3-bedroom, 1 and ½ bath home. This move-in ready property is conveniently located near shopping, dining, and major routes including I-95 and I-476. Also close to Widner University, Soccer Stadium, transportation, Chester Pike shopping, and Walmart.

Key facts

• Move-in ready
• Near dining
• Near shopping

Tags

• MOVE-IN READY
• CONVENIENTLY LOCATED
• NEAR SHOPPING
• NEAR DINING
• NEAR MAJOR ROUTES
• CLOSE TO WIDNER UNIVERSITY

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $126k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $378 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $126k).
• Recommended offer: $114k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 9.9% vs local median 7.5% in Chester — 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 73/100 on livability (#540 in PA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: schools F, crime F, employment F.
• Chester-Upland SD (suburban): math 4% / reading 17% proficiency, ranked #533 of 539 in PA (top 99%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 81% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.9%/yr); 138 active listings in the ZIP; 15 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 40% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 299 units permitted in Delaware County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At $1,560/mo this rent would consume 45% of the median local household income ($41k/yr) (locally 2668% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $868 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 6.9% rent growth), your $35k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 102 days — a 9% lower offer ($114k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 3 sale attempts since 16y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $18k (13%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $114,205 (9.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 102 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
6. Crime grade is F 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?
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: 1.24% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.90%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.89%
• DSCR: 1.57
• GRM: 6.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $98,923
• List price: $125,500
• Delta: 26.87%
• Verdict: OVERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
1308 Morton Ave	0.06mi	3/1.0	882 (0%)	2mo	$95,000	$108	96
1210 Morton Ave	0.02mi	3/1.0	882 (0%)	11mo	$117,500	$133	90
1123 Hancock St	0.05mi	3/1.0	828 (-6%)	6mo	$92,000	$111	82
1305 Ridley Ave	0.12mi	3/1.0	833 (-6%)	6mo	$110,000	$132	81
1211 Thomas St	0.14mi	3/1.0	833 (-6%)	4mo	$107,500	$129	80
1108 Brown St	0.07mi	3/1.0	948 (+8%)	12mo	$101,500	$107	75
1103 Terrill St	0.07mi	3/1.0	968 (+10%)	12mo	$103,250	$107	70
1009 Terrill St	0.11mi	3/1.0	995 (+13%)	10mo	$50,000	$50	65
1021 Remington St	0.15mi	3/1.0	1,008 (+14%)	13mo	$90,000	$89	58
913 E 16th St	0.21mi	3/1.0	1,000 (+13%)	13mo	$135,000	$135	56
1222 E 10th St	0.33mi	3/1.0	1,008 (+14%)	11mo	$199,900	$198	52
1226 E 10th St	0.34mi	3/1.0	1,008 (+14%)	13mo	$127,750	$127	50

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 · 6.88% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 7.0%
• Equity multiple: 1.29×
• Total profit: $10,054
• Equity at exit: $18,712

10-year hold

• IRR: 19.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.93×
• Total profit: $67,912
• Equity at exit: $10,851

Cash invested: $35,140 (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 19013

• Rents YoY: 6.9%
• Active inventory: 138
• Price-to-rent: 6.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,560 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$658
• Tax from tax record: −$144 /mo · $1,733/yr
• Insurance: −$52
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$328
• Net cashflow: $378

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,082

Max offer price $125,500

Occupancy floor 71%

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: $31,375
• Closing costs: $3,765
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 15 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1118 Brown St Unit 318 Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	1092	$1,900	$1.74	15d	1	0.03mi
1211 Johnson St Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	882	$1,500	$1.70	3d	1	0.07mi
1206 Thomas St Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	833	$1,399	$1.68	24d	1	0.12mi
1124 Thomas St Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	1046	$1,200	$1.15	24d	1	0.12mi
535 Moya St Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	624	$1,200	$1.92	44d	1	0.43mi
2015 Hyatt St Chester, PA	3.0	1.0	988	$1,950	$1.97	11d	1	0.57mi
1944 Ridley Mill Ln Woodlyn, PA	2.0	1.0	840	$1,600	$1.90	44d	1	0.75mi
13 E 21st St Unit A Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	900	$1,250	$1.39	44d	1	0.83mi
2219 Madison St Unit B Chester, PA	2.0	1.0	800	$1,000	$1.25	44d	1	0.89mi
314 E 24th St Chester, PA	2.0	1.0–1.5	800	$1,500	$1.88	4d	13	0.93mi
1400 MacDade Blvd Woodlyn, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	775	$1,600	$2.06	44d	2	0.96mi
2701 Madison St Chester, PA	1.0–2.0	1.0	860	$1,533	$1.78	2d	10	1.02mi
2607 Edgmont Ave Unit 2F Brookhaven, PA	2.0	1.0	850	$1,600	$1.88	24d	1	1.36mi
225 W Chester Pike Unit 1 Ridley Park, PA	2.0	1.0	837	$1,500	$1.79	44d	1	1.47mi
225 W Chester Pike Unit 1 Ridley Park, PA	2.0	1.0	837	$1,750	$2.09	24d	1	1.47mi

Listing history 21 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $125,500 Active 102 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $125,500 Active 101 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $125,500 Active 100 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $125,500 Active 99 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $125,500 Active 97 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $125,500 Active 96 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $125,500 Active 93 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $125,500 Active 92 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $125,500 Active 91 DOM
10. 2026-06-04
    days on market $125,500 Active 88 DOM
11. 2026-06-03
    days on market $125,500 Active 87 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $125,500 Active 86 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $125,500 Active 85 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $125,500 Active 84 DOM
15. 2026-05-07
    price $125,500 411-char remark

    Show marketing remark (411 chars)

    This is a great property for first time home buyers or for investment. It delivers exceptional value in today’s market. Welcome to 1202 Morton Ave, a 3-bedroom, 1 and ½ bath home. This move-in ready property is conveniently located near shopping, dining, and major routes including I-95 and I-476. Also close to Widner University, Soccer Stadium, transportation, Chester Pike shopping, and Walmart.

16. 2026-04-18
    price $133,500 411-char remark

    Show marketing remark (411 chars)

    This is a great property for first time home buyers or for investment. It delivers exceptional value in today’s market. Welcome to 1202 Morton Ave, a 3-bedroom, 1 and ½ bath home. This move-in ready property is conveniently located near shopping, dining, and major routes including I-95 and I-476. Also close to Widner University, Soccer Stadium, transportation, Chester Pike shopping, and Walmart.

17. 2026-03-08
    listed $143,500 Active 411-char remark

    Show marketing remark (411 chars)

    This is a great property for first time home buyers or for investment. It delivers exceptional value in today’s market. Welcome to 1202 Morton Ave, a 3-bedroom, 1 and ½ bath home. This move-in ready property is conveniently located near shopping, dining, and major routes including I-95 and I-476. Also close to Widner University, Soccer Stadium, transportation, Chester Pike shopping, and Walmart.

18. 2014-09-14
    historical
19. 2014-03-14
    listed $32,900
20. 2011-04-13
    historical
21. 2010-10-26
    listed $25,000

ⓘ 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: $1,733 · $144/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,858 · $155/mo
• Expected delta: +$125/yr (+$10/mo · 7.2%)

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

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $18,720
• − Mortgage interest: −$7,030
• − Property taxes: −$1,733
• − Insurance: −$628
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,498
• − Management: −$1,498
• − Depreciation: −$3,651
• Taxable income: $2,684
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$644
• After-tax cash flow: $3,887/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: Chester-Upland SD
• NCES district ID: 4205860
• Math proficiency: 4% ▼ -3.00%
• Reading proficiency: 17% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $29,790
• Composite: 8.05/100
• National rank: #9918
• State rank: #533 of 539 in PA

Livability — Chester

• Score: 73/100
• State rank: #540
• US rank: #5053

Category grades

Amenities A+ Commute A+ Cost of living A+ Crime F Employment F Housing A+ Health & safety A User ratings F

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Chester, PA
• County: Delaware County · 399,863 people
• City population: 35,064
• Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
• Population (ZIP): 35,064
• Household income: $41,261
• Rent vs Own: 61.0% rent · 39.0% own
• Severe rent burden: 2668.0

Population outlook (Delaware County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 577,490 people
• By 2030: 581,243 · +0.6%
• By 2040: 584,700 · +1.2%
• By 2050: 586,581 · +1.6%
• By 2075: 598,706 · +3.7%
• By 2100: 590,823 · +2.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly Black (71%)
• Race & ethnicity: Black 71% White 14% Hispanic / Latino 9% Two or more races 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Puerto Rican 6%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada
• Languages at home: 92% English-only · Spanish 6%

Political lean MEDSL · Delaware

• 2024 margin: Strong D (+23.7) · D 61.4% · R 37.6% · Other 1.0%
• 2008→2024 swing: +2.3pp toward D · 2008: 21.4pp · 2024: 23.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+23.7 2020: D+26.7 2016: D+22.0 2012: D+21.8 2008: D+21.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -149.69%
• Current HPI: 219.5173
• Rent YoY: ▲ 6.88%
• 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

+402.0% since first listed

7 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-07 Price Changed $125,500 BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-04-18 Price Changed $133,500 BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-03-08 Listed $143,500 BRIGHT MLS
• 2014-09-14 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2014-03-14 Listed $32,900 BRIGHT MLS
• 2011-04-13 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2010-10-26 Listed $25,000 BRIGHT MLS

Property tax history

+22.4%/yr

Latest (2026): $1,733 · +143.3% YoY. Source: county tax records.