Flipping · Market playbook

How to Flip Houses in Philadelphia, PA

Flipping in Philadelphia lives or dies on two numbers: median sale price ($237k) and YoY appreciation (+1.5%). The arithmetic of your exit is what those numbers say it is.

DATA · Zillow Research (via scrape.do) · AS OF APRIL 2026

Workable 81/100

Philadelphia is a workable flip market — neither bonanza nor minefield. Standard underwriting discipline applies.

TL;DR — data signals

→ Median sale $236,667 · YoY +1.5%
→ Median DOM 21 days — fast exit
→ 20.8% sold above list — priced-right is enough
→ Underwrite to a textbook 70% rule

Philadelphia's flip math starts at a median sale price of $236,667 and a YoY trajectory of +1.5%. Appreciation is flat — neither tailwind nor headwind. ARV underwriting can use today's comps without an aggressive discount, which is actually the easiest environment to operate in.

Your exit speed depends on buyer urgency. Philadelphia's median DOM is 21 days against a sale-to-list ratio of 0.983 and 20.8% of sales closing above list. That's a moderate-paced market — 30-45 days from list-to-close is the realistic budget. Underwrite to that, not to the optimistic 21-day flip-tape narrative.

Rehab scope discipline is the other half. At a $237k median sale, Philadelphia is a lower-price-point market. The rehab math is unforgiving here — every $5k over budget eats 2-3% of your profit. Standardize finishes (IKEA cabinets, mid-grade LVP, no quartz) and refuse the temptation to "elevate."

Net: the 70% rule (purchase + rehab + carry + closing ≤ 70% of ARV) is the only thing keeping flippers solvent. Philadelphia's data rewards textbook 70% discipline.

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Philadelphia at a glance