Hold Period — Philadelphia, PA
Average flip hold-period in Philadelphia, PA, broken out by property type.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
Property type breakdown — Philadelphia
Average hold period by property type (sample ≥ 3)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | Property type | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | condo | 0.41 | 5.0 | +51.1% | 9 |
| 2 | multi_family | 0.62 | 7.5 | +91.5% | 8 |
| 3 | other | 0.80 | 9.7 | +145.8% | 10 |
| 4 | single_family | 0.91 | 11.1 | +159.4% | 44 |
| 5 | townhomes | 0.92 | 11.2 | +129.8% | 359 |
| 6 | Unknown | 0.94 | 11.4 | +145.1% | 1,782 |
| 7 | land | 1.15 | 14.0 | +99.7% | 8 |
| 8 | condos | 1.27 | 15.4 | +59.4% | 5 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.