On the market: A four-bedroom brick rowhouse in Pennsport for $459,900

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the real estate market in unusual ways, and Pam and Jim Meissler are evidence of that.

The couple love their Pennsport home and had planned to remain there for several more years.

But with their reluctance to put their toddler daughter in day care and a second child on the way, child care has become a major issue.

And in this case, child care means Pam’s family in Wilmington.

Recalling the decision in 2017 to buy after eight years of renting in the area, Pam, a Realtor, said: “It was the very first house we looked at. It checked all the boxes.

“It was so close to [Dickinson Square] park and had such nice, wide sidewalks.”

And the plentiful street parking was a bonus for a couple who drive to their jobs — Pam to Wilmington and Jim, an insurance lawyer, to South Jersey.

The four-bedroom, 2½-bath house is on a tree-lined street and a 16-foot lot, wide for a South Philadelphia rowhouse. Official records say it was built in 1960, but Pam says she has seen documents dating it to the 1890s.

“It needed a ton of work, but we could see the potential,” she said. The couple updated the aging electrical system and added a new hot water heater and lighting.

It has white oak floors and an open concept floor plan on the first level, with an extra-large kitchen featuring granite countertops.

The primary bedroom has large windows and a spacious walk-in closet.

The private backyard is 30 feet deep and half under cover, allowing for a child to play safely outside, and for grilling in inclement weather.

In addition to its proximity to Dickinson Square Park, the house is a 15-minute walk to shopping and dining on East Passyunk Avenue, and a two-minute drive to Target, Acme, and I-95.

The house is listed by Pam Meissler of Patterson-Schwartz-Brandywine for $459,900.