Brothers join up for remodeling

At 21, John Loonstyn became a bit of a local celebrity when photos of him perched on the side of City Hall's tower, installing metal plates during its restoration, appeared in The Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.

More recently, Loonstyn, now 46, and two of his brothers have gained prominence as partners in Loonstyn Properties. In the last 20 years, they have renovated or built 70 single-family homes and 165 rental units in Fairmount, Spring Garden, Francisville, Mantua, and Powelton.

John, brother Bill, 49, and twins Joseph and Michael, 48, grew up in Fairmount. Their father, Bill Sr., owned Loonstyn Roofing and did home remodeling. The boys attended St. Francis Xavier School.

Bill went on to St. Joseph's Preparatory School. After earning a degree in finance from Temple University, he had a career with IBM and software company SAP. The other Loonstyn brothers graduated from Roman Catholic High School; Michael attended Temple, and Joe and John went to work for Loonstyn Roofing.

In 1988, a friend got John Loonstyn a job as a steelworker. "I loved it," he said, but when the commercial real estate market bottomed out, he had to go back to working for his father.

"I hated roofing," he admitted.

Seeking another career, he bought a rundown rowhouse on Bambrey Street in Fairmount for $47,000; brothers Joe and Bill co-signed the mortgage. With carpentry skills learned from his father, John fixed the place, then sold it for $140,500.

He bought a house on Stillman Street for $37,000 and sold it for $134,000. One on Ringgold Street bought at sheriff's sale for $29,000 sold for $92,000 after renovation.

By the late 1990s, John - joined by brother Joe, who continued to work for Loonstyn Roofing - had several properties in various stages of remodeling.

"Things were snowballing," said Bill Loonstyn, who began assisting with office operations on nights and weekends. Two years ago, he came on board full time.

Michael was with Loonstyn Properties for two years before establishing his own firm, MJL Properties. "Sometimes, we're in competition," Bill says, "but we're still close as a family and spend holidays and vacations together."

While he's on roofing jobs, "Joe's our man on the street," Bill says. A polite charmer, Joe knocks on the doors of homes in disrepair and asks owners to let him know if they ever want to sell.

Joe was responsible for the brothers' acquisition of two houses on Spring Garden Street being converted to 11 one- and two-bedroom apartments with rents starting at $1,000 a month. He did roof work for the elderly sisters who owned them; they called when they decided to sell.

In the fall, the brothers completed seven townhouses at 23d and Brandywine Streets in collaboration with architect Yao Huang. Each has sold in the $600,000 range. Most of their recent projects, though, have been rental properties.

"Demographics have changed; more young singles are looking to rent," Bill Loonstyn said.

Fairmount Avenue, once a wasteland of abandoned storefronts, has become a hip destination of upscale shops and restaurants such as Mugshots and the Blue Cat, located in an apartment complex the Loonstyns built at 19th and Fairmount.

Loonstyn properties typically feature hardwood floors, kitchens with granite counters and energy-efficient stainless appliances, and travertine-tile bathrooms. But they also preserve ornate 19th-century mantels, staircases, carved-wood paneling, and plaster moldings.

For example, the original arched parlor windows in the Spring Garden Street houses were restored and retrofitted with insulated glass.

Currently, the Loonstyns are renovating a condo for two very discriminating clients: Bill Sr. and their mother, Sharon.

"My dad wants to supervise everything," John says.