AGENT MLS HOME FINDER

The Indiana real estate market is starting to rally along with the United States economy in general, thanks at least in part to widespread community, local, and national efforts towards boosting formerly lagging home sales and high rates of foreclosures. According to an Associated Press article published in the Indiana News Center, more than a thousand Indiana officials have  received additional training specifically in the field of foreclosures. The piece, written by Rachel Agler on October 20, 2009, “More than 1,000 of Indiana’s judges, attorneys and mediators  have been trained in recent months on how to better handle foreclosure cases. Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard announced that achievement Monday in Evansville as he said the state Supreme Court would work to improve the effectiveness of settlement conferences now required under the state’s foreclosure law. Shepard first announced the training plan in February, saying he wanted Indiana to have more judges and lawyers able to handle foreclosure cases than any other state. Court officials say lawyers were encouraged during the training sessions to provide free legal help to homeowners in need of assistance.”

A more positive aspect for Indiana home sales was revealed by an October 24, 2009 article in the Northwestern Indiana Times, which noted that home sales were improving both nationally and locally. According to this piece, written by Bowdeya Tweh on October 24, 2009, “Existing home sales in Northwest Indiana and around the nation were up in September partially due to boost provided to buyers planning to cash in on the soon-expiring first-time homebuyer tax credit. The jump was small in Northwest Indiana and sales on single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops stood at 673, up from 672 a month earlier, according to data from the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors.”

Real estate in Indianapolis was also given more good news by an October 23, 2009 article in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, which found that “Statewide, home sales decreased 7.7 percent in September compared with the same month of 2008, according to a report released Thursday by the Indiana Association of Realtors. The median sales price increased 3.3 percent, according to the county-by-county home sales report. In northeast Indiana, DeKalb County’s sales grew the most in September with a total of 39 homes, or a  50 percent increase compared with last year.”