The Indiana Association of Realtors is reporting a 14 percent jump in closed homes sales for November, compared to the same month a year earlier. IAR also says prices did not follow the trend. The statewide median and average price of homes sold in November were slightly less than the same period in 2010.

According to the monthly “Indiana Real Estate Markets Report” today released by the Indiana Association of REALTORS®, activity was high in November with both the number of closed and pending home sales up by double digits year-over-year.

Statewide, when comparing November 2011 to November 2010:

The number of closed home sales increased 14.2% to 4,411; and
The number of pending home sales increased 10.4% to 3,959.
Prices did not follow that trend. Both the statewide median and average price of homes sold in November 2011 was less than in November 2010, but just slightly:

The median sale price of homes decreased 1.8% to $110,000; and
The average sale price of homes decreased 0.2% to $132,949.
“We’re close to being able to say that 2011 was better than the last two years,” said Karl Berron, Chief Executive Officer. “Local housing markets may not be making progress as quickly as we’d like, but they’re making progress and that’s good news for everyone.”

With regard to the slight dip in prices, Berron said REALTORS® were not concerned because year-to-date, the median sale price of homes in Indiana is actually up when compared to 2010 and 2009, and so is the average sale price.

“Home prices here in Indiana have historically held their ground,” said Berron. “It’s one of the reasons we enjoy a homeownership rate of more than seventy percent, and is certainly a positive for would-be home owners who are now shopping with some of the lowest mortgage interest rates in current memory.”

Whether market activity and value continue to grow depends upon a number of factors outside of the real estate industry’s control say REALTORS® across the state. The number one item on their list is more jobs, which drives number two and three on the group’s list – available financing for qualified buyers and less foreclosure inventory.

“Folks looking to invest should start with the sortable county tables of this report and then talk to a local REALTOR® who can give the most insight into what’s happening in a neighborhood, city or school district,” concluded Berron.

More about the “Indiana Real Estate Markets Report”

Established in May 2009 and found online under the Reports tab of www.IndianaIsHome.com, the “Indiana Real Estate Markets Report” was the first-ever county-by-county comparison of existing single-family home sales in Indiana. In March 2010, IAR added statistics on other types of existing detached single-family (DSF) home sales – condominiums, duplexes, townhomes, mobile homes, etc. – to the report.

The report became even more robust in August 2010. It now tells how the statewide housing market is performing according to eight different indicators, each with one-month and year-to-date comparisons, as well as a historical look. It also provides specific county information for 91 of Indiana’s 92 counties in a sortable table format, allowing for consistent comparison between local markets. IAR obtains the data directly from and releases this report in partnership with 26 of the state’s 27 Multiple Listing Services (MLSs), including the Broker Listing Cooperative® (BLC®) in both central and southwestern Indiana.

IAR represents approximately 15,000 REALTORS® who are involved in virtually all aspects related to the sale, purchase, exchange or lease of real property in Indiana. The term REALTOR® is a registered mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of America’s largest trade association, the National Association of REALTORS®, and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Source: Indiana Association of Realtors

Source: http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=51432