Area builders see third straight rise in monthly sales

Area home builders saw a 9 percent increase in buyers in October, according to the latest permit numbers from the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

It’s the third straight month that filings have risen on a year-over-year basis. Filings were up 2 percent in August and 8 percent in September.

Builders filed 443 single-family construction permits in the nine-county metropolitan area in October, BAGI said Wednesday. That's up from 405 filings in October 2014.

Year-to-date filings are now at 4,378 through October, an increase of five permits over the first 10 months of 2014.

Filings were down 10 percent in Marion County, from 77 in October 2014 to 69 in October 2015. Filings are still up 9 percent in the county for the year.

Filings rose 12 percent in Hamilton County, from 130 a year ago to 146, and are up 2 percent this year.

Hendricks County saw a 9 percent increase in permits, from 75 to 82.

Permit filings rose 37 percent in Johnson County, from 38 to 52, but fell 16 percent in Hancock County, from 32 to 27.

Boone County saw a 76-percent jump in permits, from 25 to 44.

Fewer than 20 permits each were filed in Shelby, Madison and Morgan counties in October.