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Interest in new houses in central Indiana continued to rise in April even though builders had to adjust their business models during pandemic social-distancing efforts.
Applications for home construction permits rose 5% in the Indianapolis area in April, marking the ninth monthly increase in the past 10 months on a year-over-year basis.
Builders filed 647 permits in the nine-county area last month, compared with 614 permits in April 2019, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.
Single-family building permit filings are up 18% so far this year compared with the same time frame of 2019.
April’s increase in filings followed a 20% rise in March, a 34% escalation in February and an 18% jump in January.
“We were initially unsure how these unprecedented times would affect April’s permits, so we are quite pleased with the data we are seeing,” Steve Lains, CEO of BAGI, said in written remarks. “Our builder members continue to report strong interest from potential buyers, suggesting that the demand has not let up, regardless of the COVID-19 circumstances that have required many to virtually adapt their services.”
County numbers
Marion County permit filings surged 63% in April on a year-over-year basis, from 97 to 158.
Hamilton County saw filings sink 23%, to 166.
Hendricks County’s numbers ticked up from 83 to 84.
Johnson County saw a 16% increase last month, to 74.
Hancock County saw permits rise 12%, to 82.
Filings rose 12% in Boone County last month, to 38.
Filings dropped from 21 to 15 in Morgan County.
Madison County filings increased from 15 to 27.
Filings slid from 11 to three in Shelby County.
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