Filings to build new homes in central Indiana hit their highest monthly level in nearly 10 years last month, according to the latest numbers from the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.
Home builders filed 626 single-family construction permits in the nine-county area in May—the busiest month since October 2007, when the same number of permits were filed, BAGI reported Wednesday.
The number was 10 percent higher than the 571 permits that were filed in May 2016. Filings have risen in 21 of the last 24 months.
Overall, filings are up 4 percent so far this year compared with the first five months of 2016, from 2,404 to 2,497.
Filings were up 12 percent in Marion County, from 100 in May 2016 to 112 last month.
Housing hotbed Hamilton County saw a 19 percent increase, from 193 to 230.
Hendricks County filings dropped 7 percent, to 87, and Johnson County filings jumped 19 percent, to 83.
Filings rose 19 percent in Hancock County, to 50, and fell 16 percent in Boone County, to 36.
Madison County saw filings drop from 13 to seven. Morgan County reported 10 filings and Shelby County had 11.