Home buying is 'white hot' in Elkhart County as real estate market remains thin

"We had a house that was listed Friday evening and on Saturday it was already being shown to multiple individuals," said Tom Canarecci, president of the Elkhart County Board of Realtors. "We held an open house that Sunday and over 29 individuals came to see the home. That is extraordinary for an open house."

Canarecci said that if a house is clean, ready and affordable it can take only days once it is listed to disappear from the market.

"We are telling buyers right now that it is very important to be fully prepared with solid pre-approval from a lending institution," he said. "They also need to be prepped to act quickly. Sometimes it feels funny to see only one home, but in some cases it is alright to only see one house if it feels right. Any delay and you will probably miss a chance to own a particular home in this market."

Statistics back that mind set, with homes staying on the market only an average of 80 days. Closings are up 13.4 percent through April 2017, compared to the same time frame a year ago, according to statistics from the Indiana Association of Realtors. 

Homes are also costing more to purchase. Gone are memories of the Great Recession when buyers were getting rock bottom deals. Through April the median price for a home in Elkhart County rested at $135,000, up 8.9 percent from the same period in 2016.