Madison County home sales fall nearly 11% compared to February 2007

Across the county last month, 114 single-family homes and condominiums sold, compared to 128 in February 2007, according to real estate firm F.C. Tucker Co.

Boone, Hamilton and Hendricks counties also saw their home-sales rates decline, but increases in five other central Indiana counties gave the region an overall boost of just under 1 percent.

The number of active listings in Madison County declined by 4.8 percent, making it the only area county to see a drop in the number of homes on the market.

Patty Kuhn, executive director of the Anderson/Madison County Association of Realtors, said a decrease in active listings could be the result of more homes sales in previous months, but she noted that monthly comparisons of sales figures are not always reflective of the overall housing market.

"Eleven percent may seem like a lot, but the reality is it's only 14 transactions," she said.

Kuhn added that real estate agents are noticing more interest in the local market and that spring weather often encourages people to consider a new home.

"The sun is shining and that gets people motivated," she said. "Activity is picking up. I'm hearing from Realtors that the phones are ringing more and they're doing more showings."

Real estate companies like ReMax have recently beefed up their marketing efforts to counteract negative economic news. A billboard near Ohio and Columbus avenues in Anderson hopes to convince people that despite an economic recession, "Now's a great time to buy a home."