INDIANAPOLIS — Springtime is usually the busy season for people looking to buy a home.
But new numbers show it's a real problem for a lot of families this year.
In the last five years, on average, home prices have surged 54% in Indiana and nationwide, according to Zillow.
While that's good news for homeowners, it's a struggle for first-time home buyers, especially with mortgage rates over 7%. Many communities also report a shortage of available housing.
A Gallup poll this month found a record-low 21% of Americans say it's a good time to buy a house right now.
Two communities with the biggest increases, West Lafayette and Carmel, saw home values up about 50% since 2019.
Zionsville home prices rose about 46%, Zillow said.