Marion County Foreclosures Are Climbing, New Report Finds
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-08-05
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana reported Marion County foreclosure filings jumped 24% in 2023, from 1,236 to 1,534, with another 958 filings logged in just the first seven months of 2024. Indiana ranked fourth nationally for foreclosure rate that November. Crown Hill, Far Eastside, and Martindale-Brightwood, historically Black neighborhoods, carried the heaviest rates.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure to rising property tax and insurance costs while the house sits on market | Weeks to months of carrying those costs during showings | You compare the Fast Cash Offer and Premium Cash Offer with your carrying costs in mind. The number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. |
| Certainty of closing | Buyer financing can fall through mid-contract | Buyer's lender funds the deal; title transfers once, seller to buyer |
| Repair negotiation | Renegotiation after inspection is common and can shrink net proceeds late | You make no repairs with the Fast Cash Offer. With the Premium Cash Offer, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed; we cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket, with those costs settled from the sale proceeds. |
What the Fair Housing Center's report found
The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) published a report in December 2024 showing Marion County foreclosure filings rose from 1,236 in 2022 to 1,534 in 2023, a 24% jump. The first seven months of 2024 alone added another 958 filings. For context, the county saw 1,609 filings in 2018 before dropping to just 513 in 2021 during pandemic-era forbearance programs. Indiana ranked fourth highest in the nation for foreclosure rate as of November 2024, according to the report, cited by The Indiana Lawyer's Daniel Carson.
Why the increase is landing hardest on Black neighborhoods
FHCCI's data showed the county's highest foreclosure rates concentrated in Crown Hill, Far Eastside, Meadows, and Martindale-Brightwood, all historically Black neighborhoods. FHCCI executive director Amy Nelson pointed to a new pressure layered on top of the usual ones: "With the insurance issue, the dramatic amount of (premium) jumps is new." Indianapolis-metro property taxes rose 67% since 2019, pushing the median payment to $205 a month, while the share of cost-burdened new Indiana homeowners more than doubled, from 7.7% in 2017 to 16.5% in 2022.
What pandemic-era buyers got caught in
Many of the homeowners now showing up in these filings bought during the low-rate window of 2020 and 2021, stretching their budgets on the assumption they'd refinance later. Rates never came back down enough to make that work. Indiana ran a Homeowner Assistance Fund program to help pandemic-era borrowers catch up on missed payments, but that program was always temporary, and the pressure from property taxes, insurance, and repair costs didn't go away when it wound down.
The choice a Marion County homeowner has before a filing turns into a sale
"We wanted to raise awareness that these numbers are picking up," Nelson said, and that awareness only helps if you act before a sheriff's sale date is set. While you wait to sell, property tax and insurance costs continue. You can compare the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, with the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with repair costs settled from the sale proceeds out of our share; with Fast Cash, you make no repairs. For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If the Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still take the Fast Cash Offer at its own number.
Common questions
How much did Marion County foreclosure filings rise in 2023?
Filings rose 24%, from 1,236 in 2022 to 1,534 in 2023, according to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana's December 2024 report.
Which Marion County neighborhoods have the highest foreclosure rates?
Crown Hill, Far Eastside, Meadows, and Martindale-Brightwood, all historically Black neighborhoods, according to FHCCI's report.
Why are foreclosure filings rising even for homeowners who never missed a payment increase?
FHCCI's Amy Nelson pointed to a new factor: homeowner insurance premium jumps, layered on top of Indianapolis-metro property taxes that rose 67% since 2019.
How did Indiana rank nationally for foreclosures as of late 2024?
Indiana ranked fourth highest in the country for foreclosure rate in November 2024, according to the FHCCI report covered by The Indiana Lawyer.
Keep reading
Related reading
- Foreclosure Scams Are Rising Alongside Indiana Foreclosures ›
- Indiana's Foreclosure Rate Just Ranked Worst in the Country ›
- Out-of-State Investors Own Roughly 1 in 4 Marion County Rentals ›
- New Bill Would Stop Slumlords Buying Foreclosed Homes ›
- Housing Instability Is Spiking Across Central Indiana ›
- Indianapolis Homes Are Taking Longer to Sell in 2026 ›
This affects sellers in
What this means for your options
Rising foreclosure filings mean more distressed inventory competing for the same buyers. The homes that sell fastest are the ones priced and positioned before that competition grows.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.
See both offers before you decide anything.