DeKalb County, Indiana Court Filings Intelligence
Analysis of property-related court filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship) in DeKalb County. See methodology.
Based on public court filings, analyzed by Keystone. As of October 2026.
- 30.6% off-site owners: the share of filings where the owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could be out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties (we don't distinguish; the underlying signal is "not living there").
- Max gross cap rate 6.5% at HUD Fair Market Rent ($11,520/year, 2BR FMR × 12) on the $176,200 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 41.3% of filings are Divorce, the dominant lead category in DeKalb County during the observed window.
About DeKalb County
DeKalb County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 43,265. The county seat is Auburn.
Source: Wikipedia
At a glance
31% of filings with a known owner mailing address involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address.
$176,200 median estimated property value across filings with property-value data.
3.6% Indiana unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-08). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 41.3% | |
| Probate | 30.6% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 11.2% | |
| Guardianship | 9.1% | |
| Other | 7.8% |
Each row is a distinct case as recorded on the county docket.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
The ZIP codes in DeKalb County with the most property-related court filings, in rank order: where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| Rank | ZIP | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46706 | Auburn |
| 2 | 46738 | Garrett |
| 3 | 46721 | Butler |
| 4 | 46793 | WATERLOO |
| 5 | 46785 | Saint Joe |
| 6 | 46705 | ASHLEY |
| 7 | 46730 | Corunna |
| 8 | 46788 | SPENCERVILLE |
| 9 | 46742 | Hamilton |
| 10 | 46755 | KENDALLVILLE |
Based on filings with a parseable property address.
Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75k | 6.3% | |
| $75k - $150k | 30.7% | |
| $150k - $250k | 37.5% | |
| $250k - $400k | 18.4% | |
| $400k+ | 7.1% |
Source: property records. Median $176,200; mean $212,071.
Building characteristics
Per-property details from third-party property enrichment, aggregated across filings with characteristic data:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1968 |
| Median living area | 1,578 sqft |
| Median lot size | 0.3 acres |
| Owner-occupied (at time of enrichment) | 0.0% |
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 18280 DeKalb County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | DeKalb County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 7.0% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 65.5% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 27.1% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 78.9% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 17.0% | 17.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.
Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)
HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level, so the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. DeKalb County sits within the DeKalb County, IN. Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.
| Unit size | Fair market rent / month |
|---|---|
| Efficiency / studio | $688 |
| 1-bedroom | $732 |
| 2-bedroom | $960 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,195 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,271 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (None). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.
New construction (market momentum)
Annual building permits filed in DeKalb County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total housing units permitted (2025) | 114 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | -1.7% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 84.2% |
| Single-family units permitted | 96 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 18 |
Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.
Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency
DeKalb County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. Indiana state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana home price index (year-over-year) | +4.6% | 2026-04-01 |
| Indiana home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +67.6% | 2026-04-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.86% | 2026-04-01 |
Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series INSTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.
Local-market benchmark
Demographics of the ZIPs where filings cluster, weighted by filing count and benchmarked against Census ACS 2023 5-year:
| Indicator | Filing-weighted average |
|---|---|
| Median household income (where filings cluster) | $72,387 |
| Median home value | $178,186 |
| Owner-occupancy rate | 82.9% |
| Renter share of households | 17.1% |
| Median gross rent | $857/mo |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, weighted by Keystone's filing volume across 10 top ZIPs.
Most active foreclosure plaintiffs in DeKalb County
Top mortgage holders and servicers named in foreclosure complaints filed in this county. Lender names are normalized to collapse common legal-suffix variants (e.g. "as Trustee for X Trust", "N.A.").
| Rank | Plaintiff |
|---|---|
| 1 | ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC |
| 2 | LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC |
| 3 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION |
| 4 | U.S. BANK N.A |
| 5 | PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC |
| 6 | U.S. BANK N.A. |
| 7 | NEWREZ LLC |
Source: public foreclosure filings in DeKalb County. Court records are public information.
FEMA flood zone exposure
Are distressed properties concentrated in flood-prone areas? By checking each property's coordinates against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, we identify which filings fall in Special Flood Hazard Areas (mandatory flood insurance zones). This analysis covers properties with geocoded locations.
| Zone | Share |
|---|---|
| X | 97.6% |
| AE | 1.2% |
| A | 1.2% |
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), queried by property coordinates. Zones A/AE/AH/AO/V/VE are Special Flood Hazard Areas (1% annual flood chance, mandatory flood insurance). Zone X is minimal risk.
Lender concentration analysis
Foreclosure activity is spread across many lenders, suggesting diverse distress sources rather than a single institutional wave.
| Rank | Most active lenders / plaintiffs |
|---|---|
| 1 | ROCKET MORTGAGE LLC |
| 2 | US BANK NA |
| 3 | LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC |
| 4 | FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION |
| 5 | NEWREZ LLC |
Lenders in rank order, most active first. Market type reflects how concentrated foreclosure filings are among plaintiffs. Based on foreclosure filings with identified plaintiffs.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress shows moderate geographic concentration across ZIP codes. The ZIP codes below are ranked by property-related court filings, most active first.
| Rank | ZIP | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46706 | Auburn |
| 2 | 46738 | Garrett |
| 3 | 46721 | Butler |
| 4 | 46793 | Waterloo |
| 5 | 46785 | Saint Joe |
| 6 | 46705 | Ashley |
| 7 | 46730 | Corunna |
| 8 | 46788 | Spencerville |
| 9 | 46742 | Hamilton |
| 10 | 46755 | Kendallville |
ZIP codes in rank order, most court filings first.
Non-resident owner analysis
30.6% of distressed properties have non-resident owners (the owner's mailing address differs from the property address). These are often rental or investment properties, and landlords in distress tend to be more motivated sellers.
| Case type | Non-resident % |
|---|---|
| Divorce | 38.1% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 0.0% |
Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.
Distress composition
Distress diversity score: 2.38 (Shannon entropy across case types; higher = more diverse distress sources). The case-type shares are in the filing type breakdown above.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $170,400. Probate filings involve the highest-value properties (median $180,400), while Pre-Foreclosure filings trend lower (median $145,100). The largest segment (57.9%) falls in the $100K - $250K range.
| Value range | Share |
|---|---|
| Under $100K | 17.9% |
| $100K - $250K | 57.9% |
| $250K - $500K | 21.2% |
| $500K - $1M | 2.6% |
| Over $1M | 0.4% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $176,400 | $207,514 |
| Probate | $180,400 | $206,882 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $145,100 | $181,735 |
| Guardianship | $166,299 | $196,710 |
Based on public property records for properties with court filings. Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code
ZIP 46706 (Auburn) ranks first on the composite opportunity score in DeKalb County. ZIP codes are listed in rank order, highest score first.
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 46706 | Auburn |
| #2 | 46738 | Garrett |
| #3 | 46721 | Butler |
| #4 | 46793 | Waterloo |
| #5 | 46730 | Corunna |
| #6 | 46785 | Saint Joe |
| #7 | 46705 | Ashley |
| #8 | 46763 | Laotto |
| #9 | 46788 | Spencerville |
| #10 | 46755 | Kendallville |
The score blends court-filing activity, property value, absentee-owner rate and case-type diversity. Compare ZIPs within the same county or state, not across markets.
Based on court filings by property ZIP code; ZIPs with too little data are excluded. Property values from public property records.
Property Type Distribution
67.7% of distressed properties are classified as Single Family, followed by Duplex/Multi-Family (16.3%).
| Property type | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Single Family | 67.7% | |
| Duplex/Multi-Family | 16.3% | |
| Agricultural | 8.6% | |
| Residential | 6.1% | |
| Commercial | 0.9% | |
| Industrial | 0.2% | |
| Condo/Townhouse | 0.2% |
Property type by case type
| Case type | Dominant property type | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | Single Family | 70.7% |
| Probate | Single Family | 59.8% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | Single Family | 78.5% |
| Guardianship | Single Family | 72.7% |
| Pre-Probate | Single Family | 40.0% |
Property classifications from public property records for filings with a classified property. Categories normalized from public-record property classes.
Property Age & Distress Profile
Among filings with year-built data, the Pre-1960 construction era is most common (44%). Newer properties (2000+) average $299,749, 2.0x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($146,324).
| Construction era | Share | Avg value |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-1960 | 43.9% | $146,324 |
| 1960–1979 | 17.2% | $212,525 |
| 1980–1999 | 19.2% | $230,056 |
| 2000+ | 19.7% | $299,749 |
Value trend: Properties from the 2000+ era average $299,749, which is 2.05x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($146,324).
Top case types by construction era
Construction year sourced from public property records. Value is assessed value from the most recent available tax assessment.
Municipality filing concentration in DeKalb County
Auburn has the most property-related court filings in DeKalb County, predominantly Divorce. Filing activity is geographically concentrated in a few municipalities.
| Rank | Municipality | Top case type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn | Divorce |
| 2 | Garrett | Divorce |
| 3 | Butler | Divorce |
| 4 | Waterloo | Divorce |
| 5 | Fort Wayne | Divorce |
| 6 | Ashley | Probate |
| 7 | Corunna | Probate |
| 8 | Saint Joe | Divorce |
| 9 | Spencerville | Probate |
| 10 | Hamilton | Divorce |
| 11 | Kendallville | Divorce |
| 12 | Angola | Divorce |
| 13 | Avilla | Divorce |
| 14 | Hudson | Divorce |
| 15 | Hicksville | Guardianship |
Municipalities in rank order, most court filings first, among filings with a municipality on the property record. Municipality names from public property records.
Property Value Distribution
The median property value in distressed filings is $163,000, with the largest concentration (21.9%) in the $200K–$300K range. Guardianship filings have the highest median value ($178,483) while Pre-Foreclosure filings are lowest ($143,948).
| Price range | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50K | 9.1% | |
| $50K–$100K | 12.8% | |
| $100K–$150K | 21.8% | |
| $150K–$200K | 20.7% | |
| $200K–$300K | 21.9% | |
| $300K–$500K | 11.2% | |
| $500K+ | 2.4% |
Value by case type
| Case type | Median value | Average value |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $165,300 | $194,391 |
| Probate | $167,904 | $191,962 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $143,948 | $176,035 |
| Guardianship | $178,483 | $199,286 |
Assessed property values from public property records for filings with a valuation. Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.
Ownership Duration Before Filing
| Ownership period | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 21.0% | |
| 2–5 years | 25.0% | |
| 5–10 years | 24.8% | |
| 10–20 years | 20.5% | |
| 20+ years | 8.8% |
Tenure by case type
| Case type | Median tenure | Average tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 5.0 yr | 6.9 yr |
| Probate | 7.6 yr | 9.6 yr |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 5.6 yr | 7.2 yr |
| Guardianship | 6.5 yr | 8.5 yr |
Duration calculated from last recorded property sale to court filing date, for filings with a recorded prior sale. Longer ownership often correlates with higher equity.
Land vs improvement value composition
Land share distribution
| Land share bracket | % of total |
|---|---|
| Under 10% | 9.4% |
| 10–20% | 54.6% |
| 20–30% | 26.7% |
| 30–50% | 6.6% |
| 50–70% | 1.5% |
| Over 70% | 1.2% |
Land share by case type
| Case type | Median land % |
|---|---|
| Divorce | 17.1% |
| Probate | 17.9% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 16.4% |
| Guardianship | 18.1% |
Analysis of filings with assessed land and improvement value breakdowns.
Methodology and data sources
- Based on public court filings, analyzed by Keystone. As of October 2026. Court records are public information.
- These statistics describe property-related court filings in DeKalb County. The owner-of-record match and the entity-owner screen are applied to delivered leads, not to these aggregate statistics.
- Property value figures come from property records where available.
- Individual case data, defendant names, and property addresses are not published. Reports show aggregated statistics only.
- The methodology page at /reports/methodology documents data sources, sample sizes, and known limitations in detail.
- This report is current as of October 2026 (generated 2026-10-21).
Top cities for filings within DeKalb County
Where filings concentrate inside DeKalb County, by parsed property city or township, in rank order.
| Rank | City / Township |
|---|---|
| 1 | Auburn |
| 2 | Garrett |
| 3 | Butler |
| 4 | Waterloo |
| 5 | Ashley |
Related Indiana guides
Other Indiana counties
This county is not open to new subscribers right now. Browse other Indiana counties.
Want updates when new reports publish? Subscribe to the research RSS feed or follow keystonecourtdata.com.
Cite: Keystone Court Data, "DeKalb County Indiana Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-10-21, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/dekalb-in-court-filings-intelligence