Porter County, Indiana Court Filings Intelligence
Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Porter County court dockets. Updated 2026-06-16. See methodology.
- 46.2% off-site owners — 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 4.7% at HUD Fair Market Rent — $15,804/year (2BR FMR × 12) on the $334,228 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 51.9% of filings are Divorce — the dominant lead category in Porter County during the observed window.
About Porter County
Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso. The county is part of Northwest Indiana, as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. Porter County is the site of much of the Indiana Dunes, an area of ecological significance. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents the region's ecological significance.
Source: Wikipedia
At a glance
52 verified property-related court filings tracked across 3 months (Apr 2026 to Jun 2026).
22 typical monthly filing volume.
#8 of 19 Indiana counties Keystone covers, ranked by total filing volume.
46% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (24 of 52 filings).
$334,228 median estimated property value across the 50 filings with property-enrichment data (96% coverage).
2.8% Indiana unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-04). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 27 | 51.9% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 14 | 26.9% | |
| Probate | 11 | 21.2% |
Each row is a distinct case verified for current owner-of-record before inclusion.
Monthly filing activity
| Month | Filings | vs prior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2026 | 23 | ||
| May 2026 | 21 | -2 | |
| Jun 2026 | 8 | -13 |
Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
Top 8 ZIPs in Porter County account for 98.1% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| ZIP | City | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46368 | Portage | 17 | 32.7% | |
| 46385 | Valparaiso | 12 | 23.1% | |
| 46304 | Chesterton | 8 | 15.4% | |
| 46383 | Valparaiso | 5 | 9.6% | |
| 46341 | Hebron | 4 | 7.7% | |
| 46347 | Kouts | 3 | 5.8% | |
| 46360 | Michigan City | 1 | 1.9% | |
| 46307 | Crown Point | 1 | 1.9% |
Based on filings with a parseable property address (98% of Porter County filings).
Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150k - $250k | 10 | 20.0% | |
| $250k - $400k | 23 | 46.0% | |
| $400k+ | 17 | 34.0% |
Source: third-party property enrichment (96% coverage on Porter County filings). Median $334,228; mean $365,325.
Day-of-week filing pattern
| Day | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 0 | 0.0% | |
| Mon | 5 | 9.6% | |
| Tue | 12 | 23.1% | |
| Wed | 10 | 19.2% | |
| Thu | 12 | 23.1% | |
| Fri | 13 | 25.0% | |
| Sat | 0 | 0.0% |
Filings cluster Monday through Friday, with weekend filings essentially absent (court system closed). Computed for 52 filings with a parseable date.
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 72102 Porter County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | Porter County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 5.6% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 67.4% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 8.6% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 74.8% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 17.7% | 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 — the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. Porter County sits within the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (FY 2026). 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 | $959 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,082 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,317 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,612 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,744 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (2026). 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 Porter 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) | 564 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | +1.4% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 100.0% |
| Single-family units permitted | 564 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 0 |
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
Porter 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) | +4.3% | 2026-01-01 |
| Indiana home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +64.9% | 2026-01-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.89% | 2026-01-01 |
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) | $84,311 |
| Median home value | $254,541 |
| Owner-occupancy rate | 78.2% |
| Renter share of households | 21.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,124/mo |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, weighted by Keystone's filing volume across 8 top ZIPs.
Most active foreclosure plaintiffs in Porter 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.").
| Plaintiff | Foreclosure filings |
|---|---|
| LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC | 2 |
| CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC | 1 |
| JAK ENTERPRISE, LLC D/B/A KORNACKI ROOFING AND CONTRACTING | 1 |
| NEWREZ LLC | 1 |
| REGIONAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION | 1 |
| ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC S/B/M NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC | 1 |
| SELECT PORTFOLIO SERVICING, INC. | 1 |
| SERVIS ONE, INC | 1 |
| US #1364 FEDERAL CREDIT UNION | 1 |
Source: plaintiff names extracted from Porter County foreclosure complaint text. Court records are public information.
Filing velocity by case type
How each distress category is trending — are foreclosures accelerating while divorces cool, or vice versa? This breakdown is only possible with direct court-record data.
| Case type | Total | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 27 | 51.9% | -- |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 14 | 26.9% | -- |
| Probate | 11 | 21.2% | -- |
Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.
Lender concentration analysis
Foreclosure activity is spread across many lenders, suggesting diverse distress sources rather than a single institutional wave.
| Lender / Plaintiff | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC | 2 | 20.0% |
| CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES LLC | 1 | 10.0% |
| JAK ENTERPRISE LLC | 1 | 10.0% |
| NEWREZ LLC | 1 | 10.0% |
| REGIONAL FEDERAL CREDIT UNION | 1 | 10.0% |
HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index): <1500 = competitive, 1500-2500 = moderate concentration, >2500 = highly concentrated. Based on 10 foreclosure filings with identified plaintiffs.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress is heavily concentrated: the top 5 ZIP codes account for 88.5% of all filings. 3 of the top hotspots have high-equity properties (>40% equity), signaling potential value-add or wholesale opportunities.
| ZIP | Area | Filings | Share | High equity | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46368 | Portage | 17 | 32.7% | 18% | $366,042 |
| 46385 | Valparaiso | 12 | 23.1% | 33% | $272,202 |
| 46304 | Chesterton | 8 | 15.4% | 38% | $377,422 |
| 46383 | Valparaiso | 5 | 9.6% | 20% | $313,885 |
| 46341 | Hebron | 4 | 7.7% | 25% | $290,634 |
| 46347 | Kouts | 3 | 5.8% | 0% | $343,102 |
| 46360 | Michigan City | 1 | 1.9% | 0% | $328,897 |
| 46307 | Crown Point | 1 | 1.9% | 100% | $481,802 |
Top 8 of 8 ZIP codes with filings. High equity = properties with estimated equity above 40% (from third-party enrichment).
Non-resident owner analysis
46.2% of distressed properties have non-resident owners (the owner's mailing address differs from the property address). These are often rental or investment properties — landlords in distress tend to be more motivated sellers.
| Case type | Total filings | Non-resident % |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 27 | 44.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 14 | 14.3% |
| Probate | 11 | 90.9% |
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 and shifts
Pre-Foreclosure, Probate share is rising. Divorce share is declining.
| Case type | Recent share | Earlier share | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 42.9% | 69.6% | -26.7pp (falling) |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 33.3% | 13.0% | +20.3pp (rising) |
| Probate | 23.8% | 17.4% | +6.4pp (rising) |
Distress diversity score: 1.54 (Shannon entropy; higher = more diverse distress sources). "Recent" = last 2 complete months; "Earlier" = all prior months.
Motivation breakdown
Of 52 filings with a tagged motivation, the most common is Equity Division Sale (51.9%), followed by High Urgency Pre-Foreclosure (26.9%). This motivation breakdown is captured at the court-filing stage and is not available from property-data aggregators.
| Motivation / sub-type | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 27 | 51.9% |
| High Urgency Pre-Foreclosure | 14 | 26.9% |
| Inherited Property | 11 | 21.2% |
Based on 52 filings tagged with a motivation sub-type at the court-filing stage.
Case Outcomes & Resolution Timeline
18.8% of tracked cases have reached a resolution. The most common resolution is judgment entered (1 cases, 33% of resolved).
Detailed disposition breakdown
| Disposition | Count | % of Resolved |
|---|---|---|
| Foreclosure Decree | 1 | 33.3% |
| Court Dismissed | 1 | 33.3% |
| Settlement | 1 | 33.3% |
Based on 16 court filings with docket event tracking. Outcomes derived from docket entries (judgments, dismissals, sheriff sales, and settlement agreements). 13 cases are still active or pending resolution.
Court Docket Activity
Across 16 tracked cases, the average case has 13 docket entries (median 11). 68.8% of cases are in the "mid-process (6-15 events)" stage. Divorce cases are the most court-active at 13.2 events on average. Higher docket activity signals that courts are actively processing the case, which can indicate timeline urgency for investor outreach.
| Activity level | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-process (6-15 events) | 11 | 68.8% |
| Advanced (16+ events) | 5 | 31.2% |
Docket activity by case type
| Case type | Avg. events | Cases tracked |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 13.2 | 8 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 13.0 | 8 |
Based on 16 cases with docket event tracking from Porter County court records. Docket entries include filings, hearings, orders, and motions.
Procedural Stage Pipeline
Of 16 tracked cases, 50.0% reached the service-of-process stage, 18.8% progressed to a hearing. The largest procedural drop-off occurs between defendant served and response filed (62.5% of cases do not advance).
| Terminal outcome | Cases | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Settled | 1 | 6.2% | |
| Dismissed | 1 | 6.2% | |
| Default judgment | 1 | 6.2% |
Progression by case type
| Case type | Cases | Served | Hearing | Resolved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 8 | 50.0% | 37.5% | 12.5% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 8 | 50.0% | 0.0% | 25.0% |
Based on 16 cases with 17 recorded stage transitions from Porter County court docket entries. Stages identified from docket events: service of process, responses, hearings, judgments, settlements, and dismissals.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $338,066. Pre-Foreclosure filings involve the highest-value properties (median $348,551), while Probate filings trend lower (median $315,886). The largest segment (70.0%) falls in the $250K - $500K range.
| Value range | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $100K - $250K | 10 | 20.0% |
| $250K - $500K | 35 | 70.0% |
| $500K - $1M | 4 | 8.0% |
| Over $1M | 1 | 2.0% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $343,102 | $376,802 | 26 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $348,551 | $354,843 | 13 |
| Probate | $315,886 | $350,584 | 11 |
Based on county assessor records for 50 properties with court filings (96.2% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code
Across 6 ZIP codes with sufficient court filing data, ZIP 46368 (Portage) ranks highest with an investment opportunity score of 75/100, driven by high filing volume (17 cases). 3 of 6 scored ZIPs are above the average score of 49.
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area | Score | Filings | Avg Value | Absentee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 46368 | Portage |
75
|
17 | — | 0% |
| #2 | 46385 | Valparaiso |
62
|
12 | — | 0% |
| #3 | 46304 | Chesterton |
52
|
8 | — | 0% |
| #4 | 46383 | Valparaiso |
45
|
5 | — | 0% |
| #5 | 46347 | Kouts |
32
|
3 | — | 0% |
| #6 | 46341 | Hebron |
28
|
4 | — | 0% |
How the score is calculated
The Investment Opportunity Score combines four dimensions from verified court filing data:
- Filing volume (35%): More filings = more potential deals in the area
- Property value (25%): Higher assessed values = larger potential deal sizes
- Absentee owner rate (25%): Absentee owners are more likely to sell at a discount
- Case type diversity (15%): Multiple case types = broader opportunity set
Each dimension is normalized to a 0–100 scale across all scored ZIPs, then weighted and combined. A score of 100 means that ZIP ranks highest across all dimensions. Scores should be compared within the same county or state, not across different markets.
Based on 52 court filings across 6 ZIP codes. ZIPs with fewer than 3 filings are excluded. Property values from county assessor records. Absentee status from property ownership verification.
Distress Capital Analysis
$18,266,237 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 50 court-filed properties. 87% of properties with equity data carry 20%+ equity, signaling owners with real financial stakes in resolution. Divorce filings represent the largest capital pool ($9,796,846 across 26 properties). 13 high-equity distressed properties ($4,824,002 total) represent the highest-value investor targets.
Equity Position of Distressed Properties
Median equity position: 50.2% · Based on 15 properties with equity data
Capital at Risk by Filing Type
| Filing Type | Total Value | Properties | Avg Value | High Equity % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | $9,796,846 | 26 | $376,802 | 66.7% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $4,612,963 | 13 | $354,843 | 100.0% |
| Probate | $3,856,428 | 11 | $350,584 | -- |
Based on 50 properties with assessor valuations (96.2% of 52 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.
Market Absorption & Turnover Analysis
118 court filings tracked with 3 resolved (2.5% absorption rate). The court system is accumulating cases faster than they resolve, creating a growing backlog of 115 active cases. Resolved cases take an average of 34 days. Divorce cases resolve fastest (avg 23 days), while Pre-Foreclosure cases take longest (avg 39 days).
| Month | New Filings | Resolved | Net | Inflow | Absorption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 66 | 0 | +66 | 0.0% | |
| Apr 2026 | 23 | 1 | +22 | 4.3% | |
| May 2026 | 21 | 2 | +19 | 9.5% | |
| Jun 2026 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 0.0% |
Resolution by Case Type
| Case Type | Filed | Resolved | Absorption | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 61 | 1 | 1.6% | 23 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 29 | 2 | 6.9% | 39 |
| Probate | 26 | 0 | 0.0% | n/a |
Absorption rate measures the percentage of filed cases that have reached a terminal resolution (judgment, dismissal, settlement, or sale). A low absorption rate indicates a growing backlog of active cases in the court system. Resolution timing based on 3 resolved cases out of 118 total filings.
Equity-Outcome Correlation
50 properties with assessed values analyzed across equity levels. High-equity properties (20%+) represent 26.0% of filings with a 7.7% resolution rate. High (20%+) properties resolve fastest (avg 23 days) vs Unknown Equity (avg 39 days).
| Equity Level | Properties | Share | Resolved | Resolution Rate | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High (20%+) |
13
|
26.0% | 1 | 7.7% | 23 |
| Unknown Equity |
35
|
70.0% | 2 | 5.7% | 39 |
Equity Profile by Case Type
| Case Type | Properties | High Equity % | Resolution Rate | Avg Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divorce | 26 | 15.4% | 3.8% | 23 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 13 | 53.8% | 15.4% | 39 |
| Probate | 11 | 18.2% | 0.0% | — |
Equity positions derived from county assessor data (assessed values minus outstanding liens where available). Resolution outcomes classified from court docket entries. Only properties with non-zero assessed values are included in this analysis.
Why these filings are invisible on most public foreclosure sites
The largest public foreclosure-aggregator interfaces surface only post-auction bank-owned properties in Indiana. Pre-foreclosure court filings are not visible to their non-paying users. Keystone tracks the court filing the day it hits the docket, weeks or months before any property reaches the auction stage those aggregators surface.
Methodology and full audit: Court-vs-aggregator coverage gap report.
Methodology and data sources
- Court filings are collected directly from Porter County court records, which are public information.
- Every filing in this dataset has been verified for current owner-of-record. Entity-owned filings (LLCs, trusts, banks) and properties where the named party is not the current owner are excluded.
- Property value figures come from third-party enrichment (96% coverage on this dataset).
- 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 was generated 2026-06-16 from the live database. Numbers reflect the dataset at that moment.
Top cities for filings within Porter County
Where filings concentrate inside Porter County, by parsed property city or township.
| City / Township | Filings | Share (of city-parsed filings) |
|---|---|---|
| Portage | 17 | 33.3% |
| Valparaiso | 17 | 33.3% |
| Chesterton | 8 | 15.7% |
| Hebron | 4 | 7.8% |
| Kouts | 3 | 5.9% |
Share is computed against filings with a parsed property city (not against total Porter County filings — addresses missing the city portion are excluded from the denominator). Top 5 shown; smaller cities aggregate into the long tail.
Get the underlying Porter County filings
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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Porter County Indiana Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-06-16, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/porter-in-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)