FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Realtors in Fort Wayne said every spring there’s a big housing boom when the demand outweighs the supply. This year that demand is even higher. Houses are selling within days – and sometimes hours – after being put on the market.

First time buyer Zach Nagel and his realtor Tony Didier had to get creative to find Nagel his first home.

“I was surprised we struck out the first time,” Nagel said.

In fact, Nagel struck out three times, but unlike baseball he wasn’t out. Three offers Nagel put in for Fort Wayne homes this year were turned down on homes that were fresh to the market.

“Unfortunately the same day we looked at them they accepted other offers one was actually 20 minutes of us looking at the house,” Nagel said.

“Home sales usually pick up around February, March and this year’s no different,” Didier, VP of Marketing for Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber, said. “I’d say around this time last year we had similar homes selling quickly, but not quite this crazy.”

Didier said things like low interest rates and families wanting to move once school is out cause the boom this time of year. This year may be different because a whole new generation is entering the market.

“I think people, especially millennials who are over 60 percent of buyers this year, are in their careers now and not just jobs and they’re ready to take that plunge into home ownership,” Didier said.

In the end, Didier found Nagel a home that wasn’t even on the market. So, a few strike outs were okay since it brought him to the home right for him.

“It’s exciting to have that piece of property in that area of Fort Wayne,” Nagel said.

Buyers recommend getting preapproved before shopping for a home. That way you can act fast when you find a home you like. Some buyers said within a day of putting their home on the market half a dozen people had toured it and all put offers in. So, it’s important to have things in place to act fast.

Dider said some homeowners are afraid to put their homes on the market for fear it will sell too fast before they have another home lined up. Didier recommends finding a realtor and talking to them about the market outlook to get a better idea when the right time will be for you to put your home on the market.