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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 85 THE LEADER IN DEFAULT SERVICING NEWS Help shape the next issue of DS News. Drop us a line at Editor@DSNews.com. to note that North Dakota residents have the highest median credit score in the country at 722." North Dakota also came in high in the study's health and safety category, which considers infant-mortality rates, violent crime rates, pediatricians per capita, air and water quality, and the percentage of youth without health insurance. "In terms of health and safety, the air and water quality in North Dakota are up there with the best in the nation," Gonzalez said, "and North Dakota has the 12th lowest crime rate, with few violent crime incidents." North Dakota came in 13th for family fun, a category that factors in sports centers, weather, attractions, and even average com- mute time—a stat that, according to Mc- Merty, "means more time can be spent with [the] kids." New Hampshire came in second on WalletHub's ranking of most family-friendly states, followed by Vermont, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Iowa, Connecticut, and South Dakota. New Mexico came in last. OHIO Ohio Finishes 2016 Strong with Record Gains Ohio ended 2016 with the strongest year for the housing market since 2005, despite a winter slowdown for sales across the country. Statewide home purchases approached 151,600 last year, up 7.5 percent from 2015, according to a January report from the Ohio Association of Realtors. In Northeast Ohio, sales rose by almost 8 percent, based on listing-service data tied to previously owned and newly constructed residences. "It was a remarkable year for the Ohio housing market, as we experienced record gains in sales and average prices," Pete Kopf, a Cincinnati-area Realtor and the statewide trade group's President, said in a news release. December sales were 2.8 percent higher than they were in 2015, though Northeast Ohio and a handful of other markets posted year-over-year declines. e average sale price in Ohio was $159,531 in December, up 4.8 percent from late 2015. ough nationwide sales experienced their strongest year in a decade, a December slide tempered the gains. Sales of previously owned homes ended the year only 0.7 percent ahead, the national Realtors said, when compared with the market's 2015 performance. e U.S. median sale price for an existing home was $232,200 in December, up 4 percent from a year before. WISCONSIN Milwaukee Rolls Out House Rehab Program to Revitalize Neighborhood Homeowners looking to buy a home on the cheap should look in Milwaukee. e city wants to spend several million state dollars to help people rehabilitate homes in the Sherman Park neighborhood. e program stems from the unrest that occurred there this summer, and residents raised a host of challenges the area faces. e rehab plan is angering some in- terested individuals because of its conditions. Alderman Russell Stamper says that at its very core, Milwaukee's house rehab program is targeting investors. e city will sell dilapidat- ed houses in the Sherman Park neighborhood for $1 if the buyer purchases at least five of them, has $50,000 in the bank, and can bring the properties up to code within 90 days. "ere's no stipulation that says one person couldn't do it; it's just based on five homes and having the resources to rehab five homes that are on average $50,000 a piece," Stamper said. e buyer would also have to hire an unemployed or underemployed person to help with the work for at least 500 hours. en, for each finished project, the city would give the developer $10,000. e state provided the money for the program. Stamper says the program could bring needed improvements to the neighborhood. According to the Wisconsin Star Tribune, Bankruptcy filings in Wisconsin fell to their lowest level in nine years in 2016, at just over 16,800. KNOW THIS

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