With home sales slumping nationwide and bank acquisitions on the rise, there's never a dull day in the banking industry.

"Banking is a challenged sector, regionally and nationally," said Rudy, Northwest Indiana region president of Harris Bank.

The National Association of Realtors last month reported existing home sales plunged in March by the largest amount in 18 years, falling by 8.4 percent.

The decline reflected troubles in the subprime mortgage market nationwide.

"Brewing credit quality problems," are a factor for the banking industry, Rudy said. The industry is likely to change some behaviors as a result, he said.

Merger activity continues to affect the banking industry, including the April move by Bank of America to buy Chicago based LaSalle Bank.

Acquisition minded banking giants "continue to zero in on the Greater Chicago marketplace," Rudy said. "That will have an impact."

Rudy remains optimistic about the economy, including in Northwest Indiana, where expansion projects abound.

"I'm hoping for more robust growth in the next quarter," Rudy said.