The downturn in the housing market isn't tough just on people trying to sell their homes. It's also tough on the people who want to help those people sell their homes--real estate agents. Locally, their ranks have thinned as more and more leave the field to search for better prospects.

Stock markets are falling, jobs are disappearing, and the outlook for the economy seems grim. Banks, real estate developers, retailers and manufacturers are taking the worst hits, but all types of businesses in central Indiana are hurting. From health care to technology, education to philanthropy, every industry is trying to take the setbacks in stride.

Buyers in Seattle, Milwaukee and even Bloomington have snapped up new cottage homes in developments that turn the McMansion trend on its dormer-decorated head. But will Indianapolis buyers have a similar appetite for the tiny energy-efficient homes clustered around community greens? A local developer is betting they will.

Charter Homes owner Jerry Jaquess fancies himself a white knight for King Park, a neighborhood once known mainly for its rampant crime, boarded-up homes and vacant lots. But as he's constructed a slew of homes and carriage houses there, the local builder has stirred up several lawsuits, dozens of liens and persistent questions about whether his business is legit.