In the last ten years, too many of us have elected to stretch the dollar as far as it could go, testing it's tensile strength, and risking failure on the optimism that things will get better financially. The logic was that even if the monthly payment is a strain now, in a year things will be better. The Indianapolis real estate market, while maintaining relative strength compared to other markets in surrounding states, is beginning to feel the drain of a slow economy.

With local population continuing to increase and employment levels continuing to outpace the statistics for surrounding states, once the speculative nature of the economy recovers, the Indianapolis real estate market will be poised, again, to be very strong. Meanwhile, the typical purchaser of residential real estate has changed.

While home ownership has always been a litmus test of success, the precarious nature of the current economy is making the Indianapolis real estate agent's life very difficult. Clients used to come from every walk of life. Young adults just out of college and after being at their first professional job for a year, were interested in home buying. Previous home owners ?leap-frogged? their home purchases to use the equity in the last as down payment on the next, and move up in the real estate market. Empty-nesters downsized to smaller homes, or condominiums. New families kept the ?starter home? business busy. Things have changed.

The only real client for the current agent in Indianapolis real estate is one who has lived in an apartment, or with his parents, has had a stable job for more than two years, and has excellent credit. All other candidates have obstacles to overcome, which may constitute a waste of the agent's time, since so many of these deals fall through. The worst case being, of course, the client who has an existing home to sell before purchasing another.

Typically, Indianapolis real estate agents are seller's agents, that is that they receive their commission from the sale of a home, not from the purchase. If you have a home to sell, you will pay a commission to a realtor. If you are moving from your parents house, and are interested in purchasing a home, you will not be paying the real estate agent for his services in helping you find a house, although he will receive partial commission on the home you purchase from the seller.

If purchasing a home for the first time, you are in luck because the amount of property out there is immense, and there are many deals to be had, as sellers are doing whatever necessary to close the deal. The job of the Indianapolis real estate agent is to secure the correct documents in advance for the negotiation of a sale price, including all credit approval and employment verification documents, so the transaction runs smoothly. The agent is then responsible for all legal documents procuring the transaction.

With a solid employment history, even if multiple employers as long as in the same field, and a good credit rating, your Indianapolis real estate agent will be your key to successful home ownership. This is the heaviest ?buyers market? this country has seen since the 1980's, and your agent will help you navigate the options and secure the best price for your real estate investment.