Before Eric Tyson and his wife had kids, they spent five carefree years living in a townhouse on a busy thoroughfare in a noisy, vibrant part of San Francisco. But after their twin sons were born, they traded this starter home for one in a tranquil Connecticut suburb.

Although the couple look back fondly on their San Francisco years, they also remember the difficulty they had selling their first house because of its intensely urban location.

"Some people aren't noise-sensitive and don't care if they live in a main road. But most people want to avoid the traffic, pollution and lack of privacy that comes with such a location. They also fear more crime," says Tyson, co-author of "House Selling for Dummies."

He cautions that those attempting to sell a property set on a busy artery must price realistically or risk having the place languish unsold on the market for a lengthy period.

The good news for sellers of well-priced homes is that many cash-strapped buyers in their 20s and 30s are now eager to exit their rental units. To shoehorn themselves into their first property, many must compromise on location to obtain an affordable place, says Svenja Gudell, the chief economist at Zillow, the online real estate database company.

Sid Davis, a veteran real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home," says empty-nesters may also appreciate more urban homes. They like a location that lets them walk to coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores and movie theaters.

Also, he says some foreign-born buyers are less resistant to living on a main road than are those who grew up in this country.

Still, Mark Nash, author of "1001 Tips For Buying and Selling a Home" says it's not unusual for homes on major roadways to sell for at least 15 percent below nearly identical houses on quiet streets in the same area.

Here are a few pointers for those trying to sell a place on a heavily traveled road:

-- Select a listing agent who sees the positives about your property.

Nash tells the true story of a couple of young homebuyers who were eager to leave the apartment they'd been renting for years in downtown Chicago.

They pair fell in love with a Tudor-style house that met all their requirements, including a gourmet kitchen. It also had the large yard they were seeking for their puppy. But it was located on a heavily traveled road.

Nash says the couple pondered the pros and cons of the purchase for several days before agreeing with the listing agent who convinced them that its positives outweighed its negatives.

"A key selling point was the very reasonable price for this house," Nash says.

When selecting a real estate agent to list your roadside home, he says it's important to choose a diligent person who exudes confidence about your ability to sell, assuming you've agreed to price your home realistically.

"You want someone who will talk up your place and work really hard to get it sold," Nash says.

-- Make the most of the visibility of your property.

Traffic congestion has one advantage for the sellers of homes on busy roads. That's because their "For Sale" signs are more visible than those who are trying to sell their houses on less traveled streets in the same community.

With so many drivers passing by, you're bound to attract the attention and curiosity of many people. With this in mind, Nash suggests you ask your agent to attach "riders" to the main sign that focus on the positive points of your property.

"Pull people into your house with signs that point out, for example, that you have mahogany built-ins, a new gourmet kitchen, two fireplaces or any other bells and whistles," Nash says.

-- Highlight the accessibility of your home to commuters.

Even in areas where traffic congestion has stayed steady in recent years, many people still loathe their long highway commutes. The result is that relatively more commuters are now willing to live on major thoroughfares, assuming this will shorten their drive to work.

"People who have to get to work quickly ... are especially keen about quick highway access. This is one positive feature of living on a main road," Nash says.

Does your roadside home offer easy access to a popular light rail line or subway system? If so, you have an even stronger positive to highlight for potential buyers, according to Tyson.

"Many people hate driving to work. So if your location makes it easy to use alternate transportation and that public transit is of good quality, this could be a huge selling point in your favor," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

A couple in their mid-30s are struggling to find an affordable house before their first baby is due in five months. That's an arduous chore because they live in an extremely high-cost area.

To meet the challenge, they're shopping rental properties -- places currently (or formerly) occupied by tenants. To land a discount, they're hoping to locate a home that needs only superficial fixes and upgrades -- work the husband, a contractor, can do himself in his spare time.

Considering their income limits, the couple in this true story have latched onto a potentially good buying strategy, says Ashley Richardson, a veteran real estate agent affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (crs.com).

"It's true that when you buy a rental, you're always rolling the dice to some extent because there can be hidden problems. ... But if you get a solid home inspection and can tackle many of the issues yourself without hiring out, you can buy yourself lots of sweat equity with a minimum of risk," she says.

Sid Davis, a long-time real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide for Buying a Home," estimates that those who purchase a well-chosen rental home can save as much as 30 percent off the market value of a similar property in better showing condition.

Here are a few pointers for cash-tight buyers pondering a rental property:

-- Try to plan your first visit when the renters are away.

Those living in a rental unit are typically -- though not universally -- unhappy about the idea that their landlord is making them move.

"Lots of tenants get very angry in this situation. Even if they're not mad, they're not going to go out of their way to clean the house for a showing or to say nice things about it," Davis says.

What's more, some renters make pejorative observations about the house -- hyping minor issues and occasionally even making up problems that don't exist to discourage a sale.

Davis recommends buyers try to schedule their first visit to see a rental property when the tenants are absent. That way you can more effectively examine the place.

"When you're first looking at a place, it's a bad idea to let tenants follow you around and distract you with their comments," Davis says.

Still, if you're interested in making a second visit to the property, he says you might consider doing this when the tenants are present and can expand on any problems you've already discovered.

-- Make sure you obtain an in-depth home inspection.

Although many rental properties are overseen by professional management firms, they rarely receive the same level of attention as owner-occupied properties. That's why it's critical to make any offer contingent on a satisfactory home inspection.

To locate a highly qualified home inspector, Davis recommends you ask your agent for the names of at least 10 candidates. Then interview three by phone to determine the best one. Another source for referrals is the American Society of Home Inspectors (www.homeinspector.org).

Avoid choosing an inspector who's also in the home improvement business.

"That represents a major conflict of interest --especially if the guy presses you to hire him for repairs," Davis says.

-- Obtain cost estimates for all the repairs you'll need.

Davis once owned six rental houses. This taught him that tenants often fail to tell their landlord about problems unless they become serious.

"Perhaps the dishwasher has malfunctioned for many months. But the landlord never heard about the problem until a home inspector finds that the dishwasher leaks and must be replaced, along with the subflooring beneath," he says.

Davis says the prospective buyers of a rental property -- or any home, for that matter -- should determine in advance how much needed repairs will cost. He recommends they get estimates for all the repairs on the inspector's list before finalizing their bid. Then they should make sure these expenses are factored into the price they negotiate.

-- Place location at the top of your list.

In many neighborhoods where the real estate recovery is still robust, buyers continue to outnumber sellers. Even so, as Richardson notes, very few purchasers prowling the market are willing to consider a rental.

"These days, buyers only want a house in pristine condition -- one that's been babied by its owners. Very few people will take a 'fixer' because of all the hassles that might bring. That means you'll have fewer rivals in pursuit of a good deal," she says.

You could get an even more favorable deal if you find a house with only superficial problems in an excellent neighborhood, like one with manicured yards and top-rated neighborhood schools.

"As with any real estate purchase, location should trump every other priority when making your choice," Richardson says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

The U.S. economy is still expanding, and more people have jobs. But relatively fewer young adults who aspire to homeownership are now reaching that goal, according to a newly released survey from the National Association of Realtors.

Lawrence Yun, the association's chief economist, points to high levels of personal debt, including student loans, as the main culprit.

"It's likely some younger households ... can't save for an adequate down payment or have decided to delay buying until their debt is at more comfortable levels," Yun says.

On top of that, the government's latest consumer price index shows that rents rose 3.7 percent during the past 12 months. But in some popular urban neighborhoods, rents are now increasing at double-digit levels, according to the real estate website Zillow.

But those rising prices are also spurring young people into the home ownership market.

"Many people want to get into homeownership before they're priced out of the market," says Charles Carroll, a financial planner affiliated with the Garrett Planning Network.

Unless they receive financial help from family members, he says, many young wannabe buyers have to tighten their belts to generate sufficient savings to meet the challenge.

Celia Brugge, a certified financial planner, says many Americans are still less spendthrift than they were before the last recession. But they continue to slip easily into temptation when it comes to discretionary purchases.

She urges anyone trying to embark on a major savings program to first go through what she calls "the boot camp period."

During this initial phase, she suggests you do an inventory of where your money has gone during a recent three-to-12-month period. You can do this by reviewing the entries on your checking or credit card statements and then by using paper and pencil to summarize your outlays.

Another handy tool for tracking spending is available through the Mint website. Through it's free software, Mint lets you expedite the budgeting process by easily identifying and organizing your transactions.

Once you know where your money is going, it's time to start making cuts in low-priority categories. To help exercise willpower against out-of-plan expenditures, Brugge urges would-be homebuyers to give up shopping as a recreational activity.

In addition, Brugge says many would-be homebuyers can find savings by cutting off their cable TV and instead tuning into free TV options now available through the Internet.

To stay on track and accountable for their spending, Brugge advises couples to set regular times -- as often as weekly -- to allocate 15 minutes or so reporting to each other on their recent spending.

"It's a huge problem when couples don't tell each other what they're spending. It sabotages trust," Brugge says.

Here are a few more pointers for those scrambling to save a down payment:

-- Ponder your commuting costs and how they could change.

Gerri Detweiler, a personal finance expert and author, says many people take their need for a late-model luxury car as a given. But to save for a home of your own, you may need to downscale your expectations in this category.

In the ideal world, those with a big savings goal will consider selling a vehicle they own and commuting by rail or bus until they reach their savings goal, she says. Another option is to carpool with a spouse or coworker.

-- Attempt to cut your insurance costs.

Insurance brokers and salespeople can be persuasive when encouraging clients to maximize their coverage. But Detweiler says would-be homebuyers should examine their spending in this domain. For instance, you might find a way to reduce the cost of your auto insurance policy without compromising your core coverage.

"Shop around for insurance and also look into how much you could save by increasing your deductibles," she says.

-- Keep your eye on the prize of homeownership.

Researchers in the field of behavioral economics say people save more if they have a concrete objective in mind. But how can you make your home-buying goal more tangible?

Detweiler says one approach is to visit a mortgage lender to determine how much you could afford to spend for a property and how large a down payment you'll need.

"Since the economic downturn, finding a no-money-down mortgage has gotten harder and harder," she says.

Once you've established your borrowing ceiling, Detweiler recommends you embark on a very limited property search by attending a few open houses in the neighborhood you've targeted.

"Getting a quick overview of the market can really motivate you to save for your house," she says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)