In many popular neighborhoods, ascending home prices are intensifying pressure on young families who are struggling to attain their first property, according to economists who track housing sales.

"Newly listed properties are being snatched up quickly so far this year and leaving behind minimal choices for buyers trying to reach the market," says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.

The shortage of attainable homes is making it particularly hard for the parents of young children to move out of a cramped rental apartment to a house where their kids can thrive, according to child development experts.

"These days, many parents face tremendous financial pressures, despite the fact that they're expected to be on the clock for their bosses 24/7," says Julianne Neely, a clinical social worker and child therapist in Chicago.

One financial pressure facing those with young children involves rising health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs. A second involves the cost of repaying large student loans. And a third involves increasing child care expenses -- which can top $500 per week per child in expensive metro areas.

"Some kids are now in daycare from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. With all this craziness, it's harder for young children to form healthy attachments to their parents," says Neely, who's raising two toddlers who are foster children.

Dorcas Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors, says many parents who work in urban areas would prefer to live in a desirable city neighborhood, thereby sparing themselves the kind of punishing commute that costs them quality time with their kids.

Although Helfant says many parents are skeptical about sending their kids to urban public schools -- and can't afford private school tuition -- she urges them to pick a community that's reasonably close to their jobs.

"It's better for parents to buy a smaller or older place than to get a gigantic house in a distant suburb. That's because the kids are better off having you at home rather than sitting in traffic two hours a day," says Helfant.

Here are a few pointers for buyers with young children:

-- Reduce your expectations about yard size.

As Helfant notes, many parents, recalling their own carefree childhoods in suburban settings where big yards were the norm, automatically assume their kids will be happier with a large yard.

"Children are much more scheduled than you used to be," she says. "Once kids reach school age, most are involved in lots of programmed activities, such as sports teams, educational enrichment, and summer camps. There's less spontaneous play."

Also, as Helfant says, neighborhoods where yards are smaller are often friendlier and closer-knit.

"Where yards aren't so big, kids are closer to their friends. They can walk door-to-door. You don't always have to drive them around to see their buddies," Helfant says.

Moreover, a neighborhood with smaller yards is typically less expensive than one where homes are surrounded by extensive greenery.

-- Pick a floor plan that functions well for your family.

Helfant says it's more important for couples with children to have a floor plan that encourages togetherness than a large home.

"You can trade off those big, formal dining and living rooms if you can get a full-sized kitchen that flows directly into a fairly big family room," she says.

For families with working parents, the advantage of this combination area is that it encourages everyone in the household to spend time together.

-- Seek as many bedrooms as you can afford.

Brand-new houses with lots of square footage -- popularly known as "McMansions" -- typically feature spacious master bedroom suites. Secondary bedrooms, designed for children or guests, are also very large, often with their own walk-in closets.

But Helfant insists it's better to have an adequate number of bedrooms than to have large bedrooms or a sumptuous master suite. Children naturally prefer to have their own rooms, she notes, though they'll adapt if your housing budget requires them to share rooms.

"Even more important than the number of bedrooms is that families have at least two full baths -- meaning each has a shower or a tub-shower combination. This is a simple matter of convenience," she says.

-- Assess the advantages of a two-story house.

Many now shopping in the home-buying market want a one-level, ranch-style house. But people with school-age children may wish to seriously consider the advantages of living on two levels, according to Helfant. That's because it's easier to contain the noise and mess of growing children if their bedrooms are separated from the common living space of the family, she says.

"To be honest, many people like to send their children up to bed for the night so they can enjoy peace and quiet downstairs," Helfant says.

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

A woman of 27, an assistant at a Los Angeles investment firm, has long dreamed of doing an MBA on the East Coast and now has several offers from top programs. Though she’s yet to decide on the university, she’s certain to make a long-distance move. And that will mean drastically reducing the accumulations in her spacious L.A. apartment.

“Downsizing isn’t just for empty nesters. To meet their goals, many millennials must go through this challenging process too,” says Tyler Whitman, a New York real estate agent who specializes in helping young adult clients.

During her four years in California, the young investment assistant has acquired a lot of stylish furniture. She’s also purchased countless items of clothing and shoes, along with numerous books and pieces of cooking gear.

Of course, the young woman could always hire a moving company to transport her belongings across the country. Or she could stash them in a paid storage unit. But to save money, professional organizers urge her to do neither.

“Average millennials have a bright future with many moves ahead. Hauling all that baggage with them or paying to store it slows them down and isn’t either wise or cost-effective,” says Tanya Whitford, a former actress and certified professional organizer whose clients include many in the entertainment field.

Some millennials are tempted to store their belongings at the home of their parents. But Whitford says this too could be a flawed strategy.

“Maybe your parents will refuse to house all your stuff or they’ll need to downsize themselves in the near future,” says Whitford, who advises downsizers to streamline their material lives whenever possible.

“Usually, the only things you should keep are cherished memorabilia and things you’ll need in the immediate future,” she says.

Here are a few other pointers:

-- Liberate yourself from extra furniture before you move.

For most people, one major step toward downsizing involves dispensing with large pieces of furniture. Beyond precious antiques and family heirlooms, many find this process relatively easy because they don’t have sentimental attachments to most furniture.

Sid Davis, a longtime real estate broker and author of several real estate books, suggests one way to clear space and furniture quickly is to put it up for sale. If you have valuable antiques to sell, you’ll probably want to find a reputable dealer. But more routine items of furniture, as well as household belongings, can be effectively sold through Craigslist or an informal sale.

“People are surprised at how much money they can make through a local garage sale,” says Davis, who recommends that downsizers work with neighbors to attract more interest to their event.

He says downsizers often make enough money selling their oversized furniture to buy new, more appropriately sized pieces for their smaller home.

“After you’ve moved, it will be a pleasure to buy fresh furniture,” he says.

--Dispense with as many superfluous items as possible.

Beverly Coggins, the author of “Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence,” suggests that those who must pare their possessions dispense with any clothing they haven’t used in a year or longer. The same applies to many other household items.

She says many people feel especially anxious about letting go of things given them as gifts from relatives or close friends. But she says such guilt feelings are needless.

“It doesn’t mean you love the person any less because you can’t keep everything they give you,” she says.

Coggins also suggests you take photos of treasured items that are too large to move. These could be hung up in your new domain.

-- Look to pickup services to hasten the giveaway process.

Many downsizers find it easier to let go of extra belongings if they know they’ll go to good use. That’s why Coggins and other professional organizers often advocate contacting charitable organizations interested in collecting serviceable items.

Very often, charity groups will pick up items from your home, a convenient way to free yourself of clutter quickly. Also, with a pickup appointment, you’ll have a definite deadline for your work, which can serve as a motivating factor.

-- Stay focused on the positives in your future.

Nowadays, the reality is that many are downsizing to cut expenses. Yet many who must move to a smaller home find that doing so has its favorable points, including less financial stress.

Coggins also notes another benefit of downsizing: With fewer home upkeep demands, you’ll have more time to focus on the people most important to you.

“After clearing through all their extra things, many folks realize what’s most important to them is not all those inanimate objects, but their close relationships,” she says.

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

A married couple in their 50s intend to put their one-story suburban house on the market soon. Proceeds from the sale will fund an active retirement involving boating, skiing and traveling the world.

The listing agent in this true story is optimistic about the couple’s chances for a successful sale. As she says, many people in their 60s and 70s are scouring the couple’s popular neighborhood in search of a single-level house, a rarity in an area where most properties are at least two stories high.

“Lots of older people hate climbing stairs because their knees cry out with arthritis pain. But they also hate the idea of moving to an apartment where they fear feeling boxed in. So, downsizing to a one-story house in the same area where their friends are still living is tremendously appealing,” says Sid Davis, a veteran real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home.”

“If they can’t find a single-story house, at least they want a house with a first-floor master suite with a full bathroom,” he says.

Dorcas Helfant, a real estate broker and former president of the National Association of Realtors, says many seniors try apartment living and then reverse course, heading back to a traditional detached house.

“They don’t want to have to get into an elevator to go outside. They want more personal space and a little land around them, including possibly a small garden,” she says.

Are you seeking to sell a property with features that would make it suitable for older buyers with health issues or people with disabilities? If so, these few pointers could prove helpful:

-- Evaluate the market supply of senior-friendly houses in your area.

If you’re planning to sell one of the rare senior-friendly houses in your neighborhood, Davis says it’s conceivable your place could fetch a premium price of up to 10 percent more than houses of like square footage that lack these features.

But he cautions to make sure that the supply-demand ratio is in your favor before putting a price tag on your property.

“It’s always unwise to overprice your home, especially when it first hits the market and buyer interest is at its peak,” Davis says.

-- Consider adapting your house to make it more appealing to seniors.

To cater to the burgeoning senior market, some sellers are tempted to renovate their vertical houses to make them more user-friendly. But Davis says such a major investment is usually a mistake, unless you intend to enjoy the improvement for several years before you move.

“Spending too much on a pre-sale basis is overkill. Normally, you can’t expect to get any more than 60 percent back for a major addition when you sell,” he says.

Still, there are some less expensive steps that could be justified by would-be sellers who have the senior market in mind. For example, you might wish to replace shag carpet with laminate flooring to make your rooms easier to navigate by those in wheelchairs.

Also, home sellers who are already planning to redo a kitchen might want to incorporate some easy-to-use features with the senior market in mind. These could include wide low kitchen cabinets and countertops, as well as wide doorways.

“Many people don’t wait until they have health problems or need a wheelchair to think about buying a more accessible house. Once they hit their early 60s, they start preparing for their future needs,” Davis says.

-- Underscore your home’s senior-friendly features.

Any home placed on the Multiple Listing Service can be easily tagged by a listing agent to reflect its senior-friendly features. Because of this, any agent searching on behalf of senior buyers can do a computer run to locate nearly all the available one-level homes in a neighborhood, as well as those with a first-floor master suite.

But as Helfant says, the listing agent for a senior-friendly house can do much more than identify its features in the MLS. Ask your agent to highlight your home’s special features through various types of marketing -- including all types of social media, as well as newspaper and online ads.

“With so many older people now in the home-buying population, it’s totally in your interest to trumpet whatever features you have to draw in senior buyers,” Helfant says.

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