At age 30, Gabrielle Bosche and her attorney husband are content living in a rental apartment in Fairfax, Virginia, where they enjoy a handy fitness facility within their building. But like many young adults, they’re keen on homeownership and soon intend to buy a townhouse in the same area.

Bosche, who heads a consulting group on millennial issues, says that in their preference for an affordable townhouse over a detached property, she and her husband are typical of many in their generation who enjoy a more communal lifestyle than did their baby boomer parents.

“Millennials ... (are) steeped in social media but want authentic interpersonal relationships. That’s why living in a close townhouse community is very comfortable for them,” says Bosche, the author of “Five Millennial Myths.”

Marc Angelo, a real estate broker in Portland, Oregon, says his millennial clients would rather buy a diminutive townhouse in a lively city neighborhood than an equally priced but much larger detached property 10 miles outside the city.

“Young buyers want to live around people with energy and ideas, a place where they can walk to a grocery store and restaurants. To get all that at an affordable price, a townhouse can be the perfect solution,” Angelo says.

But he cautions buyers to make sure they don’t choose a city neighborhood that’s noisy and crowded on weekend evenings.

Here are a few other pointers for buyers focused on the purchase of an urban townhouse:

-- Screen for a townhouse with an expansive interior.

Nowadays, most buyers strongly favor an open, airy and bright house. But many townhouses, especially older ones, have relatively few windows and are narrow from side to side and deep from the front door to the back, says Tom Early, a veteran Ohio real estate broker.

“To get a more open feeling, try to find a townhouse that’s wider than average. Also, look for one where the rooms are square rather than rectangular, with larger-than-average windows. However, remember that big windows typically translate to higher energy costs,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Another way to obtain a more open, airy feeling in a townhouse is to buy one with high ceilings.

-- Don’t overlook the importance of ample parking.

Newer townhouses are typically built to give each unit a one- or two-car garage. That means your own parking needs should be met. But what about the visitors to your home?

“It’s important for townhouse owners to feel confident that their friends and family members will not face lots of hassles when they come over to visit,” Early says.

He recommends that the best way to scope out the parking situation near a townhouse is to ask those already living there about their experience with parking in the common areas of the complex.

“You should get unvarnished opinions about all the pros and cons of life in the community through informal conversations with the neighbors there. It can be particularly helpful to go back to the area without your real estate agent at your side,” Early says.

-- Search for a convivial townhouse community.

It’s a fact of life that in nearly all townhouse communities, residents are bound together through membership in a residents' association. As Early says, the quality of leadership in that group can make a major difference for residents.

"The point is to search for a community where people can reach consensus harmoniously, rather than through arguments and petty disagreements,” Early says.

Those who bond together in a well-functioning association set aside money for major expenses, like the replacement of a roof or renovation of a pool house. Otherwise, everyone living in the community could be hit with a special assessment, which can mean a large addition to your monthly homeowners’ fees.

To investigate the operations of a townhouse association, Early suggests you ask for minutes of its last three meetings to see if major disputes are brewing within the organization.

“The last thing you want is to live in a community where everyone is squabbling over minor issues or large ones,” he says.

-- Don’t sacrifice a good location when you buy.

It can be tiring to hear that location should beat all other factors when it comes to the selection of real estate. But this principle remains true, says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”

What constitutes a location where you can reasonably expect strong or rising property values? Tyson urges you to look for a neighborhood served by high-quality public schools, even if you have no plans for children.

Even those who would prefer a detached house might consider buying a townhouse in a coveted city neighborhood if that’s all they can afford there. That’s because over time, as Tyson says, you can anticipate that the townhouse in the premier area will be a better investment than a traditional single-family home in a weaker area.

“For real estate, one reality remains constant through time and economic cycles. That is that location tops all other factors in defining value,” Tyson says.

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

It’s not exactly a tsunami, but real estate pros say there’s finally a growing wave of baby boomers letting go of their family homes and moving into smaller housing units, usually condos.

“From the point of view of price, it’s an absolutely fabulous time to sell one house and buy a smaller place,” says Stacy Berman, a longtime real estate agent in Washington, D.C.

Take the case of a retired social worker who’s about to relinquish ownership of the three-bedroom townhouse she’d hung onto for more than 20 years. The property is expected to sell for twice the value of the condo she intends to buy in a gated retirement community nearby.

“We anticipate a feeding frenzy for this townhouse among young families because it’s in a neighborhood with five-star schools that kids can walk to,” says Berman, the social worker’s listing agent.

Economists say there are multiple reasons why this is an opportune time to sell an affordable home in a popular community where property is still in short supply relative to demand among young adults. That’s because many from the millennial generation, who postponed marriage and child bearing, are now better positioned to buy. Meanwhile, more boomers have become eager to downsize.

Frank Nothaft, the chief economist for CoreLogic (corelogic.com), a California-based provider of global property information, says that many potential sellers are better off financially than they were in the years after the Great Recession.

“Also keeping the home-sales market humming is the fact that mortgage rates continue to hover near historic lows, a major factor intensifying demand among buyers of all ages," Nothaft says.

Though it’s a fortuitous time to sell in many affordable neighborhoods favored by young families, real estate specialists say it’s nearly always better to close on the sale of one property before buying another rather than making the purchase conditional on the sale.

“You can bargain more strongly if you’ve already liquidated the old property,” says Berman, who sells homes for the Long & Foster realty company.

Here are a few pointers for those planning to sell:

-- Try to obtain a realistic assessment of your home’s value.

As always, a minority of real estate agents might try to flatter you into hiring them by suggesting your property is worth more than it truly is, says Dorcas Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

“You don’t want a fantasyland answer about your home’s value. You want your agent to be brutally honest -- to give you ‘tough love’ when it comes to the value and condition of your place,” says Helfant, the co-owner of several Coldwell Banker realty offices.

One way to increase the odds of finding a realistic listing agent is to interview at least three prospects. Ask each to do a “comparative market analysis” on your property, using recent data from similar home sales in your neighborhood as a basis to set the appropriate list price.

-- Rely on data to calculate your sales prospects.

Beside the location and condition of your home, another factor could strongly influence how much cash you’ll receive if you were to sell: neighborhood competition.

“Statistics on inventory levels are a meaningful way to determine the strength of demand in your neck of the woods,” Helfant says.

For instance, if there’s a three-month supply of unsold homes currently for sale in your market, you can expect to wait longer (and receive less in proceeds) than if there’s only a one-month supply.

Helfant recommends you ask your listing agent to give you a graphic showing fluctuations in inventory levels for your immediate area over the last six to 12 months. Also, ask for a similar chart showing what percentage of list price, on average, sellers have been receiving.

“In a strong seller’s market, you should expect to get at least 95 percent of your asking price and this gap should be narrowing rather than widening,” Helfant says.

-- Don’t let fear keep you from actualizing your home-selling plans.

As always, the real estate market is buffeted by economic trends related to both supply and demand for property and local employment conditions. Prices fluctuate continuously. This causes some potential sellers to delay their sale in hopes of a greater reward at the bottom line.

The current period, when consumer sentiment is still high, could be a good time to put your place up for sale. Yet there are no guarantees of timing, even now.

Those who’ve worked in the real estate field for many years know it’s tricky to time your home sale to your advantage and that a delay could hurt you on price as well as help you, should the economy slow.

“Trying to outsmart the market is usually a fool’s game. It’s nearly always better to time your housing transition to suit your personal plans and preferences,” Helfant says.

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

With their second daughter packing off for college this fall, a couple in their early 50s hankered for a whole new lifestyle. Rather than downsize, they recently bought a 3,000-square-foot wood-and-brick house in a newly developing urban community that adjoins downtown Spokane, Washington.

What most motivated the couple to move from the traditional suburb where they'd lived for a couple of decades wasn't the glitzy features of their new house. Rather, it was all the amenities available in the new neighborhood.

"They wanted a whole new lifestyle. That meant a very walkable setting with hiker-biker trails, locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, a golf course and even a winery," explains Michael Crowley, who's affiliated with the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Of course, what constitutes an appealing neighborhood varies widely among buyers. Besides top-rated schools, young families might wish for easy access to a neighborhood day care center. Foodies might want a gourmet grocery store or a farmer's market. Bibliophiles might want a nearby public library. And pet lovers might wish for a dog park.

"Nowadays, the common denominator for nearly all buyers is walkability. People don't want to be stuck in their cars all the time like they were in the old suburbs," Crowley says.

In an acknowledgment of the importance of neighborhood choice to buyers, Trulia (trulia.com), which tracks real estate markets all over the U.S., each year makes what it calls its "Neighborly Awards" to communities it rates as "the friendliest, most spirited and most dog- and kid-friendly."

"People take great pride in where they live. In fact, many buyers and renters say the neighborhood mattered just as much as the house when they were searching for a home," says Tim Correia, Trulia's senior vice president and general manager.

Here are a few pointers for buyers in search of an ideal neighborhood:

-- Screen for shopping convenience, among other factors.

An annual study published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics called the American Time Use Survey finds that adults are spending an increasing amount of time inside rather than outside their homes. One reason could be more home-based work schedules that allow telecommuting. But as the survey also shows, most families still purchase their groceries at stores rather than having them delivered.

"Obviously, food shopping remains a key activity for most people. Because of that, it's wonderful to have a supermarket in your immediate neighborhood," Crowley says.

Although buyers appreciate having a grocery store within walking distance, most continue to drive there anyway, given that groceries are heavy to carry. Yet proximity to a grocery store is still considered a key factor.

-- Search for a neighborhood with plenty of greenery.

Timothy Saeland, an Oregon-based real estate broker, says about a third of his home-buying clients are "outdoorsy people who want that country feeling in their surroundings." For them, trees and green space are more important than a lavish kitchen or opulent bathrooms.

If you relish outdoor activities -- or, at least, the tranquility of gazing out your window at a pristine landscape -- you'll want firm assurances that the green areas around the home you buy will stay that way.

Saeland recommends that buyers stop by the local Chamber of Commerce office to learn more about long-term plans for open areas near any residence they may purchase. "Obviously, you'd rather know before you buy a house that the rural land across the street will be packed with new houses in the not-too-distant future," he says.

-- Don't ignore statistics on crime in the area.

It's increasingly common for prospective buyers to contact local police before deciding whether to settle in to a particular neighborhood.

Saeland says police in smaller communities are especially helpful in pulling out maps to show the areas with the most reported crime. Moreover, police can tell you what types of crime are most common in a neighborhood -- data that many buyers find more clarifying than straight statistics taken off the internet without any context.

-- Keep in mind your personal interests, needs and aversions.

For most buyers, high-quality schools and a short commuting time to work top the list of community attributes that are particularly critical.

But beyond these positives, purchasers vary widely in the importance they attach to neighborhood features.

"With a tremendous number of two-income families now in the home-buying population, having a nearby elementary school with a high-quality after-school program is extremely important to the lifestyle of both working moms and dads," Saeland says.

Retirees often wish to position themselves close to a hospital or doctors' offices. And those with severe health issues may want special assurances that emergency medical services could reach them quickly.

Buyers also vary in terms of their displeasure with certain neighborhood attributes. For instance, some find it objectionable to live close to a church that draws many cars on Sunday mornings. Yet that doesn't bother others.

Purchasers differ in their tolerance for traffic. Though many would reject a home located on a main roadway, others are adamant that they must live on a dead-end street or on a cul-de-sac with scarcely any traffic at all.

"Remember that neighborhood factors that might drive some buyers wild with displeasure could make other people very, very happy," Crowley says.

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