As they approach marriage, many young couples face the daunting challenge of how to acquire their first home. But couples marrying over the age of 50 sometimes confront the opposite issue: how to deal with ownership of two primary properties.

In the past, most late-marrying couples with dual homes considered only a couple of conventional options. They could sell one property and move together into the other, or they could sell both and buy a third, where they’d both live.

But a new trend is emerging among an increasing number of older couples who already own homes: They’re designing lifestyles that allow them to keep both places they’ve owned for years.

“For more settled couples, one option is to continue living separately rather than unite their households in the conventional way,” says Francine Russo, the author of “Love After 50: How to Find It, Enjoy it, and Keep it.”

Russo, who’s spent her career investigating and tracking social trends, refers to committed couples who choose to live separately as “LATs,” because they’re “living apart together.”

There are multiple factors increasing the popularity of LAT relationships among older couples.

“People are living longer and still want to have intimate and emotionally committed relationships in later life. Yet both men and women appreciate the autonomy and independence of retaining their own homes. In addition, their housekeeping and lifestyle standards may differ greatly,” Russo says.

Understandably, the trend toward two-house coupling involves mostly affluent adults who can afford to maintain two households. But as home values continue to ascend, increasing home equity, more seniors can make the numbers work.

Even when LAT living proves financially viable, some couples who could keep their two primary properties prefer an arrangement that allows them to reside together.

“If you own two houses, be sure to discuss your alternatives and preferences before making a firm decision,” Russo says.

Kevin O’Reilly, a certified financial planner, says it can be especially hard for couples to resolve the two-house puzzle if one of the partners was married previously and still lives in a home once shared with an ex-spouse.

“Moving into a place where the ex lived isn’t the fairy-tale ending most people imagine. It can cast a massive shadow around a new marriage,” he says.

“There’s no single right answer. For all my clients, I believe in happiness. Decisions like these are not all financial,” O’Reilly says.

Here are a few pointers for marrying couples with two properties:

-- Commit your housing preferences to paper.

These days, an increasing number of people who marry have had years of independent living behind them. Because of that, it’s all the more important that they listen to each other when making joint decisions.

“There are issues of turf and control that come up early in marriage and need to be discussed,” O’Reilly says.

Before making any major housing decisions, he recommends that a marrying couple with two homes write out a list of their personal priorities.

“It’s always better to write down your thoughts rather than just tossing ideas in the air. Writing things out forces you to think things through,” O’Reilly says.

If a deadlock develops, the couple might consider consulting a financial planner or an accountant, if only for an hour or two. An outside adviser may be able to help spur the conversation to a breakthrough choice that works for both husband and wife.

-- Realize that unconventional solutions could work well for you.

Those remarrying after their children are grown typically have more latitude to consider housing alternatives than do those still raising young children.

“Once your children are grown, your needs change. One person might want to move to the country and raise horses. The other might want to live in a condo in the city,” says Dorcas Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

One way to address the subject of where to live, Helfant says, is to visualize what you’d be doing during ideal days. For example, on a free Saturday would you rather tend roses or attend a jazz festival?

By listing your preferred activities, you’ll bring into focus the kind of location and property that would best suit you and your spouse in coming years.

“Whatever your age, there’s no single right location. It’s all a matter of individual preference,” Helfant says.

-- Ponder the prospect of selling both your homes and buying a third one.

Are you and your partner entering into a second marriage? If so, one or both of you might be uneasy with the thought of living in a place where a previous partner once lived. Would he feel at ease hanging his suits in a closet used by her first husband? Would she feel uncomfortable making brunch in the same kitchen where his former wife cooked?

For many people launching into a new relationship, the idea of selling both their homes and starting fresh with a different place has tremendous appeal, according to O’Reilly.

“Financial factors aren’t everything for couples. There’s also a strong emotional dimension to any housing decision. So buying a place where neither of you have lived before might be your best possible choice,” he says.

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

Home-sellers have reigned supreme for months, as escalator-price contracts and multiple offers mounted and rival buyers competed ferociously for the same property. This frenzied market has caused many sellers to become arrogant.

But housing analysts now question whether the same level of arrogance will be justifiable going forward. That’s because there are signs the red-hot real estate market may be gradually beginning to cool.

Granted, home values keep escalating, raising serious affordability challenges for purchasers, especially those struggling to acquire their first home. Still, the drum-tight shortage of available properties is starting to loosen.

Danielle Hale, chief economist for the home-listing firm Realtor.com, says post-Independence Day data foretell improving trends for buyers.

“While listing prices ticked up, other metrics like inventory and time on market shifted in a buyer-friendly direction,” Hale says.

Whether seller hubris was ever warranted is a matter of debate. But real estate specialists say a cavalier approach is certainly unwise for owners as market conditions begin their slow shift.

Rich Harty, a real estate broker who works solely with buyers, catalogs a number of turnoffs that could seriously impair your sale, especially now that competition among buyers is gradually lessening.

“Allowing a musty odor to persist in your home is a tipoff to serious water problems. You need to address your drainage issues or face the real prospect that buyers will pass on your place,” says Harty, president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Another buyer turnoff is the odor of cigarette smoke.

“It’s extremely hard to remove cigarette smells from any place because the smoke gets absorbed in the carpets, furniture and cabinets. But as sellers, you should do this to achieve your maximum level of success,” Harty says.

Here are a few added pointers for sellers on errors to avoid:

-- Don’t show your place with a grimy interior.

Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home,” says that trying to sell a home that’s unclean is a huge mistake.

“Going on sale in junk condition could be deadly for your prospects,” Davis says.

Cleanliness is paramount because all buyers want a fresh start when they move.

Unless their houses are immaculate, Davis recommends that sellers pay for an in-depth cleaning. He advises those planning to hire a cleaning service to ask neighbors or work associates for recommendations.

-- Avoid rebuffing your listing agent’s advice on fix-ups.

As real estate experts point out, sellers benefit when they receive a critique of their property well before it goes up for sale. That way, they have time to make sure all important repairs and upgrades are done before buyers troop through.

But Davis contends that too many agents “fear giving sellers the straight truth.” He says some worry their candid remarks about a property could cost them the chance to obtain or retain the sellers’ business.

Savvy home-sellers welcome constructive criticism.

“Why not hand the agent a room-by-room checklist on which they can itemize the improvements needed to maximize the sale? And leave space on the checklist for changes to your yard,” Davis says.

Obviously, it’s not enough to merely solicit feedback. You’ll also need to go down the checklist and make the suggested changes.

-- Avoid listening to pricing advice from know-it-all neighbors.

As soon as word spreads that you’re planning to sell, odds are neighbors will begin offering advice on pricing.

“Neighbors believe they’ll benefit if you price high, because they think that will push up local home values,” Davis says.

But neighbors’ views on pricing are often based solely on wishful thinking or the rumored prices for other homes that have sold. That’s why Davis recommends you ignore their suggestions and set your asking price only after sitting down with your agent to do a systematic review of recent sales in your area.

“If you want another opinion, call in an appraiser. That’s much better than relying on gossip,” Davis says.

With rare exceptions, he urges sellers to avoid the common error of trying to “test the market” with a list price higher than what other similar properties in the area have fetched. That’s because an over-market asking price usually hurts the reputation of a home and yields less in the long run.

-- Avoid hanging around during showings.

Real estate agents almost always advise their clients to disappear when their property is shown to prospects. But some sellers believe they know better and insist on staying around.

“These sellers don’t like strangers walking through their home -- which they find unsettling. They worry something bad will happen to the property if they’re not there to protect it,” says Fred Meyer, an appraiser-broker who sells homes near Harvard University.

Why is it critically important for the sellers to disappear before showings? Because it’s tough for buyers to bond with a property if they must muffle their comments to avoid offending the owners.

“Buyers need to be able to say out loud the negatives about a house so they can figure out how they’d address them. It takes a lot of energy not to say what you really think,” Meyer says.

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

For more than eight months, a government attorney in her early 50s has been methodically seeking the ideal move-up property for herself and her 14-year-old daughter. So far, she’s considered and rejected more than 20 houses she found online, including 10 she visited in person.

What’s the holdup? Like many buyers, the attorney has a long list of priorities. She wants a new or nearly new place near her daughter’s prep school as well as coffee shops, restaurants and public transit. She wants a large home office and a professional-style kitchen with an island.

Moreover, the daughter has her own “must haves.” She wants a bedroom with a private bath and a hangout space for friends -- preferably a loft. She also wants a fenced yard for her pet poodle. And all these features must come within the mom’s budget constraints.

Stacy Berman, the veteran real estate agent representing the attorney, doesn’t fault her for taking a lengthy time to find the best possible property -- a particularly challenging task during a period of tight inventory and rising prices.

“When deciding how and where to live, you have a tremendous amount at stake, not only financially but also in terms of lifestyle,” says Berman, who’s sold homes since 2002.

Although she never pushes clients to make a premature decision, Berman offers them helpful pointers on choosing among tough trade-offs.

“When picking a property, the three most important factors are location, price and condition. You have to place these three factors in rank order from the most to the least important to you,” she says.

Given that housing costs represent such a large percentage of family budgets, many buyers are attempting to slow down the selection process to avoid an error.

“These are wait-and-see buyers who know that every purchasing decision must be customized to their individual wants and needs. This is certainly not a time for impulsivity. Slowing down the buying process makes sense,” says Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Try to avoid a potentially punishing commute.

Working from home during the pandemic has convinced many that remote work could be a viable long-term possibility. This recognition, and the easing of restraints on telework by their employers, has caused more buyers to consider a move to an outlying town or suburb.

But Merrill Ottwein, the broker-owner of a Coldwell Banker realty office, cautions buyers against moving to an area far removed from a major employment center.

“What if your supervisors change their mind and want you in the office at least a few days each week? Or what if you want to change jobs entirely?" The time to consider these issues is before you buy,” Ottwein says.

Would a long commute be worth it?

“Some people say they don’t care how far they have to drive to get all the bells and whistles they want. But then they call us back six months or a year later to say they can’t stomach that killer commute anymore,” he says.

“I would worry about any commute that’s over 50 minutes each way,” Ottwein says.

-- Think seriously before you commit to a “fixer-upper.”

Ottwein urges any buyers considering a property that needs rehab work to obtain reliable estimates on the cost of restoring the place. To get a sense of potential repair costs, your real estate agent should be willing to help you arrange with contractors for bids.

Are you convinced you could handle the renovation work yourself?

If so, Ottwein recommends you do a reality check by canvassing friends who know you well. Ask them if they think a big do-it-yourself project would be a good option for you, both in terms of your skill level and available free time.

“Your friends can help you gain perspective on the possible pitfalls,” he says.

-- Take your time when buying in a new subdivision.

If you’re planning to purchase a brand-new house, you’re likely to be faced with many trade-offs before your contract is written.

“For one package price, some builders give lump sum allowances for anything ranging from lighting fixtures to appliances to landscaping to kitchen cabinets. Anything not included in that package will cost you extra money,” Ottwein says.

These choices should be made before the sales contract is written, but not under pressure from a hurried homebuilder or salesperson.

“To make genuinely solid selections, you may need to take weekend time or a day or two off work to explore the options,” Ottwein says.

Those who are indecisive at the outset may find they have to pay a premium price for options they later decide they want -- for example, for solid wood cabinets in the kitchen.

“Once your contract is signed, you have little leverage left in negotiating with the builder. So you’d better pick the right kitchen cabinets at the beginning,” Ottwein says.

New-home buyers on a tight budget may wish to defer those items that can be installed later with relative ease, such as landscaping upgrades or window treatments.

“Lock in early those choices that are part of the infrastructure. The other options can wait until you have the funds to put them in yourself,” Ottwein says.

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