A Minnesota couple -- a retired engineer married to an artist -- have relished their exurban rancher on a heavily wooded lot for more than 20 years. But lately, new health challenges have made it clear they’re losing the stamina to keep up the 6-acre property.

“We have 11 huge trees that drop a billion leaves on our lawn every fall. Then, of course, in the winter we’re obligated to clear the snow from our very long driveway. We can’t wait to get liberated from all this work and maybe take a cruise,” says the artist, age 73.

For this couple and many other similarly situated seniors, the question is not whether to sell but when. Currently, an increasing number of such owners are eying the new year ahead as an opportune time to finally move.

“In our neck of the woods, the inventory of available properties is super-tight. Houses are flying off the market. So, we’re thinking this winter could be the best time to sell -- before spring, when we could face more competition,” the artist says.

This couple’s reasoning on timing their sale during a period of low inventory is underscored by the 2022 predictions of housing forecasters such as Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com, the home listing company.

“With homes selling and continuing to do so quickly, inventory will remain limited. But we expect to see the market rebound from 2021 lows,” Hale says.

At this point, the artist and her husband have every intention of engaging a listing agent to put their home on the market before March. They’re open to reinventing their lifestyle in a major way. But their biggest uncertainty is deciding on their next habitat and doing so expeditiously.

“Every weekend, we go looking at options for our next move. We’re comparing everything from suburban retirement communities to city townhouses and condos. One thing for sure is that we crave less upkeep so as to buy our freedom and chance to travel,” the artist says.

Ashley Richardson, a longtime real estate agent, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But she credits them for taking a proactive stance on their housing plans and willingness to downsize.

“Older people who are open to change about moving are happier in the long run than people who can’t bear to move,” says Richardson, who’s affiliated with the Long & Foster realty firm.

Natalie Conrad, a professional organizer and author of “Organize to Downsize,” a step-by-step workbook for those seeking to scale back, says many triggers prompt older owners to sell. A common one is a health setback. This forces many owners to face their need for a one-level property that doesn’t require them to climb stairs to reach their bedroom or take a shower.

“Once people start having physical limitations, they begin seeing their big houses differently. Many people wish to live closer to their grown children or go to a retirement community,” Conrad says.

Richardson advises seniors seeking to time their home sale to consult a real estate agent they trust who tracks their neighborhood rather than monitoring national trends.

“Remember that every market is different,” she says.

Here are a few other pointers for downsizing seniors intent on selling:

-- Look for a location that feels right on an emotional level.

Lin Schreiber, a life coach who counsels those seeking to recast their lives in retirement, says, “People downsize for the chance to pursue other options.”

In retirement, many homeowners focus on the annoyances and aggravations they’ll escape once they sell their property. But in addition, Schreiber urges clients to concentrate on the options that await them as they reorder their lives.

“Give yourself permission to explore all the possibilities that interest you before making a decision,” Schreiber says.

-- Consider whether you’d like a community with many rules.

Schreiber and her husband, a software specialist, once lived in a planned community where the homeowners association dictated many lifestyle rules. But after just three years there, they were so rattled by all the dictates that they moved to a more modest townhouse with friendly and easygoing neighbors.

Looking back on their experience, the couple wishes they’d investigated further before buying into the planned community.

“People there were always quibbling over small disputes about the appearance and operation of the community,” she recalls.

Schreiber urges those making a major housing transition to ask questions about the internal culture of a community before they buy a home there, to ensure it’s in accord with the lifestyle they have in mind.

-- Don’t allow grown children to dominate your plans.

Many seniors have children in their 20s, 30s or older. And, according to Conrad, these retirees vary widely on the role they’d like their offspring to play in the next phase of their life.

“As they get older, some people become weary of the child-raising thing. Yet other empty-nesters feel a void in their lives and wish to see more of their grown kids and grandkids,” she says.

Those who want their adult offspring to play a major role in their lives are likely to be happier moving to a property with enough bedrooms to accommodate their kids during overnight visits. But those who wish to discourage their children from lengthy stays, or from moving back home, might prefer a small condo with just one or two bedrooms.

“This is a very personal choice -- but one you should think through before moving,” Conrad says.

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

This year has been a time of profound frustration for many households seeking larger living quarters. Especially rattled are young families who’ve passed months of the pandemic in crowded rental units.

“Untold numbers of people yearn to escape tenancy to buy a place of their own with a little land where they can stretch out ... Yet this year many lost out to rival bidders,” says Dorcas Helfant, the broker-owner of several Coldwell Banker Realty offices.

Despite such disappointments, Helfant says most wannabe owners are emotionally resilient and will try again to buy in 2022.

“(T)he quest for homeownership feels more compelling than ever, due to the renewed emphasis on close personal relationships and the limits on travel we’ve all faced,” says Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Buyers are searching for as much square footage as they can afford, including sufficient room for one or two home offices, along with space for future family gatherings, says Amanda Pendleton, a housing trend specialist for Zillow, the national real estate company.

“The pandemic forced a lot of people to reevaluate what’s important in their lives and in their homes,” Pendleton says.

Take the case of a hairstylist married to a federal contractor. Until COVID, the couple, parents to two college students, lived comfortably in a rented one-bedroom apartment. But after the kids moved back home, the apartment proved way too small, so the couple recently bought a French country-style place with a rose garden in a close-in suburb.

“The pandemic was the push we needed to find a ‘forever home,’ with three bedrooms where we could all be happy. Our living costs are higher, but upsizing was totally worth the effort and extra expense,” the hairstylist says.

Until recently, home sellers have had the upper hand, and buyers have competed ferociously for what scarce properties are available. Housing economists say 2022 should be a slightly easier time for buyers.

“The market has cooled since the beginning of the year,” says George Ratiu, the manager of economic research at Realtor.com, the home listing company.

Here are a few pointers for 2022 buyers:

-- Think twice before committing to a distant suburb.

In recent months, many buyers seeking oversized homes have been willing to consider the trade-offs involved in choosing a place in an outlying suburb. This is especially likely for buyers who are working remotely for their employers.

But gas price volatility has caused many to question the viability of doing so, says James Hughes, a housing expert at Rutgers University.

“People realize they can no longer count on the availability of cheap gas. They know that at any time, a crisis in foreign or domestic supply can suddenly push prices up,” he says.

Even if you’re called back to the office, you may be willing to endure a long commute. Still, Hughes advises against purchasing a property that’s more than a 30-minute drive from an employment center where the economy is relatively steadfast. Those who choose a closer-in suburb stand a better chance of selling well when it’s their turn to move.

-- Seek a solidly built house.

Homebuilding in America, unlike numerous other industrialized nations, is dominated in many areas by small to mid-sized entrepreneurial companies. And these firms vary widely in the quality of their workmanship, says Abraham Tieh, a former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

How can you identify subdivisions where the builders took extra care? Tieh encourages you to closely examine the interior detailing in a house as one indication of its construction quality.

“You can’t see behind the walls of a house that’s already built. However, you can see if the cabinetry and wood trim were well finished. Also, you can judge whether the builder used long-lasting roofing materials or the cheapest available shingles,” Tieh says.

To further assess construction quality, he recommends you go door-to-door in any subdivision you’re considering to ask questions of residents.

“People already living in the neighborhood will tell you straight out if there have been lots of problems with the builder or if major construction flaws have surfaced,” Tieh says.

-- Clarify your priorities for a home purchase.

For the time being, as Hughes says, many people are so preoccupied with fallout from the pandemic that they’re not looking beyond the basics.

“For the short-term, most first-time buyers aren’t focused on getting a super house. They’re just trying to obtain as large a house as they can afford,” Hughes says.

If you’re the lucky exception to this rule and are financially secure enough to buy large, he encourages you to select a place that would suit your lifestyle for up to 10 years or longer.

Hughes says only a minority of buyers hanker for the formal rooms found in very large houses. But if you’re among them, he says you can probably count on the long-term market for your large property, so long as it’s well located.

“People in the future will continue to prefer big houses, just as they’ll prefer big cars if they can afford them. In America, bigger has always been better. And I don’t expect that underlying preference to change in coming years,” Hughes says.

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

Economists looking to 2022 say real estate markets are struggling to find a new balance between the interests of buyers and sellers. It’s unclear if next year’s sellers will retain the overwhelming dominance they’ve enjoyed since the onset of the pandemic sparked a surge in buyer demand.

At the home listing company Realtor.com, economic research manager George Ratiu says a recent increase in listings is providing a measure of hope for beleaguered buyers aiming to finally make a purchase next year.

“The bump in new listings is a welcome development in a market still searching for more balance, and it helps to keep price growth in check,” Ratiu says.

This has been a banner year for real estate sales, due in large part to intensified demand for more spacious properties among renters and trade-up buyers. But economists say a portion of that COVID-era demand has already been spent and won’t carry over into 2022.

“The housing sector’s success will continue. But I don’t expect next year’s performance to exceed this year’s,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

One unknown is how remote work opportunities will play out in the future.

“We are only in the first innings of work-from-home options. People have not fully digested the work-from-home flexibility model yet in determining home size and locational choice,” Yun says.

Another factor that could inhibit buyer demand somewhat in 2022 is the expectation that mortgage rates could rise, which could slightly reduce the buying power of income-constrained purchasers.

“With every little pickup in rates, there are fewer people who can afford to buy,” says Kaki Lybbert, a Century 21 real estate broker and NAR vice president-elect.

She cautions those planning to sell a property in 2022 to avoid hubris.

“You should be confident but not arrogant, which is never a good idea. As a seller, you’ll still be in that catbird seat. You’ll probably get multiple offers, but fewer of them than you would have received this year,” Lybbert says.

Here are a few pointers for those determined to sell next year:

-- Avoid the mistake of overpricing.

Lybbert tells the true story of one couple who insisted on listing their 3,500-square-foot property for $100,000 above its fair market value. Because of the property's location in a hot neighborhood, the owners hoped their over-market pricing plan would yield them more at the closing table. It hasn't worked out.

“That place has been on the market for 125 days, and it has yet to sell,” Lybbert says.

She says owners planning to sell next year can reasonably anticipate receiving offers at list price or above. But setting an over-market list price can backfire.

“When it comes to home values, buyers aren’t stupid,” Lybbert says.

-- Rule out financially unqualified would-be purchasers.

Sharp sellers are careful to check the financial standing of would-be purchasers.

“Who wants a deal to fall through because the buyers lack the wherewithal or credit to get it to the finish line? That’s folly,” says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “House Selling for Dummies.”

Before accepting an offer, sellers should insist on seeing a genuine preapproval letter from a known lender, Tyson says. This should establish that the prospective buyers have had their credit checked, their employment confirmed and their assets verified.

In addition, prospects can be asked to supply other details about their creditworthiness, such as their credit scores. The most common of these, known as FICO scores, range from 300 to 850. The higher that number, the more likely are borrowers to get the loan they need to close the deal.

“To avoid sleepless nights, look for buyers with FICO scores of 700 or above,” Tyson says.

Bidders can obtain reports on their credit scores from the Fair Isaac Corp (myfico.com).

-- Foresee issues that could emerge during an inspection of your home.

For many months, buyers in competitive markets have been willing to waive their right to a pre-closing home inspection. But as conditions normalize in 2022, more purchasers will likely exercise their right to a home inspection.

Owners should never try to talk buyers out of a home inspection. But smart sellers may wish to consider paying for their own inspection even before the property goes on the market.

“Knowing the problems that lurk in your house is especially important if the place is more than 10 years old,” Tyson says.

-- Attempt to avoid troublesome buyers.

Not all home sellers can be choosy about the offer they select. But if you’re reasonably certain you’ll have more than one bid from which to pick, Tyson says you should seek to avoid cutting a deal with difficult people.

You may not have any direct dealings with your prospective bidders. But your listing agent or others might observe them when they visit your place. And their behavior can be very telling.

One telltale sign of difficult people is that they often make negative remarks when visiting a property. Though you’re likely to not be present for showings, your listing agent should learn of these unpleasant comments and pass them on to you.

By avoiding such prospects, you could spare yourself a lot of grief.

“If you’re lucky enough to get multiple bids, you can be pickier about the buyers you choose. If possible, resist troublesome folks who might nickel-and-dime you all the way to closing,” Tyson says.

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