Many young home shoppers searching in popular neighborhoods can’t wait for more available listings to surface. But the options have been in frustratingly short supply.

Housing economists say the mismatch between supply and demand is due primarily to high mortgage rates. Many potential sellers are holding back because they currently have a low-rate home loan and don’t want to swap that for the higher-rate loan they’d have to accept to finance their next property.

Still, economists also say there’s clear evidence that slightly more people, including baby boomers with grown children, are beginning to let go of the large family properties they’ve owned for years.

“Home shoppers have dealt with a low flow of new listings for nearly two years, but some sellers are finally returning to the market. New listings bottomed out at almost 35% below pre-pandemic norms in April, but positive momentum over the past few months has cut the shortfall to just 14%,” says a recent press release from Zillow, the national real estate company.

Economist Hannah Jones of the property listing service Realtor.com, notes that active inventory has been slightly increasing in recent days. What’s more, she anticipates a slight increase in supply in early 2024.

“We expect mortgage rates to soften in the new year, which may help bring sellers back into the market and bolster home supply,” Jones says.

That positive view of next year’s market is shared by Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors.

“The demand for housing will recover from falling mortgage rates and rising income. In addition, housing inventory is expected to rise by around 30% as more sellers begin to list after delaying selling over the past two years,” Yun says.

However, professional organizers say that mortgage rate fluctuations aren’t the only factor that has kept potential sellers on the sidelines. Longtime owners also find it challenging to downsize their possessions to make their properties appealing to potential purchasers.

“Houses sell better if they’re not full of clutter,” says Scott Roewer, a 20-year organizer who heads a firm affiliated with the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net).

Roewer urges the many would-be sellers in his client base to allow ample time to sort through their possessions before they put their property up for sale.

The problem with delaying a decluttering project is that you’re likely to need a storage unit to contain boxes filled with unsorted possessions. And the cost of maintaining a storage unit can be high.

Here are a few other pointers for those embarking on a decluttering program in advance of a home sale:

-- Force yourself to let go of home office clutter.

Many who work from home are troubled with containers brimming with unsorted papers.

As it happens, few papers people keep prove valuable to them, says Pierrette Ashcroft, who leads a consulting firm focused on time management for entrepreneurs.

“More than 80% of the papers people save are never referred to again,” she says.

What’s more, a room chosen to serve as a home office is often not the only area where papers mount up.

“Home offices creep outward. Any horizontal spaces are at risk for clutter. For example, I often see papers stacked up on kitchen counters, a dining room table or a couch in the living room,” Ashcroft says.

The problem for home sellers is that any kind of clutter, including papers, makes a home look untidy. That can cause visitors to conclude that a property has more issues than meets the eye, says Mark Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home.”

One way to make decision-making faster is to give yourself guidelines on what to save and what to toss. For instance, small business owners might choose to keep all their receipts for tax deductible expenses, like office equipment and supplies, but throw out those for clothing and food purchases.

-- Scan many papers rather than filing them.

Many people who work from home struggle to stay organized through the use of extensive filing systems. But Ashcroft says filing anything more than the most important papers is usually a waste of time and energy.

She advises those trying to declutter a home office to scan many documents into a computer rather than trying to store them in filing cabinets.

“I’m practically paper-free in my own home office. I use a rapid scanner and can scan up to 200 papers in two minutes,” Ashcroft says.

-- Reason your way through your book collections.

Many professionals, including those who don’t work from home, keep more reference books than they ever use, according to Ashcroft.

She recalls one client, a doctor, who left medicine to pursue her passion as a potter. Though she never planned to return to her former profession, she kept a huge collection of medical books that she never opened.

The problem for bibliophiles preparing to sell their home is that shelves crammed with books make a property seem less attractive to buyers.

Ashcroft advises sellers to remember that many books can now be quickly and easily downloaded onto an e-reader.

-- Don’t take your bad clutter habits to your next home.

Nash recommends that sellers “edit” their papers, office supplies and technology well in advance of a sale to make sure they have time to finish the process.

“Why haul clutter with you when moving expenses can mount up quickly? It’s vastly better to get a fresh start at your new place,” he says.

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

A wealthy couple in their mid-60s -- an artist married to an IT consultant -- recently reset their priorities to emphasize relationships with family. Hence, they made the firm decision to buy a place near their 3-year-old granddaughter.

“Money is not a problem for this couple, who’ve set a $2 million ceiling on their purchase. But they’re particular on the type of home they buy. They want a big one-level place within a half-hour drive from their granddaughter,” says Victoria Ray Henderson, the independent real estate broker who’s assisting the couple in their search.

There are now more than 70 million baby boomers in the United States, and Henderson says many in this aging population cohort feel an urgency about living near grandchildren, even if that means making a long-distance move.

“There’s a certain poignancy as we get older. Unless you’re just railroading through time and space, you sense the preciousness of time and important ties,” says Henderson, a boomer herself.

In business since 2010, Henderson has worked with a number of clients anxious to buy a home near grandkids. Though some can’t afford to move, many others are finding a way to fulfill the dream while their grandkids still have the time and inclination to see them often.

“To be sure you’re on the same page as the grandkids’ family, I strongly recommend you have a talk about expectations before you make a move. Are you agreeing to do a lot of child care? Remember, that can be exhausting for older people,” she says.

Here are a few other pointers for those planning to buy a home near grandchildren:

-- Determine if your extended family has time to see you often.

Joan McLellan Tayler, a veteran realty company owner, notes that some relocation dreams prove disappointing as they play out. Sometimes living close to grandchildren isn’t enough to create the strong bonds older people desire.

Of course, there are relocation plans that work well for extended families who wish to see each other frequently. For example, Tayler says she’s had clients who’ve sold a big family home in favor of a smaller one located in a faraway state near their offspring, and everyone involved finds the situation fulfilling.

“This is much easier in a rural or semirural area where life is less hectic,” Tayler says.

If you’re not now close to your grown children, it can be tough to make up for lost time.

“Not all family relationships are as harmonious as we’d like. It’s possible you’d be better off buying in the same community where you already have friends and know the shopkeepers rather than moving near grandchildren. Then you could travel to see the children occasionally rather than structuring your days around them,” Tayler says.

-- Realize you don’t need a huge yard to accommodate the kids.

Tayler spends as much time as possible with her nine grandchildren, most of whom live in her immediate area. Although the apartment she owns has only a small patio with a few flowerbeds, the youngest children always seem to enjoy visiting there.

Of course, as toddlers grow into school-age children they range more widely with their play activities. Even so, that doesn’t mean you’ll need a large yard to keep them happy. One good substitute is to buy a place within walking distance of a neighborhood park.

-- Seek a house on a quiet street, if possible.

Tom Early, a longtime real estate broker who works exclusively with homebuyers, advises clients seeking to purchase a place near grandchildren to think about the kids’ safety when pondering the street on which to live.

“Consider buying on a cul-de-sac or dead-end street. If that’s not possible, pick a low-traffic street with few cars passing through,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

-- Find out if a community you’re considering allows for extended visits.

Do you and your spouse plan to retire to an area far from your grandkids’ home? In that case, Lee Tews, a Texas real estate broker, says you’ll want to be sure the community you choose allows for extended guest visits.

“Many new condo and townhouse communities, along with new detached home neighborhoods, limit the length of guest stays. And this can put a dent in family visits,” he says.

Of course, it’s always possible that the written rules governing guest visits won’t be enforced. But that could change if the residents’ association gets new leaders who insist you follow the rules to the letter.

“It’s not unusual for all the restrictions to run 200 pages long. But before you buy into a community, you’ll probably want to scan them for provisions that could hinder your lifestyle,” Tews says.

-- Try to find a property with an extra bedroom.

If your grown children live several states away, you likely aspire to as many lengthy and meaningful visits as possible with them. But will you have the accommodations to make them feel comfortable in the home you buy?

“For this purpose, it’s wonderful to buy a house with an extra master suite that has its own private bathroom,” Early says.

Perhaps you can’t afford a home with guest quarters. But it would still be good to choose a place with an extra bedroom for family visits.

“If your grown children and their kids are staying in a hotel, that means they won’t integrate as well when the family gathers,” Early says. “It’s only natural that all the family members will want to stay close together -- not to have to go back to the hotel early for the children’s bedtime.”

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

In the midst of the pandemic and beyond, selling a home was a smooth ride for many homeowners. In popular neighborhoods, potential purchasers lined up to visit open houses, and bidding wars, along with escalator clauses in contracts, were commonplace.

But longtime realty company owners are forecasting a change for 2024 housing markets. They’re sounding cautionary notes -- especially for owners contemplating a near-term sale.

“I think we’re in a period of unknowns, both for our economy and lifestyles. It’s a time of pessimism, and pessimists aren’t excited to buy a home. I foresee a tougher market for sellers,” says Fred Meyer, a real estate broker and appraiser who’s sold property near Harvard University for more than two decades.

Joan McLellan Tayler, who long owned a realty firm in a wealthy San Francisco suburb, is equally concerned about the dispirited mood of homebuyers.

“Malaise is the word I would use to describe the prevailing mood,” Tayler says.

Of course, homeowners intent on selling in 2024 also have several positives going for them. One factor is that numerous members of the millennial generation have yet to buy their first property. Moreover, there remains an overall shortage of listings in coveted communities.

“Home sellers have done well as prices continue to rise year-over-year,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Even so, real estate pros caution sellers against hubris -- especially when it comes to pricing a property.

“Sellers who get haughty get punished. It’s an old story, and one that’s true in all sorts of markets. A shortage of inventory won’t bail you out if you’re greedy. These days, buyers are too smart to overpay,” Tayler says.

Here are a few pointers for 2024 home sellers:

-- Make sure your bidders are financially qualified.

Smart 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?” 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 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 scores of 700 or above,” Tyson says.

Bidders can obtain reports on their credit scores at myfico.com, a website of the Fair Isaac Corp.

-- Pick an experienced agent for your listing.

Tayler says too many sellers take a casual approach to choosing an agent -- noting that some make the mistake of hiring a relative, a friend or a young agent looking to get started.

“Many sellers fail to understand that no matter the strength of the market, it takes complex skills to do a great job selling real estate,” she says.

Tayler recommends that sellers opt for an agent with experience in handling lots of different deals. Those with a track record are most apt to sniff out problems before they happen.

“It’s foolish to hire a listing agent who lacks a fundamental grasp of the business or doesn’t know the local turf,” Tayler says.

If, for personal reasons, you’re determined to choose a newcomer, she suggests you ask that agent to share the listing with an established pro from the same office.

-- Look into issues that could arise during an inspection of your home.

These days, many purchasers exercise their right to a home inspection. And many use the process as leverage to renegotiate the deal.

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

“The person you hire for a presale inspection is unlikely to find all the same small problems that the buyer’s inspector will locate. But both should spot the really major problems,” Tyson says.

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

-- Try 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.)