Stacy Berman recalls recently how, wearing socks, she slid off the bottom step of the staircase in her multistory house. The fall broke her pinky toe, requiring her to wear a medical boot for five weeks. Meanwhile the boot made it impossible to drive.

Though the incident is behind her, it carried a lesson. Berman and her husband are at least five years away from retirement and the sale of their current house. However, they realize their next property should be a single-level one. That’s because they expect that negotiating stairs will inevitably become more difficult as they age.

“For boomers, demand for single-level houses is greater than ever. The minute one comes on the market, it sells in a flash,” says Berman, a licensed real estate agent for 23 years.

Of course, many apartments and condos have one-level floor plans. But not all older homebuyers trying to downsize are willing to give up life in a detached house on two levels. They continue to see some advantages to multi-level living.

“Two-story houses have more places to hide, whether you just want to get away from the main level to read, go on the internet or take a nap. On the other hand, a single-level house makes your lifestyle simpler and easier to organize,” Berman says.

As a real estate agent, she’s worked with many homebuyers who are uncertain about the best floor plan choice for their elder years. She and other real estate specialists suggest a few pointers:

-- Look forward to changing lifestyle needs.

Regardless of your age, it’s often difficult to project your future housing wants and needs.

Ashley Richardson, a longtime agent with Sotheby’s International Realty, encourages older buyers to plan at least five years ahead, anticipating likely changes in their health status and future preferences.

Through her more than 20 years of experience, she’s noticed that buyers who are overweight or have chronic health issues often have a strong preference for one-level living.

“Many pre-retirees who live with chronic diseases readily face the fact that they need a one-level property. But others who are more active and limber are ambivalent about stairs. Maybe they’re still runners in their 60s. Even so, they have to realize that their health could change,” Richardson says.

-- Take into account the resale potential of one-level housing.

Not long ago, Richardson listed a ranch-style house, which is known as a “rambler” in the suburban community where she works. To promote its sale, she sent out a large-scale mailing targeted to older people in the neighborhood who might be interested in downsizing. Everyone on the mailing list was invited to an open house at the rambler.

“The response to the invitation was tremendous,” she says.

Are you looking for property in an area that has a definite shortage of one-story housing? If so, she contends that buying a one-level house could yield you substantial appreciation in coming years.

“It’s no secret that the American population is aging, and that a lot of boomers will soon need to move because they’re starting to experience health problems,” she says.

-- Factor in the pros and cons of a second-floor home office.

In your retirement years, do you anticipate running a small business out of your home? If so, Mark Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” suggests you factor in the pros of having an out-of-the-way second-story office rather than one on the first floor.

“Working from an upstairs bedroom can be especially helpful if you need to do a lot of solitary computer work or writing to keep your business going. That’s the case for many people who do consulting work from home,” Nash says.

Another less obvious plus for a second-floor home office retreat is that you’ll be farther from the temptations posed by your refrigerator.

However, a business that involves more interaction with customers than a typical consulting company could be better positioned on the entry level of a home, he says.

“It can be extremely inconvenient to keep running up- and downstairs to answer the door every time people and packages arrive. In that case, a house with space for a first-floor office could be your best bet,” Nash says.

-- Think through the implications of buying a place that requires an addition.

Occasionally, older homebuyers who become enamored with a two-story property plan to purchase it with the intention of adding on a first-floor bedroom suite after they move in. That way they figure on hedging their bets in case stairs later prove a problem for them. But Richardson attempts to dissuade many from this idea.

“If first-floor suites are a rarity in your area, you could be at risk of spending money that you’ll never get back one day when you sell. Due to high building costs, you’re unlikely to recover more than 40% to 50% of the money you’ve poured into that type of a renovation,” she says.

Also, there can be many annoying complications involved with building an addition.

“Before you act, give any plan for a first-floor addition an extreme level of consideration. Remember that taking on a building project can be extremely costly and stressful. Also, it can be very disruptive of your lifestyle and your other dreams such as foreign travel,” Richardson says.

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

A nurse in her late 30s hankers to own an Art Deco-style house in the Miami area, where she’s rented an apartment since 2019. She dreams of a three-bedroom place where she and her golden retriever would be free from fellow renters. Though she makes a good salary, her attempts to obtain a property failed during the pandemic, when demand for homes vastly outstripped supply.

She’s still searching for the right home but now faces a dramatically different Miami market. While there’s an abundance of supply, many languishing properties are overpriced for what they offer.

“It’s nice to have choices, but it’s not nice to be expected to pay more than a house is worth. A lot of these sellers are delusional,” the nurse says.

The Miami metro area is one of the U.S. markets now surprisingly swamped with extra listings, according to research by Redfin, the national realty brokerage. In Miami this past November, nearly 64% of listings had been on the market for 60 days or longer “without going under contract -- the highest share among the top 50 metros.” Also overloaded with unsold inventory are the Florida metros of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. In Texas, the same is true of the Austin and San Antonio areas.

A Redfin analysis indicates that the jump in supply is a pileup of unsold homes that many buyers have deemed undesirable because they seem overpriced.

“A lot of listings on the market are either stale or uninhabitable. There’s a lot of inventory, but it doesn’t feel like enough. I explain to sellers that their house will sit on the market if it’s not fairly priced,” says Meme Loggins, a Redfin agent in Portland, Oregon.

“Homes that are priced well and in good condition are flying off the market in three to five days, but homes that are overpriced can sit for over three months,” Loggins says.

Meanwhile, given that some sellers are still demanding more than the market value of their property, caution is the right approach for buyers.

“The pandemic-era bidding wars are over. So, when evaluating the value of a particular property of interest, don’t look in the rearview mirror,” says Eric Tyson, the co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”

Here are a few pointers for purchasers:

-- Choose your target neighborhood market carefully.

Too many buyers let emotion dominate their decision on where to live, says Michael Knight, an Illinois-based financial adviser.

“Many people pick a neighborhood too quickly,” says Knight, who recommends you compare several areas before making your pick.

“You’ve got to do plenty of research. Have an informal talk with a few knowledgeable real estate agents in any area you’re considering. Ask them lots of hard questions,” he says.

Which neighborhoods are most likely to hold or gain value in the future? Knight says quality public schools are critical, particularly now that private schools are out of reach financially for more families.

Access to quality transit is also high on the list.

When talking to agents, ask them to show you the neighborhood’s amenities on a map. Also, ask them to assemble data for you on sales trends in the community --including the median time it takes to sell a home there.

-- Look for sellers motivated to move.

As a would-be buyer, you may feel uncomfortable about seeking out owners who must sell quickly due to extenuating circumstances. But Michael Crowley, an independent agent in Spokane, says you needn’t.

“You could actually be doing the sellers a favor in such a case,” he says.

How can you identify highly motivated sellers? One approach is to walk around the neighborhood on a weekend, striking up informal conversations with residents there.

“On a weekend, you’re likely to encounter residents out walking their dogs or taking their kids to the park. If you’re friendly and express interest in the area, they’ll likely chat openly with you and tell you neighbors they know who intend to move soon and the reasons why,” says Crowley, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

-- Do an analysis on property values in the area where you wish to live.

Once you’ve found a good home in a solid neighborhood, you’ll want to carefully assess its true current value before formulating a bid. To help develop a realistic estimate of the worth of a place, ask your agent for statistics on properties that have sold in recent weeks -- the fresher the data, the better. Make sure this analysis takes into account any likely distress sales that have occurred lately, which often come at a sacrificial price for the sellers.

“Even if we face an economic downturn, it’s unlikely that prices will plummet in coming years. Still, it’s a very good idea to resist overpaying, even if you love the house. Should you have to walk away from one house you like, I guarantee you’ll find another one that’s an equal or better choice. All that it may take is your patience,” Crowley says.

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

This past year was one of incredible frustration for young families who feel trapped in their rental units and seek to buy a first home. But there’s hope for those with parents willing and able to pitch in with down payment help.

Parents are more likely to provide financial help when it benefits both their children and grandchildren, says Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, the national real estate brokerage.

She says it makes sense that seniors are more likely to help kids pay for housing when doing so also provides their grandchildren with a place they believe to be safe and secure.

Redfin recently commissioned a survey of more than 1,800 recent homebuyers. It found that buyers with kids were twice as likely to have received a cash gift from family to help fund their down payment compared with those who didn’t have kids when they bought their place. Indeed, one-quarter of recent buyers with kids received a cash gift from family to help with their down payment.

The survey also underscores the reality that more home purchases are made with multigenerational lifestyles in mind.

“Monthly costs are so high these days that I’m trying to find big homes for a lot of multigenerational families,” says Julie Zubiate, a Redfin agent based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Patrick Harwood, a Compass agent who sells homes in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, says that parents are more likely to provide down payment help to offspring struggling to buy in an expensive area, such as his own market.

“People here have high incomes but not necessarily enough cash for the big down payments required to make a purchase,” Harwood says. He estimates that up to 35% of buyers in his area receive a financial gift from parents.

Here are a few pointers for families pursuing a first purchase:

-- Ask directly for parental help.

Surprisingly few parents of grown children know about the financial status of their kids, including the size of their salaries and savings accounts.

“If you want homebuying help from your folks, you have to be upfront and ask. You don’t want to tinker around the edges,” Harwood says.

Many parents in the boomer-age cohort, born between 1946 and 1964, have made plans for their children’s inheritance. It may not occur to them that their kids could benefit more from their largesse now rather than in the future.

“Your parents know that high home prices and steep mortgage rates are big impediments for you to move forward. Even if they haven’t bought a home themselves for years, they may be more sympathetic with your generation than you imagine. But you must be straightforward with them,” Harwood says.

-- Reconsider plans to acquire a property with a huge lot.

The pandemic strengthened the dream of many families for a large yard that would accommodate outdoor living. It also increased the hope of living on grounds big enough for a sizable garden.

But Judy Luna, an Arkansas-based agent, says most young families maintain such hectic schedules that keeping up a large yard involves more upkeep than they can reasonably handle.

“Actually, you’re better off living near a park with a playground rather than having a very large property of your own,” says Luna, who sells homes through the Keller Williams chain.

-- Select a setting with calm streets where kids can play safely.

One factor some buyers overlook when selecting a child-friendly community is the level of traffic coming through the area.

“You won’t want to live in a heavily traveled neighborhood or on a main road,” Luna says. As she observes, a road with a lot of traffic brings noise and fumes into your habitat. It can also pose obvious risks to the safety of your children.

Ideally, you’ll choose a property that’s located on a quiet cul-de-sac or a dead-end road. But if that’s unavailable, Luna says you’ll at least want to position yourself on a calm street with relatively little through traffic.

Making sure children are protected from road hazards is of prime importance for families with toddlers and very young children. But it’s also vital for older kids who enjoy riding bikes and playing ball on neighborhood streets.

-- Prioritize quality schools over child-oriented recreational venues.

Luna says families shouldn’t base their move on the basis of proximity to community amenities such as roller rinks or miniature golf centers. That’s because most communities offer enough in the way of recreation to keep kids happy.

“It’s ideal -- but not necessary--to have a neighborhood swimming pool the kids can use when weather is right. But you don’t need a lot of other major attractions,” Luna says.

Given the increasingly high cost of private schooling, most parents already place a premium on a neighborhood where the public schools are extremely well-rated. That’s warranted not only from the point of view of the children’s well-being but also from an investment standpoint, says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”

“People who buy in neighborhoods with well-regarded schools pay more when they make their initial home purchase. But in the long run, their property always holds its value better than a place with mediocre schools,” he says.

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