It’s no secret that America’s aging population is in a quandary about their housing plans. Through the pandemic, their properties ascended in value dramatically. Also during COVID-19, many locked in low-rate mortgages through refinance. So it’s no wonder they’re torn about selling.

Take the case of a retired telecom executive who owns a two-story modernist house that’s gained a remarkable 40% in value since 2020. She refinanced to reduce her mortgage rate to 3.5%. And her place, located in a well-liked suburb, continues to gain value.

“In terms of housing wealth, I’ve struck it lucky. But with my health, I’m a lot less lucky,” says the retired executive.

The woman has long been afflicted with type 1 diabetes. But her health worsened substantially last October when she fell, hurt her back and had to have surgery. Now she’s suffering from what her primary care doctor calls “failed back surgery syndrome.”

Though she’d long pictured her five-bedroom place as her “forever home,” she’s now leaning toward a one-level condo that could better suit her lifestyle than her hilltop house.

Stacy Berman, a veteran real estate agent, doesn’t know the retired executive in this true story. But she says an increasing number of her current clients -- mainly baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964 -- are finally contemplating a home sale this year.

The weakening of ties by boomers to their houses couldn’t come at a better time for young families eager to purchase property in the same areas where boomers raised their kids. But there are barriers to this transfer of homes from one generation to another.

“First of all, older folks must get (over their) denial that they can age in place indefinitely. Secondly, they must address all the accumulations they’ve amassed through their long tenure in their abode,” says Michael Crowley, a real estate broker who’s sold homes in the Spokane, Washington, area since 1997.

As Crowley observes, it’s necessary for younger buyers to approach older sellers with courtesy and respect when negotiating. Otherwise, a perfectly good home purchase can go off track.

“A bumbling approach could cost you the kind of win-win result you want when buying a great house from older owners,” Crowley says.

Here are a few pointers for younger homebuyers:

-- Recognize that not all sellers are equally motivated.

Tom Early, a former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), says that although the overall economy is faring well, financial duress is still a common reason many owners decide to let go of their properties.

“Many boomers have most of or all their wealth tied up in home equity. They could be compelled to sell just to liquidate funds for their retirement years,” Early says.

Mark Nash, a longtime real estate broker and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” advises buyers to determine as much as possible about the sellers’ situation before making an offer.

“More than 90% of the motivation for a deal comes from the sellers’ circumstances and has nothing to do with the buyer,” Nash says.

-- Request help from your agent for “due diligence.”

“Before making an offer on any property, you’ll want to learn as much as possible about the sellers’ equity position,” Nash says.

He suggests that would-be purchasers ask their agent to find out when the present owners bought their house, what they paid and how big a mortgage they took out.

“Sellers with lots of equity have much more latitude for bargaining. They can cut you a reasonable deal and still move away with a check in their pocket,” Early says.

-- Ask your agent to pose inquiries to the sellers’ listing agent.

Listing agents are sometimes surprisingly candid in responding to questions about their clients’ situation.

“If the owners are under extreme pressure to sell, the listing agent may even tell your agent their true bottom-line price,” Early says.

-- Don’t exclude “stale” listings.

“Some people are just simply bullheaded. They demand more than their homes are worth,” Early says.

Ironically, those who price too high at the beginning are ultimately the ones who must sacrifice the most to get their homes sold. That’s because properties that sit unsold for a lengthy period soon lose their luster and raise suspicions among prospects.

But eventually some money-strapped sellers with financial problems must wake up and sell at a realistic price or see their properties taken away from them through foreclosure.

Have you fallen in love with a house that went on the market weeks ago at a bloated price? Are you confident the sellers must move soon and will eventually have to take a price cut to get their place sold?

If so, prepare yourself to submit an immediate bid on the property as soon as its owners face reality and take their reduction. Make sure you have a preapproval letter from a reputable lender showing you have the income and good credit to go through with the deal.

“Sellers who’ve just sobered up and finally cut their price to a realistic level will sometimes succumb to a substantial reduction. It’s at that moment that you should pounce quickly with your fair offer,” Early says.

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

There’s a huge issue with America’s housing stock. There’s an overall shortage of homes, particularly starter homes, for young families. Yet many older people are clinging tightly to property and possessions they’ve owned for decades.

The problem isn’t only that baby boomers are sentimentally attached to their property. Many would like to sell, but simply can’t seem to complete the agonizing chore of clearing through their clutter, says Rita Wilkins, author of “Downsize Your Life, Upgrade Your Lifestyle.”

Wilkins, based in Delaware, is known as the “Downsizing Designer.”

Her clients include those grappling with the daunting tasks of dispensing with superfluous possessions to sell their property.

She realized the enormity of the problem recently when she posted a video on her YouTube channel with downsizing advice. It’s called “How to Finally Declutter Things You Thought You Couldn’t Let Go.”

“I was shocked. This video went viral and drew more than 25,000 responses,” Wilkins says.

Of course, there are many older people not grappling with downsizing because they have no intention of selling anytime soon. Indeed, a new survey by Redfin, the national realty brokerage, indicates that fully 43% of boomers say they’ll never sell.

Still, as Wilkins says, life circumstances such as illness or divorce sometimes force homeowners to put their property on the market even before they’ve planned to and before they’ve finished the decluttering process.

“I call these ‘life quakes’ because they happen unexpectedly,” she says.

As Wilkins notes, many young homebuyers can’t envision the potential of a property that’s jammed with too much furniture, books and collectibles. The same is true of a place with crowded closets or many small appliances on kitchen countertops.

But those who can look beyond the chaos of excessive belongings may be able to score a good deal on their first property.

“The idea is to find a house with really good bones that could work for you and your family with only a reasonable amount of work,” Wilkins says.

Doro Kiley, a certified life coach since 1999, helps clients craft their lifestyle plans. She argues for a holistic approach to home selection.

“Before launching a home search and checking out the floor plan of a particular place, start by imagining your ideal lifestyle. That way, you’re likely to get closer to your best possible match. Also, always begin by thinking about what you’d really like as opposed to what you’d settle for.” Kiley says.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Put down a vision of your future on paper.

Partners often differ on ideal housing choices. That’s why Kiley says it’s helpful for both to write down their respective visions and then seek to shape them into a single statement.

Written statements help people clarify their thinking and refine the details of their plans as they move through successive drafts. They’re also a way to help reconcile differing views.

-- Think through issues related to commuting time.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Homebuying for Dummies,” says one of the most wrenching trade-offs many families face is between a larger, newer house with a longer commute and a smaller, older place that’s closer to the city center and the workplace of one or both partners.

“Typically, it’s the person with the higher salary who gets to live closer to work. Then the other person is stuck with a long and exhausting drive,” Tyson says.

Buyers who consider an outer-tier suburb are often driven by the desire for a larger property or what they perceive to be better schools.

But before you opt for a distant suburb, he encourages you to do morning and afternoon rush-hour test drives. This way, you’ll know more precisely what sort of traffic to expect if you buy there.

Tyson says buyers should let go of the belief that the current level of traffic congestion on their drive will remain static. Rather, it’s likely that the traffic will worsen as the years go on.

-- Realize that your children may not need a large yard.

Many people with young children hang on tightly to the hope that their kids will have a large backyard where they can play -- just as they did as youngsters. This aspiration can influence them to pick an outlying suburb at the expense of their convenience and commuting time.

But are the trade-offs necessary to acquire a large piece of land worth it? Not necessarily, says Tyson, noting that the current generation of kids often spend much more time in organized athletic and recreational activities than did their parents.

-- Slow your home search until you find the best possible place.

Though inventory levels have lately improved in many communities, those seeking to own in a popular neighborhood can face fierce competition. They feel pressured to act quickly, lest they lose out to a rival bidder. Because of that, many buyers take regrettable shortcuts, often rushing into a purchase without analyzing whether the property they’ve picked truly matches their lifestyle.

But because so much is at stake, Tyson urges buyers to slow the process down to avert the possibility of taking a wrong turn.

“In a hot market, some folks let their emotions get the best of them. Faced with competition, they lose control and spend just 10 minutes on property selection. Then they spend the next 10 years suffering buyer’s remorse,” Tyson says.

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

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.)