A married pair of San Diego real estate brokers were in their early 30s in 2010 when they bought their first home, a tiny two bedroom with ample space for the couple and a price tag within their reach.

But within a few years, the pair had their first baby, followed by a set of twins. That’s when they began looking for a much bigger abode to accommodate their growing family, says Justin Gramm, one of the brokers who helped the couple find a home.

While it’s a good bet to make your first home one that could expand to fit your spatial needs for years ahead, he says that’s often impossible from a financial standpoint.

“The moral of the story is to always buy what you can when you can, yet be extremely careful about the property you select,” says Gramm, who heads San Diego-based Globella Buyers Realty, which works exclusively with buyers and takes no listings.

Ivy Zelman, a housing industry analyst based in New York, says would-be first-time buyers find the current real estate market even more challenging than did those trying to break into ownership a decade or two ago. One key factor is that house prices have barely moderated in many areas.

“I think the first-time buyer is really struggling. Mortgage rates have to come down meaningfully to make a difference,” says Zelman, who contends many novice buyers need rates as low as 4.5% to buy their first property.

One approach to saving on rates is to take a “mortgage-buydown” that’s offered by a homebuilder as an incentive to increase or hasten sales. In such a case, the homebuilding firm, using its own connections to select mortgage lenders, pays money upfront to lower the buyers’ mortgage rate.

To entice wannabe homebuyers facing income constraints, up to 70% of homebuilders are currently offering mortgage buydowns, Zelman notes.

Unfortunately, not all popular metro areas feature newly constructed homes that are reasonably convenient and affordable for first-time buyers. Therefore, the primary inventory in those areas typically involves resale properties.

Here are a few pointers for first-time buyers hoping to close a deal in 2026:

-- Look for a property with your future lifestyle in mind.

First-timers sometimes make the mistake of expecting to keep their property for just a few years before moving on.

But Tom Early, an independent Ohio real estate broker, strongly advises clients to buy with a time horizon of at least five years, due to the high transaction costs associated with selling one house and moving to another.

“These days, you can’t necessarily count on appreciation in home values to bail you out on transition costs if you wind up selling in just a couple of years,” Early says.

-- Avoid picking an oddball property.

“You don’t want to buy a contemporary in a neighborhood full of colonials,” says Mark Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

The problem with what Nash calls “the odd-man-out house” is that one day it could be hard to sell.

“Most people feel safer about their investment if the place they buy looks like all their neighbors’ homes,” he says.

-- Identify your priorities to better compare your housing options.

Since 1981, when Early entered the real estate field, he’s worked with several thousand buyers. Experience has taught him that purchasers who write down their priorities are less likely to err.

Before you go home shopping, Early encourages you to compose two lists. One should itemize “must-have” home features and the other -- a “wish list” -- should include features you could live without if trade-offs must be made.

-- Exclude the biggest house in your neighborhood of choice.

Some buyers are always tempted to seek out the biggest houses in a neighborhood. But Early explains that such a house is unlikely to gain as much value as an average-sized place in the same area.

Granted, the biggest house will likely appreciate, assuming it’s located in a popular area. Still, its owners will get less of a boost in value on a per-square-foot basis than will the owners of a smaller house, because the median home will set the standard for the area.

-- Avoid a fixer-upper with serious issues.

An increasing number of buyers are covering the cost of a professional home inspection to help identify potential defects in the property they’ve selected. Realtors generally support the involvement of independent home inspectors.

But agents also note that occasionally first-time buyers will go forward with a home purchase despite an inspector’s report that outlines worrisome faults.

Early says buyers who encounter major problems with a property-- such as trouble with the foundation or unsafe electrical wiring -- are often well-advised to simply walk away.

“You’ve got to let go emotionally of any house that’s a serious fixer-upper—unless you’re extraordinarily handy,” he says.

-- Slow down the property selection process.

As Early says, a good real estate agent will listen attentively to buyers when they express housing needs and preferences. The agent should also show diligence in pre-screening properties that seem well suited to the buyers’ needs.

But buyers should be wary of any agent who tries to pressure them to take a particular house—especially one they’re ambivalent about.

“The right agent is one who respects your time, your money and your priorities,” Early says.

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

For a married couple of Milwaukee schoolteachers, turning 62 opened the gateway to retirement and to collecting Social Security. But true financial liberation will also require them to sell the Cape Cod home where they raised their four kids.

“Truth be told, we’re done with all that home upkeep and child-rearing. Our dream now is to hit the road as van lifers. For that, we’ve already picked out a Winnebago Travato we like,” the wife says.

At this point in the real estate cycle, an increasing number of older Americans wish to cash out their houses to fulfill their bucket lists. But unlike owners in many metro areas who are delisting their property because it’s failed to sell, the couple in Milwaukee face better odds. Home values there are still rising slightly.

“We got a great deal on our house that we bought 27 years ago. We’re hoping to get about twice the price we originally paid. But even then, our place would be quite affordable. Also, the house is in perfect condition, due to all our upgrades,” the wife says.

Indeed, the couple did extensive remodeling of their house. They added custom kitchen cabinets, quartzite countertops and an oversized refrigerator with French doors. For their backyard, they created a beautifully landscaped “outdoor room,” with ideal space for BBQs.

Still, the couple is uncertain about how their property should be priced and staged to maximize their proceeds. They’ve yet to identify the best possible agent to list their home.

Ron Phipps, a real estate broker and instructor in Rhode Island, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But he recommends that those who are similarly situated search for an agent who knows their local area well.

“Conventional thinking on agent selection favors those who have extensive experience in your immediate region and therefore can offer expert advice on pricing—hitting the mark on the first try without going too high or low,” says Phipps, a former president of the National Association of Realtors.

-- Rule out faraway relatives and friends when choosing a listing agent.

With more than a million Americans involved in real estate sales, you might have a relative or friend working in the field. But should you consider hiring this person if their office is located a significant distance away from where you live?

Absolutely not, says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Selling Your House for Dummies.” He contends that a faraway agent is likely to be much less effective in marketing your property than one who knows your local turf well.

“As common sense implies, an agent based more than 30-minute ride away can’t be as responsive to prospects and their agents as someone close by. Geography can be a real barrier,” Tyson says.

It’s particularly wise to have an agent close by if you’re trying to sell a property in an urban setting, such as a condo in a high-rise building. In such a case, the ideal agent is often someone with proven experience selling units in your building.

“Nearby agents are much better at advising you about how to answer questions on your neighborhood when they come in,” Tyson says.

Realtors call the area where they most often sell homes their “farm.” Agents who say they farm your area should be able to show this with a list of transactions they’ve done there recently.

-- Conduct in-person interviews with at least two listing prospects.

Without interviewing other contenders, you may be tempted to hire an agent who comes highly recommended. But it’s still wise to interview at least one to two other candidates.

“When you talk to several people, you’ll get different perspectives on your sale,” Phipps says. Several opinions on pricing can be especially helpful.

He says you should be wary of any agent who suggests you should list your place for more than 10% above what others say is its fair market value.

“Find out how they arrived at that higher price,” says Phipps, noting that occasionally some agents may suggest an above-market list price as a way to flatter you into hiring them.

“It’s a short-sighted listing strategy,” says Phipps.

-- Seek information on honors obtained by agents on your short list.

How can you identify agents who have achieved an unusual level of expertise? Phipps says one way to distinguish among agents is to ask if they’ve been elected to positions of leadership within their professional groups.

“This shows they have a reputation for collaborating with other real estate people,” Phipps says. That’s important, he says, because real estate is a cooperative profession, and a successful sale typically involves more than one agent.

-- Pick a seasoned listing agent with a proven deal-closing record.

During buoyant economic times, most sellers feel home free once they’ve obtained a ratified contract -- meaning their deal has been agreed upon by both sides of the transaction.

But in the current period, Phipps says many sellers are understandably nervous that complications along the way to closing might scotch their deal. That’s because nowadays, more purchasers must drop out because their mortgage financing has been turned down. Also, more bank appraisals are coming in below the price buyers have offered.

“Selling has become much more complicated. So it’s smart to find an agent with experience handling many different kinds of transactions. Look for their record of closing deals, not just taking listings,” Phipps says.

Phipps uses this analogy: “Once a home sale was like an easy toboggan ride. Now there are trees in the way, and the ride is fraught with more risks.”

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

Two doctors met while serving in the trauma center at Utah State Hospital in Provo. Just a year later, they married and began growing what they hope will be a large family with four children. Now they also want their future house to have an expansive suite for the grandparents.

Large families are common in Utah, and so are spacious houses to accommodate them. Fortunately, the doctors have ample funds to buy a mega-home, and their top goal is moving from their snug three-bedroom split level to a place with loads of bedrooms.

“Of course, we want a kitchen with a huge island, a butler’s pantry and quartzite countertops. But more than that, we want a primary bedroom with a big bathroom plus an en suite room for every kid,” the wife says.

Prices continue to rise for such luxury homes in many parts of the country, says Sheharyar Bokhari, an economist for Redfin, a national real estate brokerage.

Stronger demand from luxury buyers is pushing up prices for that segment of the market, according to a new analysis by Redfin. It notes that within the last year, luxury home sale prices rose 5.5% over the prior year to reach a median $1.28 million.

Given inflation and other economic factors, “lower income consumers (are) struggling a bit and higher income ones (are) having a better time of it of late,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president of HSH Associates, which tracks real estate markets across the United States.

The Utah doctors are confident they can cover payments on their forever house. Right now, they’re seriously considering a seven-bedroom brick property with a three-car garage in a popular Provo neighborhood.

Jon Boyd, a long-time real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), says many buyers are now placing a high priority on homes with many bedrooms.

“Bedrooms aren’t just in demand as home offices. They’re also coveted for use as nanny rooms, playrooms, hobby rooms, grandparent rooms and spaces for grown children who move back home,” says Boyd, who’s based in Michigan.

Although affluent buyers also insist on large, well-equipped kitchens, most won’t surrender their quest for at least four bedrooms, reasoning that their property will appreciate more if it meets that test.

Here are a few pointers for homebuyers at all income levels:

-- Try to anticipate the future needs of your household.

Boyd, who heads his own independent real estate company, says it’s not unusual for young couples who plan to one day have children to fail to factor this in when choosing a home.

Maybe you’re expecting your first child in two or three years. In this case, he says that purchasing a place with a bedroom that could serve as a nursery is a better bet than changing houses after the baby arrives.

“No matter your salary, it’s wise to choose a home with at least four bedrooms, while also considering the energy efficiency of the property,” Boyd says.

Buyers with teenage children should also be aware they may need housing even beyond their date of graduation from college or another postsecondary education program.

-- Realize that room-sharing can be a viable option for large families.

By the time they reach kindergarten, if not before, most children yearn for a bedroom of their own. Yet if your family is large or you hanker to convert at least one bedroom to a home office, it may not be possible to furnish each child with a private bedroom.

Still, Boyd says buyers needn’t worry if the house they purchase has too few bedrooms to meet their children’s wishes. He sees some benefits to room-sharing, especially for preadolescent children.

“My two daughters shared rooms until they were 12 or so. That way they learned to make compromises and to get along,” Boyd says.

Despite the potential character-building benefits of room sharing, some parents of school-age kids prefer to not have their children share.

“They fear other parents will think they’re not good providers if they don’t have a room for every child in the family,” Boyd says.

-- Search for a first-floor master suite for an elder parent.

Boyd estimates that nearly 20% of all buyers “are now talking about an elder parent moving in with them at some point in the future.”

If this is a possibility in your case, he says you should consider buying a one-level, ranch-style home or a place with a first-floor suite, complete with a private bath.

Even if your parents can easily scale the stairs now, they might find it a lot harder later. Having easy access to a bedroom with a full bath can be especially important to those who are elderly or have a disability.

“Because of the aging population, a first-floor master suite can also be a plus for resale,” Boyd says.

-- Make certain that any room counted as a “bedroom” fits the definition.

Given the popularity of properties with plenty of bedrooms, Eric Tyson, the author of “Personal Finance for Dummies,” says it’s not unusual for occasional home sellers to stretch the definition as to what counts as a bedroom.

“Maybe they’ll place an IKEA wardrobe and a bed in a small windowless room and claim it’s a bedroom. Or they’ll count a sitting room off a master suite as a bedroom,” Tyson says.

He urges buyers seeking a property with multiple bedrooms to make sure that all such rooms are truly bedrooms.

“Otherwise, you could have issues selling the home when it’s your turn,” he says.

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