A Tucson couple in their early 30s felt victorious in 2022 when they “won” a bidding war for what felt like the privilege of buying a small ranch house with three bedrooms. They especially delighted in the mountain views from the bay window in their living room.

But the marriage didn’t last, and the couple was ordered by a divorce court to put their property on the market. Forty days ago, they complied with the court’s order, listing their place with a longtime real estate agent in their area. Yet despite taking a steep discount off their initial asking price, the property has yet to attract a single offer, and showings are rare.

Glenn Kelman, the CEO of Redfin, a national real estate brokerage, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But he appreciates the challenge they face to sell their house in the current market.

“The market is changing. Right now, home prices are softening,” says Kelman, noting that due to economic uncertainty and the potential for more turmoil, many consumers are canceling or deferring their plans to buy a car or a house.

The Tucson couple has accepted the reality that the end of their marriage means selling their property at an inopportune time. But they’re looking forward to concluding the sale and are willing to do what it takes to find a buyer.

“We just want to move on for a fresh start. Our listing agent gives us ‘tough love’ advice, including a list of fixes which we should do to the house. She says our listing has become stale and we have to face that fact,” the husband says.

In neighborhoods with weakening markets, including some in the Tucson area, home sellers are cautioned regarding the need for cosmetic updates to attract interest in an unsold property, particularly if the place is showing its age. The Tucson couple’s house was built in 1968 and has had few improvements since then.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance specialist and co-author of “House Selling for Dummies,” says the aging of much of America’s housing stock is a turnoff to many would-be buyers.

“Most buyers simply aren’t attracted to houses built two or three decades ago. You have to update to compensate for this lack of appeal,” Tyson says.

He cautions that people selling a house with an unappealing exterior should be doubly careful not to price it too high.

“No matter the market, people aren’t going to overpay for an ugly house,” Tyson says.

Here are a few pointers for current sellers:

-- Seek to picture your property with an objective eye.

“It’s a rare seller who would ever admit their property looks bad from the street. They’re so used to it that they lack objectivity,” says Sharon Ellsworth, a real estate broker and owner of a Re/Max Realty office in Tucson.

Those seeking a candid assessment of their home’s exterior appearance may wish to survey relatives, who are more likely than friends to deliver an honest opinion.

Also take seriously the pricing recommendations of real estate pros, particularly if two or more agents you poll recommend roughly the same list price.

-- Review your marketing materials to emphasize the positive.

Creating effective marketing materials can help draw people to a property they might otherwise be unwilling to visit due to its lack of curb appeal.

“Pick out the two or three strengths of the house and be sure your agent highlights these in your marketing,” Tyson says.

What are some strong points that often influence buyers?

“Maybe you have a great floor plan, wonderful natural light, a desirable location or excellent schools. Try to remember the factors that drew you to the house when you bought it,” Tyson says.

-- Engage an excellent photographer.

Your agent may be quite skillful with digital photography. Yet if your home shows poorly from the street, Tyson says you could benefit from the skills of a professional photographer.

Your listing agent may ask you to cover the photographer’s fees. Yet Tyson says the money could be well spent if it brings in prospects who might otherwise shun the place.

-- Ask your listing agent to hold a “broker’s open house.”

Most people are familiar with public open houses. But Tyson says a more effective sales tool is the “broker’s open,” limited to real estate agents from the surrounding area.

“If agents come through the house and like it, they’re more likely to show it to their clients,” Tyson says.

-- Ponder the possibility of a new front door for your home.

It’s rare for listing agents to recommend major upgrades to the exterior of a home. Costly changes to the property’s facade are usually unwarranted.

But one upgrade that can prove worthwhile is a new front door. The cost for a high-end door with installation can run a couple of thousand dollars. But the investment could be worth it.

“The front door is the focal point of the house. If it’s attractive, people will focus on this,” Ellsworth says.

If you don’t want to spend the time or money to replace your front door, consider less costly steps such as repainting the door or adding new polished brass hardware. -- Look into improved landscaping.

Not all sellers have time to make surface enhancements to their home, especially if they’re making an urgent move, perhaps due to a job transfer. But those with sufficient time and cash generally more than recoup their expenses.

“Money spent on landscaping is especially good if your house has minimal curb appeal,” Ellsworth says.

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

A married couple of IRS employees in Ogden, Utah, are wholehearted in their desire to exit their rented apartment in favor of a newly built house near the city. But the couple, both in their late 20s, have been rattled by layoffs affecting their federal agency.

“So far, neither of us has been hit with a layoff. But we don’t know what’s next due to the funding cuts sweeping our agency,” says the husband.

For more than a year, the couple have had their eye on a new development of single-family houses in the $450,000 range. One builder they like is selling three-bedroom houses on quarter-acre lots with posh kitchens and two-car garages.

“Technically, with our current salaries we could afford monthly mortgage payments of over $3,000. But the risk is we’d give up the safety of an affordable apartment with very low rent. Every night we go over the pros and cons of delaying or pushing ahead to buy a house this summer,” the husband says.

This couple isn’t worried about the macroeconomic situation involving tax policy and the ballooning national debt. But they are worried about job security and rising prices, making them nervous about going forward immediately with plans to buy a home and start a family.

“Where my wife sees financial risk, I see opportunity. Despite the tariffs, home prices are falling a bit in the neighborhood we’ve chosen, and there are lots more listings than two years ago when we started looking,” the husband says.

Kara Ng, a senior economist for Zillow, the national real estate company, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But she understands the ambivalence that many wannabe first-time buyers are experiencing and why that has hindered the traditional spring market.

“Economic anxieties disrupted the start of the home shopping season. In April, many households didn’t know what was next for their jobs, investment portfolios or budgets. This kept some buyers on the sidelines, waiting for clearer economic signals before making major purchases like a home,” Ng says.

It’s not only the timing of a home purchase that causes couples to disagree on real estate. It’s also what home features to prioritize. Here are a few pointers:

-- Dispense with the notion that either partner has all the right answers.

Real estate agents often observe battles fought between spouses trying to agree on a home selection. And often, amidst the bickering, they hear one partner assert that the other is mistaken in expressing their preferences.

“Just because you grew up in a quiet, straitlaced suburb doesn’t mean your partner is wrong to want the pulse of city life,” says Mark Nash, a longtime broker and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

Nash urges couples planning a purchase to go through a methodical process of setting priorities before they venture into house hunting.

“As a first step, each partner should sit down alone to draft a list of their own wishes. Only then should they get together to create a joint list, one that reflects the factors most valued by each person,” Nash says.

But what if both partners are unclear about what they’re seeking in a home? One method of gaining focus that’s sometimes advocated by real estate agents is to “go negative.” List all the things you dislike about the place where you now live; then flip these to reveal what you want most.

-- Seek out an agent to help you work through your differences.

Some would-be purchasers, especially those planning to buy in a high-cost area, struggle to reach an agreement on how best to allocate their scarce dollars. In such situations, each partner should focus not only on their priorities but also the trade-offs they could accept, says Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors.

Of course, agents aren’t marriage counselors, and they can’t be expected to resolve irreconcilable differences between couples. But they can help mediate conversations that help couples settle minor disputes.

“A good agent will ask the couple a series of in-depth questions so they can reach their own conclusions,” Helfant says.

-- Give yourself extra home-shopping time if you’ve been together for years.

Obviously, people who’ve been married for many years know a lot more about each other than those who’ve been together for only a short while. Therefore, they’ll need to deliberate longer to ensure that both partners’ views are taken into account when a home is chosen.

No matter your age, it may take long conversations, or perhaps even a getaway weekend, to reach an agreement on the best housing choice for both of you.

“Of course, it’s much better to resolve your differences prior to buying a house than to make ‘a purchase against the will of one spouse, which could explode your relationship later,” Nash says.

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

A 29-year-old accountant grew up in a wealthy Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. All four children in her family had large bedrooms, each with a private bath. The accountant attended an exclusive private girls’ high school and an Ivy League college. To say she had an advantageous upbringing would be an understatement.

But much has changed. After losing their lucrative federal contracting business, the young woman’s parents had to sell their $2 million Tudor-style house to pay off business debts. That meant they lacked funds to give their daughter for a down payment on the townhouse she wants to buy. Her only cash is what she’s saved from her modest job.

“The money is there to buy a two-bedroom place -- the so-called ‘starter home’ my friends all talk about owning. But I was an economics major. And all the uncertainty I see now really scares me about making a big purchase,” she says.

Sheryl Palmer, the CEO of Taylor Morrison, a large homebuilding firm, doesn’t know the accountant in this true story. Yet she says there are now many young would-be homeowners waiting on the sidelines.

“Buyers hate uncertainty,” says Palmer, who believes buyer hesitancy is a major factor limiting first-time buyers, along with high mortgage rates. She contends flagging consumer sentiment is putting a damper on the usually robust springtime home sales market.

At the end of the day, the young accountant says she’s decided to go forward with her townhouse purchase this spring, despite her concerns about the economy and whether the country is heading into a recession.

“Renting is so annoying and tiresome. Before I turn 30, I want the freedom and control that comes with homeownership,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Don’t let economic unease stop you from buying.

For undecided buyers, Kevin Simrin, a veteran real estate broker in Oregon, offers some sage advice.

“If now is the right time for you and your family to buy a first home, or to step up to a better one, don’t let fear stop you. But be sure to use data and not emotion to avoid overpaying,” says Simrin, who’s sold homes since 1989.

Before committing to purchase any property, Simrin urges buyers to review data on comparable sales for similar homes in the same neighborhood that have closed within the last six or fewer months.

He’s also a big advocate for making any offer conditional on a thorough home inspection that would let you back out of the deal should your inspector discover major issues.

“A really solid whole-house inspection can cost as much as $400 to $600. But it’s worth it because of all the protection it gives you,” he says.

Even though Simrin encourages buyer caution, he says current purchasers have less reason to fear overpaying than did those who bought a place prior to the housing crisis that hit in 2008.

-- Seek a neighborhood with appreciation potential.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert based in Connecticut, says buyers seeking to evaluate the direction of the economy should rely less on the statements of political leaders than on more objective economic forecasts.

One source of national research that Tyson trusts for its neutrality is the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (stlouisfed.org).

However, as good as they are, national prognostications are of less value to you as a would-be buyer than information that helps you assess the relative strength of the neighborhoods where you’re considering buying a home.

To locate the parts of your metro area that have the best prospects for appreciation, Tyson suggest you start with a regional map. On this, pinpoint major employers, such as corporate headquarters and military bases, where jobs are expanding. Locate communities with good public schools. Also, identify areas served by popular public transit lines, including new light rail systems that cater to traffic-weary commuters.

-- Endeavor to track the direction of your local market.

Comparable sales data won’t give you the whole story on property values. You also need statistics on the direction of the neighborhood market -- whether prices are heading up, down or sideways.

Tyson recommends you request statistics on the median price of a home sold in the past month versus the prior month.

Also ask for median price comparisons on a yearly basis. These statistics should give you a good feel for the trend. Then use these data when crafting a bid for a property you like.

-- Slow down the homebuying process.

Even today, there are neighborhoods where buyers are locked in fierce competition over available homes. Some properties are still selling just hours after going on the market. These are areas where offers are written hurriedly -- perhaps on the hood of a car. In these select areas, it’s still common for sellers to receive multiple bids from buyers offering more than the asking price.

But in most places, buyers are gradually gaining bargaining power. And that spells opportunity.

“Impulse can be the enemy of an unenlightened homebuyer. Sure, you want to be competitive for a property you truly love. But always keep your hand on your wallet when you do,” Tyson says.

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