A 42-year-old flight attendant has loved living in San Antonio since she bought a house and moved there in 2021. She relishes the city’s renowned River Walk, its lush gardens and its open-air markets. But she’s changing airlines and must move to accommodate her new position.

Unfortunately, the Spanish-style house she bought during the pandemic has slipped in value, and she’s baffled about how to adapt to the changing market without selling at a loss.

“This house has been my baby for several years. I redid the kitchen with quartz countertops, porcelain flooring and all-new appliances. I leveled my lot to create classier gardens. But nothing has worked to move my property, not even the $7,000 incentive I’m offering to help a buyer with closing costs,” she says.

So disheartened is this flight attendant that she’s now considering delisting her place and converting it to a rental.

“I’ve had my house on the market for 172 days, with no serious offers,” she says.

Asad Khan, a senior economist for Redfin, the national realty brokerage, doesn’t know the flight attendant in this true story. But he understands her frustration about selling in a formerly overheated area like San Antonio.

“Homebuyers are spooked by high home prices, high mortgage rates and economic uncertainty, and now sellers are spooked because buyers are spooked. Some sellers are delisting their homes or choosing not to list at all after seeing other houses sit on the market for weeks or months,” Khan says.

“It’s a true buyer’s market in San Antonio. Buyers are patient, selective, value conscious and aware of their increased negotiating power. When they make offers, they ask for the moon,” says San Antonio-based Redfin agent Jesse Landin.

Longtime listing agents advise disillusioned home sellers in slow markets to adapt their selling strategy rather than delist. Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Consider hiring a professional home stager.

Staging is the art of transforming a property so potential buyers can visualize themselves living there. Properly done, staging accentuates a home’s attractive features and minimizes its drawbacks.

Many real estate agents are convinced that hiring a talented stager can increase the odds of selling a property promptly. Working under a full-service contract, most stagers will provide an array of services. They remove excess furniture and personal items and rearrange the remaining pieces. Often, they also supplement the owners’ furnishings with eye-catching accessories of their own.

Regrettably, the cost of hiring a professional stager for a full menu of services for an average-sized home can run at least $700 or more, says Michelle Minch, the owner of a staging company called Moving Mountains Design. But Minch says cash-constrained sellers don’t necessarily need the full range of services available through a stager. For a much lower price, perhaps around $200, they can obtain an abbreviated consultation and receive pointers they can execute themselves.

“Tell the stager you just want the 10 top tips for making your house look better. For just an hour or two of consultation time, a good stager can tell you about furniture arrangement and also recommend mild, pleasing paint colors for your walls. You’ll get a roadmap for making your house move-in ready,” she says.

How can you find a competent stager who will work on an “a la carte” basis? Minch suggests you visit the website of the Real Estate Staging Association (realestatestagingassociation.com). Look for stagers in your area and be sure to review their websites for examples of their work before you contact them.

-- Considering holding a home-selling fest with friends.

Sometimes the owners of a property that’s lingered on the market will pressure their listing agents to conduct several public open houses. They hope to increase their odds of selling promptly.

But Lisa Atkinson, a Florida-based real estate agent, says traditional open houses rarely lead to a sale. That’s because these events typically attract few qualified home-buying prospects and are more likely to draw curiosity seekers. Most serious buyers see homes on an appointment basis, during a tour led by their agent.

“Occasionally you’ll get nosy neighbors who happen to mention your property to someone they know who’s in the market. But in my experience, that’s extremely uncommon,” says Atkinson, who’s affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com).

A better way to ignite renewed interest in your place is to throw a home-selling party, inviting your close friends and relatives. Such a party is more likely to lead ultimately to a sale. That’s because those close to you will be more motivated to promote the sale of your home than are strangers.

“In any case, the party can help revive your excitement about your home-selling goal,” Atkinson says.

-- Use flowers and greenery to your advantage.

It’s nice to have fresh-cut flowers on display throughout your home’s interior. But if average market times in your community are quite long, the cost of keeping fresh flowers in your home can mount up.

One less expensive alternative is to display flowering, potted plants indoors and to install blooms in your outdoor gardens, particularly around the front of your house.

The color of bountiful, blooming plants is a great way to make any home more attractive, Minch says.

“When you put your house on the market, you’re entering into a beauty contest. Price is terribly important. But beyond price, prettier is always better,” she says.

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

A young doctor at Cleveland Clinic has just taken a staff position there. Finally, he’ll make a substantial enough salary to afford a house of his own. After years as a renter, he’s elated at the prospect. But the path forward in his favorite Cleveland neighborhood of University Circle is rougher than expected.

“For months, friends all over the country have been telling me this is a great time to get a deal on a house. They say prices are falling and countless unsold homes are sitting. But none of that is true in University Circle,” the doctor says.

Indeed, a new report from real estate giant Zillow that covers the nation’s 50 largest metros cites Cleveland along with four other cities as places where home values are continuing to rise.

Kara Ng, a senior economist for Zillow, says that within the last year, home values in Cleveland rose 4.7%. They increased 4.5% in Hartford, 3.9% in Louisville, 3.8% in Detroit and 3.7% in Buffalo.

Of course, as Ng notes, “these gains are modest compared to the rampant double-digit growth seen three or four years ago,” when pandemic-era housing demand greatly outstripped supply.

Florida and Texas, former hot spots with sellers’ markets and skyrocketing prices, are areas where values are now falling. In specific, Ng singles out Tampa, Austin, Miami, Orlando and Dallas as metros where values are gradually declining.

Despite the fact that buyers are gaining leverage in many metros, where sellers are cutting prices, affordability remains the paramount challenge.

According to Ng, home values rose over last year in 25 major markets, mostly in the Midwest and Northeast. Demand is high -- especially in affordable areas -- but building restrictions put a damper on new and higher-density projects. Sellers have few options to move up to, and existing inventory is still below pre-pandemic averages in many metros.”

Despite the statistics, the Cleveland doctor hasn’t given up his quest to buy his first house in University Circle, where available properties remain scarce. But he acknowledges the need to compromise on home features and square footage to buy in that culturally rich and convenient part of town.

“Home shopping around University Circle is teaching me that both patience and compromise are essential to get the most for my money,” he says.

Here are a few pointers for buyers facing difficult trade-offs:

-- Do a love-hate analysis of your current housing.

Michael Crowley, a longtime real estate broker in Spokane, says he’s been struck by the intensity of peoples’ feelings about the place where they live.

An assessment of these feelings is a good jumping off point for setting priorities.

“As a starting point, write down the positives and negatives of your present residence. Then make a list of features you’ve got to have, would like to have or are willing to give up,” says Crowley, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Suppose the townhouse where you’re living leaves you feeling extremely crowded. Then you may decide that owning a detached property takes precedence over owning a townhouse that offers you more square feet for the same amount of money.

“Most buyers have a strict affordability ceiling. So they need clarity on what’s vital for them versus what’s just nice to have,” Crowley says.

-- Choose features early when buying a brand-new home.

If you decide to buy in a new subdivision, you’re likely to be faced with lots of tradeoffs before your contract is even written.

“Locked inside the builder’s standard price are likely to be lump-sum allowances for anything ranging from kitchen appliances to lighting fixtures and landscaping. Go over those allowances and you’ll be charged extra,” Crowley says.

These choices should be made before the sales contract is written -- not under pressure from a hurried salesperson.

Money-constrained buyers who confront hard choices may wish to delay those items that can be readily installed later, such as upgraded landscaping.

-- Think seriously before buying a fixer-upper.

Given your budget ceiling, you may think purchasing an older home in poor condition is a smart way to shoehorn yourself into a prized neighborhood or to obtain the largest possible property with limited funds.

But Crowley cautions that fixer-uppers often require vastly more money and effort to repair than their would-be buyers believe.

“Maybe you only see problems on the surface that you figure you could easily fix. But investigate what’s going on behind the walls, where there could be hidden defects,” Crowley says.

Crowley urges that money-strapped purchasers get reliable estimates on the cost of restoring a property to its former glory before committing to a purchase. For bids on the work, your real estate agent should be able to help arrange for contractors.

Planning to tackle the home improvement work yourself? If so, you may wish to canvass friends who know you well, Crowley suggests. Ask them if they think do-it-yourself work is a realistic option for you -- both from the point of view of your skill and available time.

“Taking on a fixer could be a mammoth commitment. So it’s essential to know what you’re getting yourself into,” Crowley says.

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

A 38-year-old accountant in Jacksonville, Florida, is the oldest of six siblings in her family. But until recently she’d been repeatedly frustrated in her attempts to raise the cash to purchase a house of her own. The same goal has defied all five of her brothers and sisters.

“Our folks always told us you’ve got to have a 20% down payment. That seems impossible because of inflation and the high cost of living. This explains all the setbacks in our planning,” the accountant says.

But given her expertise with numbers, the accountant challenged conventional wisdom on the necessity of 20% down. Jessica Lautz, deputy chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, says the accountant has a point. Indeed, Lautz notes that the need for 20% down is a widespread misconception among buyers.

“When we look at successful first-time homebuyers, they’re getting in with that typical down payment of 9%. So just knowing that data could make that potential homebuyer say,´Oh, maybe this is within reach to me, as opposed to feeling deflated when you think about those outdated numbers’,” Lautz says.

Why is the 20% down myth so prevalent among first-time buyers? Lautz says this is largely due to outdated advice from older family members. She estimates that a majority of young buyers consult parents and other older relatives for advice.

Given the high cost of housing and stubbornly high mortgage rates, Lautz notes that 20% down is a significant hurdle for wannabe homebuyers to reach.

The true story of the Jacksonville accountant’s quest for ownership has a happy ending. In late September, she will close on a three-bedroom house with a large landscaped yard and an oversized kitchen.

“I ran the numbers and looked at comparable sales. It’s clear that this house is fairly priced. Plus the HOA fees are unusually low,” the accountant says.

Now the accountant is advising her younger siblings on the art of homebuying.

“I tell them not to wait for the perfect moment to pursue their homeownership dream. Instead, seek out current opportunities as they present themselves. For example, right now there are an abundance of available homes in Florida, and sellers are willing to compromise,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for first-time buyers:

-- Line up all your financing paperwork in advance.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” says those contemplating a home purchase should check in with a reputable lender to gain preapproval before heading out to look at property. Preapproval means the lender has verified their credit and income before setting a ceiling on their borrowing capability.

“You’re in a much, much stronger negotiating position if you have that valuable preapproval letter,” Nash says.

-- Don’t rule out properties that have long lingered on the market.

“In many cases, you can get an exceptional deal on houses that have been sitting unsold for a few months or longer,” Nash says.

Buyers have long been counseled to avoid making ridiculously low offers on real estate lest they insult the homeowners’ pride. While this remains true, in many neighborhoods, would-be purchasers can now be somewhat more daring when submitting bids on shopworn property.

“If you’re dealing with worn-out sellers who’ve had little activity on their property in weeks, you can afford to be a bit more audacious. This is especially true if the property has already become vacant or its owners are under pressure to move soon,” Nash says.

As he notes, the agent working on your behalf can often get a good sense about the sellers’ level of motivation to move by simply asking their listing agent to inquire.

-- Look into places being sold due to divorce.

Some first-time buyers are reluctant to consider a property that’s being sold because of a marital breakup. They fear getting caught in the middle of the emotional drama underway between the partners. But Nash says it’s very possible to avoid this outcome and still get a good deal from such sellers.

“For every estranged spouse who wants to sabotage the sale, there’s another who wants it done and over with so they can move on with their life. Also, many couples must sell due to the mandate of the divorce court,” he says.

Real estate specialists say that buyers who enter into negotiations with divorcing couples should be careful to avoid doing anything that might cause an emotional reaction on the part of the sellers.

“Keep it all businesslike. This isn’t the time to be writing the sellers a folksy letter about how much you and your kids would love to live in their place,” Nash says.

-- Concentrate your bargain hunting on promising segments of the market.

Granted, there are some bargains available among the thousands of properties in areas like Jacksonville, where the supply of property now exceeds demand.

“You could also be wasting your time if you go searching for bargain homes that are marketed as “fixer-uppers,” Nash says. Properties that have been subjected to abuse because of deferred maintenance or sheer neglect can often suffer from serious and potentially expensive problems with their plumbing, electrical, heating or air conditioning systems.

“Before you get roped into a property on the basis that it’s priced cheaply due to supposedly superficial problems, make sure a home inspector checks it over carefully. Otherwise, your purported bargain could prove to be a very expensive piece of false gold,” Nash says.

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