The day a 64-year-old architect from Austin got his divorce decree, he put his six-bedroom house up for sale.

The man, who has moved in with a colleague from work on a temporary basis, is delighted to be free of his 5,100-square-foot property. But he still needs a habitat of his own.

“I’m looking at condos, but cautiously so. I know many condos have lost value. To avoid that, I need to be picky, though I want to stay in Austin,” he says.

Real estate specialists say the architect is right to be careful about selecting a condo, especially in formerly overheated neighborhoods in Texas and Florida.

Post-pandemic, a seller’s market prevails in much of the Midwest and Northeast, where available homes remain scarce. But the opposite is true in areas like Austin, where new construction has provided buyers with many options.

“It’s a tale of two geographies,” says Ivy Zelman, a New York City-based housing analyst who’s predicting that overall U.S. home prices will decline in 2026 before they rebound the following year.

Zelman doesn’t know the architect from Austin. But she says that all buyers, especially those in several Sunbelt cities like Austin, are wise to avoid overpaying.

Here are a few pointers for condo buyers:

-- Follow your instincts when it comes to location.

Resale data can tell you a lot about the desirability of a condo building. But your emotional response to a building is also telling, says Fred Meyer, a real estate appraiser and broker who’s sold homes since 1963.

“If you love it wholeheartedly, chances are good others will love it, too. That means when you put it on the market years from now, it should be easier to sell,” Meyer says.

-- Search for an area with a strong job base.

It’s no secret that the vitality of a local real estate market is tied closely to the employment strength of the area. But as Meyer, who’s based in Massachusetts and has advised many buyers of luxury condos, says, the buyers of condos shouldn’t count on just one employer to keep the local economy afloat.

“You don’t want to buy in a one-factory town that would be badly hurt if that single employer closes. Look for multiple employers,” he says.

-- Review statistics to validate your hunches about the right condo complex.

As Meyer says, your emotional reaction to a condo building can be helpful in the selection process. But you -- along with your real estate agent -- will also want to search out data that helps you analyze the pros and cons of buying in a particular building.

“Look at the resale history for the building going back for as long as four years. Notice especially the median number of days that it takes to sell units in the building. The more days it typically takes to go from list to sell, the less liquid the building,” Meyer says.

Also, he says you should be sure to check the “reserves” of the building, which translates to the amount of money owners there have set aside for key repairs and renovations.

“If the building needs a new roof and there’s no money available for this, all the owners could be hit with a big special assessment. A poorly financed building can become rundown, making it less desirable for future owners,” Meyer says.

-- Look beyond rock-bottom condo fees.

Nearly all condo buildings impose condo fees on all their residents. Among other expenses, these monthly charges cover the cost of routine upkeep on a building and its grounds, along with support services.

Meyer says that seeking a complex with rock-bottom fees could be a mistake.

“In this case, you often get what you pay for. Not surprisingly, a building with very low fees could decline in value if upkeep and improvements are neglected,” Meyer says.

-- Avoid a building with a large number of renters.

Buyer advocates are wary of buildings in which a large percentage of the units have been rented out by their owners.

“Owner-occupants feel a natural pressure to ensure that a building is adequately maintained and has plenty of money set aside in reserves for future repairs and improvements. Renters feel no such natural pressure,” Meyer says.

What percentage of owner-occupants is sufficient? That depends on the location of the building. In most cases, Meyer says you’ll want to see more than half the units occupied by owners. However, this rule may not hold in a resort community where seasonal rentals are the norm.

Even though it’s not wise to choose a building with a large number of renters, Meyer says it’s also important to avoid a building that prohibits owners from renting out their units should they wish to do so.

“That’s a huge right to give up, to be forbidden to rent out your apartment if you want or need to do so down the line,” Meyer says.

-- Choose your condo unit carefully.

Even in the ideal building, not all apartments are created equal.

Meyer says it’s usually unwise to buy one of the most expensive condos in a building, such as a penthouse unit, unless history shows that, in the past, those penthouse apartments with commanding views have sold readily and for respectable prices.

“Buying one of the least expensive condos in a building with much larger and fancier units will help hold up the value of your property over time. That means in the future you’ll probably be able to sell more quickly and for more money,” he says.

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

A married pair of retired police officers from Boise, Idaho, have lived in their mid-century brick home for 31 years. At 71, the two contemplated selling it this past summer. But they backed off just days before their property was to go on the market.

“We know it would be prudent to move to a retirement community. But our heart and soul remain in this property, and we’d like to stay here forever. We even joke that this is our ‘terminal house,’” says the husband.

“We can’t put a price on the comforts and familiarity that come with our ‘home sweet home.’ We raised all three daughters here,” the wife says.

Stacy Berman, a Maryland real estate agent, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But she’s convinced that the members of the baby boom generation rank among the most sentimental homeowners.

“Some boomers call me to say it’s finally time to sell. But when push comes to shove, they resist,” Berman says.

There’s no hard evidence to indicate that among homeowners, boomers are the generation most sentimentally attached to their residences. However, Clever Real Estate, a Missouri-based firm that connects potential sellers with listing agents, says emotional ties are a major barrier to letting go.

Clever Real Estate surveyed 1,000 homeowners and found that 88% admit to feeling emotional resistance to selling their home. “The most common reasons are not wanting to leave their current neighborhood ... (and) not wanting to deal with packing and moving,” the survey says. Similar findings have been documented by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

A recent drop in mortgage rates led to a boom in remodeling but a lesser boost in real estate transactions, says to Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst for Realtor.com, the home listing service.

“The housing market remains stuck, though prices are starting to show signs of slipping,” says Jones, noting that adjusting for home size, the price per square foot is now slightly lower for the first time in two years.

Some older owners are taking a wait-and-see approach to timing their sale, hoping for an increase in appreciation. Others are simply unwilling to face the emotions involved in letting go.

That’s especially true for those who’ve lived in a family home for decades and raised their children there. For them, downsizing often feels like the end of their vital years and independence.

Even so, there can be significant advantages for older homeowners to step down to a smaller place, especially if this frees them from arduous and expensive home upkeep requirements and lets them extract equity at a relatively favorable time for the real estate market.

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Initiate a broad search for your next home before selling.

With more than 20 years of experience selling real estate behind her, Ashley Richardson, a veteran agent with Sotheby’s International Realty, says the attachment that owners feel to a longtime residence can often transfer to another property.

That’s why she often recommends that sentimental sellers start looking for their next residence as soon as they put their property on the market or even earlier.

“This way, you’ll more quickly detach from the house where you’ve been living for a long time,” Richardson says. However, she urges those making a housing transition to restrict their property search solely to neighborhoods with homes they can afford, so as not to set themselves up for disappointment later.

-- Convey your housing plans to your grown children.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” says many empty nesters fear that letting go of a long-held property will mean fewer visits from family members -- including their grown kids and grandkids. Yet lots of would-be sellers are also anxious to liberate themselves from the carrying costs a large property requires.

To address their fears of fewer family visits after downsizing, Nash says it can be wise for sellers to discuss these anxieties with their offspring. Perhaps future multi-generational family visits could be centered in a resort area where all could spend quality time together.

“You might be pleasantly surprised at the lengths your family members would go to see you on their vacation days,” Nash says.

-- Neutralize your property by removing memorabilia.

To break the emotional ties to their property, it helps many people to sort through and remove sentimental items. Nash says you’ll want to cull through your family memorabilia, eliminating all but the most precious of items.

“I can’t tell you how many people save their kids’ cribs in hopes that one day they’ll be used by their grandchildren or great-grandchildren. But those old cribs probably don’t even meet today’s standards for child safety,” Nash says.

He suggests you also give away or pack away many other family-related items, including toys and children’s books. And he recommends you remove family photographs from your walls.

“While you’re at it, you’ll need to paint the interior walls of your house” in subdued colors, he says.

Neutralizing your property will not only help you detach from the place emotionally. It will also make it easier for you and your listing agent to attract buyers.

“[H]aving lots of memorabilia on display will only slow the sale of your property, because it keeps people from picturing themselves living there,” Nash says.

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

A drop in mortgage rates has many homeowners dreaming of acquiring a larger residence. But first they must sell their current property.

“Lower mortgage rates unlock peoples’ hopes and aspirations. Once again, they’re projecting ahead for the future,” says Mark Nash, a longtime real estate agent.

But even for those with a highly marketable property, there is no such thing as an instantaneous sale.

“I won’t say it’s never happened. But the idea of selling in a flash without any presale repairs or upgrades is certainly very rare,” says Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

This summer was a relatively slow time for some contractors -- given uncertainty about the economy. But the drop in rates has recently unleashed a wave of added demand for both remodeling and homebuying.

“For most contractors, the twists and turns of the macro economy make a meaningful difference in their volume of work. Lower interest rates help everyone -- buyers, sellers and remodelers alike,” Nash says.

Are you drawing up plans for a home sale? Then these few pointers on engaging contractors could prove helpful:

-- Don’t assume that the lowest bid is the best for you.

Marty Schirber, who led his Minnesota-based remodeling company for more than four decades, says the cheapest bid for a home improvement job doesn’t guarantee the best deal for the homeowner.

“An unusually low bid may be cause for alarm,” he says, noting that it could indicate that the contractor doesn’t fully grasp the project’s scope. It could also reflect inexperience or an underestimation of the cost of labor and materials,” he says.

In the worst-case scenario, the low bid could mean the contractor “is planning to cut corners by using inferior materials, low-paid, inexperienced workers, or not following local building codes.”

On the other hand, he occasionally encounters people who’ve had horrific experiences working with high-priced contractors.

“Price has very little to do with the success of the job,” Schirber says.

He says the secret to comparison shopping on price is to present all the bidders with specifications for your jobs and then to ask each to break down the charges on a line-by-line basis.

For example, suppose you want your living room and dining area painted prior to your home sale. And you want a quality job that includes a primer coat, along with two additional coats. You also want a particular brand of paint.

By specifying your requirements and obtaining a breakdown of charges, you should get comparable estimates from multiple contractors, Schirber says.

Those seeking online pointers on contractor selection may wish to visit the website of a company called Ask the Builder (askthebuilder.com).

-- Make sure your contractor covers all the details in his bid.

Once you’ve chosen your contractor, it’s time to get all aspects of your project down in writing.

“The contract should convey to everyone involved what the finished product will look like,” Schirber says.

Among other elements, this document should spell out a summary of the work as well as provisions for permits, estimated starting and completion dates and a schedule of payments. It should also include procedures for handling change orders.

“Oral agreements are vague or confusing. They’re an invitation for misunderstandings, which can easily ruin your job,” Schirber says.

-- Create a list of contractors for pre-sale work.

Many people find it a troubling task to locate contractors. But R. Dodge Woodson, author of “Tips & Traps for Hiring a Contractor,” advises against relying on online advertising for this purpose.

A more reliable approach is to seek out recommendations from acquaintances who’ve had work done on their own homes.

Eric Tyson, co-author of “House Selling for Dummies,” recommends you request contractors’ names through local real estate agents.

Contractors may be more attentive to your project if they know you could complain about their work to the agent, which could limit their chances for repeat business.

“Any agent who picks up complaints about a contractor will stop recommending that person,” Tyson says.

-- Seek names from neighbors you know and respect.

A ready source of contractors’ names can be found right in your own neighborhood.

“Your neighborhood could be a terrific source of contractor gems. In most cases, neighbors will be very candid about who excels or does terrible work,” Nash says.

One novel way of getting referrals from nearby residents is to throw a neighborhood party and ask all who attend to bring along the name of at least one contractor they like.

“Create a flyer with a party invitation attached. Pass out a flyer with the party invitation and attach a questionnaire for referrals. Then vow to send all who attend a compilation of names after the party is over,” Nash says.

-- Always look beyond a single bid.

Woodson, who’s worked much of his career as a licensed plumber and ran a home improvement business, strongly recommends that homeowners obtain five estimates for any major work, particularly for any job worth over $5,000.

Why five? Because experience has taught Woodson that consumers need a range of bids to gain perspective.

Once you have all your estimates lined up, Woodson suggests you eliminate anyone charging more than 20% above the median. Also, toss out anyone charging 20% less.

“A low price isn’t the only factor. I’d be scared to hire someone who’s a lot cheaper than all the others because he’s probably cutting corners. And anyone more than 20% higher is probably charging too much,” he says.

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