A married pair of high school math teachers in Jacksonville, Florida, are hyper-focused on buying their first home. At 31, they’re ready to settle down and start a family. For two austere years, they’ve been patiently amassing savings for a down payment.

“We figure now is the absolute best time to buy,” the wife says.

Their savings drive has involved many personal sacrifices. The couple stopped going out to eat, cut back on Starbucks, nixed expensive wedding and vacation plans and stopped buying new clothes. Every dime has gone into their savings fund and been tracked on a chart attached to the refrigerator of their rented apartment.

Just days ago, they submitted a successful bid to buy a solid brick house with four bedrooms and a new roof and AC system. The place had gone through several price cuts and had been sitting vacant for 109 days.

“This house was built in 1960, and we were nervous (about) why it hadn’t sold. But our home inspector cleared it through an in-depth evaluation. He also confirmed that property taxes on the place are low and that it has zero HOA fees,” the husband notes.

The buyers believe they bought at an opportune time in Florida, and analysts who track U.S. housing markets agree.

In several formerly overheated markets, including the Jacksonville area, the supply of unsold homes is expanding, and there are bargains to be had this fall. Given the competition, many sellers are now more willing to bargain.

“Inventory levels tend to peak in early fall,” say Danielle Hale, an economist, and Hannah Jones, a data analyst, at Realtor.com, the home listing service. “The uptick could be even more significant this year, as seasonal inventory growth outpaces previous years.”

Unfortunately, many would-be buyers aren’t as prepared for their first purchase as are the math teachers, says Michael Crowley, an Oregon real estate broker who specializes in assisting purchasers.

“You have to lay the groundwork, and that can take a number of months unless you’re wealthy or your parents kick in with the upfront costs,” says Crowley, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Seek highly motivated sellers.

Although some neighborhoods still have a dearth of unsold homes, markets are dynamic, and more sellers are open to negotiating. As Crowley says, one key to finding a good deal is to search for owners who are exceptionally motivated.

One way of identifying motivated sellers is to examine statistics. Ask your real estate agent to determine the average days on market, from list to sale, for properties in the area where you wish to live. Then look for homes in your price range that have sat unsold for a longer-than-average period.

Before crafting an offer, also consider another set of numbers: the average list-to-sale price differential. If you note that most properties have recently fetched 95% of their list price, you might consider a first bid at a 5% discount off what’s being asked.

-- Don’t attempt to negotiate through put-downs.

Sid Davis, author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home,” says some purchasers attempt to strengthen their bargaining position by writing a letter that highlights minor flaws with a property or by noting the owners’ poor taste. For example, they might mention that the bright yellow shower curtain is “incredibly ugly.”

Should you take this approach? Absolutely not, Davis says.

“Remember that the vast majority of homeowners take comments about their property personally. That’s true even if they’re trying to move because of dissatisfaction with their property,” Davis says.

This isn’t to say that you and your home inspector shouldn’t be forthright in itemizing corrections needed to bring the property up to standard, such as repairs to the roof or the replacement of a malfunctioning water heater. But do so in a manner that doesn’t offend the owners.

“Practice the art of being forthright without being disagreeable,” Davis says.

-- Kick-off your quest for a first home at a friendly lender’s office.

Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying Kit for Dummies,” says that ever since the Great Recession, mortgage lenders have remained stringent in their requirements of borrowers. That means all home loan applicants continue to face significant scrutiny.

“Count on your lender looking closely at your credit history and asking lots of questions about your income and assets. This is particularly likely if you’re self-employed or work on commission,” Tyson says.

By seeing a mortgage lender early, you have time to get mortgage preapproval, which will give you a realistic sense of how much you can afford. A preapproval letter is also a strong bargaining chip.

“This makes you a lot more credible with your sellers,” Tyson says.

-- Remain confident about your push for homeownership.

Will 2025 represent a decisive shift toward more of a buyer’s market? No one knows for sure. Yet one given is that eventually aging baby boomers will occupy less of the nation’s housing stock, freeing up more inventory for young buyers.

Crowley says buyer confidence remains exceptionally strong among those in the millennial generation with solid jobs.

“With mortgage rates more attractive, more millennials are now settling down and getting married. They’re raring to go with homeownership, and they’re willing to make the sacrifices to accomplish it,” he says.

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

A 74-year-old pediatrician long relished the Colorado mountain lifestyle she enjoyed with her husband, an independent investor. But ever since he died from a stroke last December, she’s weighed whether to sell the Victorian house the couple bought in Telluride in 1981.

“Our kids -- all in their 30s and with families of their own -- are urging me to cash out of the house. The place has appreciated to an unbelievable degree, and I am open to my kids’ suggestions. But I refuse to be pushed,” the pediatrician says.

Joan McClellan Tayler, a longtime realty brokerage owner, doesn’t know the pediatrician in this true story. But she urges the doctor’s adult children to show respect when it comes to real estate planning.

“Unless she’s suffering from dementia, you should let her make all her own decisions. People need agency in their lives. Otherwise, she could dig in and become very resistant to your help,” Tayler says.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests that relatively few elderly Americans plan to sell their homes. The government statistics were backed up by surveys from AARP, the organization for seniors.

“Many older people have paid off their homes or have very low-rate mortgages ... This phenomenon is known as the ‘lock-in effect.’ It greatly reduces the incentive to move,” Tayler says.

But when older seniors do move, the transition can be wrenching, especially for those who’ve long resided in a property chock full of possessions and memories.

“For elderly people, a move often constitutes a crisis ignited by a health or financial reversal. A tight deadline always makes an involuntary move all the more traumatic,” Tayler says.

She says elderly people typically turn to grown kids for help when moving. But even if the parents don’t ask for help, the kids often interject themselves, usually with the best of intentions.

“But the grown kids are no substitute for a really skillful and empathic real estate pro,” she says.

One agent specializing in assisting senior sellers is Diana Gaydon, who lists property in Oregon. She recommends helping your elders by lining up listing appointments with at least three agents and then sitting in on the interviews.

“Look for an agent who’s empathic and a great listener,” says Gaydon, who holds the designation of Seniors Real Estate Specialist, conferred by the National Association of Realtors.

Here are a few pointers for the progeny of elderly people who wish to help:

-- Engage the services of a professional organizer.

For seniors, sorting through possessions can be exhausting.

“What’s a treasure and what’s junk? Separating items into those categories can be tremendously tedious,” Tayler says.

But while the children of seniors can be very helpful in a housing transition, Tayler says it’s unwise for them to become involved in the sorting and culling process.

“Family members are never totally objective. That can result in heated arguments that are painful for all concerned,” she says.

Instead, she recommends that senior home sellers engage the help of a professional organizer. One source for referrals is the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net). For a lesser fee, seniors can often use trusted social media contacts to find an energetic college student or recent graduate to help.

-- Assure your parents you’ll respect their prized possessions.

One way to help smooth the transition for your parents is to guarantee you’ll safeguard their valuables during the interim period in which their home is shown to the public.

“For example, you might tell them you’ll take those coveted photos they have hanging on the wall and place them in a nice box on your piano until their house is sold,” Gaydon says.

-- Show sensitivity in helping parents dispose of excess belongings.

Conducting an estate sale to break up the family household might sound like a good idea. After all, the professional firm holding the sale will give your parents a percentage of the revenue they bring in.

But the unsentimental manner in which such a sale is conducted could easily hurt your parents’ feelings. It can be painful to overhear strangers haggling over the price of items you’ve owned and valued for decades.

As an alternative, Tayler recommends you ask your parents for the names of their favorite charities and arrange to have their giveaways taken there. (Valuable antiques and art can be sold through a dealer or an online company such as eBay.)

“Donating to a charity you believe in can be a positive experience,” Tayler says.

-- Be diplomatic when addressing your parents on needed home updates.

Those who’ve lived in the same home for a long time are often very comfortable with their décor, no matter how dated, and think prospective buyers should feel the same way. But their grown kids typically agree with the listing agent that the home should be updated to more contemporary standards before it goes on the market.

The problem is that you could face a lot of resistance if you try to push your parents into replacing their still-functioning burnt-gold refrigerator. Likewise, they might rebuff you if you demand that they have their 30-year-old bright green carpeting torn up and replaced with a neutral beige carpet.

Instead, try quiet reasoning and persuasion in hopes of convincing them to follow your recommendations and those of their listing agent.

“Never attempt to belittle or shame your parents into the home improvements needed for a successful sale. That can backfire big time,” Tayler says.

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

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.)