A mother of four teens never expected to become a single parent at age 42. But after her husband died in a motorcycle crash last year, that became her reality. With just one parent to cover the family’s hefty mortgage payment for their Minneapolis house, she has no alternative but to sell and move to cheaper quarters.

“Yes, we had life insurance. But that covered just a fraction of the payment on our expensive Victorian. So I plan to sell and buy a cheaper property,” says the woman, an architect.

After weeks spent looking in her former neighborhood, the woman gave up her search for an affordable five-bedroom place there. Instead, she widened her search to include exurban properties in semi-rural areas. Her latest focus is on the historic country town of Faribault, Minnesota, an hour commute from her downtown Minneapolis office.

“I hate the idea of a long daily drive. But I absolutely don’t want monster housing payments. What if there’s a recession and my salary drops? That would be very stressful,” she says.

Alan Pisarski, a veteran transportation analyst, doesn’t know the architect in this true story. But for years he’s tracked ever longer “killer commutes” for buyers like her who face affordability challenges.

As he explains, many people able to telework during the pandemic moved to rural or semi-rural areas. Now that they’ve been called back to the office, they must commute even longer distances.

Nuno Mota, an economist at Fannie Mae, the national mortgage company, documents this trend from high density ZIP codes to lower density ones.

Even during the pandemic, the architect rarely worked from home. But she’s willing to accept a long commute to buy in an outlying town like Faribault, where she figures she’d get double the square footage for the same price in her posh Minneapolis neighborhood.

“Who cares about living in a high-status area? I just want big bedrooms for all my kids, but without wrecking my budget,” she says.

Here are pointers for buyers weighing the purchase of a semi-rural property:

-- Road test a potential commute.

Pisarski, author of a series of books called “Commuting in America,” has done extensive work documenting the time Americans spend on the road getting to and from work. As his research shows, average commuting times have increased nearly every year since 2004.

In high-cost areas especially, more people now face what Pisarski terms a “killer commute,” which means it’s lengthy and grueling. They do this because they can’t afford a large home that’s closer to their jobs.

Pisarski encourages any buyer considering a move to the hinterlands to do a trial of the prospective commute during the rush hour periods when they’d be making the drive. As he says, you’ll get a false picture if you attempt the test drive on a Saturday or a Sunday.

-- Keep in mind the major differences in floor plans between old and new.

Many large houses in towns like Faribault are decades old and were built during the big construction bulge of the 1950s and 1960s.

The contrast is most evident in the primary areas of such houses. Many newly constructed homes often feature an oversized “great room” that flows into the kitchen.

“The vast majority of houses built more than 40 years ago have smaller, boxier kitchens and self-contained living and dining rooms,” says Tom Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

-- Track down an exceptionally skilled home inspector.

Are you seriously considering an older place located many miles away from your office? In that case, you’ll want to be especially careful in the selection of a home inspector to go over the property, Early says.

“Older houses are more likely to have defects: plumbing, electrical, structural, roofing, anything. You need to know what you’re getting yourself into before you buy any house, but especially an old one,” he says.

Early suggests you look beyond the names of inspectors given you by your real estate agent. Another source of referrals that he recommends is the American Society of Home Inspectors (homeinspector.org).

“After you develop of short list of inspectors, make sure you check references by calling and asking past clients whether the inspector they used actually uncovered the flaws in the house. Most people are very open and truthful about such things,” he says.

-- Acknowledge the full costs of a “teardown” project.

People who have a tough time deciding between an old house in a convenient, close-in neighborhood and a larger, more luxurious place in an outlying suburb often ponder a third option: building a new home in an older part of town.

But given that empty lots are rare in desirable and well-established neighborhoods, this plan usually requires that you tear down a home to get the yard you need for your new house. Teardowns are occurring with increasing frequency in many areas where land values are high.

If you have no budget constraints, and local zoning regulations allow you to do a teardown project, this option could offer you the best of both worlds: a new house with extraordinary city access.

Still, as Early cautions, the teardown scenario can prove far more expensive than many people contemplate. Not only must you pay for the original house and lot, demolition expenses and your homebuilder’s charges. But you can also face unexpected expenses.

“The hidden costs can be huge. For example, suppose you discover hazardous materials, like asbestos, that require extensive disposal procedures before you’re allowed to rebuild. This could be a big Pandora’s box,” Early says. (To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

An electrician in Connecticut and his wife, a middle school teacher, were happy to retire after the pandemic hit. Though they’d reached their mid-60s and still had a large mortgage, they imagined funding their retirement with the husband’s Social Security and the wife’s pension.

But a recent visit with their financial planner gave them a rude awakening. To maintain their living standard, which included substantial foreign travel, they’d have to sell their top-tier Tudor house located in the Hartford suburb of Glastonbury. Otherwise, this couple could conceivably face foreclosure.

“This isn’t what we wanted to hear. But at least we know our house has appreciated and that we live in an area where sellers still have some leverage. Like it or not, we’re planning to put our place on the market in the first quarter of 2026,” the electrician says.

The good news is that they expect to buy in an area where available homes are in abundant supply and prices are sagging somewhat. In particular they’ve picked the quiet community of Navarre, Florida. There, they’re considering a mid-century modern condo listed for less than half the value of their Connecticut place.

“Yes, we have to downsize because we’re struggling to make our house payments. But we’re looking forward to a warmer climate. Also, by downsizing we’ll soon have more funds for travel to Tuscany, our favorite place in the world,” says the wife.

Rick Sharga, a housing analyst who tracks foreclosure trends for large financial firms, doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But he encourages owners in their position to sell quickly to avert foreclosure.

Sharga recommends that homeowners under pressure to sell hire an experienced real estate agent -- ideally someone with special training in pre-foreclosure work in case they have to go that route.

“This isn’t a good market for rookies who haven’t yet adapted to the current real estate market. You’ll want to carefully interview agents to find someone with experience negotiating with potential buyers and lenders,” he says.

Here are several pointers for those downsizing to save money:

-- Concentrate on how your house looks from the outside.

When you’re in a hurry to sell, making your home marketable from the exterior is especially important.

No matter how low your asking price, you’re not going to attract a purchaser willing to pay a reasonable sum if it goes on the market in poor condition, says Ashley Richardson, an agent for Sotheby’s International Realty.

Curb appeal is especially critical because the outside photo of your place will appear all over the internet. Only if your house looks good in those pictures will people want to go inside.

Richardson urges sellers to focus on their front lawn and the greenery that surrounds their home.

“You need to keep your gardens weeded throughout the selling period. You also need to keep your shrubs pruned so they don’t hide the house like a blanket. Remember that people most want to see your house, not your landscaping,” she says.

Also, make sure that any junk cars languishing in your driveway are towed away.

“Donate that old clunker to charity, and you could even get a tax deduction,” Richardson says.

-- Clear away any clutter from your place.

Not all home upgrades are expensive. In fact, two of the most powerful home improvement steps you can take --cleaning and decluttering -- are low cost.

“You don’t need to spend $50 on fancy cleaning supplies. Go to discount stores for a couple of all-purpose cleaning items. Or look on the internet for ways to create your own cleaning supplies with such natural substances as vinegar,” Richardson says.

During the purging process remove family photos and other personal mementos.

“Most people have way more clutter in their houses than they should for a good sale. But in the course of less than one week, you can go through your stuff, storing away your extra items in boxes. Anyone looking at your house will understand if you’ve stashed your stuff in the garage in neatly stacked boxes until you move,” Richardson says.

-- Repaint throughout your interior.

If for any reason you’ll be unable to meet your house payments in coming months, the odds are you’ve already depleted most of your savings. Still, no matter how short on money you are, Richardson says you shouldn’t scrimp on paint, one of the least expensive home improvement tools available.

The first priority for your painting, she says, should be the front door, which is highly visible. Once that’s done, quickly move to the first room inside the front door. Then proceed through the home, painting as many areas as time allows.

“Make sure to focus on the bathrooms and kitchen. Buyers are very insistent that these rooms look fresh and clean,” Richardson says.

-- Give a deadline for yourself by scheduling an open house.

If you’re like many homeowners, you need a well-defined deadline to complete a project in a timely way. You know procrastination could derail you from meeting your goal of preparing your home for sale quickly.

Assuming that’s the case, Richardson encourages you to give yourself a hard deadline by scheduling a broker’s open house right after your home goes on the Multiple Listing Service.

A broker’s open is an event to which real estate agents throughout your area are invited. It’s an effective tool for marketing an attractive property to those working with serious buyers.

“Although most people procrastinate, they’ll meet a deadline if you give them one. Once your agent has scheduled a date for your open house and ordered lunch, you’ll have that deadline you need to get focused,” Richardson says.

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

A 27-year-old physical therapist from Phoenix has housing ambitions he’s yet to disclose to the girlfriend he’s dated since college. He intends to propose, but only after buying a house where the two could live. The plan is very doable but for one challenge: his tight budget.

“In my profession you don’t make a ton of money. So I really have to shop cautiously and not overspend. The good news is that there are lots of houses for sale in the Phoenix area, and list prices are falling slightly. That makes me optimistic,” he says.

The physical therapist currently has his eye on multiple properties, including one move-in ready townhouse in Gilbert, Arizona, where he grew up. The townhouse is listed for $460,000, but the seller promises to offer a substantial credit toward a buyer’s closing costs.

“This house is practically new and loaded with builder upgrades, including the best granite countertops and luxe bathrooms. Also, it’s located in a walkable neighborhood with good restaurants,” he says.

Even so, this buyer is still surveying the market and keeping his options open without yet submitting any bids.

“It’s very obvious Phoenix is now a buyer’s market. I want to take advantage. That’s why there’s no need to rush,” he says.

Real estate specialists say the United States is currently divided between two distinct housing markets: one where inventories are brimming, like Phoenix, and the other, like Boston, where available homes are scarce, and prices continue to rise.

“This is bifurcation. The nation is split in two. It’s pointless to make generalizations about the country as a whole. All buyers should thoroughly investigate before submitting any offers,” says Mark Nash, a longtime real estate broker in the Chicago metro area.

Nash doesn’t know the would-be buyer in Arizona, who’s been surveying property since last spring. But he’s not surprised the man is so selective.

“This is a rational approach for all first-time buyers and especially for purchasers in high-inventory markets,” says Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

Housing economists agree that wannabe homebuyers are getting increasingly choosey.

“Most house hunters aren’t flat-out stopping their search. Instead, they’re being picky and looking for the perfect home,” says Rebecca Love, a Redfin real estate agent.

Love is based in Washington, D.C., where home sales have slowed due to federal cutbacks, causing buyers to be particularly selective.

“Buyers are ultra-cautious with their funds because they’re worried about interest rates, the economy and potentially losing their job. If they’re going to spend money, they want to check every box. At the same time, they want a good deal. That means searches are taking longer than usual,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

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

Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” notes that years after the Great Recession of 2008, most mortgage lenders are still 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,” he says.

-- Screen for highly motivated sellers.

Although there are now neighborhoods with lots of unsold homes, some sellers are more inclined to negotiate than others. As Nash says, one key to finding a good deal is to search for owners who are exceptionally motivated.

One way of identifying highly 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 want to live. Then look for homes in your price range that have sat unsold for a longer-than-average period, which gives them a stigma.

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, assuming your research shows this is warranted.

-- Never try to negotiate through insults.

Suppose you’re seriously considering a home that would comfortably house your family. But you notice a few minor shortcomings.

Nash 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.

Should you take this approach? Absolutely not, longtime agents say.

“Nearly every human being takes pride in their home. Chide the owners and you’ll only worsen your bargaining stance,” says Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors.

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.

“At the end of the day, make sure you’re direct but without vilifying the sellers,” Helfant says.

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