She was a successful boutique owner of 31 who yearned to leave her solid-yet-not-spectacular house in a middle-income neighborhood for a larger, flashier place in a prestigious suburb. But six months after making her dream move, her original house still languished unsold without so much as a single nibble.

Desperate to sell, she hired a different real estate agent who determined that although the property was correctly priced, it was poorly presented. The new agent recommended she hire Michelle Minch, a home stager, to help the place capture buyers' interest in an improving real estate market.

Following Minch's advice, the owner arranged to repaint the interior and replace worn carpet. After that, the stager and her team brought in two truckloads of attractive furniture and accessories -- including sofas, lamps, chairs and artwork -- and arranged all the items to make the house seem spacious yet comfortable. The project took a full, intense day of work.

Once the makeover was done and the home relisted, it garnered three offers and sold within just a week. This seemingly miraculous outcome allowed the owner to quickly liquidate her equity and move on with her life.

"She was totally thrilled with the staging and wondered why she didn't do it sooner," Minch says.

As the owner of an established staging firm called Moving Mountains Design (movingmountainsdesign.com), Minch is accustomed to compliments from her clients. But many stagers lack a proven track record and disappoint their clients, says Barb Schwarz, founder of The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (iahsp.com).

Schwarz says the easy-to-enter home-staging field is attracting several thousand newcomers each year. Some are fans of TV programs on home renovation and decorating. Others come from interior design backgrounds, yet often lack an in-depth grasp of home-selling psychology.

"There's a big difference between staging and interior design. Staging involves depersonalizing a home to appeal to the largest number of buyers. Decorating is about personalizing a property to the taste of its owners," Schwarz says.

-- Consider more than one stager before making your selection.

"Lots of people think they can go directly into home staging because their neighbors and friends tell them they have a good eye for decorating. But there's a lot more to staging than they realize. A good stager has gone through a lengthy training process," says Minch, who entered the field after a previous career preparing sets for TV commercials and movies.

She advises those planning to hire a stager to interview at least two or three candidates before selecting one.

"Be sure to see the stager's portfolio of work. Also ask for the names and phone numbers of past clients," says Minch, who publishes her own home-staging blog.

"Remember that you're hiring a stager to help market the largest single asset your family owns. What's crucial is that the stager knows how to appeal to a big audience," Minch says.

-- Make sure you understand how a staging firm prices its services.

Schwarz, the author of "Staging to Sell" and other books on the topic, says serious home-staging firms operate in a businesslike manner. One sign is that they can accept payments either by credit card or check. Another indication is that they carry business insurance and are willing to show you written proof of that.

After visiting your place, a serious stager should give you a firm quote on the full cost of staging it. This is helpful, as Schwarz says, because by bidding on the whole job, you're protected from the risk of facing higher-than-expected hourly fees if the job takes longer than anticipated.

-- Limit your costs by doing part of the work yourself.

Hiring a professional stager can be expensive, especially if your place is large or vacant. Staging fees -- which range from $500 to $5,000 -- can come as a shock to those who have little or no equity in their property but still need to sell it.

As Schwarz says, you can reduce the cost of a stager's services by doing some of the labor yourself. Rather than asking for the stager to do the full project, request a consultation. This should cost far less but should yield a written report itemizing the specific steps you'll need to take to prepare your property for showtime.

"The report should tell you the paint colors to use, the type of carpet to install and which furniture to remove. It should also tell you how to reposition the remaining furniture and accessories," says Schwarz, who's staged homes since the early 1970s.

Alternatively, you might decide to limit your staging expenses by sharing the workload with the professional you hire.

-- Make sure the staging work is complete before going onto the market.

Although homes in many neighborhoods are now selling more quickly than in recent years, real estate specialists say it's as important as ever to stage your home well. One factor is that homebuyers are becoming more educated visually because many are watching more TV programming focused on interior design and renovation.

Minch says those who ensure their home is in excellent condition before it hits the market stand the best chance of receiving strong offers without a lengthy wait.

"Remember that selling a home is like entering a beauty contest. The most attractive contestants win," she says.

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

Like giant vacuums, investment companies have been buying up vacant homes in recent months -- often negotiating rock-bottom prices in exchange for speedy, all-cash sales.

"Investors are purchasing lots of foreclosed properties, often at huge discounts and right on the courthouse steps. If a home's location is favorable, they'll even risk buying it sight unseen. Then they'll fix the house up for quick resale at a huge profit," says Ashley Richardson, a veteran real estate agent.

Granted, not every neighborhood has leftover vacant homes still going through the foreclosure pipeline. Some areas have become so competitive that nearly all the distressed properties have already been taken and multiple bids for the remaining stock are common.

But in many other neighborhoods, savvy and tenacious homebuyers can still snag a decent deal on a vacant property -- one with good bones that needs only cosmetic upgrades to regain its luster, says Richardson, who's affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (www.crs.com).

According to Richardson, the key to finding a bargain among vacant homes is to look for one that lacks the kind of staging that would show off its visual potential.

Merrill Ottwein, a real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org) estimates that 80 percent of vacant properties now for sale are in fair to good condition. But he cautions that the rest includes "dregs" that have been neglected or abused by their owners.

He urges those considering the purchase of any vacant home to make sure they're getting a true deal rather than a money pit that could require large amounts of cash to bring it up to a livable standard.

Here are a few pointers for homebuyers:

-- Seek out information on a home's former occupants.

It can be hard to obtain details on a property that's been vacant for months if its owner has moved to a faraway state. It's still tougher if the home has fallen into the ownership of a bank.

"Sometimes agents clam up about a home, especially if there's negative stuff in its background," Ottwein says.

To find out about the history of a vacant property you like, he says your best sources are often neighbors.

"It's advantageous to find out if the people who lived there were fastidious about upkeep and had pride of ownership," Ottwein says.

-- Think about a "pre-inspection" of a vacant place.

Has a vacant property you like gone unsold for so long that you're nervous about hidden problems? That being the case, you may not wish to bid until you can garner more information from a home inspector who takes a preliminary look at the place.

Ottwein tells the true story of a client who was so worried about a crack in the foundation of a colonial-style house that he spent $200 for an abbreviated home inspection. The inspection revealed that the crack signaled a serious problem with the home's foundation. Knowing that, he walked away from the colonial and bought a nicer house in the same neighborhood.

"The sooner you know about any serious problems with a property, the quicker can you walk away and find something better," Ottwein says.

-- Make sure the utilities are on when an inspection is done.

Dorcas Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org), says cost-conscious banks that own residential property often turn off the utilities, including gas, electric and water, to save money. But without functioning utility services, home inspectors find it hard to perform their job, she says.

"With the utilities off, you really can't tell if all the systems are working properly," Helfant says.

Even if you have to pay to get utility service restored for an inspecction, she insists it's worth the expense.

"Make sure your utilities are on or your home inspection could prove worthless," she says.

-- Review neighborhood sales before making an offer on a vacant home.

"It doesn't take long for the buyers' agent to assemble information on neighborhood sales. With just two or three clicks, we can find out the price history of the 20 properties closest to the home you like," Ottwein says.

He says that ideally you'll want to review at least three similar properties that have sold in the immediate area in the past three to six months, adjusting for differences, such as a larger garage or a second fireplace.

It's always wise to take a home's condition into account when judging its market value. But Ottwein recommends against seeking out-of-proportion discounts to compensate for relatively minor flaws, like a bedroom painted an unpleasant color.

"Don't get carried away when judging these small issues," he says.

-- Keep your emotions in check when bidding on a home you love.

During the recent financial crisis, many vacant properties owned by banks were given extremely low prices to clear inventory. And while banks are now pricing many repossessed homes more realistically, Ottwein says it's still possible to find a bank-owned home marked below market.

He says the current risk for many buyers is that -- knowing they're likely to face competition from other bidders -- they'll overshoot a property's true market value to beat out rivals.

"If you're crazy about the house, you'll be especially susceptible to overpaying for a property. So keep your emotions under control," Ottwein says.

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

Home values are ascending in many areas. Meanwhile, the future trajectory of mortgage rates now seems increasingly uncertain.

These two factors have combined to create a sense of urgency for many would-be homebuyers in their 20s who fear they'll be priced out of the market. Yet few in this age group have sufficient funds to make an immediate move. To qualify, most must slash spending, cut debt and amass a savings fund.

"More people are graduating from college with substantial student loans. That's a drain than means they have less discretionary income left to fund a down payment and closing costs," says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and author of "Let's Get Real About Money!"

Even now, it's not impossible for some first-time homebuyers to obtain a low or no-down-payment mortgage. However, as Tyson says, those who can assemble a respectable down payment can often obtain a slightly better mortgage rate or qualify for a larger home or both.

"For all buyers, I'm strongly in favor of the traditional 20-percent-down mortgage. I've been preaching the positives of bigger down payments for years," says Tyson, co-author of "Home Buying for Dummies."

For most young homebuyers, he says the challenges involved in doing a crash savings program are well worth the short-term deprivations required by tight budgeting.

Here are a few pointers for first-time buyers:

-- First get a grasp on your current financial picture.

One major barrier to saving for a home is uncontrolled day-to-day spending, says Leo Berard, charter president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org).

As a prelude to cutting your spending, he recommends you review all your expenditures for the most recent three-month period. You can do this with pencil and paper or with such personal finance software as Quicken, Berard's favorite. Alternatively, you can turn to such free online tools as Mint Money Management (www.mint.com).

"Until they do a comprehensive review, most people have no idea where their money is going. For example, they're unaware of how much they're spending for lunches every day they're at work. And they don't know how much they're spending for weekend entertainment," Berard says.

A full inventory of all your spending can consume many hours -- indeed, Berard says the process might take up to an entire weekend. Nevertheless, he insists it's a crucial first step for any individual or couple determined to reduce spending to buy a home.

-- Develop a budget with your home-buying intentions in mind.

Once you know where your money is going, you're in a good position to build a budget that -- ideally -- should allow for both your core needs and let you start assembling enough savings for your home purchase.

In some categories -- such as restaurant tabs -- you're likely to find a good deal of low-hanging fruit for pruning. But he says wannabe budget cutters should examine every area in search of potential cuts.

For example, you'll want to review your transportation spending and ask if your household could get by with one car instead of two. Maybe you could also reduce your utility bills by using less air conditioning during the warmer months.

As you move forward with your budget, don't overlook seemingly small or relatively infrequent expenditures that can add up quickly— -- like popcorn at the movies or hot dogs at a baseball game.

Another fertile area for cutbacks: your cellphone bill.

-- Confront your credit card debt.

It's not only student loans that hold back some potential homeowners. It's also credit card debt -- much of which may have been acquired during the college years.

"Credit card debt -- especially high interest-rate debt -- is toxic to a savings plan. You've got to zero it out. I strongly recommend that people get out of all their double-digit credit card debt," Tyson says.

Of course, it's not easy to pay off large credit card balances. But doing so will help you in two ways. You'll free up capital for your down payment and, over time, you could improve your credit score.

Most people don't need a financial adviser to help them dig out from credit card debt, Tyson says, though you can find useful guidance from a book on the subject. One that he recommends: "Deal With Your Debt: Free Yourself From What You Owe," by Liz Weston.

-- Watch out for friends trying to talk you out of buying a home.

If you're a relatively recent college graduate with many friends who have busy weekend social schedules and expensive hobbies, you could confront a major psychological barrier to progressing with your own home-buying plans.

"When you're in your 20s, it's not a cool thing to be saving money to buy a house in the suburbs. Your friends may view this as fuddy-duddy and try to talk you out of it," Tyson says.

But he says those who allow their friends to dissuade them from pursuing homeownership in the next year or two might one day live to regret it -- especially if home prices continue to rise during that period.

"Anyone with a stable job who has about a five-year time horizon for staying in the same area would do well to consider buying a home in the near future," Tyson says.

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