According to Dr. Andrew Cherlin, a Johns Hopkins University sociologist who specializes in marriage and family issues, Americans value marriage more highly than ever. They're just willing to wait until they have sufficient financial security to comfortably afford a property.

Obviously, there's more to making a good home-buying decision than a sufficient income stream. As Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of "Home Buying for Dummies" says, it's also important for couples to make sure they're committed to each other.

"Remember that buying a home is going to add financial stress to your relationship," he says.

Tyson says couples should also be sure that they both intend to remain in the same area for at least three to five years before deciding to buy. That usually means both have completed their graduate or professional schooling and intend to keep working in the same metro area for at least that long.

Still, Tyson says many newly married couples with enough resources to buy a home still need a great deal of discussion before making a final property decision.

Couples can have very divergent views on the best setting for a home, and whether it should be in a city, suburban or rural location.

Couples of all ages need to bridge their differences before heading out for a home-shopping tour. Otherwise serious disputes could develop later.

"Pick a time to share thoughts about your individual priorities and make an actual appointment," Tyson says.

Here are a few other pointers:

-- Make your first move a meeting with a mortgage lender.

These days, mortgage lenders typically conduct nearly all their business through phone calls and email, with an occasional fax thrown into the mix. Technically, you never need to meet your lender.

But Ronald Phipps, a former president of the National Association of Realtors, (www.realtor.org) recommends that even before you go home-shopping, you arrange a face-to-face meeting with a lender to discuss your financing plans and gain mortgage pre-approval.

"Though it's uncommon for people to see their lender personally, it's highly advisable," he says.

As Phipps says, buyers who meet face-to-face are more likely to get extra time and faster processing for their mortgage application, as well as insights into the changing mortgage market, with its rigid standards.

"If your parents last bought a house many years ago, they probably can't give you much guidance on financing," he says.

-- Don't rule out purchase of a place with outdated decor.

To get the most for their money, Tyson says money-tight homebuyers may wish to consider a category of properties a notch above a classic "fixer-upper." These are typically well-maintained properties with solid electrical and plumbing systems. But their owners, though practical, have neglected them cosmetically.

"For instance, maybe the owners hung onto their old outdated-looking kitchen appliances because they're still functional. And the same with out-of-date bathroom tile colors and fixtures," Tyson says.

He says young buyers willing to overlook a dated kitchen or bathrooms can sometimes get a good deal on a home they're willing to improve themselves at a later date. But unless you're extremely handy, he cautions against taking on a home that needs major infrastructure improvements.

He recommends a thorough inspection to determine whether a home has fundamental problems -- such as a crumbling foundation. These are far more costly to fix than an unappealing decor.

-- Screen for homeowners eager to sell.

Tom Early, a real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org) says that when it comes to real estate, time is money. Sellers who have already moved and whose property has already gone vacant may be especially willing to negotiate favorable terms for buyers.

"Usually, you don't have to do anything sneaky or underhanded to find out what motivates the sellers. That's because owners sometimes broadcast their desire for a quick sale with ads that read: "Seller Motivated" or a similar message," Early says.

If the ads don't reveal the sellers' degree of urgency, a few casual inquiries placed by your real estate agent to the listing agent for the property might do so.

"Real estate people are gregarious. Word gets around and soon your agent can find out why a house is on the market. Maybe the owners are building a custom-built house and will be moving there in just a couple of weeks," Early says.

He says a dedicated buyer's agent can be especially helpful to those making a first home purchase.

"A couple who is flexible and has all their financing lined up can sometimes get a bargain price on a dream nest where they can start a family and live together for many years," Early says.

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

Luke Juday grew up in a spacious house in a quiet suburb. But at age 25 he and nearly all his friends live small in urban apartments. And they intend to never move to suburbia.

"The suburbs are extremely boring," he says.

Juday says his strong preference for urban living mirrors that of many in his age group. How does he know? Because as a demographer for the University of Virginia, he authored a new study titled "The Changing Shape of American Cities," which relies on census data to show how ever more young adults are gravitating to walkable town centers and cities.

"The trend is clear in every single U.S. city. I think it's a major cultural shift," he says.

Though many of Juday's friends are still renters saddled with a lot of student debt, he says some are beginning to buy property, usually in the form of condominiums, in the city, and he expects one day to follow suit.

Fred Meyer, a long-time real estate broker whose clients include many of Juday's millennial generation, underscores their strong preference for urban living and their willingness to live in a condo to gain an ownership stake in the city.

"What often happens is that they start with a small condo and move to a larger one as they get older," Meyer says. But he cautions condo buyers of all ages to exercise considerable care when selecting a unit to purchase.

"Before you buy, make sure you love that condo with both your heart and soul. If you love it completely, the odds are others will love it too. That means that whenever you eventually put it on the market for resale, it should be easier to sell," Meyer says.

Here are a few pointers for condo buyers:

-- Search for a building in a community with a resilient job base.

The vitality of any local real estate market is tied closely to the employment strength of the area. But as Meyer says, homebuyers shouldn't count on a single employer to keep the local economy robust.

"To guard against the impact that layoffs can have on property values, buy in an area with multiple major employers," he says.

How can you investigate the strength of a local economy?

"One way is to go to the offices of the local Chamber of Commerce and ask what's happening to jobs in the area," Meyer says.

By avoiding an economically depressed region, you not only increase your chances of owning a salable condo, you also increase the likelihood of living there happily.

-- Review data to validate your hunches about the right condo building.

Your subjective reaction to a condo building can help with the selection process. But you and your real estate agent will also want to seek out objective information to better analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a particular building.

"Ask your agent to look at the resale history for the building going back as far as four years. Take note of the median number of days it has taken to sell a unit there. The more days it takes to go from list to sell, the less liquid the building," Meyer says.

-- Show skepticism about a building with rock-bottom condo fees.

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

John Rygiol, a real estate broker who works exclusively with buyers, says some purchasers mistakenly shop for a building with the lowest possible monthly fees. But he warns against that approach.

"A building with very low fees could actually decline in value, due to poor routine maintenance. That could make your unit hard to sell in the future," he says.

In addition, check the "reserves" of the building --meaning the amount of money set aside for major renovations.

"Suppose a building needs a new roof and there's no money for that purpose. That means that you and other owners might suddenly get hit with a big special assessment," says Rygiol, who's affiliated with the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org).

-- Avoid buying in a building with numerous renters.

Meyer is wary of condo buildings where a large number of units are not owner-occupied. That's because renters have a lesser stake in the maintenance of a property.

"Owners who live in their units feel a natural pressure to ensure there's sufficient money available for upkeep. Renters feel no such natural pressure," Meyer says.

What percentage of owner-occupants is enough? 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.

"Imagine you had to move suddenly for a job transfer and you couldn't rent your unit. You shouldn't give up that prerogative," Meyer says.

-- Shop for the best available unit in the building of your choice.

Even in the ideal condo building, not all units are created equal. Some are much more salable.

"Two units could have the same exact floor plan. But one that overlooks a beautiful park will be worth a lot more than one which overlooks a parking lot," Meyer says.

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

Over the next 10 years, the number of U.S. households led by someone 65 or older will increase by nearly 11 million. And a surprising number of those older people could soon move to larger, rather than smaller, homes.

"Stunningly, three out of 10 older households who've already moved actually upsized. And many more are renovating the place where they now live," says Ken Dychtwald, a psychologist and author who heads Age Wave, a consulting firm that tracks aging trends (www.agewave.com).

Age Wave partnered with Merrill Lynch to produce a new study of baby boomer housing and lifestyle preferences that included a nationally representative survey of more than 3,600 older Americans of retirement age.

According to the survey, retirees' top reasons for upsizing were to have a home large enough for family members to visit (33 percent) or to live with them (20 percent). One out of six retirees has a "boomerang" child who's moved back in with them.

Although a surprising number of retirees are upsizing, the Merrill Lynch study reveals that a solid segment of older Americans still plan to downsize. Those in this category cite multiple factors including greater freedom from financial burdens (64 percent) and fewer upkeep demands (44 percent).

Are you a boomer perplexed by the array of housing choices available to you? If so, these tips could prove helpful:

-- Factor in both your preferences and those of your partner.

If you're expecting to retire and live on your Social Security plus limited withdrawals from a small retirement fund, you may have no choice but to step down to a smaller, less-costly-to-maintain property. But if you've accumulated more substantial retirement assets, you and your spouse could have many more interesting housing options and may need to reconcile differences of opinion.

Rosemary McMonigal, a residential architect who's advised clients for 31 years, recommends that couples with differing visions create priority lists and acknowledge the validity of each other's housing preferences.

McMonigal says many of her retirement-age clients favor downsizing over upsizing. Still, she says it's not unusual for one member of a pair to prefer a larger habitat to gain more personal space.

If you and your spouse disagree on how large a home to buy for your retirement needs, McMonigal suggests you let go of preconceptions and find a way to compromise.

"Discussion works," she says.

-- Try to avoid buying a retirement property with superfluous rooms.

McMonigal is a proponent of the "not so big home" philosophy espoused by widely quoted architect and author Sarah Susanka. As such, she argues that most retirees are happier living in a space no larger than they can actually use rather than trying to pursue a fantasy ideal.

For instance, she says buyers should question the commonly held notion that a home should have multiple dining areas, including a formal dining room, an in-kitchen eating area and an informal dining nook off the kitchen.

McMonigal also suggests you question the common assumption that you should have a dedicated media room and a huge master suite complete with a spacious master bathroom and an adjoining sitting room.

"Most people don't have the time or inclination to use a sitting room for conversation or reading. For that reason, one large armchair in the master bedroom is enough. And media rooms usually go unused, as do extra bathrooms," she says.

-- Realize that the floor plan you select is as important as the size of your home.

Would you like to downsize, but have agreed with your spouse to buy a bigger place?

If so, Ashley Richardson, a long-time real estate agent affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (www.crs.com), recommends you look for a home that seems intimate despite its large size.

"It's easy to feel lonely when rattling in large spaces you rarely use, especially if all your grown children live far away," Richardson says.

To locate a large home where you'll feel comfortable, she recommends you avoid a property with a two-story atrium or ceilings that soar 10 feet or higher. Also, avoid a property with an oversized formal living room that you'll rarely use. Instead, look for a place with a relatively large family room where you can both dine and entertain.

"Lots of people like having their family room right off the kitchen, which is the area where people spend most of their time," Richardson says.

-- Remember that the home you buy for retirement may not be your last purchase.

Many people assume that when they buy a home for retirement, they'll live there for the rest of their lives. But it's very common for homebuyers in their 60s to go on to later live in two or three other places during their retirement years.

If you have sufficient financial assets to consider a wide array of alternatives in terms of housing size and location, Dychtwald suggests you investigate a short list of options before committing to a move.

"Remember those college tours you took your kids on? You could do the same to check out different locations and types of housing for your retirement years," he says.

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