Real estate agents often joke that the bigger the house, the smaller the family. And there's some truth to this.

“Your peak earning years typically don’t occur until your 50s or 60s. That’s when you can finally afford that ‘last hurrah’ house and enjoy the fruits of your labor,” says John Rygiol, a long-time real estate broker who specializes in luxury property.

Rygiol contends that for couples who can afford the elbow room and prestige of a big house, the ideal time to make that purchase is when their children are young and can make good use of the extra space.

James W. Hughes, a housing analyst and dean of the School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, says Americans have a long-standing preference for huge houses.

“There’s something beguiling about big houses. Bigger is always better in America, assuming you can afford it,” Hughes says.

Do you have solid reasons for buying a large house -- along with the financial means to support its mortgage, utility and upkeep costs? If so, these few pointers could prove helpful:

-- Select the strongest neighborhood you can afford.

The U.S. economy is still in an expansionary phase. But housing analysts say another real estate downturn is nearly certain. That means it’s wise to buy the sort of property most likely to retain value in bad times as well as good.

“Affluent areas with strong amenities are usually on the leading edge of any recovery,” Hughes says.

Foreclosures are far less common than they were during the financial crisis. But even if you spot one that seems too good a deal to pass up, it could be a perilous choice if the property is located in an area where foreclosures are still numerous.

“Even during a strong period of recovery, it can take a long time for a neighborhood like that to regain its reputation,” Hughes says.

His rule of thumb: It’s better to compromise and buy a smaller house in a stronger neighborhood than a much bigger one in a weaker area.

-- Choose a community with a reasonable commute.

In the past, many people seeking a huge house willingly accepted a lengthy commute in exchange for the space.

But even at a time when gas prices are moderate, it can be unwise to invest in a property in a distant suburb or exurban area.

“Buying a house that requires its owners to make a one-hour-plus commute is a significant financial risk, particularly if you have to sell within five to 10 years,” Hughes says.

-- Screen for top-rated public schools.

It’s widely believed that strong neighborhood schools help keep property values high and Hughes supports this view. Indeed, he contends that school quality is becoming increasingly important.

How can you check out school quality? Real estate agents typically decline to characterize schools in terms of quality, for fear their remarks might be taken as discriminatory. Yet your agent should be willing to provide you a large volume of statistics that compare schools on test scores, high school graduation rates and other quantitative factors. Then, too, you can make an appointment to visit schools to see how they fare on the intangibles, like the warmth and receptivity of teachers and staff.

In addition, for a fee you can buy detailed online reports on local schools through a service such as SchoolMatch (schoolmatch.com), a research organization focused on comparative school quality.

-- Give priority to the needs of your household.

Fred Meyer, a real estate broker and appraiser who sells property near Harvard University, says many parents of school-age children want a house with a large master suite that’s segregated from the cluster of bedrooms where their kids reside. This is especially likely if their offspring are teenagers with noisy electronic devices.

If both spouses operate a home-based business or do a substantial amount of telecommuting, there's that to consider as well.

“It’s common nowadays for buyers to ask for ‘his and her’ home offices that are separated from the main living areas of the house. This requires lots of space,” Meyer says.

At this point in the economic cycle, relatively few buyers of any age can afford to buy and maintain a big house in a desirable neighborhood. But if you are the lucky exception and big house ownership is a priority for you, Meyer sees no reason to postpone this goal.

“Buyers who want the social status of a large home and are well-positioned financially can make out very nicely in any market,” he says.

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

A couple in their mid-30s, parents of three boisterous boys, felt cramped in their tiny suburban house. Because they longed for more elbow room and loved animals, they dreamed of moving to a small farm outside their city.

The couple’s real estate broker, Sid Davis, found them just such a property. But the night before they were to submit an impulsive offer, they couldn’t sleep. All night, they fretted about the implications of living on a farm. As they ruminated, it occurred to them that caring for animals would seriously hinder their plans to travel with the kids, and they backed off.

Davis, the author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home,” says the couple avoided a potentially disastrous move, but that many buyers fare better when they thoroughly investigate the consequences of a major lifestyle change.

“Sit down and really look at the reality of any significant move well before you finalize your decision. One way to do this is to take a weeklong vacation and hang around the new area, to get a good feel for what it would be like to live there,” Davis says.

Of course, many people who methodically plan a major housing move turn out to be very pleased with their decision.

Take the case of Sheree Bykofsky, a writer who left a pricey Manhattan neighborhood for the Atlantic City area of New Jersey. There, after a thorough investigation into all her options, she found a brand-new apartment with large windows that overlooked the ocean and a picturesque lighthouse for much less money than her New York City place.

Here are a few pointers for those seeking a more fulfilling existence through a housing transition:

-- Examine your larger life plan before making a major housing decision.

Inevitably, making a lifestyle change involves trade-offs, says Bykofsky.

“You have to ask yourself questions, focusing on your needs and desires and figuring out which ones are strongest,” says Bykofsky, author of “Me: Five Years from Now,” a step-by-step approach to lifestyle change.

She recommends the use of visualization techniques to picture how your ideal future would look. In doing so, she says you should take into account not only your housing preferences, but also your professional and financial situation, along with health concerns.

“It’s not just about the money,” says Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert who also advocates taking a holistic approach to real estate decisions.

Though financial planners can help, Tyson says many tend to overlook non-financial variables when they advise clients on housing choices.

-- Take into account your savings for retirement.

Before you upgrade your housing, Tyson urges you to review your preparations for retirement, especially if you’re nearing retirement age.

“Even though your dreams of upgrading your real estate may seem pretty modest, if you’re facing retirement in the near term you may need to postpone these dreams until you’ve saved more for retirement,” Tyson says.

To gauge how well prepared you are for retirement, he suggests you use the free planning calculators provided on the websites of such mutual funds as Vanguard and T. Rowe Price.

-- Remember that a bigger property will consume more upkeep time.

Suppose you'd like a bigger house complete with elaborate landscaping, such as a topiary garden, in the backyard. If a financial analysis shows you can afford it, should you go ahead on that basis alone?

Not without considering the implications for your time of owning a much larger property, Tyson says.

“Maintaining a really big home can be draining, both emotionally and physically,” he says.

Of course, if you relish gardening and are willing to expend much of your free time maintaining your grounds or overseeing the contractors who do the work, the purchase of a property with extensive landscape requirements may seem less of a burden.

Tyson, who co-authored “Home Buying for Dummies,” suggests people carefully review their personal priorities before taking on ownership of a property that will tax their time.

“You may want to rethink your dream if it involves a high-maintenance home that means you’ll have much less time to spend with friends and family. People can be house poor in time as well as in money,” he says.

-- Factor relative property costs into your moving decisions.

As a self-employed writer and literary agent, Bykofsky is free to live anywhere she likes. If you’re in the same position or are on the verge of retirement, you, too, could upgrade your lifestyle at a lower expense by moving to a new area.

As Tyson says, a disparity in property valuations means you might get a home you like much better at a lower price, just by changing venues.

“The truth is that property costs are intensely location specific. Someone leaving a high-cost area is often stunned by how much more house they could own for the same money in a cheaper city,” he says.

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

In many popular neighborhoods, starter homes continue to sell at a healthy pace. After all, such available properties are in extremely short supply in such areas. Still, there are signs that, relatively, buyer interest is now weaker in some expensive communities.

It’s all about supply and demand.

“The dismal number of listings in the affordable price range is squeezing prospective first-time buyers the most,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org). But he notes there are many more homes available in pricier communities.

“In fancy neighborhoods, home prices have been escalating for so many months that some high-income people are delaying a purchase for the time being,” says Tom Early, a real estate broker and former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Early says that while there are no magic bullets for sellers of homes in an unfavorable market, there are a few steps you can take to speed up the process.

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Hire a professional “stager” for a minimal level of advice.

Staging is the art of transforming a property so potential buyers can visualize themselves living there. Properly done, staging accentuates a home’s attractive features and minimizes its drawbacks.

Working under a full-service contract, most stagers will provide an array of services. They’ll remove excess furniture and personal items and rearrange the remaining pieces. Often, they also supplement the owners’ furnishings with eye-catching accessories of their own.

Unfortunately, the cost of hiring a professional stager for a full contract menu of services can run $500 or more and exceed the amount many home sellers can afford, says Michelle Minch, the owner of a staging company called Moving Mountains Design (movingmountainsdesign.com).

But Minch says for a much lower price, perhaps around $100, budget-conscious sellers can obtain an abbreviated consultation and receive pointers they can execute themselves.

“For just an hour or so of consultation time, a good stager can tell you about furniture arrangement and also recommend mild, pleasing paint colors for your walls. You’ll get a road map for making your house move-in ready,” she says.

How can you find a competent stager who will work on an “a la carte” basis? Minch suggests you visit the website of the Real Estate Staging Association (realestatestagingassociation.com). Look for stagers in your area and be sure to check out their websites for examples of their work before you give them a call.

-- Hold a home-selling party with friends.

Sometimes, the owners of a property that’s lingered on the market will pressure their listing agents to conduct several public open houses. That way, they hope to increase their odds of selling promptly.

But traditional open houses rarely lead to a sale, says Lisa Atkinson, an agent affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (crs.com). That’s because these events typically attract few qualified home-buying prospects and are more likely to draw curiosity seekers. Most serious buyers see homes on an appointment basis, during a tour led by their agent, she says.

A better way to ignite renewed interest in your place is to throw a “home-selling party,” inviting your close friends and relatives. Such a party is more likely to lead to a sale. That’s because those close to you will be more motivated to promote the sale of your home than are strangers.

“In any case, the party can help revive your excitement about your home-selling goal,” Atkinson says.

-- Request that your listing agent spread the word about your property.

In extremely strong seller’s markets, well-priced properties practically sell themselves and listing agents have relatively fewer marketing duties. But in posh neighborhoods now, the well-honed marketing skills of an experienced listing agent are critically important.

One key marketing skill your listing agent can use is to “talk up” your place to other real estate agents who have home-buying clients of their own, Atkinson says.

“Strong agents will respond to your request to step up informal marketing of your place by spreading the word. They’ll make personal phone calls to other agents. They’ll also take flyers about your house to their professional meetings and hand them out. This way you should get more people over to visit your house,” she says.

“By alerting other agents to your property, your listing agent will enhance your chances of finding a buyer,” Atkinson says.

-- Take full advantage of blooming plants.

It’s nice to have fresh-cut flowers on display throughout your home’s interior. But if average market times in your neighborhood are quite long, the cost of keeping fresh flowers in your home can add up to a substantial sum.

One less expensive alternative is to display flowering, potted plants indoors and then, as the temperatures warm, to later install such blooms in your outdoor gardens, especially in the front of your house.

The color of bountiful, blooming plants is a great way to make any home more attractive, according to Minch, the staging company owner.

“Correct pricing is tremendously important. But every house that’s up for sale is an entrant in a beauty contest. And prettier is always better,” she says.

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