Are you a longtime renter determined to make your first home purchase as soon as possible?

If so, you need to face squarely the realties that confront all wintertime buyers, says Felipe Chacon, a housing economist for Trulia, which tracks real estate markets across America.

The biggest problem for buyers this season is that prices are continuing to rise, especially for homes in coveted close-in neighborhoods that are walkable and loaded with amenities. Meanwhile, inventories in these popular communities are still lean and, to make matters worse, many sellers take their property off the market in winter.

Moreover, a new statistical report by Chacon shows that those hanging onto a property that’s overpriced rarely take a necessary price cut in early winter. More sellers are willing to cut deals during the warmer seasons.

But all isn’t negative for those who intend to buy a house this winter, says Tom Early, a real estate broker who twice served as president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

“Comparatively speaking, mortgage rates are still breathtakingly low for buyers these days,” Early says.

Another positive, he says, is that a minority of those homeowners who’ve kept their properties on the market in winter are very anxious to sell. Often, these are owners who must relocate due to a job change or other reason.

“These are people who realize that time is money,” he says.

Here are a few pointers for wintertime homebuyers:

-- Search for highly motivated sellers.

As Early says, one key to finding a good deal is to search for owners who are exceptionally motivated.

“Wintertime buyers should look for ‘stale listings.’ These involve owners who’ve been asking too much and therefore have been unsuccessful in selling for months on end. They’re finally getting worn down and are therefore more willing to deal,” he says.

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 that 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 percent of their list price, you might consider a first bid at a 5 percent discount off what’s being asked -- assuming your research shows this is warranted.

-- Don’t try to negotiate through insults.

Suppose you’re seriously considering a house that suits your needs. But you notice a few minor shortcomings in the floor plan, such as the location of the laundry room and the first-floor powder room.

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 a property's minor flaws or by noting the owners’ poor taste in decor.

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

“Criticize the owners and you’ll only shoot yourself in the foot. The odds are they’ll take your comments personally and resist dealing with you at all,” says Davis, a longtime real estate broker.

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. But do so in a manner that doesn’t offend the owners.

“Practice the art of being assertive without being annoying,” Davis says.

-- Launch 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, 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 pre-approval, which will give you a realistic sense of how much you can afford. A pre-approval letter is also a strong bargaining chip.

“The most important reason for mortgage pre-approval is to get your lender’s blessing that you’re qualified for a loan. This makes you a lot more credible with your sellers,” he says.

-- Stay positive about your push for homeownership.

Will 2018 represent a gradual shift toward more of a buyer’s market? No one knows for sure. In most areas, property values continue to rise, though there are an increasing number of exceptions to this rule. But the new Trulia report offers some hints for better times ahead for buyers. Chacon notes than half of home sellers in the 100 largest U.S. metro areas took price reductions during the year ended this October, which could foretell more price cuts throughout next year.

Early says buyer confidence remains strong among those in the millennial generation, whose earnings are gradually rising.

“Many millennials are late bloomers in their early 30s who are just now settling down and getting married. They’re chomping at the bit to finally buy a house of their own,” he says.

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

On the national level, property values continue to rise. Indeed, homes in half the country’s metro areas gained more than $10,000 in value within a year. What’s more, there’s a severe scarcity of property in the starter home category.

The statistics come from Zillow, which tracks housing markets throughout the country.

“We’re in the midst of an inventory crisis that shows no signs of waning -- impacting potential buyers all across the country,” says Svenja Gudell, Zillow’s chief economist.

With too many buyers chasing too few available properties, is overconfidence justified on the part of home sellers? Not at all, real estate experts say.

“In every city and every neighborhood, there are always sellers who either can’t get their house sold or who are getting only weak offers,” says Eric Tyson, a consumer advocate and co-author of “House Selling for Dummies.”

Despite inventory shortages, most buyers retain high standards and find it tough to picture themselves living in a house with peeling paint, cluttered rooms or mold-ridden bathrooms.

At a time when sellers are riding high, is it worth it to plunge precious savings into a home just to make it more aesthetically appealing to buyers? Yes, says Dorcas Helfant, the broker-owner of several realty offices.

“For a relatively small sum -- usually under $10,000 -- and a little hard work, sellers can often transform a ho-hum place into a much more likable one. Usually, the return on investment is well worth it,” says Helfant, a former president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Bring class to your property with interior moldings.

There’s a reason homebuilders make extensive use of decorative interior trim work, such as crown moldings, chair railings and wainscoting. That’s because these embellishments give a home a finished quality that usually exceeds the cost of the work, says Sid Davis, author of “Home Makeovers That Sell.”

“For a few thousand dollars, (homeowners) can get a lot of quality woodwork done,” Davis says.

Davis tells a true story to illustrate the appeal of well-crafted interior trim. He recalls handling two listings for 1950s-era cottages with nearly identical floor plans and price tags. But one had extensive moldings and the other had none.

“A couple in their 20s had been scouring the neighborhood for the perfect starter home. After looking at the two cottages, they immediately picked the one with the moldings," Davis says.

-- Freshen the paint in more rooms.

Replacing bright or unusual colors with neutral shades is standard practice when prepping a home for sale. But to put your place in superior showing condition, further painting could be warranted. For example, Davis strongly recommends you get a first-class paint job on your front door, the most visible surface of your property. Also, have a painter freshen any walls or rooms that need touchups due to wear.

“To give your place a finished quality means every single ding must be filled in, sanded and redone. Search all your high traffic areas for imperfections,” says Davis, adding that professional painting shouldn’t cost more than $200 to $600 per room.

“Remember to ask your contractors to paint your moldings in a light, contrasting tone, such as glossy white, so they’ll pop out and look sensational,” he says.

As a finishing touch to add luster, replace all the hardware on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets, a step that should cost no more than $150.

-- Do an intensive cleaning in your property.

Often when Davis tells clients to make their property immaculate, they respond with puzzled stares.

If you’re unclear what it means to make your house exceptionally clean, Davis recommends you pick up a book on the topic. One reference volume he likes is “Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook.”

Though books can provide guidance, the best way for most sellers to achieve a lofty level of cleanliness is to hire a professional cleaning company -- one you find through referrals from your listing agent, neighbors or colleagues at work.

“Give the company a complete checklist of everything you need done. Be sure this includes meticulous cleaning of all your chandeliers and light fixtures, as well as deep scouring of bathroom and kitchen tile to remove all the mildew. This whole job should cost no more than $200 to $400, depending on the condition and size of your place," Davis says.

-- Remember the sparkle that comes with clean windows.

Chances are your cleaning crew won’t tackle one piece of work crucial to the look of your home: a thorough window cleaning.

“It’s amazing how well a house can look when the windows are crystal clear inside and out. People see the difference when they first drive up,” Davis says.

The cost of a professional cleaning is typically less than $200, though this depends on local labor costs and the number of windows involved.

-- Keep your home on the market while improving it.

As Davis says, some owners become so discouraged they remove their home from the market because it’s gone unsold for longer than they’d like.

But if your home is correctly priced and is still receiving showings, you still have a good shot at selling it soon, especially if you’re willing to spend the money to do a cosmetic makeover.

“Get all the cleaning, painting and trim work done quickly," Davis says. "Pick the weekdays when visitors rarely come through -- Tuesday through Thursday. Then don’t be surprised if you start seeing greater buyer interest by the time the weekend rolls around.”

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

After the financial crisis, homes were on the market at a deep discount, and potential buyers were scared property values would drop further. Now the situation has flipped, and starter home buyers fret that escalating prices mean they’ll never obtain a home.

“Housing inventories are still tight as a drum in the starter-home segment,” says Sid Davis, a veteran real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home.”

Will 2018 prove a more favorable time for first-timers? Will inventories swell? Will mortgage rates ascend from their near-historic lows? As Davis underscores, no economist can predict the future with certainty. That’s why he and many other real estate specialists urge would-be buyers not to postpone their quest for homeownership.

Svenja Gudell, chief economist for Zillow, which tracks real estate markets throughout the country, says saving for a down payment is a moving target for novice buyers in many communities.

“Sky-high rents and rising home prices are putting first-time buyers in a bit of a catch-22,” Gudell says.

In many metro areas, it now costs nearly as much to rent an apartment as to buy a reasonably sized condo, townhouse or detached property. That’s increased incentives for homeownership, despite the intense competition over scarce listings.

Real estate specialists say a well-planned approach to homeownership helps calm the anxieties of many novices. Here are a few common buyer fears and how to surmount them:

-- Fear of exposing your credit history to a mortgage lender.

Davis says many would-be homeowners worry how their credit histories will be viewed by mortgage lenders. But he says most such anxieties are usually baseless, even during the present period, when lending standards remain stringent.

Mortgage pre-approval -- which lets buyers assess their borrowing capability before they head out to shop for a property -- is now easily obtained over the phone. Even so, Davis says some first-timers prefer to go to the lender’s office for pre-approval.

Also, to ensure they’re being quoted a competitive rate for their mortgage, he encourages all buyers to shop lenders before submitting a formal loan application.

“One superb way to find a good mortgage is to go to a small community bank or a credit union. They might give you a better deal than a large bank,” Davis says.

-- Worry that your family will judge your home choice harshly.

On financial matters, many young first-time homebuyers still look to parents for guidance. But sometimes, the involvement of elders can backfire.

“It’s not unusual for the intervention of parents to blow up a deal for their kids,” Davis says.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with seeking help from your parents. But he says it’s wise to involve them early on -- not after you’ve picked out the property and are about to seal the purchase.

“(Parents) tend to highlight the shortcomings of a property the kids like. And this can scotch a deal,” Davis says.

If you’re afraid to go forward without your parents’ help, he suggests you bring them along on your initial house-hunting trips. That way they can compare various alternatives and will likely give you more objective advice.

But Davis cautions young buyers against giving parents a veto over their final property selection, even if they’re helping fund the down payment.

“One approach is to involve parents in your early home shopping trips but then gracefully preclude them from the final decision making-process,” he says.

-- Fear of making a huge error.

Davis says many wannabe homebuyers become risk averse -- worrying they’ll select the wrong property. And such fears are understandable in the aftermath of the housing crisis.

“New buyers often feel they’re walking through a swamp of unknowns. But a lot of their anxieties are needless,” Davis says.

He says it’s not uncommon for young buyers seeking emotional safety to keep researching the market rather than make a decision. But in areas where sellers have the upper hand, buyers can forfeit the chance to buy a home they love simply by obsessing too long over the details.

Davis says the best remedy for home-selection anxiety is solid information. Work with an agent who can accurately advise on the true market value of any property you’re considering, thereby reducing your chances of overpaying.

“It’s a good thing for young buyers to get a lot of hand-holding from a reputable agent, ideally one who enjoys helping first-timers,” Davis says.

-- Fear of lacking enough funds to reach the finish line.

Of course, it can be costly to make a housing change at any stage of your life. But Davis says many longtime renters overestimate how much cash they need to become owners.

Granted, low-down-payment conventional mortgages remain harder to obtain than they were before the last recession. But buyers can still get into a first property for little or no down through programs offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (va.gov) or the Federal Housing Administration (hud.gov). Also, many state and local governments continue to provide first-time buyer assistance programs.

“Finding a really sharp Sherpa from the mortgage field can help you climb into homeownership,” Davis says.

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