Many baby boomers are compelled to downsize due to tight finances. But an affluent minority of retirees is now turning this tradition on its head: instead of trading down, they’re buying bigger, plusher and more amenity-rich houses.

Debbie Pincus, a Connecticut psychotherapist who’s been in practice since 1985, says many boomers adhere to the philosophy that “more is better” and are unwilling to compromise their expectations, even in their retirement years.

“Their attitude is if I can afford it, why not go for it? That not only applies to larger houses with gorgeous kitchens, but also (includes) lots of plans to travel abroad, go back to college or take up new hobbies,” she says.

Pincus never attempts to dissuade her clients from fulfilling their real estate ambitions. But she does encourage them to consider the trade-offs in time, energy and money involved in expanding the scope of their ownership, especially during their later years.

“So often, people who own more are stressed more than people who own less,” she says.

Here are a few pointers for retirees intending to upsize:

-- Ask yourself how often your offspring would likely visit your big house.

Sid Davis, a real estate broker who’s authored seven books on real estate, says it's rare for older people to have the means and inclination to upsize. But those capable of buying bigger often go to great lengths to fulfill their vision.

“These are people with big, close families. Their lives revolve around family,” Davis says.

If the vision of a "family mecca" appeals to you, Davis says you’ll want to search for a property that’s readily reachable by as many family members as possible.

“Take stock of your family and their future work plans,” he says.

“If you’re family-oriented and want the kids to visit often, there’s probably no point to moving to an area where that’s not realistic,” Davis says.

-- Question whether a senior community would work well for family visits.

Maybe you and your spouse would like to move to an age-restricted, gated community. Yet you’d also like to see your progeny as often as possible. If so, you could well give a second thought to your original plan.

“Your grandkids aren’t going to find many fun things to do in a senior-oriented subdivision. Rather than moving to a senior community, pick a place with more recreational options for the kids,” Davis says.

Tom Early, a real estate broker and former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), suggests you consider buying a property near a neighborhood swimming pool, in an area where lots of young families live. Or look for an area well suited to horseback riding or fishing.

“You really need to find out what activities your family enjoys. Focus on the interests of both the young children and teenagers in your group,” Early says.

-- Factor airport and road access into your thinking.

Do you hanker to retire to a faraway place with a better climate and still see the extended family often? If so, Davis says you’d be well advised to choose an area with good transportation access.

“If you move a long way away and yet want the kids to visit a lot, you’d better live close to highways or an excellent airport,” he says.

Of course, you won’t want to live so close to an airport that you’ll be tormented by the noise of planes flying overhead. Yet you’ll want to be close enough so that family visits aren’t too arduous.

“People counting on air travel for the family to get together should live within a 90-minute drive from an airport with good service,” Davis says.

-- Consider the importance of spare bedrooms.

Are you hoping for overnight visits from family? If so, you’ll want the right home features to accommodate everyone.

“Look for a house with at least three bedrooms and, even more important, as many bathrooms as possible. The kids can always double up in the bedrooms. But if you have only one bathroom, you’re bound to have bottlenecks,” Davis says.

Also, he recommends that those seeking to create a family mecca look for large common areas in their upsized property.

“Ideally, you’ll want a country kitchen where all the family can gather, as well as a large family room and a great room,” Davis says.

-- Don’t compromise your own comfort in the home selection process.

Davis says some older people who plan to upsize can become so focused on their grandchildren that they forget their own housing priorities. But he advises them to keep their own goals front and center during the home selection process.

“Young people do fine in a house with lots of stairs. But stairs can become a real issue for people over 60, especially after health problems set in. That’s why it’s smart to choose a one-level house if possible,” he says.

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

Housing specialists say the homebuying market -- which slowed down in recent weeks due to political and economic volatility -- should regain some velocity by this spring.

In December -- the latest month for which numbers are available, home sales took a steep 6.4 percent fall. But Cheryl Young, a senior economist for Trulia, a real estate data company, predicts that more of the potential purchasers now on the sidelines should return to the trail within a few months.

“There will be a little bit of a pop come spring, the traditional buying season, but not a complete comeback,” Young says.

Through to the end of 2018, there was a significant shortage of starter-level properties available in many popular neighborhoods. That led to extreme frustration for numerous would-be homeowners who dropped out temporarily rather than deal with intense competitive pressure from rival bidders.

But as Young notes, inventory levels are gradually rising once again, and that means more potential purchasers are expected to resume their property searches.

“There’s still a lot of pent-up demand for homebuying, especially among young people under 35 who’ve been waiting to get their foot in the door, so to speak,” she says.

With more properties available for sale, springtime buyers should have more time to research their choices before committing to any given home. That way they stand a better chance of making a solid decision.

Home staging -- the art of making properties appear enticing to buyers -- is on the rise in many neighborhoods. But Young urges buyers to look beyond the superficial to discover the “bones” of the property, with the aim of determining if it’s structurally strong and in good repair.

In particular, she urges buyers to retain the right to hire a professional home inspector prior to finalizing a deal rather than waiving that right in an attempt to strengthen their bid.

“A house is a massive purchase, and you don’t want to go into it blindly,” Young says.

Here are a few other pointers for buyers:

-- Look beyond the obvious even during your first visit to a place.

Obviously, a buyer can learn much more from visiting a home than simply seeing it on the internet. And resourceful purchasers take full advantage of the opportunity.

Reid Guthrie, an inspector affiliated with the American Society of Home Inspectors (ashi.org), urges buyers to investigate when they see furniture or carpets positioned in unusual ways.

“Sometimes, the seller will use throw rugs or pieces of furniture to try to conceal problems or defects,” Guthrie says.

-- Carry your own measuring devices to check room sizes.

Sid Davis, a longtime real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home,” says that to make a property look spacious, stagers sometimes clear away all but a few key pieces of furniture per room. And when creating a model home for a builder, they may even bring in scaled-down furniture to give the illusion of enhanced size. To guard against such practices, he encourages buyers to bring along measuring devices when touring properties.

“For a fairly nominal price, you can buy high-tech laser sensors that make it easy to measure anything around a house,” he says.

He also suggests you bring to your house tour the measurements of your largest pieces of furniture. This will provide you with a further sense of the scale of a home relative to your belongings.

-- Don’t get carried away with flowering glitz.

During the warmer seasons of the year, home sellers have an easy time showing off the colorful annuals they’ve planted outside. But all year long they can place impressive potted plants near the front door or throughout a home’s interior.

Color is a natural magnet for buyer interest, and many are swayed by blooming plants. Even so, Davis says would-be buyers should recognize that many of the plants displayed by home sellers will be short-lived.

“It’s almost a cliche in real estate that people buy a house for the garden in the spring. Then within a year, the flowerbeds have gone to pot -- all because the buyers didn’t replace the annuals that were planted for show,” he says.

-- Choose a highly qualified home inspector.

Guthrie, a veteran of the home inspection business, allows that some in his field are more interested in packing many inspections into a day than doing in-depth checks.

“You’ve got to wonder about any inspector who doesn’t want his clients there when he’s going through the house because it will slow him down,” Guthrie says.

According to Davis, a top-notch home inspector is enthusiastic about discovering the inner workings of a home and can prove invaluable to the savvy buyer.

“You’re looking for an inspector who can translate the fluff into reality,” he says.

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

Calling all homebuyers: Economists have a message for you. They say time is on your side as you prepare for your first property purchase. That’s because the supply of homes, once tighter than a drum, is gradually increasing.

“Several consecutive months of rising inventory is a positive development for consumers and could lead to slower home price appreciation,” says Lawrence Yun, the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

At Zillow, the housing data company, senior economist Aaron Terrazas says that buyers intent on purchasing a brand-new home are in a particularly advantageous position.

“More newly built homes are seeing their list prices drop,” he says.

What’s behind the shift to a more balanced market for buyers? For one thing, economic uncertainty has led to an overall decline in sales of existing homes, which plummeted 6.4 percent in December. This translates to fewer purchasers competing for the same properties.

Another factor easing pressure on would-be buyers is that mortgage rates, widely expected to soar early this year, have recently moderated, bringing them back within the range of historic lows.

What all this means for those seeking to gain a foothold on the first step of the housing ladder is that they can proceed at a reasonable pace and still find a desirable and fairly priced property. Except in the hottest markets, they have less reason to fear losing out in multiple bidding situations.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” says a slowdown in the frantic market is a positive for many young buyers who are saddled with student debt and credit card payments and need time to save for their down payment and closing costs.

But he says that even buyers who are debt-free are often better off moving cautiously toward a first-home purchase.

“Making a major housing move is analogous to a big career change. Because both can have consequences for years to come, there’s no reason for rushing into any decision you could regret later,” Tyson says.

Here are a few pointers for long lead-time buyers:

-- Locate an experienced real estate agent to guide you.

People who are moving to a new metro area are well advised to search for an agent who has years of experience selling homes in any community they’re considering, says Tom Early, a real estate broker and former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Before you start looking at specific properties, a strong agent will help you navigate the new locale, supplying you with data on home prices and valuation trends, relative school performance statistics and information on nearby amenities.

-- Play reporter in your quest for a desirable neighborhood.

The area where you choose to live is a major factor determining your lifestyle -- and that’s why neighborhood choice matters greatly.

“Homebuyers should always take the time they need to compare neighborhood alternatives before moving,” Tyson says.

As you develop a short list of neighborhood options, some of the most useful sources for reality-based information are people who live and work in the areas you’re considering.

What’s the best way to approach neighborhood residents? Early recommends you walk through the community on a weekend afternoon when many people are likely to be out in their yards. Tell them you admire their neighborhood and are considering a move there. Then feel free to politely pose a few questions.

“If people start giving you the cold shoulder, you can bet that neighborhood is unfriendly. For that reason alone, you may want to drop it from your list,” Early says.

Those considering a condo-apartment may find it harder to chat with a building’s residents, though some may talk to you as they enter or exit the complex. Also, an agent who lists property in that building may line up contacts for you.

-- Supplement your search with visits to open houses.

If you’re a long lead-time buyer planning a major move, you needn’t rely solely on your agent to help you sort through your choices.

“By visiting a lot of open houses, you can narrow down what you do and don’t like in a home. Eliminating options can be extremely useful in narrowing your search,” Early says.

Many open houses are heavily advertised with street signs posted by the listing agents for the properties. If you’re considering condo-apartments, however, Early suggests you consult local newspaper or online ads for open-house details.

-- Drop any agent who attempts to pressure you to buy prematurely.

Although agents are compensated on commission -- and therefore don’t make any money until a sale goes through -- a reputable one won’t try to hurry you into a purchase before you’re ready.

“It’s a big red flag if an agent starts pushing you,” Tyson says.

Of course, it’s not fair to ask the agent to spend multiple weekends over months showing you property unless you’re progressing toward your ultimate goal. Every veteran agent has had to cut ties with clients who looked continuously without any serious intention of buying.

Still, as Tyson says, it’s not unreasonable to spend up to six months doing intermittent (yet focused) outings with an agent before committing to a property purchase in an area that’s new to you.

“A reputable agent will be patient with homebuyers who are heading in the right direction and just need time,” he says.

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