After college, a preschool teacher fulfilled her heartfelt wish to take up residence in a trendy Manhattan neighborhood. She couldn’t imagine a more exciting lifestyle and so pursued her New York dream for nearly 10 years.

But after getting married and starting a family, the teacher’s priorities changed quickly. Suddenly, she and her new husband hankered to move from their tiny New York rental to a three-bedroom house of their own in a nearby suburb with greenery and good schools.

“They had a strong urge for a real community, a place with friendly families who have little kids of their own,” says Stacy Berman, a veteran real estate agent and the teacher’s aunt.

Like many first-time buyers, the young couple were convinced they could pursue their real estate plans on their own. They spent countless hours doing internet research, scanning available listings. They also drove around several appealing neighborhoods, dropping by a number of open houses.

Yet after months of independent searching without success, the couple still felt confused and overwhelmed. That’s when the teacher reached out to her aunt for help.

Berman referred the couple to an experienced real estate agent in their area, and shortly after they found an affordable townhouse to their liking in a neighborhood that met many of their requirements.

“A good agent helps you see the big picture, provides hand-holding through the entire process and assists you to reach sound decisions,” Berman says.

Professional guidance is particularly important during the current period, when entry-level homes remain in short supply and prices are still ascending.

“These days it’s especially tough for families with children to get all their needs met in a property that’s still within their price range,” says Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

She urges working parents to pick a community that’s reasonably close to their jobs, even if that means accepting a smaller or older place than they could obtain for the same price in a distant suburb.

“It’s important that the kids have you at home rather than sitting in traffic two hours a day,” Helfant says.

Here are a few other pointers for buyers with young offspring:

-- Don’t rely solely on test scores when assessing school quality.

Though it’s now easy to compare schools on standardized test scores, there are many other factors to consider as well, according to GreatSchools (greatschools.org), a national nonprofit that ranks schools in multiple ways and offers guidelines for parents on school selection.

William Bainbridge, an educational policy expert, urges buyers with kids to visit any school of interest. That way they’ll get a feel for the school’s culture and whether its employees support and encourage the students who attend there.

“You could be surprised to find that a school in a less expensive neighborhood could be a better bet than one in a pricey area, especially if your child has special talents or needs,” Bainbridge says.

-- Reduce your expectations on yard size.

Many parents -- recalling their own carefree childhoods in suburban settings where big yards were the norm -- automatically assume their kids will thrive more with a large yard.

“But what was good for you back then isn’t necessarily the only good choice for your kids today," Helfant says.

"Once kids reach school age, most are involved in lots of programmed activities, such as sports teams, educational enrichment and summer camps. There’s less spontaneous play,” she says.

Also, neighborhoods where yards are smaller are often friendlier and closer-knit.

“Where yards are smaller, kids are closer to their friends. They can walk door-to-door. You don’t always have to drive them around to see their buddies,” Helfant says.

-- Look for a floor plan that meshes with your lifestyle.

Helfant says it’s more important for couples with children to have a floor plan that encourages togetherness than a large home.

“You can trade off those big, formal dining and living rooms if you can get a full-sized kitchen that flows directly into a fairly big family room,” she says.

For dual-income families, the advantage of this combination area is that it encourages parents and kids to spend time together, while the parents are cooking or the kids are doing homework or playing games on the computer.

-- Seek as many bedrooms as you can afford.

Brand-new houses with lots of square footage typically feature spacious master bedroom suites. Secondary bedrooms, designed for children or guests, are also very large, often with their own walk-in closets.

But Helfant says it’s more important for families to have an adequate number of bedrooms than large bedrooms or a sumptuous master suite. Children naturally prefer to have their own rooms, though they’ll adapt if your housing budget requires them to share rooms.

“Even more important than the number of bedrooms is that families have at least two full baths -- meaning each has a shower or a tub-shower combination. This is a simple matter of convenience,” she says.

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

Ten years ago, in the wake of the real estate market crash, some thinkers predicted that many young adults would disavow homeownership in favor of lifelong renting.

As it turned out, their predictions were greatly overstated.

“When a couple gets pregnant or wants a dog plus a fenced yard for the dog to run in, that’s when they get extremely serious about buying a house,” says Ashley Richardson, a veteran real estate agent affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com).

Given that the economy remains strong and mortgage rates low, Richardson and other real estate specialists expect 2020 to be a near banner year for home sales to millennials.

“This year we’re facing a huge amount of pent-up demand among buyers,” says Richardson, who sells property through the Long & Foster realty company.

Aspiring first-time buyers in many popular metro areas face nearly unprecedented challenges in their quest for ownership, according to Tom Early, a longtime real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

“In recent years, price increases have vastly outstripped wage gains for many young buyers. At the same time, inventories of entry-level property have been as tight as a drum in lots of places where people want to live,” Early says.

Largely because of the challenges they face, many would-be 2020 homeowners are already taking preparatory steps for a purchase. They’re attending home-buying seminars, cleaning up blemishes on their credit reports, seeking mortgage pre-approval and surveying property online.

Here are a few pointers for motivated first-time buyers:

-- Screen for experience when selecting a real estate agent to assist you.

People who are seeking to buy a first property are advised to search for an agent who has years of experience selling homes in their targeted area.

Before you start looking at specific properties, a strong agent will supply you with data on home prices and valuation trends, relative school performance statistics, and information on nearby amenities, such as parks and hiker-biker trails.

-- Fire any agent who tries to rush you to buy before you’re ready.

Though most 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, says Eric Tyson, a consumer advocate and co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies.”

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 goal of finding the best available neighborhood and home in your price range. 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 multiple months doing intermittent (yet focused) outings with an agent before committing.

-- Supplement your search with visits to open houses.

If you’re planning a major housing change, like moving from a downtown condo to a detached house in the suburbs, you needn’t rely solely on your agent to help you sort through your choices. You can do much of the footwork on your own.

“By visiting a lot of open houses, you can narrow down what you do and don’t like in a home,” Early says.

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

-- Look to neighborhood residents for local information.

As you develop a short list of housing alternatives, some of the most useful sources of realistic information are those who live and work in the areas you’re considering.

“People usually know their neck of the woods as well as any professional who sells property there. Unless they’re trying to unload their home, the neighbors will tell you the real skinny about traffic tie-ups, school problems and noise issues,” Early says.

What’s the best way to approach neighborhood residents? He 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.

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

A couple in their 30s -- a Spanish teacher married to a mechanical engineer -- had an explosive breakup due to suddenly discovered infidelity. Within a matter of hours, she’d packed up and moved, bringing the relationship to a sudden end.

But decisions about the couple’s real estate took much longer. Through their lawyers, the partners ultimately forged an agreement letting the husband retain ownership of the couple’s suburban house, a deal approved by the divorce court.

One year after the divorce, the husband decided to sell the house. Though he enjoyed its tranquil setting overlooking a nature preserve, life there proved too full of bitter memories.

Laurel Starks doesn’t know the couple in this true story. But as an expert on real estate and divorce, she understands why it took the husband a lengthy time to make a final decision on the sale of the house.

“Ending a relationship through divorce is usually new terrain, accompanied by its own riot of emotions. Together, these ingredients can make for an overwhelmingly traumatic experience,” says Starks, the author of “The House Matters in Divorce.”

“It’s not only the emotional issues related to housing that need to be sorted out in the post-breakup period. Often there are also many thorny financial issues involved," says Bojana Rovchanin, a chartered financial analyst who specializes in helping clients make real estate choices.

Of course, not everyone who owns a home post-divorce can afford to wait to sell. Some face court orders forcing them to do so. And others confront financial constraints that compel them to liquidate promptly.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and longtime broker, says that in the post-divorce period, many people cling to ownership of a family home because it represents their identity. This is especially common for women with grown children. Even so, moving to a different place can give them a fresh start on life.

“Keeping a house that’s essentially become a museum of your past life is usually very lonely. It’s also costly in time and money to keep a place with lots of extra space,” says Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

Here are a few pointers for those facing a post-divorce housing decision:

-- Seek guidance on the financial implications of your options.

Nash recommends that anyone facing a major money decision -- such as whether to sell a house -- consult a trusted accountant or financial planner before going forward.

“Everyone needs a reality check on their money. You need an impartial observer to help you make a careful assessment of your whole financial situation and analyze your alternatives,” Nash says.

Before you visit your adviser’s office, Nash encourages you to spend time with your checkbook and credit card statements to determine exactly how much your house is costing you.

“Many people greatly underestimate what they’re spending on home upkeep, household services and furnishings. They think only about their mortgage payments and taxes,” Nash says.

-- Frame your options within the big picture of your ideal lifestyle.

Often, people see their real estate choices in isolation from the larger issues of their lives, says Michael Knight, a planner affiliated with the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (napfa.org). But he says all major financial decisions should be made with your lifestyle preferences in mind.

Assuming you’re one of those fortunate enough to have financial options, to whom should you turn to help formulate your plans? Sometimes, a real estate agent who’s willing to listen to your story (and won’t push you to sell) is a better adviser than a close friend or family member.

“The people closest to you aren’t always the most objective. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to a real estate agent, consider talking through your personal plans with a therapist or life coach,” Nash says.

-- Move toward a conclusion slowly and deliberately.

Nash, like many veterans of the real estate business, knows it can be a mistake to hurry into a home sale soon after a life-changing event, such as a marital breakup or the death of a spouse. For many people, this is an especially traumatic period if it occurs around the time their children have left the nest for college or other endeavors.

“When the last child leaves home, some people go through a personal crisis that can cloud their judgment,” Nash says.

He advises those navigating through any major life transition to wait as long as it takes to make a decision they know will be comfortable for them.

“If time allows, delay any big housing move until your gut -- and pocketbook -- tell you the time is absolutely right,” Nash says.

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