Real estate agents across the nation say downsizing is down but upsizing is way, way up. The main reason? COVID-19 has convinced many that living large is much more commodious at a time when one’s residence is the centerpiece of both family life and work.

What’s top of mind for many homebuyers now are the needs of their young children -- many of whom have been stuck at home for months with classes and summer camps canceled, says Stacy Berman, a veteran agent now doing a brisk business helping home shoppers who aspire to upsize.

Berman notes that parents don’t know when and under what circumstances their children will return to school or their usual extracurricular activities. Because of that, “Families are looking for homes where their kids can have backyard space -- maybe even enough space to install a big Slip 'N Slide or a trampoline,” says Berman, who’s affiliated with the Residential Real Estate Council (crs.com).

COVID-19 has also underscored the importance of having as much interior square footage as possible, says Tom Early, a longtime real estate broker who works solely with buyers and takes no listings.

“People still want a fabulous kitchen that connects to a super ‘great room,’ but now they also want a home office for every adult and dedicated homework space for all the kids. On top of that, they wish for a nice home entertainment center and a home workout room for the whole family,” says Early, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

“Millions of Americans who lost jobs or income are only able to stay in their homes right now thanks to extraordinary forbearance programs, which means they likely have to pause their plans to trade up or move to a new city,” says Jeff Tucker, an economist for Zillow (zillow.com), which tracks real estate markets throughout the U.S.

But as Tucker observes, the availability of near-record low mortgage rates is proving a strong incentive for move-up buyers who hold steady jobs and are yearning for a larger, more kid-friendly house.

Buyer eagerness is reflected in the latest Home Purchase Sentiment Index done by Fannie Mae (fanniemae.com), the national mortgage company. After dropping to nearly its lowest level in history in April, the index bounced back significantly in June. Fully 61% of consumers now think it’s a good time to buy a home.

Here are a few pointers for buyers with young children:

-- Seek a property with as many bedrooms as your budget allows.

Newly built houses with a wealth of living space typically feature spacious master bedroom suites. In such houses, secondary bedrooms, designed for children and guests, are more of an afterthought.

But Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and the co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” says it’s often more important for families to have an adequate number of bedrooms than a luxurious master suite.

“People who have fond memories of sharing a bedroom with a sibling may be fine with that sort of setup. However, nowadays most buyers really want a separate bedroom for every kid -- so all the children can get enough sleep,” he says.

--Recognize that a two-story house gives you more space for the money.

Many current buyers favor single-level living. But Tyson says those with young children might wish to consider the advantages of living on two levels. That’s because it’s easier to contain the noise and mess of growing children if their bedrooms are separated from the family’s common living space. Also, young families can typically get more square footage for the money in a two-story house.

“In most areas, the key component of housing costs are land costs. Because two-story houses require less land, you usually get more house for the same price,” Tyson says.

-- Spend ample time investigating nearby schools.

Through the internet, it’s easy to compare schools on the basis of standardized test scores. But there are many other factors to consider as well, says Berman, whose children are 14 and 16 and still don’t know if their schools will reopen this fall.

Berman always advises her home-buying clients to make an appointment to visit schools in any neighborhood they’re considering and to meet with staff there. But during the pandemic, when in-person visits are often unavailable, she recommends parents request a video conference with the principal or staff counselors.

“Invisible factors make a huge difference to children, especially if they have special talents -- like art or music -- or special learning issues. Plus, the leadership of a school sets the tone for its culture, which could greatly affect your kids’ experience there,” Berman says.

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

Two years ago, Skylar Olsen and her young family moved from a townhouse in a hip Seattle neighborhood to Bainbridge Island, a bucolic part of western Washington state. There they selected a much more spacious, 3,000-square-foot house on a cul-de-sac in a freshly constructed subdivision.

Until recently, Olsen and her husband were doing the arduous daily commute by ferry to their offices in Seattle. But fast-forward to the COVID-19 era, and the couple, now working solely from home, are thrilled to be living in a friendly, family-oriented area where they’ve established many fulfilling relationships with other residents.

“It turned out to be a blessing we chose to live on the periphery in such a welcoming neighborhood,” says Olsen.

Olsen, an expert on housing trends, says the sort of lifestyle her family selected is what an increasing number of current buyers have come to favor during the new work-from-home era, when close-knit communities are highly prized.

“Social support from neighbors is so much more important now that most of us aren’t going to an office, a gym or any other places where we could get our social needs met,” says Olsen, the senior principal economist for Zillow, which tracks real estate markets throughout the country.

Despite the recession, housing experts say home sales have been unexpectedly strong this summer, powered in large measure by millennials motivated to move to a larger space in a congenial community setting.

“Through June, the housing recovery has been just frankly remarkable,” says Ivy Zelman, who tracks homebuilder stocks for Zelman & Associates, the New York-based research firm she heads (zelmanassociates.com).

As Zelman notes, near-record-low mortgage rates are a major driver keeping home sales strong. Although furloughed employees typically can’t qualify for a home loan, many who are lucky enough to retain well-paying jobs suited to remote work are now on the prowl for a different property more suited to their evolving lifestyles.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Investigate the “social culture” of any neighborhood you’re considering.

Mark Nash, a longtime real estate broker and analyst, says buyers who want a friendly, interactive community are well advised to spend some time there looking for less-than-obvious clues about how people relate.

“Even the most prestigious neighborhoods can have real issues,” says Nash, noting that just a few problematic residents can create problems for an entire community.

“It only takes a couple of curmudgeons to make everyone a little sour. A couple of intense ‘partyaholic’ guys could also spoil a neighborhood,” he says.

To learn more about the underlying social dynamics of a community, don’t hesitate to go door-to-door and strike up conversations with residents, or talk to local shopkeepers. Ask them about the pros and cons of living in the area.

-- Visit the neighborhood on multiple occasions.

Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home,” suggests that those with a strong interest in a community visit the area at varied hours to look for patterns of human behavior. Also consider visiting on a weekday as well as the weekend.

“Walk or drive through the neighborhood four times in a day -- during the morning, at mid-afternoon, at dinnertime and at 11 p.m. Notice whether people are relating to each other or staying holed up in their homes nearly all of the time,” he says.

In some neighborhoods, residents are superficially friendly yet don’t build in-depth relationships.

“Perhaps you’ll see people out walking their dogs who smile and wave to each other. But they seem too busy to stop and communicate,” Nash says.

-- Consider a brand-new development where friendships are still forming.

Are you interested in moving to a subdivision that’s still under development, but fear it could be an unfriendly place to raise your family? If so, Nash suggests you learn more about the community before rejecting it based on what could be an unfounded belief.

Granted, brand-new communities are often populated by two-income families with parents in their 20s to 40s who have demanding daily schedules. Still, many who move to these new areas are highly motivated to build lasting friendships with neighbors.

“Another positive is that in a brand-new neighborhood, everyone comes in from the same starting point. There’s no established social hierarchy for a newcomer to break into,” Nash says.

-- Realize that friendship is inevitably a reciprocal activity.

Those with a support structure within the immediate radius of their home have many advantages. Not only can they borrow the cup of sugar they need to finish that batch of cookies they’re baking, they can also find neighbors to help ensure the security of their home when they’re away on vacation, for example. Most important, they can count on help in an emergency situation.

But as Nash says, moving to a friendly neighborhood won’t guarantee you develop a strong support structure unless you invest time and energy in creating positive relationships that are genuinely give-and-take. You need to socialize during times of celebration as well as times of need.

“All good relationships are inevitably reciprocal. So, unless you’re interacting with your neighbors continuously, it’s unreasonable to expect they’ll be much help when you’re in a bind and need them terribly,” he says.

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

All this spring, a couple in their mid-30s struggled to buy their first home. They were exasperated with their landlord and eager to move to a handpicked neighborhood where their boys, 10 and 11, could attend top-ranked schools. Yet due to COVID-19, the spring market proved a bust for this young family.

“In five multiple bidding situations, they lost out to other buyers. They were extremely disillusioned,” recalls Neil Corkery, the buyer’s agent who assisted the couple.

As it worked out, this true tale had a happy ending. Through quick action a few days ago, these buyers were finally able to secure a property. They did that with a full-price offer on a diminutive gray rancher with three bedrooms and an attached one-car garage.

This is an acutely frustrating time for many buyers. It’s also a puzzling period for first-timers who wonder why, in the midst of a recession, the housing market remains highly competitive in many areas.

“The problem is, lots of buyers are now rushing forward because they believe mortgage rates are the lowest they’ll see in their lifetimes. The other issue is there’s a serious shortage of available houses, because many potential sellers don’t want buyers trooping through their property until COVID is over,” Corkery says.

In reality, of course, some would-be buyers are also waiting on the sidelines until there’s greater certainty about the direction of the overall real estate market. And economists say this position also has validity.

For example, at Moody’s Analytics, the financial services firm, chief economist Mark Zandi is forecasting a “cooling off” of home price appreciation later this year due to macroeconomic pressures.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Keep your emotions under control when shaping a bid.

Joan McLellan Tayler, who owned a realty firm for 15 years, says would-be buyers who in the past have lost houses to other bidders are sometimes prone to rush into a deal they might later regret.

“Without quick action, they fear they’ll be shut out of the market altogether,” says Tayler, the author of several real estate books.

Granted, buying a home is currently a competitive activity in many neighborhoods. But, she says, every property should be evaluated on its merits, not on the number of people vying to own it.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” suggests buyers set a ceiling on how much they’re willing to pay for a property before making an opening bid. This is especially important if one partner in a couple is likely to get carried away with a “must have” house.

-- Research neighborhoods through local residents.

Your agent should be helpful in sorting through property listings, making sure you identify the most promising homes available.

But once you have your eye on a particular place, it could be the time to talk to those who know the community best: residents.

“Believe me, most neighbors will bend your ear about their neighborhood. For example, they’ll tell you if they like or hate the local schools and the ages of kids who live in nearby homes,” Tyson says.

-- Educate yourself on local property values.

If you’re uneasy about the price tag attached to a property you like, have your real estate agent show you several comparable homes that are also on the market, including those “under contract,” Tyson says.

Resourceful buyers might even go a step further by asking people who’ve recently bought into the neighborhood whether they would mind giving them a peek inside.

“Drop a little note in their mailbox telling them you’re interested in the neighborhood, and leave your names and phone number in case they’ll let you come by,” Tyson says.

What’s the advantage of evaluating the price and quality of freshly sold homes? In areas where home prices are rising, the latest sales are the most telling, more so than transactions that occurred months ago, he says.

-- Visit enough properties to make an informed comparison.

Even if the first place you see looks perfect, you’ll want to ponder alternatives to make sure you have a basis of comparison, says Tyson, who recommends that home shoppers look at a minimum of six properties before they buy.

Due to COVID-19, many more sellers are now offering virtual tours, or you can go inside properties with the proper protective gear, including masks and gloves.

“Buyer’s remorse is much less likely if you’ve examined several options, even if you must do so in a single day,” Tyson says.

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