The extra buying power that comes with surprisingly low mortgage rates has increased the lifestyle choices open to many first-time home purchasers. This is an especially promising yet nerve-racking period for those who’ve long hankered to own a brand-new home.

“Buyers are very excited, but somewhat anxious because new home market inventory is tight now,” says Sheryl Palmer, the CEO of Taylor Morrison (taylormorrison.com), a nationwide home-building firm based in Arizona.

Of course, given the high rate of joblessness across America, many whose finances have been hurt by COVID-19 can’t possibly consider a home purchase at this point in time. But others with secure jobs, sufficient savings and sound credit can finally fulfill their home-buying aspirations. In one of the bright spots in the current recessionary economy, sales of newly built homes this June increased to their highest level since 2008.

“Along with rising builder sentiment, we are seeing increasing consumer demand in the suburbs, exurbs and rural areas,” says Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org).

Given that many young adults are now allowed to work remotely due to the pandemic, Palmer says an increasing number of buyers anticipate that in the future, even after the outbreak is over, they’ll spend more working hours at home. This makes them somewhat less concerned about the commuting time between their residence and their workplace. For that reason, many are more willing to consider a house in an outlying suburb, where they can get more space for the money than they could close to a city center.

Among the major draws for suburban buyers are access to public parks and outdoor exercise areas, including hiker-biker trails.

“Buyers want big lots and open space so their kids can be healthier outside,” Palmer says.

Those who’ve been living through the pandemic in space-constrained apartments are particularly motivated to live in large homes surrounded by greenery. Due to low mortgage rates, Palmer says some renters planning a first purchase can now qualify for the equivalent of a trade-up property.

Taylor Morrison does extensive research on buyer preferences, and recent surveys show pandemic-era purchasers are very interested in what the company calls “healthy house living.”

“Consumers are consciously aware of the health benefits and perceived risks in virtually every environment they’re entering today -- stores, schools, planes -- so naturally they’re just as tuned in to the health benefits of their homes,” according to Palmer.

To address these concerns, some homebuilders, among them Taylor Morrison, are embedding wellness features into all their new construction at no extra cost to buyers. These include whole-house filtration systems, high-tech thermostats and antibacterial bathroom fans.

But beyond such automatic built-ins, income-constrained young adults planning a new home purchase typically confront multiple trade-offs. For example, they might need to decide if they’d rather spend their extra dollars on glitzy kitchen features or on more square footage.

Though every such decision is ultimately personal, Palmer reminds buyers that it’s less costly to add square footage when a home is first constructed than to build it on later.

“You can always go in and replace your kitchen countertops or appliances in the future. But improvements to the structure will be more expensive later,” she says.

Here are a few other pointers for new home buyers:

-- Try to capture your ideal lifestyle in words.

Where and how you choose to live has countless implications, says Doro Kiley, a certified life coach who’s helped many clients navigate real estate transitions. She urges clients to make a home choice within the context of their overall life plans.

“Always begin by thinking about the end product -- what you’d really like as opposed to what you would settle for,” Kiley says.

She recommends that couples planning a home purchase first write down their respective visions of a dream house, including both location and home features. They should then share their visions, combining the key elements of both into a single statement.

Written statements help people clarify their thinking and refine the details of their plans, as they move through successive drafts. They’re also a way to help reconcile differing views.

-- Don’t hurry the selection of a property.

Merrill Ottwein, a longtime real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org), says these days competition among those aspiring to buy a brand-new home in popular neighborhoods is often fierce. That’s why some buyers feel pressure to act too quickly, lest they lose out to a rival.

“With so much at stake, it’s a horrible idea to buy any house before you’re really ready. Don’t let your competitive instincts trick you into the wrong choice,” Ottwein says.

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

For millennials living through the pandemic, it’s a tale of two economies.

One cohort, including those with jobs tied to tourism -- hospitality, retail and restaurants -- are struggling professionally. Yet others with stable careers adaptable to remote work are enjoying excellent financial prospects. It’s this latter group that’s hankering to buy their first home and finance it at record-low mortgage rates. And their choices have increased dramatically with the growing acceptance of working from home.

Mark Nash, a real estate analyst and author of “1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home,” says, “The crisis has at least opened up the opportunity for so many young professionals to pick their favorite town without having to give up their jobs,” says Nash, a longtime real estate broker.

In coveted communities, affordable properties are in acutely short supply and demand is high, particularly from millennial-age purchasers still seeking to step onto the first rung of the homeownership ladder. But Nash cautions sellers against overconfidence.

“Remember that a multitude of young buyers are now exploring a wider array of housing possibilities. So, as sellers, it’s essential you’re mindful of their preferences when presenting your place for sale,” he says.

At the Pulte Group, a national home-construction company, staff researchers recently surveyed millennial-age buyers on their “must-haves” in a new home.

The Pulte survey concludes that “across all features, yard size, garage storage, floor plans and kitchen design are universally most important.” What’s more, it says an open floor plan is a key requirement for 46% of those in this age group, born between 1981 and 1996.

Rich Carlson, who heads Carlson Communications (carlcomm.com), a marketing firm that advises homebuilders, says that when faced with a crisis, buyers want properties with a roomier feel.

“The world may be a frightening place, but at home people want plenty of space to be gregarious with friends and family,” Carlson says.

All who put their homes on the market should strive to make them appear as spacious as possible, says Dorcas Helfant, the co-owner of several Coldwell Banker real estate offices.

“The fact is that most purchasers want as much light, space and storage as they can get,” says Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Highlight the features that present-day buyers appreciate.

Carlson says several features that provide a feeling of openness and space resonate especially well with current buyers.

Among the strongest draws: oversized “great rooms” that link to kitchens and provide ample space for casual entertaining, soaring atriums and walk-in closets.

“If you have any of these features, you should highlight them in your advertising and promotional materials,” Carlson says.

-- Remove extra possessions to make your place look larger.

Helfant, who’s been involved in a number of international real estate transactions, says Americans typically own far more clothes than do Europeans.

“Most people have four to five times as many clothes as they actually wear,” she says.

She says it’s tough to convince sellers to dispense with more than a few clothes. But at the minimum, she urges sellers to place all their out-of-season clothes in storage until their property is sold.

“It’s crucial that your closets be thinned out and orderly. Prospective buyers should be able to see clearly to the back wall of all your closets and kitchen cabinets,” she says.

Helfant also encourages sellers to pay special attention to the clutter that can build up in a bedroom that’s been adapted to home office use.

“Buyers don’t want to see all your stacks of paper and messy office supplies strewn about,” she says.

-- Improve the illumination of your home.

“Light is the No. 1 draw for people,” according to Helfant, who says most home sellers can benefit from upgrading key light fixtures, including those at their property’s entrance and in heavily used rooms, such as the kitchen and bathrooms.

Where lighting is plentiful, living space seems larger, and attractive lighting also elevates the mood of a room.

-- Focus special attention on your windows.

In past decades, many buyers liked the look of formal draperies, particularly in dining and living rooms. But nowadays most would-be purchasers prefer their windows “au naturel,” or nearly so.

As Helfant notes, windows with minimal coverings usually seem more appealing to visitors because they allow more light to penetrate a room. In fact, she says it’s now perfectly acceptable to market a home with no window coverings at all, except in bathrooms and bedrooms where privacy is an issue.

Windows that are barely covered and kept sparkling clean do more than make for bright rooms. They allow visitors a more expansive view of a home’s surroundings.

“Especially now during the pandemic, people think of their home as their kingdom. They don’t want to feel confined. They want an exquisitely clear view through their windows,” Helfant says.

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

In a current trend that astounds even veteran housing analysts, there’s a tsunami of aspiring mortgage applicants calling lenders’ offices and searching the internet for the best available deal.

It’s not hard to grasp what’s behind the frenzy. Simply stated, it’s the presence of exceptionally low mortgage rates. In many cases, well-qualified borrowers can now obtain a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for under 3%. That’s cheaper home financing than even their parents or grandparents could find back in the day.

“As we are coming out of lockdown, we see this backlog of buyers trying to take advantage of record-low rates,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (realtor.org).

Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org), says that even in places where COVID-19 is peaking, there’s intense interest in home buying.

Another factor driving mortgage demand is the zeal for refinancing. For homeowners seeking to slash their monthly expenses, a refi can translate to sizable savings.

“The industry is responding to an avalanche of applications for refinances,” says Rob Foos, a loan adviser for Redfin Mortgage.

Of course, with the nation suffering through a recession with a still very high level of joblessness, lenders are obviously very nervous, says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates (hsh.com), which has been tracking mortgage markets for consumers since 1979.

To some degree, recent federal legislation has protected consumers’ credit reports, even when a job loss has resulted in late payments on their rent or current mortgage. But don’t expect to get a new mortgage to refinance or buy a better home if you’re currently unemployed.

“Sorry to say, unemployment benefits aren’t considered regular income when you’re applying for a mortgage. That’s true regardless of whether you’re on furlough and anticipate going back to the same employer after the pandemic is over,” Gumbinger says.

Here are a few pointers for home loan shoppers:

-- Develop a short list of lenders based on personal referrals.

Guy Cecala, who heads Inside Mortgage Finance, which publishes industry newsletters, says real estate agents are in a good position to know which lenders will offer the smoothest and swiftest loan processing.

Though mortgage brokers, who shop your loan application to multiple lenders, are now fewer in number, many home loans are still being made by large banks, community banks and credit unions. In addition, there’s been an increase in the number of online mortgage lenders.

“Contact at least three different types of lenders before making your selection. Try to include on your list one mortgage broker, one major bank and one smaller bank or credit union,” Cecala says.

Friends and co-workers can be excellent sources for names of reputable lenders, especially if they’ve taken out a home loan within the last year, says Dale Robyn Siegel, a veteran mortgage lender and author of “The New Rules for Mortgages.”

“I still believe in the old-fashioned method of asking around for referrals,” Siegel says.

-- Avoid giving out your Social Security number prematurely.

Of course, no self-respecting lender will guarantee your mortgage rate without first pulling your credit scores. But that doesn’t mean you should give out your Social Security number (the key to pulling your credit scores) while you’re still doing comparison shopping.

Granted, those with credit scores at the highest end of the range are eligible for the best possible mortgage rates. Still, you shouldn’t have to release your private information just for routine rate shopping.

-- Watch out for “junk fees” imposed by a lender.

There are a number of costs and fees involved in mortgage lending, and only some of them are imposed by lenders. These lender-based fees include the cost for a home appraisal and a copy of your credit report. Also, other charges -- nicknamed “junk fees” -- can be imposed by the lender at the time of closing.

To better protect consumers, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (hud.gov) has set tighter rules to let borrowers compare lenders on the basis of their charges. As a result, HUD now requires lenders to give borrowers an early and accurate listing of their closing costs.

But Gumbinger says it’s up to consumers to carefully compare a lender’s charges before deciding whether to proceed. To do this, it’s important to study a copy of the lender’s estimated charges. This form should list all the fees you’d pay at closing, with a very small margin for changes. The lender must give you this estimate shortly after you apply for a mortgage.

“People with steady jobs, sterling credit and lots of home equity -- or a monster-sized down payment -- are in a commanding position to get the lowest fees and the best available rates,” Gumbinger says.

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