Many renters in their 30s have been struggling to buy a house since the pandemic hit in 2020. This was the year they hoped for relief. Yet, affordability challenges keep mounting.

“First-timers feel the real estate market is ganging up on them, and unfairly so. It’s not just rising home values and short supply. Now they’re scared by jumps in mortgage rates,” says Mark Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

But despite their aggravation, housing analysts say would-be homeowners are as determined as ever to finally reach their goal this year.

“With more sellers expected to enter the market as buyer competition remains fierce, we anticipate strong home sales growth,” says Danielle Hale, who heads the economics team at Realtor.com, a California-based property listing company.

Given their financial challenges, many home-buying hopefuls must rethink their aspirations, says Stacy Berman, a veteran real estate agent who sells property in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.

“To afford a place now, lots of purchasers must widen the scope of their search and consider neighborhoods not previously on their radar screen,” Berman says.

To win in a bidding contest, buyers must also take a strategic approach when crafting an offer. That means tracking local pricing trends in the area where they’re looking and learning about the seller’s motivations.

Here are a few pointers:

-- Inform yourself on local property values before you bid.

Eve Alexander, a Florida-based real estate broker who works solely with buyers, says buyers need context on prevailing values to make certain they don’t offer too much.

“For comparisons, try to identify five to 10 comparable properties that have sold recently in the area where you’re looking,” Alexander says.

If you’re seeking to buy in a neighborhood with widely varied properties, it’s helpful to compare the homes on your list on a price-per-square-foot basis. Then adjust for differences in size and home features, such as a two-car garage versus a one-car garage.

After estimating the current market value of the place you wish to buy, it’s time to decide how aggressive an offer you want to make. Alexander says that will depend on how enamored you are with the home.

“You won’t want to push the limits if you’ve fallen in love with the property and feel it’s a ‘do or die’ situation,” she says.

On the other hand, you might choose to make a lower offer if there are other available homes in the area that would meet your needs equally well.

“It’s always easier to negotiate without emotion if you can find second- and third-choice houses you also like,” Alexander says.

-- Avoid relying on comparable sales from “market testers.”

Eric Tyson, co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” says in every market there are a few sellers who won’t budge from an unrealistically high price.

“It’s a given that some supposed sellers aren’t really motivated to make a fair deal,” he says.

How can you tell which sellers are merely testing the market and will never negotiate seriously with anyone who bids less than their lofty list price?

Tyson recommends you ask your agent to find out if previous offers have come in on the property you want. If the owners have already rebuffed one or more decent offers without so much as a counterbid, this indicates they’ll probably resist reason with you, too.

The good news for buyers is that information on past offers is often readily available through the listing agent.

“Agents are inherently outgoing people. Some have very loose lips and will talk candidly about their clients’ negotiating position,” Tyson says.

-- Investigate the seller’s equity position.

Are you seriously interested in a home, but have yet to submit an offer on it? If so, Alexander says it’s wise to inform yourself on the sellers’ ownership stake before you bid. As she says, those with more equity have more potential room for compromise.

“What you’re looking for are insights into the mindset of the sellers,” Alexander says.

One source of clues on the owners’ equity position can be found by searching local government land records. At the minimum, these records (available online) should tell you when the current owners purchased the property and the original price they paid.

“If the sellers brought the house a couple of decades ago and haven’t refinanced, they should have a lot more equity,” Alexander says.

-- Ask your agent to pose questions to the listing agent.

When owners have an urgent need to sell, it’s normally against their interest for that information to be broadcast to the world, as it could weaken their bargaining position. Even so, Alexander says many listing agents will readily divulge such client information in response to questions.

“You’d be amazed how much listing agents will tell all to a buyer’s agent,” she says.

Another way prospective buyers can gauge the sellers’ level of motivation is to ask nearby neighbors. Alexander recommends that the buyers pick a weekend time to walk through the community, chatting with a few residents about the pros and cons of living there. In the course of the conversation, they’ll likely tell you what they know about why nearby homes are for sale.

“In many cases, well-informed neighbors will be happy to give you the inside story,” Alexander says.

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

For many would-be homebuyers, 2021 was exasperating beyond belief. Especially frustrated were those who lost out to other buyers in round after round of bidding wars.

“Last year was the Wild West for buyers. Competition was fierce, and property values kept rising. It was the worst year I had ever seen,” says Mark Goldberg, a veteran real estate agent in Maryland.

The theory is that 2022 should be better for those still struggling to buy a first home. Even so, housing analysts note that the financial barriers to entry into homeownership remain high.

“The average wage-earner can still afford the typical home across the United States. But the financial comfort zone continues to shrink as home prices keep soaring and mortgage rates tick upward,” says Todd Teta, a senior executive at Attom Data, which tracks property markets throughout the country.

Although mortgage rates are still hovering near historic lows, they have increased in recent weeks due in large measure to steps taken by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation. Moreover, economists foresee further rate increases as the year progresses.

Of course, homebuyers able to secure a property are always well advised to shop for the best available mortgage rate and terms. To do this, Richard Harty, a realty company owner in the Chicago area, advises buyers to consider local lenders.

“If you are buying your first house, it’s a great idea to meet with the lender, whether by Zoom or in person. It is always good to put a name and a face together,” says Harty, president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Alex Margulis, a vice president at Cross Country Mortgage, an Ohio-based lender, urges borrowers to consider more than one company before going through the formal mortgage application process.

“Once you’re ready to commit, compare rates with all the lenders on your short list and reach out to all of them on the same day for rate quotes. The market moves very fast, and you want to be sure you’re comparing apples to apples,” Margulis says.

He also advises borrowers who “don’t have a stomach for volatility” to consider locking in the rate they are offered at the time of application rather than letting their rate float -- especially if they believe rates are likely to rise in coming days or weeks.

“Rates go up like a rocket and drop like a feather,” Margulis says.

Here are a few other pointers for mortgage borrowers:

-- Rely on referrals to select a high-quality lender.

Guy Cecala, the CEO of Inside Mortgage Finance, a financial publisher that tracks the lending industry, says real estate agents are in a good position to know which lenders will offer the smoothest and swiftest loan processing. After all, agents work with lenders year after year and need to identify those most likely to get their deals to the finish line on time.

Though mortgage brokers, who shop your loan application to multiple lenders, are now fewer in number, many home loans are still being made by financial institutions.

“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.

-- Wait to provide your Social Security number until you’re ready to apply.

Of course, no quality lender will guarantee that your mortgage rate has been locked in 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.

“If you walked into a supermarket and the grocer wouldn’t tell you the price on a can of peas without your credit score, you’d walk right out the door. That shouldn’t be any different with a mortgage,” says Keith Gumbinger, a vice president at HSH Associates, which follows the mortgage industry.

-- Attempt to avoid paying excessive lender fees.

There are several costs and fees involved in mortgage processing, but 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 -- informally known as “junk fees” -- are imposed by the lender.

To better protect consumers, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (hud.gov) tightened the rules to let borrowers compare lenders based on 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 estimate of closing costs. This 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.

By carefully reviewing your estimated fees, you’ll have a chance to ask for lower charges or to change lenders to get a better deal.

Though mortgage lenders face ever stricter disclosure requirements in recent years, their fees have also climbed because of their heavier workloads, according to Gumbinger.

“Remember that what constitutes a junk fee -- versus a legitimate business charge -- is always in the eye of the beholder,” he says.

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

All across America, families with school-age kids are at wits’ end. Classes are on and off with little notice. More people are home more of the time. After many hours in crowded quarters, some parents are plotting a move to a bigger house.

“Behold, trade-up plans are now front and center for families who want better home office space, more privacy and a much larger kitchen,” says Dorcas Helfant, who co-owns several Coldwell Banker realty offices.

For most pandemic-weary homeowners, the urge to upsize requires they first prepare their current property for sale -- a difficult undertaking at a time when so many family members are surrounded by a growing collection of personal possessions.

“During COVID, people have been on a feel-good buying binge ... (that has) compounded the clutter they must clear before their property can go on the market,” says Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Still, more homeowners are determined to take on the challenge of selling to help actualize their moving plans in 2022, says Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, the national real estate company. Such sellers include both seniors and upsizing families.

“We’ve done an unusual number of consultations coming into this homebuying season with people who want to prepare their homes to list,” Kelman says.

The positive news for families trying to trade up from a modest house is that there’s strong pent-up demand for entry-level property and a severe shortage of supply in this segment of the housing market.

“We’re expecting to see more inventory for the first time in a year,” Kelman says.

Martha Webb, who’s trained real estate pros on home staging since 1988, says that in all markets sellers are well rewarded for clearing out superfluous household items.

Nobody wants to buy your chaos when they buy a house,” says Webb, author of “Dress Your House for Success” and a DVD by the same name.

Nancy Meck, a professional organizer who’s helped hundreds of people sort through excess belongings in preparation for a move, says it’s actually helpful to have more family members home when embarking on a decluttering project.

“But for every member of the family, you have to set realistic expectations and work to each person’s strengths. All the family members have to stay in their own lanes and not stress each other out,” says Meck, whose blogs offer extensive advice on her website: meckorganizing.com.

Even though time at home is now more plentiful, she urges sellers to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on themselves to push through the process quickly, because rushing can easily lead to burnout.

Here are a few other pointers for those hoping to sell and upsize:

-- Ease your project with a creative approach.

Stephanie Calahan, an independent productivity consultant, recommends preparing a comprehensive written plan that takes a systematic approach. Or you could start with a single part of one room, using a flashlight to define how large an area you’ll tackle at a given time.

“In the midst of a big decluttering effort, the flashlight allows you to focus mentally on just a single area,” she says.

Once your units of work have been defined, Calahan suggests you allocate a fixed amount of time to declutter each area and then, with the help of a kitchen timer, see if you can “beat the clock.”

-- Take on the clothes that fill your closets.

One of the most time-consuming chores involved in decluttering involves what organizers call “editing your wardrobe.” Because this in an elaborate process, Meck suggests you start by pondering your wardrobe priorities before getting started. Then break down the job into one-hour segments, with breaks in between.

On her website, Meck suggests a 10-step plan for slimming down crowded clothes closets. She stresses the importance of thinking realistically about your wardrobe needs for perhaps a one-year period.

“Think about the activities you do in your current life -- not your fantasy life when you ‘take up’ gardening, register for a half-marathon or start going to concerts again,” she says.

Many homebound family members are now spending many daytime hours in comfortable exercise-style clothes. Yet they need to retain some less informal attire for future use. But Meck cautions against keeping too much volume.

“After writing down your activities, think of how many of each item (T-shirts, jeans, slacks, blouse/shirt, suit, dress, etc.) for each category that you’ll really use in a given year,” she says.

-- Blend music into your work.

Regardless of your tastes, the use of music can enliven your project. Consider the kind of energizing music used, for example, in dance or spinning classes.

“Anything that gets rhythm going adds momentum,” Calahan says.

She recommends you consider selections from a series of books and audio collections by the late musicologist Don Campbell, known as “The Mozart Effect” (mozarteffect.com).

-- Look into a virtual session with a professional organizer.

Even motivated families can find it challenging to mobilize for a home sale without the assistance of a specialist in the field. These days, professional organizers are offering online consultations for home-based owners planning to move.

One way to identify an experienced professional organizer is through referrals from family, friends or co-workers. Another way is through the website of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (napo.net).

“Even if you plan to do all the work yourself, a pro in the organizational field can help give you a jump start,” Meck says.

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