Just a year before the pandemic, a married couple in their 30s bought a condo near downtown Philadelphia. Built in the late 1940s, the unit lacks several modern conveniences -- such as an in-condo laundry and ample parking. But when the couple bought the place, they thought the building’s proximity to their offices made up for these shortcomings.

COVID-19 changed the pair’s housing priorities dramatically. Both partners have been offered the option of permanent full-time remote work and have accepted the privilege.

That’s why they’re now in the market for a larger house in another state.

“For the sake of our marriage, we need much more space to spare each other’s nerves during work hours. We’re crying out for a detached place with at least 2,500 square feet and two big home offices,” says the wife, a data analyst for a hospital chain.

Fully 60% of U.S. workers hold jobs that can’t be done remotely. And numerous other workers have recently been called back to the office by their bosses, according to the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based think tank. But due to remote work, this Philadelphia couple is fortunate to have a wide array of lifestyle choices.

”We plan to keep our Philadelphia jobs but move to South Dakota, where our families live. There we could afford a really huge house on an acre or two of land. It’s a luxury to have the right to pick our new destination,” the husband says.

Of course, nearly all buyers face tough challenges in the current market. Though home prices have dropped in some metro areas, they continue to rise at the national level. Since last year, median prices across the country rose 2.3%, to $366,900. And available properties remain scarce in popular neighborhoods.

“The housing market is still reeling from affordability problems,” says Jeff Tucker, a senior economist at Zillow, the Seattle-based real estate company.

Given the hurdles facing them, buyers are more thoughtful than ever in assessing their lifestyle preferences before committing to a property. That way, they’re less likely to suffer buyer’s remorse.

“It’s not just which city and neighborhood you choose. Also think about a floor plan that would function well for you,” says Sid Davis, a Utah-based real estate broker.

Though many young households have long favored an open floor plan that merges a great room with the kitchen, that configuration is gradually losing some appeal. Also, more buyers want secluded home offices with doors.

“Walls and privacy are coming back, and more buyers now want a separate dining room. Over dinner, they hate looking at dirty dishes,” says Davis, author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home.”

Here are a few pointers for purchasers:

-- Distinguish between your housing wants and needs.

Nearly all buyers must make trade-offs when they purchase a home. Unless you’re wealthy, you’ll need to set priorities.

“Making a priority list is the absolute key. You have to decide what features are most important for everyone living in your household,” Davis says.

If you’re married or living with a partner, he recommends you sit down with the other person and each rank your housing priorities. Then compare notes and if there are differences, compromise.

-- Consider whether a large house is worth the expense.

Among buyers who seek a spacious home are those who love to throw large parties and family gatherings -- as well as people who believe that home entertaining is central to the fulfillment of their professional responsibilities.

“I know CEOs who think they must have a very big place to show off to clients or colleagues. They feel the need for this, even if their spouses don’t want all the complications of big house upkeep,” says Mark Nash, a longtime broker in the Chicago area.

If home-based entertaining with large events is something you value highly, and you’re comfortable with the mortgage and tax costs for a big property, why not go for it? But if you’re interested in the financial benefits of living smaller, Nash suggests you consider some less expensive options for your parties.

“Why not take your guests to your favorite restaurant and rent a space for your parties? That could be a lot less expensive than maintaining a big house just for entertaining,” says Nash, the author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

-- Take a realistic view of your storage needs.

Davis says many buyers like big houses because they place a premium on lots of storage space. For instance, people with large wardrobes often want a spare bedroom to serve as a walk-in closet. Others want extra garage space for their hobbies, such as collecting vintage cars. In addition, for general storage many families appreciate a “storage loft” above their garage.

Assuming you can afford it, Davis says buying a large house for extra storage space could be a reasonable idea. After all, a large house could save you a significant sum over the rental expense required for the long-term use of a self-storage unit. But he cautions against the assumption that a large house will allow you to keep accumulating ever more possessions without a problem.

“No matter how much storage space you get in a big house, you’ll eventually need to stop shopping or clear through the accumulations you already have,” Davis says. (To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

An engineer in her 60s plans to list her redwood contemporary later this year. Given that nearby houses flew off the market at healthy prices in 2022, she assumes any listing agent she picks will perform the same magic for her place.

But Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Selling Your House for Dummies,” cautions that finding the best available agent can be a tricky proposition, especially in a changing economy.

“Buyers are much more demanding than they were during the pandemic, when many purchasers bid over the asking price and waived their right to a home inspection. Also, in most areas, it’s taking longer than before to sell property,” Tyson says.

Taylor Marr, an economist for Redfin, the national realty brokerage, notes that it now takes a median time of 44 days to sell a home. That’s the longest time period since April 2020.

Also, compared with a year ago, home-sale prices have dropped in 20 of the 50 most populous U.S. metros.

Given the new complexities involved in home selling, Tyson advises owners to use businesslike methods to find the best available listing agent.

“In many cases, people just make a random selection of agents, picking someone a neighbor or co-worker happens to know. But selling success can depend in large measure on the agent’s due diligence,” he says.

Granted, some owners do well on their sale without a highly qualified agent -- particularly if they’re lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where sellers still hold sway and inventories are lean. But real estate specialists caution against overconfidence, especially at a time when there are crosscurrents in the economy, as there are now.

Whether your home sale is voluntary or involuntary, Tyson says it’s critical you make agent selection a priority.

“Treat hiring an agent as seriously as you would any professional -- including a lawyer, accountant or surgeon,” Tyson says.

Ron Phipps, a real estate broker and past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor), says more sellers are gradually getting the message about the importance of careful agent selection.

“The good news is that sellers are now searching more widely,” he says.

Here are a few pointers for sellers:

-- Make sure you interview at least two to four candidates.

“When you talk to several people, you’ll get different perspectives on your sale,” Phipps says. “Several opinions on pricing can be especially helpful.”

He says you should be wary of any agent who suggests you list your place for more than 10% above what others say is its fair market value.

“Find out how they arrived at that higher price,” says Phipps, noting that occasionally some agents may suggest an above-market list price as a way to flatter you into hiring them. This practice is known as “buying the listing.”

“It’s a shortsighted listing strategy,” says Phipps, who works for his family-owned realty firm in Rhode Island.

-- Zero in on local knowledge.

Should you consider hiring a recommended agent if their office is located a significant distance away from your place?

Absolutely not, says Tyson, who contends that a faraway agent is likely to be much less effective in marketing your property than one who knows your local turf well.

“Anyone who works more than a 15-minute drive from your place is probably a very poor bet. Geography matters a lot,” he says.

It’s especially wise to have an agent close by if you’re trying to sell a property in a city setting, such as a condo in a high-rise building. In such a case, the ideal agent is typically someone with proven experience selling units in your same building.

“Agents with an intimate knowledge of the floor plans and sales history of your complex can hit the pricing target right the first time. That spares you the agony of multiple pricing adjustments later,” Tyson says.

Real estate agents call the area where they most often sell homes their “farm.” As Tyson says, agents who say they farm your area should be able to demonstrate this with a list of transactions they’ve done there recently.

-- Ask for information about each candidate’s awards and honors.

How can you identify agents who have achieved an unusual level of expertise? Phipps says one way is to ask if they’ve been elected to positions of leadership within their professional groups.

“This shows they have a reputation for collaborating with other real estate people,” Phipps says. That’s important, he says, because real estate is a cooperative profession, and a successful sale typically involves more than one agent.

-- Choose an agent with a proven deal-closing record.

During boom times, most sellers feel home free once they’ve obtained a ratified contract, meaning their deal has been agreed upon by both sides of the transaction.

But in a transitional period like the current one, many sellers are understandably nervous that complications along the way to closing might jettison their deal. That’s because qualifying for a mortgage is tougher than it was prior to the major housing downturn of 2008. Consequently, more home loan applications are declined than before.

“Selling has become much more complicated. So it’s smart to find an agent with experience handling many different kinds of transactions. Look for their record of closing deals, not just taking listings,” Phipps says.

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

It’s too early for the spring home-buying market to start in earnest. What’s more, bad weather is slowing this year’s real estate recovery. Still, anecdotal reports indicate rising confidence among buyers.

“Buyers are past any freak-out about high mortgage rates. They’re more confident because they’re getting pay increases and because unemployment is super low,” says Stacy Berman, a real estate agent in the field since 2002.

An increasing number of young adults are seeking to escape their rental units. And changing market conditions are encouraging them to move forward. That’s especially so for people who spent the worst of the pandemic in a cramped apartment. The quest to buy remains especially urgent for those in the millennial generation.

“The millennials really want a house -- ideally with space for one or two home offices,” Berman says.

Millennials and their younger siblings from Generation Z are facing many financial headwinds. Rents, along with food prices and health care costs, have risen dramatically in recent years. But for those with young children, the real stinger is high child-care expenses.

Take the case of a nurse practitioner of 32 who’s married to an IT consultant. Together, their salaries exceed $100,000. But the cost of day care for their two toddlers now tops $3,000 per month -- more than their rent.

Even so, market conditions are now more favorable for buyers than they were during the pandemic home-buying frenzy of late 2020 and 2021, when bidding wars left many would-be buyers out in the cold.

One indication of buyer empowerment is that purchasers clearly have more leverage than they did during the worst of the bidding wars.

“Buyers are asking sellers for things that were unheard of during the past few years,” says Van Welborn, a Redfin real estate agent in Arizona.

Welborn tells how one of his clients negotiated a $10,000 credit for a new roof and several other repairs. The sellers also knocked $15,000 off their asking price.

“Concessions were common before the pandemic, and we may be returning to that norm. Sellers realize they’re not going to get $80,000 over the asking price like their neighbor did last year,” he says.

Though many young buyers now qualify for low-down-payment mortgages, the biggest stumbling block they face is often debt. This includes not only student loans but also car loans and credit card debt.

“Just like generations of homebuyers before you, you’ve got to tighten your belt and make extra loan payments until you whittle down your debt. Otherwise, your debt-to-income ratio will hinder your odds of qualifying for a mortgage,” says Sid Davis, author of “A Survival Guide to Buying a Home.”

Here are a few pointers for first-time buyers:

-- Try to reduce your debt load with extra income.

For anyone seeking to progress financially, cutting debt -- including credit-card balances -- is an absolute must.

“The interest rates charged on most credit cards are ridiculously high. All that interest can eat you alive,” says Jim Blankenship, a certified financial planner.

Unfortunately, many young adults make only enough money to meet necessary living expenses. Given this reality, Blankenship often recommends that would-be buyers consider supplementing their income.

“Think about taking a second job. Or try to get overtime at your regular job, assuming overtime is available,” he says.

-- Save cash by limiting wedding outlays.

Kristin Meador, a real estate broker who often works with young buyers, wrote a book designed to help clients save on their wedding costs. She says it’s very possible to cut costs for a range of wedding-related expenses, from invitations to rings to the reception and honeymoon.

“When you’re trying to save for a house, it makes no sense to spend $500 or more for a wedding dress,” Meador says.

She says there are many ways to hold an inexpensive yet tasteful wedding. These include having the reception at a local park or community center.

“Buying a home has long-term benefits that last far beyond your wedding day,” Meador says.

The expense of an average wedding is now hovering around $28,000 -- funds Meador believes would be better spent on a home, assuming the property is carefully selected.

-- Don’t rule out selling one car to build your savings.

A new or nearly new car is often the first major purchase for many young adults. Usually, the car is financed with a hefty loan. But mortgage lenders often frown at the sight of a prospective buyer driving up in a late model vehicle.

“Lenders know that a couple who’s financing one or more cars will likely find it tougher to qualify for a home loan,” Blankenship says.

Even if you drive an older vehicle and have no car loan, chances are you’re paying a substantial amount for car insurance and repairs -- not to mention gas.

Blankenship says it’s a wise idea for young couples bent on homeownership to ponder the idea of selling one vehicle. Consider public transit or carpooling as an alternative to commuting alone.

-- Consider shared housing on a temporary basis.

Moving in with a family member for a year or so could help you cut rental costs substantially. Perhaps an elderly uncle who owns a large house would let you live there rent free in exchange for help with grocery shopping and trips to the doctor.

Davis says he’s worked with a number of young buyers who’ve obtained substantial savings through a housing-for-services swap.

“You don’t have to live with your uncle or another elderly person forever. Just doing so temporarily could help you save sufficiently to pay down enough debt to qualify for a mortgage,” he says.

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