A married couple from the Chicago area made a lucky decision years ago when searching for a neighborhood with schools that take seriously the needs of students with learning differences. Their daughter -- then in fifth grade -- is autistic, and the parents found a school with excellent teachers who encouraged her passion for photography.

“Fast-forward, and the girl, now in her 20s, is thriving as a professional photographer. As it turned out, that school was life-changing for her,” says Rich Harty, the real estate broker who helped the couple locate the right school.

Harty says buyers are increasingly focused on school quality.

In fact, school quality is increasingly the key to appreciation, because these days buyers want to live in a home for a lengthy tenure, and they know communities with good schools appreciate more,” says Harty, a past president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (naeba.org).

Schools can be evaluated using both objective and subjective measures, says Harty, who persuades clients to do both. He notes that real estate agents have easy access to comparative ratings, including test scores, for local schools. But he says such quantitative metrics are no substitute for in-person visits by parents.

“I recommend you call ahead and try for a meeting with the school principal or leader. Ideally, you’ll also duck into a classroom and interview teachers to get a feel for the school’s atmosphere,” Harty says.

In addition, parents can pick up clues about the school quality by taking a tour of the athletic facilities.

“Check to see if the gym is clean and well stocked or if all you see are a few dusty rubber balls in one corner,” he says.

Though important, school quality is just one factor to consider for young families seeking to make the best possible purchase decision.

Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying for Dummies,” says that due to high home prices and mortgage rates, many buyers are now resetting priorities when it comes to homebuying.

“What families want and what they can afford are often strikingly different. That means, for instance, that they might have to trade off a longer commute to get a premium school district,” Tyson says.

Here are a few pointers for buyers with young children:

-- Think through whether a large yard is truly key for your children.

Recalling their own carefree childhoods, some parents assume their kids need a similar setting to be happy. But what was important in your formative years isn’t necessarily vital for your children now.

“The reality is that kids just don’t have as many hours of free time for backyard play as we did when we were growing up,” Tyson says.

Rather than focusing solely on yard size, Tyson suggests you think about the outdoor features of the neighborhood as a whole, such as parks and open space.

-- Find a floor plan that works well for your family.

Tyson says it’s more important for families with young children to have a floor plan that encourages togetherness than to own a large house.

“Many people only use a formal dining room on major holidays, such as Thanksgiving. But a family room connected to an eat-in kitchen is used all year long,” he says.

Large, comfortable common rooms, often called “great rooms,” help draw children out of their bedrooms, thereby allowing parents to monitor their kids at homework time.

“It’s important to know if your kids are spending too much time playing computer games rather than doing their work,” Tyson says.

-- Seek a home 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 usually much smaller.

But Tyson says it’s more important for families to have an adequate number of bedrooms than a luxurious master suite.

“Most buyers really want a separate bedroom for every kid, so all the children can get enough sleep, even if they have different school schedules,” he says.

-- Consider that a two-story house could give you more space for the money.

Many current homebuyers favor single-level living. Those who’ve hit middle age or beyond are especially likely to prefer a one-story house that won’t compel them to rely on stairs.

But Tyson says people with school-age 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 space 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.

-- Don’t let your kids rule your buying decisions.

It’s not uncommon for children to protest their parents’ plan for a housing move. Why? Because, as Tyson says, “children like constancy.”

To mollify their unhappy children, some parents let their kids influence which property they buy. But Tyson says most children adapt quickly to a move and that letting their feelings sway your planning could be a regrettable mistake.

“Maybe your children like one house better than another because it has purple bedrooms. But that’s no basis on which to make so major a financial decision,” he says. (To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

Seasoned real estate pros know that the older people become, the tougher it is for them to move.

Take the case of a couple of 82-year-old retirees who’ve lived in their midsized colonial for 37 years.

Throughout the pandemic, they resisted selling, fearing exposure to the virus. They even hired an architect to design a small addition to their property in hopes of remaining there indefinitely. But their architect died of COVID, and the addition proved untenable. Meanwhile, the couple’s increasing health problems made it obvious they would eventually need to move into an assisted-living facility. Now they’re facing reality squarely and planning ahead for a sale in 2024.

Dana Rice, an executive vice president for Compass, a national realty firm, doesn’t know the married couple in this true story. But she credits them for allowing months of lead time in advance of their sale.

“Not uncommonly, older seniors procrastinate for several years before confronting the need to move. Then they face a health crisis, and it’s urgent,” says Rice, who’s sold homes since 2013.

Like younger homeowners, elderly people often try to time the market based on fluctuations in supply and demand, as well as mortgage rates. But the health concerns of older people often dictate their timing.

Here are a few pointers for those over 60 facing a necessary home sale:

-- Engage a listing agent as early as possible.

“I get into a lot of panicky situations with 11th-hour home sellers,” says Sid Davis, who heads an independent real estate firm in Utah.

When he first entered the real estate field several decades ago, he recalls how clients would typically call for help at least three months before they needed to sell. Now he says many wait until just a few weeks before they must move.

“Ideally, we need a minimum of 90 days or longer --though this is widely variable depending on the specific neighborhood and the level of local inventory,” Davis says.

Once you know you’re definitely going to move, Davis says it’s prudent to begin interviewing prospective listing agents and then to promptly select the one you want to represent you.

“The longer you have to get all your ducks in a row, the better. There are many advantages to picking your agent early -- even if you do so a year before you intend to move,” says Davis, the author of “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home.”

An agent with ample notice of your selling plans can better determine the steps you should take to achieve the best possible outcome, whether this means replacing your kitchen appliances or painting your shutters. The agent can also exercise more care in selecting the right listing date.

“Arranging for contractors on a nonemergency basis can save you cash, and careful pricing can mean more proceeds at the bottom line,” Davis says.

-- Seek out data on selling times in your area.

For more than 30 weeks, homes on average have been for sale longer than was typical one year ago, according to Sabrina Speianu, economic data manager for Realtor.com, the home listing service.

But such national averages have little meaning for typical home sellers.

“Is your micromarket still steamy hot with a severe shortage of available properties? Or is it cooling off due to falling prices and excess inventory? Those are the only truly meaningful numbers for your area,” says Dorcas Helfant, a past president of the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor).

Ask your listing agent to take these numbers -- known as “days on market” -- and chart them over a six-month period. If selling times are lengthening, this could indicate a cooling of demand and should signal caution to prospective sellers.

“Assuming the market is chillier than before, you’ll want to allow yourself at least one extra month beyond the average selling time to ensure a smooth transition,” Helfant says.

-- Realize it’s never too early to start packing.

Though he has no scientific basis for the statement, Davis contends that 99% of home sellers procrastinate on the property preparation process.

Besides painting and repairs, nearly all homes need a thorough decluttering to show well. Your first step, Davis says, should be to remove any excess furnishings that crowd your interior space. Then box up smaller items and place them in your garage or a rented storage unit.

“By beginning as early as possible to clear out clothes, furniture and other items that you rarely use, you enhance your chances of fully completing this task before your place goes up for sale,” Davis says.

-- Give yourself extra time when moving to a brand-new place.

These days, it’s not uncommon for seniors to compete for units in brand-new retirement communities that offer a so-called continuum of care. But buying into such a community could be dependent on first selling your present property.

“People can get so completely dazzled by a model home in a new development that they’ll sign a contract before they’ve unloaded their old place,” Davis says.

A contract conditional on the sale of your present property may not obligate you to go through with the purchase. But if you can’t sell your house on time, you could lose the house, and your deposits could also go down the drain.

Because it’s not unusual for builders to take longer than they expect, some buyers of brand-new homes wait longer than they should before trying to sell their present property, according to Davis.

“But remember, this is a one-way street. The builder can be late, but you can’t, or you’ll be thrown in a risky situation financially,” he says.

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

Every year, the real estate industry cranks out countless statistics on market trends. But one new report showing that boomers now outstrip millennials as buyers is attracting special interest.

“Baby boomers have the upper hand in the homebuying market,” says Jessica Lautz, vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors (nar.realtor), which issued the report.

The share of home purchases made by boomers -- age 58 to 76 --reached 39% in 2022. That compares with the share of millennials -- age 24 to 42 -- that fell to 28% of all buyers.

The new numbers are surprising because millennials are in their prime buying years, when household formations and marriages most often occur.

It’s no secret that many young adults are cash- and income-strapped. Not only do they face inflationary pressures for food and rent, but they also struggle with steep student loan payments and rising child-care costs.

Numerous boomers are also financially challenged by higher food and health care expenses. Making ends meet is especially hard for older people who rely on Social Security. But others from the boomer generation have amassed strong retirement portfolios and substantial home equity, allowing them to consider buying a different place more to their liking.

“Dreaming of that ‘forever home’ isn’t strictly limited to the young. It’s a real goal for older people with plump bucket lists and the cash to fulfill their fantasies,” says Mark Nash, author of “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home.”

Two common elements of boomer housing fantasies -- even for those with discretionary funds to spare -- involve downsizing and simplification. But before they can move anywhere and start anew, many affluent boomers must free themselves from large collections of possessions.

“Hundreds of books, valuable antiques, that grand piano and that grandfather clock all stand in the way of the great housing finale many boomers have in mind,” says Nash, a longtime real estate broker in the Chicago area.

Here are a few pointers for boomers planning to reinvent their housing who hope to sell their home soon:

-- Write out your organizing plan.

Lee Silber, author of “Time Management for the Creative Person,” says too few people embark on projects with a written plan in hand.

“Most people wing it when they’re getting a house ready for market. They zigzag around, starting with whatever task looks interesting,” Silber says.

Many home sellers mistakenly believe they can proceed as efficiently with a mental plan as with a written one, according to Silber.

“In fact, what you have in your head is clutter unless you put it down on paper,” he says.

Are you unsure which tasks need to be done to get your home ready for market? If so, Silber suggests you ask your listing agent to draft a step-by-step list. Then go down the list, circling steps with the highest impact.

“People short on time -- and that’s most of us -- need to concentrate first on activities with the greatest potential return for the time spent,” he says. For instance, replacing a stained living room carpet could make a significant difference in the salability of your place, but fixing the stains on your concrete walkways may not.

-- Place your to-do list in a highly visible place.

Not only do sellers need to make a comprehensive list of tasks, but they should keep that list in full view, says Eric Tyson, co-author of “Personal Finance After 50 for Dummies.”

“Break down the tasks into a systematic list and place this list in a prominent position where you’ll see it all the time. Then chunk these tasks into one-hour increments. Each day, attempt to do multiple tasks from your list,” Tyson says.

-- Hire others to hasten your purging plan.

It may seem obvious, but many busy people with the means to hire help to prepare their homes for sale decline to do so.

“Some well-to-do people are emotionally resistant to letting professional organizers touch their things. ... But this rigidity can hold them back from moving, because no real estate agent wants to market their property in a cluttered condition,” Tyson says.

-- Incorporate some fun into your home-sale prep work.

You’ll gain more momentum in your quest to ready your home for market if you can make an otherwise boring project more interesting.

For instance, Silber suggests you consider what he calls “the fishbowl game.” Take a copy of your to-do list and cut the paper into pieces, one task per piece. Then, when you have a block of time to move forward, place all the pieces in a bowl and pick out one at random to start your day. After that task is done, reach into the bowl for the next one.

Another of Silber’s ideas is to stage a “presale party.” Just as you’re launching into home prep, send out invitations to friends for a fest scheduled to occur right before your home is listed.

“Knowing your friends will be coming over and seeing your house when it’s ready will give you a stronger drive to get going. You’ll get more done in a shorter period of time if you can visualize your friends coming in to celebrate the completion of your work,” he says.

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