Tony and Colleen Savarese accomplished the seemingly impossible for first-time home buyers in a housing market short on supply and long on competition — they made an offer below the home’s listing price that was accepted.

It was the only offer the newlyweds made in a search that began in November. But getting to homeownership required concessions and compromises. Here are some tips:

¦ Start looking as soon as possible and be prepared to expand the search area. When the Savareses realized they couldn’t afford the home they wanted in Waltham, Woburn, or Burlington, they shifted their house-hunting to Billerica.

¦ Enroll in a home buyers education program, particularly if putting less than 10 percent down, said Peter Milewski, director of homeownership lending and of mortgage insurance fund for MassHousing, the state’s affordable housing bank.

¦ Find a trustworthy real estate agent to help navigate local markets. The Savareses worked with Gary Rogers of RE/MAX On the Charles, who helped them adjust their expectations and kept them from getting caught up in bidding frenzies for properties that were less than ideal.

¦ Write a personalized letter to the sellers. The Savareses offered 5 percent below the $439,000 asking price. Tony Savarese suspects it was accepted because the couple submitted the offer with a letter to the sellers that the Savareses could see themselves raising a family in their home.

¦ Be patient. Accept that the process might take a long time, particularly if looking in Boston or other competitive areas located along the MBTA rail lines, where inventory is at its lowest and whatever is available is expensive, Milewski said.

KATHELEEN CONTI