Now. You can’t do too much homework.
But that said, if you are looking to purchase in the spring and you are following pricing in the fall, you are going to see a rapid shift in where homes are priced. The spring market means somewhere around 2 to 3 times the number of buyers so pricing jumps. If you base your offers on last fall’s comparable sales, you are going to get outbid on the most attractive houses that come to market. Expect anywhere from a 5 to 10% jump in pricing from November to March.