I think the opinions which you will find here are that homes are set to fall in price: some believe by a little (20%), some by a lot (50%). You can try to low-ball, but mostly, it will take time for reality to set in with sellers. Buying now has a lot of risk (“catching the falling knife”).
Best option is to rent: good news here, there are a lot of great rentals N-of-Adams, priced at a level that you could not dream to purchase for. Enjoy a year or two of subsidized rent, while you learn the nooks and crannies of the area, and wait for a great place to open up.
(It is nice to see the average simple home around here fall below $500K… now if it could get to $400K there might be a chance again for singles, couples, and young families to move in here. [A poster on another thread was right: they are the true, best, audience for the smaller homes around here.])
