If you are trying to avoid wishful thinking and wasted weekends, focus on pace, price bands, and the kind of house you actually need.
Trying to decide whether you should jump into home tours now or keep watching from the sidelines in Palo Alto, CA? My short answer tour now only if your budget, home type, and nonnegotiables are already nailed down, because a typical sale took 28 days last month and the pace is not exactly leisurely.
Here is the practical read. Last month, a typical sale in Palo Alto, CA took 28 days, down from 76 days a year earlier, and homes were getting 4 offers on average. That is not a market for casual browsing with a latte in one hand and a vague plan in the other.
The decision point is really about preparation, not bravery. A typical sale price last month was $3,000,000 in one recent measure, while another recent measure put it at $2,500,000, so I would not anchor to one nice-looking number and call it a day. In Palo Alto, CA, the single-family range also stretches broadly, with page 8 showing roughly $3.0M to $3.7M and page 5 showing neighborhood entry points from about $2.0M to $3.5M depending on area and home style. That spread matters. If you want an Eichler-style entry point, page 5 places several neighborhoods around $2.5M to $3.5M, while Old Palo Alto and Crescent Park sit in a very different financial universe. Same city, very different checkbooks.
Do two things before you book a full day of tours. First, set a hard ceiling and match it to the price bands actually shown for Palo Alto homes, especially if you are choosing between an entry neighborhood and a larger single-family option. Second, decide whether you want flexibility for expansion, because page 10 notes stricter building limits in many Eichler areas and that can shut down the "we'll just add more later" fantasy pretty fast. Third, tour only homes that fit that plan. Your feet will thank you, and so will your future self.
