The answer depends on whether your priorities are clear before the search begins.
If you are waiting for a much bigger selection of homes, I would be careful with that assumption. In South El Monte, CA, there were 11 active listings recently, so the better move may be sharpening your standards instead of waiting for volume.
With 11 active listings, 5 recent sales, and 2.2 months of supply, South El Monte, CA is giving buyers a limited but workable field. A typical asking price sat at $749,000, and recent offers landed near asking, which means good homes still deserve fast, informed decisions.
A smaller pool is not automatically bad. It can actually make the decision easier if you know what matters most. Where buyers struggle is when every listing looks almost right and no one has defined what the move is supposed to accomplish.
Set your top needs before the next search alert hits your phone. Reject homes that miss the basics, even if they look appealing online. Be prepared to move quickly on the homes that truly fit, because hesitation is more expensive than clarity in a market with fewer options.
