The honest answer: it depends on you
There's no universal 'right time' — the best time to buy or sell is when it fits your life, finances, and goals. Headlines about the market are a poor substitute for running your own numbers on your own timeline.
If you're buying
Focus on what you can control: getting fully pre-approved, buying within a payment you're comfortable with, and planning to stay long enough to ride out short-term swings. Competition and rates matter, but a home that fits your budget and life usually beats trying to time the bottom.
If you're selling
The biggest lever is pricing correctly from day one, not guessing at the perfect season. Weigh current demand in your specific area against where you're moving next — and get a real, comparable-sales-based opinion of value before you decide.
Time in the market beats timing the market
Trying to perfectly time a purchase or sale is difficult even for professionals. A sound decision that fits your circumstances, made with good local data, tends to outperform waiting for a signal that may never come.