See a pattern developing?  

For example, sometimes if you look at the listing history for a stale listing, you can see a pattern ... as in, the seller/agent has reduced the list price by $10k every month it doesn't sell for the last 3 months ... then, if you see a pattern like that you can get a feel for if/when it will get down to the ballpark it needs to be price wise ... make a mental note to check back around then, and you can then put an offer in the night before you expect them to drop their price again, with the anticipated price drop, plus an additional smaller price drop to get you a great deal ...

@Todd Dexheimer, you'd better be knocking on wood when you say that:)I just did some cross sectioned analysis for a client based on income and appraisal taxation coupled with growth patterns.  

I experienced a 4 month vacancy in one unit, which obviously hurt my return, but never even came close to cash flow negative.I'm bullish on the long-term appreciation of that area over say, a 15-20 year timeline (which works for me given my age), because I understand the gentrification patterns in Chicago and I know there's no other direction for the money to go. 

There are also some 1900s houses that Ive walked through that felt like fun houses because if you dropped 100 marbles in each room they'd go every which way.

Good call Jack.On every forum I post on, when I go through the posting history of anyone I have an issue with, I find a pattern of this type of stuff....You're totally right.

210 - Bastrop 1 - Aldine 2 - Alief 3 - Alvin 135 - Anderson-Shiro 4 - Anahuac 5 - Angleton 215 - Belton 111 - Austin 6 - Barbers Hill 136 - Bellville 132 - Bay City 181 - Chester 143 - Beaumont 140 - Boling 150 - Brownsboro 54 - Brazos 7 - Brazosport 128 - Burton 144 - Brookeland 137 - Brenham 66 - Cayuga 8 - Channelview 9 - Clear Creek 100 - Cleveland 101 - Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated 10 - Columbia-Brazoria 141 - Comal 148 - Bryan 176 - Devers 177 - Yoakum 169 - Calhoun County 204 - Fayetteville 184 - Burnet Consolidated 194 - Buffalo 11 - Conroe 118 - Coupland 57 - Crockett 12 - Crosby 13 - Cypress-Fairbanks 180 - Wharton 155 - Centerville 14 - Damon 15 - Danbury 202 - Franklin 74 - Dayton 16 - Deer Park 112 - Del Valle 197 - Ezzell 189 - Giddings 153 - College Station 179 - Hallettsville 17 - Dickinson 119 - Dripping Springs 113 - Eanes 18 - East Chambers 145 - East Bernard 120 - Elgin 68 - Elkhart 19 - Fort Bend 67 - Frankston 20 - Friendswood 21 - Galena Park 22 - Galveston 23 - Goose Creek 138 - Goodrich 58 - Grapeland 59 - Groveton 110 - Hamshire Fannett 107 - Hardin 121 - Hays Consolidated 24 - Hempstead 25 - High Island 26 - Hitchcock 27 - Houston 28 - Huffman 108 - Hull-Daisetta 29 - Humble 64 - Huntsville 139 - Kerrville 175 - Madisonville Consolidated 170 - Matagorda 185 - Keller 186 - Lufkin 187 - Jarrell 205 - La Grange 183 - Llano 217 - Hemphill 106 - Jacksonville 122 - Johnson City 198 - El Campo 30 - Katy 60 - Kennard 218 - Nacogdoches 159 - North Zulch 178 - Lockhart 32 - Klein 35 - La Porte 69 - La Poynor 114 - Lago Vista 200 - Laredo 115 - Lake Travis 33 - Lamar Consolidated 61 - Latexo 123 - Leander 73 - Liberty 149 - Jasper 151 - Leggett 103 - Livingston 62 - Lovelady 154 - Lumberton 36 - Magnolia 116 - Manor 124 - Marble Falls 37 - Montgomery 70 - Neches 129 - Navasota 38 - Needville 39 - New Caney 105 - New Waverly 152 - Nederland 195 - Leon 196 - Mexia 131 - Normangee 127 - Northwest 104 - Onalaska 99 - Other 71 - Palestine 126 - Rockdale 41 - Pasadena 42 - Pearland 117 - Pflugerville 125 - Round Rock 207 - Schulenburg 44 - Royal 45 - Santa Fe 109 - Sealy 46 - Sheldon 65 - Slocum 130 - Shepherd 47 - Splendora 48 - Spring 49 - Spring Branch 50 - Stafford 206 - Round Top-Carmine 51 - Sweeny 102 - Tarkington 52 - Texas City 133 - Tidehaven 156 - Palacios 147 - Rusk 219 - Waelder 199 - Marlin 53 - Tomball 63 - Trinity 134 - Van Vleck 55 - Waller 72 - Westwood 56 - Willis 216 - Woden 142 - New Braunfels 188 - Columbus 190 - Rio Vista 192 - Snook 157 - Seguin 158 - Somerville 161 - Rice Cons 182 - West Hardin 203 - Weimar 220 - Salado 214 - San Marcos 193 - Nueces-Canyon 160 - Lake Worth 162 - McDade 164 - Big Sandy 165 - Lexington 191 - Victoria 163 - Hardin-Jefferson 208 - Denton 209 - Caldwell 211 - Dallas 201 - Wylie 168 - Zavalla 171 - Iola 213 - Richards 221 - Buffalo/Lone Star

Not cheap but gives you an idea of what you can do just by changing your pattern.

For the major project I had them handle, replacing worn out carpet with Vinyl (Wood Patterned) Flooring I was quoted in writing $2,100 "out the door." 

I haven't observed any discernible pattern, seasonal or otherwise, when it comes to a lull in competition for even slightly below market or undervalued properties.The further you go outside of the core, the less appreciation you will get.