Start looking at the airport closest to your home, because you have a chance to see theaircraft without incurring any expense. This works well if you're looking for a Cessna 150or other small common aircraft. But by the time you're stepping up to a four placeaircraft, you should begin to look farther afield.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/ownership/where-to-look-for-a-used-aircraft