Plane shopping

According to schedule, I anticipate to be in the market for something like
an Archer II (most likely) or an Archer III around the end of the year.
I've been drooling on various shoping rags for about a year now. As such
I have several questions. Hopefully you won't mind answering!

Is plane shopping in any way (down south - Texas) influenced by season?

What type of lead time should I expect in shopping for a plane? Is this
typically a one month effort or so or possibly many, many months trying to
find a good deal on a good plane?

I figure in a state as large as Texas (with OK, and LA not too
far away), on a fairly common plane like an Archer, finding one shouldn't
be too hard. Am I being naive here?

While there seems to be a wealth of plane information, I'm having trouble
finding information on various avionics. Is there a place you guys can
point me? What brands to stay away from? What brands are preferred? I
know enough to know I want a plane that already has the avionics I want.
The problem is, I don't know enough about the brands to have any sense of
general worth or reliability.

Another pilot offered to give me a plane buyer's book of some type which
talks about the over all process. As I get a little closer I figure I'll
get the book which talk about buying a Piper PA28 series of planes. I'll
have to google for the book name. This all sound like I'm heading down
the right path?

My father is an experienced plane buyer so I won't be doing this alone.
Just the same, I want to learn as much as I can. This sound like I'm
heading in the right direction?


Greg