Do you have any advice for getting a (good) place without knowing anyone there, and without giving an arm to a broker? I tracked Craigslist ads daily for all o

Do you have any advice for getting a (good) place without knowing anyone there, and without giving an arm to a broker? I tracked Craigslist ads daily for all of those neighborhoods a couple of years ago when I was considering relocating, and it looked _brutal_. (I suppose an employer or potential co-workers might be able to help, but it just seems so competitive I'm not sure what can really be done.)