Reply #21: How do you "look by yourself"?

[trof]

For good or ill, realtors control the market (except for FSBOs) in most areas. How do you see the inside of a house without setting up an appointment with the realtor?

Unless you mean drive-bys.

When we moved here I knew what I wanted and how much I could spend.
The first house we called about introduced us to the realtor.
I liked her and explained that I had been a realtor at one time and knew the drill.
I would work only with her and in two weeks we planned to return home with a signed contract and call the movers.
The state of NH had taken our current home by imminent domain.
That's a whole 'nuther story.

She was very cooperative. She had a lock on the commission.
There was a big local multi-list book, free at grocery stores, etc.
I marked all the ones I was interested in.
She got me the addresses.
We eliminated 99% with a drive by.
Narrowed it down to 3 we wanted to see inside.
And here we are, since 1993, in our first choice.
;-)