Renting first is a good plan
A year in a neighborhood teaches you things no amount of visiting will. Plenty of people rent in Hollywood before they buy here, and Rivka is glad to help either way.
Where renting makes sense
If you are moving from another state or another country, a year of renting lets you learn the streets, the drive to work and the walk to shul before you commit several hundred thousand dollars to a decision.
It also helps when the timing is awkward. Selling in one market and buying in another rarely lines up neatly, and a rental in between is usually kinder than a rushed purchase.
Tell Rivka what you need
Roughly where, roughly when, and how many bedrooms. She will tell you what is realistic.