Renting first is not a lesser plan
A year in a neighborhood tells you things no amount of visiting will. Plenty of people rent in Hollywood before they buy here, and Rivka works with both.
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 committing several hundred thousand dollars to a guess.
It also helps if your timing is awkward. Selling in one market and buying in another rarely lines up neatly, and a rental in between costs less than a rushed purchase.
Tell Rivka what you need
Roughly where, roughly when, and how many bedrooms. She will tell you what is realistic.