4. FIND AN APARTMENT YOURSELF USING THESE TECHNIQUES

Not choosing to be babysat by a broker is fine too, and sometimes a lot more fun. You can actually get out there yourself, case the 'hoods and, hopefully stumble upon a special place you will love. However, be prepared to put some miles on your car and invest some time. Fortunately, the high demand in Boston is still not as cutthroat as New York, but bring your checkbook and be prepared to pounce. Some techniques to consider:

Hit up your employer or school
Go online
Try newspapers and magazines
Drive around

Hit up your employer or school

You may want to begin your search by asking your employer if the company has any real estate services; some large companies hold apartments for employees or have very good contacts in the rental market. Similarly, if you have any school affiliations alumni or current contact your school and inquire as to whether the school has any apartment bulletin boards or online listings. These housing openings are often more affordable and safer than something you could find on your own, and many are open to people affiliated with the university.

Also check out the schools in Boston, including Tufts, Boston University, Boston College, and Harvard, to name a few. Boston has about 40 higher education institutions, and some of those kids have great houses that they need to get rid of after senior year. You also can sublet an apartment during the summer, which will give you time to find your own place by fall. Check out the college's newspaper or walk around collegiate pizza joints, laundromats and on-campus trees for posters. Frequently, you will see posted advertisements looking for roommates, offering a sublet or a permanent place all your own.

Go online

A good way to find apartment listings is over the Internet. The benefit of the Internet is that you can search through many different venues very quickly, and you don't have to wait for the free weekly magazines to hit the stands. There are a bunch of sites out there that you can scout out by using any Internet search engine such as www.altavista.com, www.yahoo.com or www.google.com. There are many specific search engine resources for finding an apartment in Boston as well:

Try newspapers and magazines

Newspapers and magazines are good sources for apartment listings, both in print and online. Here are some examples:

APARTMENT GUIDE - A weekly publication of apartment listings available for free at just about any large grocery store. These are often heavy on the large complexes, due to high advertising rates.

THE BOSTON GLOBE - The classified ads section includes listings for apartments in all areas including outlying towns. It comes out daily and the Sunday section has the biggest selection. These listings are also available online at www.boston.com, which connects you with www.apartment.com.

THE BOSTON PHOENIX - The Phoenix is Boston's free weekly alternative paper. Try not to get distracted by the immense personal ads section, and charge right into the real estate section. Also try online at www.bostonphoenix.com.

THE BOSTON HERALD - The Herald is a daily tabloid with the largest real estate classifieds out on Saturday. Its online site at www.bostonherald.com.

Most communities in and around Boston have their own weekly paper, such as the Allston-Brighton Journal, Brookline Citizen, Cambridge Chronicle, Jamaica Plain Citizen, Somerville Journal, South End News, Watertown Press and West Roxbury Transcript. Don't forget these local rags. You often get the sweetest deals through them.

Drive around

Aside from letting you know what the area is like, driving around the neighborhoods where you would like to live can be helpful in uncovering leads. People often post flyers offering nearby apartment sublets and rentals at churches, gyms, recreation centers, bus stop shelters, schools and telephone booths in the neighborhood. Go. Look. Conquer.

While "For Rent" signs are not common in the Boston area, often a property will have its number listed outside the building. If you like the looks of it, give them a call to see about any upcoming openings.