I do sympathise, we moved here a few years ago just before the ELL and it was easier then but we moved from Hackney and it was the same over there with sealed bids and nothing coming onto the market. I haven't tried it but friends of ours leafleted houses in the areas they wanted to live and they got some good leads. Houses are now all priced around the £499k mark which seems ridiculous, a house on our street (off Stansted Road) sold for £485k. Good luck, it will happen, it's just really frustrating when it's not.