Still looking for an apartment. Yes, since the last post about that I sorta gave up temporarily as I was super-busy and really had no patience for the whole thing.
It still sucks. Found another funny Israeli aspect of the whole process: Apartments for Exchange:
So, get this: if I like this apartment (no picture for any help there), AND I’m willing to pay $600 for it, I can rent it, right? Wrong! This doofus has to like MY apartment enough to move into it as well. And *that* price has to be right. Yeah, this isn’t an invitation to a total waste of time or anything.
Back when I was looking before I called one of these guys as I couldn’t actually believe this could be the case. I asked him about the apartment; he told me all the details and after I said “ok, well, should I come see it?” he asked, “well, do you have an apartment for me, too?” Find your own damn apartment!
Did I mention it’s a seller’s market here?
Zabaj: the Junk in Israel's Trunk 
This is so 5,000 BC!
so not only do I have to want to buy your wheat, but I have to have the geese you want in order to conduct the barter?
How about we invent a mediating element that we can all agree on its value and trade it. Let’s call it money.
The thing is, putting up these ads is free. as of such people have nothing (but their dignity) to lose by posting these ads. Though I’m curious to know if anyone ever succeeded to barter an apartment.