Home is where the house is
In the first six months of 2008, Joy Dean Lee already has lived in six different places, crisscrossing the country from Texas to Indiana to Florida. By the time the year is over, she estimates she'll have lived in 12 homes.
Lee, 69, is a professional property caretaker and pet sitter. She hasn't had a home of her own since 2001 when she began living in other people's homes full time.
Lee — and others like her — finds that property caretaking allows her to obtain housing outside of the traditional framework of rent or mortgage payments. The kind of work Lee does is just one iteration of this alternative housing arrangement.
“[Property caretaking] is living rent-free in someone else's home and taking care of whatever their property needs might be,” explains Gary Dunn, the Boerne-based publisher of The Caretaker Gazette, a bimonthly listing service that has connected property owners and caretakers since 1983.
Also from this article, Gary's Tips for Property Caretakers:
TIPS FOR PROPERTY CARETAKERS
1. Establish exact dates of assignment. Confirm travel plans for all parties. Vague plans can leave people stranded, pets on their own and homes unattended.
2. What are the specific responsibilities? Agree in advance on duties, and ask for written instructions for pet/livestock care.
3. How will emergencies be handled? Ask for an emergency contact list for plumbers, electricians, etc.
4. Who will pay the bills? If the caretaker is responsible for any utility expenses, ask to see copies of previous bills.
5. Can the property owner provide references for previous caretakers? Speaking with previous caretakers will give you the “real scoop” on what the caretaking commitment will be like.
Source: Gary Dunn of The Caretaker Gazette, www.caretaker.org
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