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great way to stretch your travel dollars is to participate in
a home exchange program. There are several books, clubs and
exchange services that list thousands of homes around the world
whose owners offer club members a free stay for a week or more.
THE INTERNATIONAL HOME EXCHANGE SERVICE publishes three directories
a year with more than 7,000 listings and details on how to set
up an exchange. More than 80 percent of the listings are from
outside the United States, ranging as far as Brazil, Nepal,
Australia and Zimbabwe, but most of the exchange homes abroad
are in Europe. Subscriptions are $55 per year. For information
contact BOOK PASSAGE, (800) 999-7909 or INTERNATIONAL HOME EXCHANGE
SERVICE, (415) 956-1011.
Home
Exchange
At Home Exchange com they charge a very low $30 per
year (which is less than the leading "seniors" home exchange
service.
Book
Passage
or email: message@bookpassage.com
If you like the idea of a free place to stay,
consider becoming a professional house-sitter. This is one
way to enjoy beautifully furnished (sometimes including maid-service)
homes and mansions for free. Most people would rather not
abandon their pets to a strange kennel or leave their houses
vacant while they travel. A professional house-sitter can
spend nearly all year helping different folks out by watching
their houses and pets, usually getting paid for it. Free house-sitting
works in the opposite way as well. People who own expensive
vacation and resort homes often visit these homes only once
or twice a year. They also want the peace of mind of having
their homes watched over and cared for while they are not
there. When they arrive for their vacation, you can visit
friends or relatives while they are vacationing in "your"
home. How does year-round living in Key West, Florida; Kannapali
Beach, Maui; Aspen, Colorado or Malibu, California sound?
Many people have homes in the Bahamas, Mexico and other foreign
countries that they prefer to be lived in year-round.
Another way to live and travel-around for
free is by house-sitting for homes that are for sale. Houses
built for "spec" and model homes especially are perfect for
house-sitting. Higher priced homes often stay on the market
for several months at a time. Meanwhile, you are enjoying
a brand new home. Older homes up for sale are often left empty
because their owners have already moved into new homes. Fine
homes with swimming pools, tennis courts and lush gardens
need someone to watch over them so vandals don't take advantage
of their being empty for long periods of time.
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