Housesitting Heaven

	Key to Happiness

Dreaming of spending the a few months in Hawaii, going on a far-flung adventure in the jungles of Belize, or sipping local wine in a rustic Italian villa -- for free?

No need to get your head out of the clouds. Enjoying a free stay in worldwide destinations is a reality for hundreds of thousands of people, thanks to one of the fastest growing trends in the world today: housesitting.

Through mutually beneficial agreements, housesitters gain rent-free accommodation all around the world in return for minor household duties, while owners get their properties, pets and gardens cared for while they're away.

"I haven't paid rent or a mortgage since my oldest son graduated [from] high school in Laguna Beach, Calif., seven years ago," says Gene Sottosanto, 53. "I've been able to stay in fine and interesting places, as well to have some good adventures."

Companies that match homeowners and housesitters say their business has grown drastically over the last year. U.S.-based The Caretaker Gazette, a 25-year-old housesitting publication that also runs a Web site, says that the number of international assignments it advertises has been expanding by about 30% each year.

Similarly, Australia-based HouseCarers.com reports similar growth, with up to 3,000 hits a day.

"People are becoming more mobile and wanting to travel more, which is fueling our site traffic, [which doubles every month]," says Susan Holtham, editor of New Zealand-based MindMyHouse.com, a leading global housesitting company.

Experts say the matchmaking services are becoming increasingly common due to the rise in second-home ownership. Already, 6.8 million American homeowners (6%) own a second home and it is predicted that 10 million people will own a second home by 2010, according to a new survey by the National Association of Realtors.

In addition, second homes are now becoming increasingly common among a more varied demographic, including baby boomers, the single largest group of homeowners. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau predicts second-home purchases for boomers alone will reach 6.4 million units by 2010, up from 5.5 million units purchased in the 1990s.

"More people than ever are able to afford more than one home and they often choose to have it in another country, which is certainly fueling this housesitting trend," says Gary Dunn, publisher of The Caretaker Gazette.

No matter what your own need is -- a place to spend vacation or a year of retirement, say -- you will be able to find a homeowner whose needs match your own, the companies say.

Dunn points out that housesitting assignments typically range from a simple two-week arrangement when the owner takes an annual vacation to seasonal assignments when snowbirds go south in the winter.

"We also have people who are transferred overseas for long- and short-term periods, taking sabbaticals and inheriting properties in faraway places -- all requiring the services of a housesitter or property caretaker," Dunn continues.