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. ...