Story Published: May 6, 2009 at 6:27 PM MDT
Story Updated: May 6, 2009 at 8:33 PM MDT
"We work with realtors and home owners who have vacant homes that are for sale on the market, and find home tenders that basically move into the house," says Amy Nelson, Harbor Home Tending, coordinator.
Lindsey Anderson is the owner, but she hasn't had much luck selling her place.
"It has been on the market for only two months, but before that it was on the market for a year," Lindsey Anderson, homeowner.
There may be an answer to vacant home owners like Lindsey.
"I was faced with five challenges, the first was my insurance, my home owner insurance rates sky rocketed, the second was I was concerned about vandalism to the property because I was never here. The third was the home isn't staged, no one was here, the fourth was I didn't want to bring my lawn mower out and care for the property in order for it to sell, and the fifth was utilities, " says Anderson.
Now her home owner's insurance is much lower and the home no longer sits empty.
"It's proven if you move somebody into the home and stage the home, it will sell better," says Nelson.
A drawback for a homeowner can perhaps be those nasty mortgages.
"We wont be of any help in helping you with that," says Anderson.
Now as a home tender, you get to live in a pretty nice place and only pay around four to five hundred bucks. All you have to do is keep the place staged, that means it's your furniture that'll fill this empty space.
"What if somebody doesn't have nice furniture would that disqualify them?" asks Araksya Karapetyan.
"Generally furniture does play a big factor," says Nelson.
But as a tender, you have to be ready to move.
"A good chance moving around a lot, and have to waive rights as an Idaho renter you could have to leave in a couple days," says Anderson.
"So a bit of a instability factor," asks Karapetyan.
Still, this concept might work for many of you.
"Markets are rough all across the country so finding a lot of people who lost their home due to foreclosure, we don't do credit checks," says Nelson.
So if your credit score isn't that great, you still have a shot.
Also as a home tender, you will need to pay for utilities and keep the lawn maintained.