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The
property caretaking field is growing and retirees are
in demand as caretakers and housesitters. Many people
now own multiple homes and properties throughout the world.
They often require the services of a housesitter or caretaker
to look after their properties. A glance through the pages
of The Caretaker Gazette reveals that, in many cases,
property owners are seeking "mature" or "retired" singles
and couples to fill these positions.
Housesitting and property caretaking can provide retirees
with the opportunity to experience life in a different
geographic locale and save money by living rent-free.
While there are numerous positions available throughout
the United States, more intrepid retirees opt to explore
the caretaking lifestyle in another culture. For example,
Iowans Tom and Jean retired from what they describe as
"intensive careers", responded to an ad for housesitters
that appeared in The Caretaker Gazette, and are now living
on a hacienda in Alamos, Mexico. Alamos, located in the
lush green hills of central Sonora, is a colonial town
that is home to a large number of American and Canadian
retirees.
Tom explains, "Housesitters are great people. Not just
because we are housesitters, but the sitters we have met
are adventurous, dedicated, service-oriented folks. They
believe in "Su casa es mi casa" [your house is my house]
and take care of it like it is."
Housesitting has provided Tom and Jean with the time to
pursue hobbies and special interests. Tom is able to participate
in performing arts, writing, gardening, seminar and workshop
presentations, and finds time to play the guitar. Jean
has been able to indulge her interest in art and nature,
wellness, writing, reading, swimming, and walking. Their
stint as housesitters in Alamos has provided Tom and Jean
with the experience to become professional housesitters.
Seniors Dave and Sumana retired from life in the fast
lane to caretake a 40-acre resort property located outside
of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. After visiting Mexico and
deciding they would like to find a way to spend more time
there, the couple responded to an ad in The Caretaker
Gazette that read, in part, "seeking a responsible, intelligent,
thoughtful, multi-talented, semi-bilingual couple to care
for a villa that has been in the family for 30 years."
Owned by an American, the house is oriented toward magnificent
views of a series of mountains that surround the city.
Dave and Sumana enjoy the interaction with the guests
who come to stay in the property's guesthouses.
The region is home to a vibrant community of American
and European expats who are helpful, hospitable, and appreciate
the rich, simple life that is possible in Oaxaca.
Sumana describes life as a property caretaker, "Living
here is like taking care of your own home. You see what
needs to be done, and you do it. As we slow down, there
is a very nice sense of being connected. We have no great
plants or social schedules. Our door is always open and
we always have time for a visit. We are lucky to have
found this oasis of warmth in a world that doesn't always
recognize its neighbors. We are living a life that 'fits'."
There are virtually no age limits when it comes to caretaking.
An adventurous septuagenarian, Captain Jack spent many
years in the Navy and was able to see much of the world
while he was in the service. He notes, "I got my chance
to see the globe the hard way - by participating in a
lot of wars: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Cold
War."
After so much activity, Captain Jack took early retirement
from the Navy in 1963 and, at the age of 39, got involved
in the field of property caretaking. Captain Jack started
his caretaking career at the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, in eastern Tennessee, right on the North Carolina
border. He stayed for one summer, working at the hikers'
guesthouse called LeConte Lodge on top of Old Smoky Mountain
along the scenic trail there. Captain Jack recalls, "I
truly enjoyed that caretaking experience and, after spending
so many years at sea, I decided to settle down into a
land-based caretaking lifestyle."
Captain Jack soon landed an exceptional job as a caretaker
for an American physician. The doctor's home was built
on a warm, paradise island. That island, Roatan Island,
is one of Hondura's three Bay Islands. It is located about
30 miles north of the Honduran coast, east of the Gulf
of Honduras. Captain Jack explains, "It's a beautiful
green island with mountain peaks rising to 700 feet. With
a population of 20,000 at the time I was a caretaker there
in the 1980's, Roatan was an inexpensive tropical Eden."
Until recently, most American retirees settled in Mexico,
Costa Rica, and Belize. Because Roatan was slightly
more difficult to reach, it remained relatively pristine
and undiscovered. According to Captain Jack, "When the
doctor choose to build his home on Roatan, he was looking
to escape from the expense, noise, and crime of the United
States." The doctor found that the Honduran government
made it fairly simple for an American to move to Roatan.
Although there was a $1,000 fee for establishing residency,
there was no duty charge on the first load of household
goods, the first car, and the first boat. The doctor's
home, a two-bedroom ranch-style house, is located high
above a scenic lagoon with a beautiful view of the ocean.
It was very comfortable for Captain Jack whose main responsibility
was just to be a presence at the house and property to
prevent any theft or vandalism and take care of any maintenance
problems. He built his own boat dock down in the lagoon
for his 30-foot SeaRay powerboat. Captain Jack usually
received what he needed from the supply boats that came
to the island twice a month. Sometimes he would fly over
to Honduras with his twin engine Cessna or he would take
his powerboat across the gulf to the mainland to pick
up supplies. Every August, the doctor would come down
from the U.S. At that time, Captain Jack would take
his vacations in his powerboat or fly his plane back to
the states for some visiting.
After a more than a decade on Roatan, Captain Jack thought
it was time to give up his idyllic lifestyle and start
traveling again. Prior to embarking upon his latest journey,
Captain Jack turned to The Caretaker Gazette (www.caretaker.org)
to find his next caretaking adventure. Ever the spirited
traveler, with no thoughts of slowing down, whatever Captain
Jack decides to do next, he is certain to end up making
an interesting and exciting adventure of it.
Closer to home, Marty and Kathie retired from their own
business to caretake a resort property on Clear Lake,
in northern California. Seeking what they describe as,
"a definite lifestyle change," the couple responded to
an ad in The Caretaker Gazette to caretake Honeymoon Cove
Resort. The Resort with 500 feet of private beach frontage
on Clear Lake boasts the largest private beach in Lake
County, California - and the cleanest air in all of California.
The resort is located on a remote peninsula, twenty minutes
from town.
The property itself contains five rental units, including
two very old, rustic, log cabins, and three mobile units
that sleep up to ten people each. Kathy and Marty, who
have been happily married for thirty years, were able
to provide the owner with solid references from family,
friends, and business associates. The owner is happy with
what Kathie and Marty have done for the resort, and the
guests have all made favorable comments about their hospitality.
The couple installed a spa on a deck overlooking the lake
and enjoys the ever-changing conditions of the water and
the surroundings. On many moonless nights, they have enjoyed
a warm soak, watching thousands of stars, in complete
solitude.
They have not had time to miss being homeowners yet and
note "It's kind of nice to have someone else pay for problems
that need to be fixed, and the landscaping that we have
put in." The couple enjoys interacting with the guests
and has made many new friends who plan to return to Honeymoon
Cove again this year. Kathie reports, "Our favorite
part of being here is the interaction with the guests.
We have been invited in for cocktails, gourmet dinners,
and barbecues, helped the guests' children fish from the
pier, and shared desserts on the barbecue lawn while watching
the fireworks over the lake on the 4th of July. We have
received hugs, bottles of wine, dinner offers, and further
correspondence from many of the guests."
The couple notes that their lifestyle has definitely changed
and they certainly have enough to do to keep them busy.
They also have time to pursue their passions.These include
singing, cooking, reading, bird watching, hiking, boating,
water-skiing, fishing, and working with kids. They say,
"We are happy that we made this radical and drastic choice
at this time in our lives, and hope to find a way to continue
caretaking in the future."
More and more retirees are discovering that property caretaking
can enable them to live in a variety of locales. They
have found that it is a great way to get to know an area
prior to making a long-term commitment. To learn more
about the property caretaking field, and all the rent-free
housesitting assignments available worldwide, go to The
Caretaker Gazette's website at www.caretaker.org
Further
Information
THE CARETAKER GAZETTE
PO Box 540, River Falls, WI 54022-0540
USA.
Ph (715) 426-5500
Email caretaker@caretaker.org
Web www.caretaker.org
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