| With the economy such as it is, many people are | | | | make plans for the work to be done. We |
| trying to get more creative with money. I think it | | | | eventually decided on a new tile floor. There was |
| shows the greatness of America... the resiliency! | | | | green tile in the kitchen and beige carpeting in the |
| Many are saving or budgeting for the first time in | | | | family room. The green title had come with the |
| their life, Money, or the lack of it, has increased | | | | home years before and although, it would never |
| people's awareness of its great power--both with | | | | have been my pick, I lived with it as most |
| it and without it. I can personally say I know | | | | homeowners do... until you have the money to |
| people who have had to declare bankruptcy, one | | | | make it more of something YOU like. There were |
| whose home has been foreclosed; another had an | | | | French doors which lead from the kitchen/family |
| automobile repossessed, and so on. Times are | | | | room combination to the pool deck, so the |
| tough. But, as a vacation home rental owner, | | | | addition of tile would be one that would leave the |
| there is one thing people are hard pressed to give | | | | area much easier to clean. My cost? The expense |
| up--their vacation! Especially, their Florida vacation! | | | | of the tile and other materials to complete the |
| Somehow the sand, surf and sun make them | | | | job. |
| forget about their financial troubles. | | | | About the same time as my barter deal with |
| In 2007, at the top of the housing bubble, I too, | | | | Kelly, I heard from a lady who had found me |
| had to get creative. I was living in the St. Louis | | | | through an ad I had placed with a vacation rental |
| area to be closer to one of my four daughters. I | | | | web site. She had saw my listing. She asked if |
| had rented out my Florida home as a yearly | | | | she and her boyfriend could barter for two |
| rental from 2005 until 2007. It turned out to be a | | | | weeks stay around Christmas time. Their |
| landlord's worst nightmare toward the end of the | | | | specialty? Painting. During the past two years I |
| lease. The renter didn't pay his rent for two | | | | had rented one Christmas and the other I hadn't... |
| months plus he created a mess in my home. | | | | so it was kind of "iffy." There was a 50/50 |
| Renting from far away can be tricky at best but | | | | chance that it might be rented. I opted for the |
| I knew it was a bad situation when I asked him, | | | | barter as I needed my exterior of the home |
| "How does the pool look?" His reply was, "I don't | | | | painted as well as the dining room, hallway and |
| know. I haven't looked at it for a few months." If | | | | foyer. We corresponded back and forth and |
| I had had a pool service, I would have been upset | | | | agreed on a time. The cost? $701.00! |
| with his comment. But, HE was THE pool service. | | | | As I write this article, I am returning from a |
| He had told me that he had had a pool for years | | | | Florida trip. My purpose? To look at my bartered |
| and he knew how to care for MY pool. Needless | | | | work. All I can write is, "OMG!" When I drove the |
| to write, when I saw my pool, it looked like a | | | | rental car from Orlando International Airport to |
| pond. | | | | Port Orange, Florida (minutes from the Daytona |
| After the tenant so graciously left, I went back | | | | Beach area), I gasped when I saw my home! We |
| to Florida to decide what to do with my home. A | | | | had chosen for the color--"sea salt". Belinda, of |
| lady I had become friends with while living in St. | | | | Clawson Painting, out of Cleveland, Ohio, had told |
| Louis I had met while living in the St. Louis area | | | | me, after our many conversations, that I would |
| traveled with me, and together we cleaned up | | | | just love this color. It was a mixture of blues, |
| the mess. Once again, my home looked like the | | | | grays and greens. She had also shared with me |
| kind of place that would welcome anyone through | | | | that most people couldn't really figure out what |
| its front door. My home had always been a sort | | | | color it actually was. She said it was a very |
| of nurse's retreat. The Jacuzzi was strategically | | | | warm, welcoming and serene color. She couldn't |
| placed under the stars. The large in ground pool | | | | have been more on target. It was beautiful. It |
| had a built in love seat in the deeper end of the | | | | actually brought tears to my eyes. The best part |
| pool. Also, my granddaughter and I had built a fish | | | | was the actual money out lay was $287.00 and |
| pond together. It was truly a relaxing home when | | | | two weeks of time (a few days of the donated |
| I lived there and I knew others would be able to | | | | time was actually spent painting). When they |
| experience the same feelings. | | | | arrived to a site, they painted first... then |
| I decided to open my home as a vacation rental. I | | | | vacationed second. |
| furnished it, and built a web site for my home. As | | | | After ooing and ahing the new look in the foyer, |
| a finishing touch, I bought a sign to place on my | | | | dining room and hallway, I made my way into the |
| front door, "The Time To Be Happy Is Now, The | | | | kitchen/family room. I was totally amazed at the |
| Place To Be Happy Is Here." On my web site, I | | | | transformation. The newly tiled floors were |
| added a welcome message that potential | | | | beautiful! It made both rooms look larger. I knew, |
| vacationer's could listen to. I placed a picture of | | | | as well, it would be easier to keep clean. It was |
| myself so they would know whom they were | | | | also a much more neutral in color. I could bring a |
| renting from. I downloaded loads of pictures of | | | | lot more color into the room. |
| the interior and exterior, and finally a YouTube | | | | I have shared about the physical changes... the |
| video so people could actually talk a virtual tour of | | | | new flooring and the color on the walls but I also |
| my home. It worked! My guestbook is now filled | | | | want to share about the relationships that were |
| with satisfied clients and warm comments. | | | | fostered through bartering. We all made new |
| One winter day, I began making a mental list of | | | | friends. Kelly, Belinda and Tom met one another |
| some of the upcoming repairs that would be | | | | while in Florida. I was able to meet Tom and |
| needed to maintain my home in Florida. I wanted | | | | Belinda when I went to Florida. They had actually |
| to make improvements but like everyone else, I | | | | bartered to paint for a stay at a home that all of |
| was struggling to stay above board. I was always | | | | the locals refer to as "the castle." It sits |
| one to pray for God's guidance when I was at a | | | | overlooking the ocean. The front of the home is |
| loss for direction. An idea would always come to | | | | on A1A, the road which travels along side the |
| me... one that I would never seem to have come | | | | beach. Bartering actually lead to more bartering. |
| upon just by myself! First of all, I knew I had | | | | After Kelly's meeting with Belinda and Tom, Kelly |
| something of great value... my Florida home. I | | | | was then given an offer to barter for a month's |
| knew my home could use a new coat of paint, | | | | stay at the "castle" in exchange for tile work. For |
| and I had always wanted to change out the | | | | so many years, I had traveled down A1A to go |
| carpet in the family room and the green tile in the | | | | to the beach in Ponce Inlet. I would admire the |
| kitchen area. It was then the idea came to list it | | | | castle on the beach. I never in a million years |
| on Craigslist under "barter." I typed out a creative | | | | would have imagined that I would one day walk |
| ad and then I waited for a response. The wait | | | | around the home to admire the painting of Belinda |
| was a very short one! I had a call the next day | | | | and Tom. Life is full of surprises! |
| from a fellow who lived in a neighboring town in | | | | What do YOU have of value? Think about it. |
| the St. Louis area. He sounded very professional. | | | | What is YOUR skill or talent that another would |
| He sounded as serious about the barter as I was. | | | | find helpful? Do you know how to remodel? Are |
| We agreed to meet. | | | | you a plumber? Do you have a home in the |
| The evening that I arranged to meet Kelly (and | | | | Smokey Mountains? Do you know how to teach |
| his family), turned out to be a wonderful | | | | piano? The list is endless. The union is just two |
| experience. The appointment was one of those | | | | people who have something of value who wish to |
| "divine" appointments. I immediately felt trust and | | | | make a trade off. If you visit my web site, look |
| I knew Kelly had the best interest of my home | | | | under PICTURES and you can check out the |
| at heart, as well as he had a desire to provide a | | | | work which was done, both in the kitchen/family |
| Florida vacation for his family. Once again, the | | | | room and also the exterior of the home. Of |
| inherent goodness of people came shining through. | | | | course, it is always a good idea to check on |
| We had a few laughs as we worked out our | | | | references or do a back ground check. But, in the |
| barter deal. We never had it written down on | | | | end, there can be no greater satisfaction on |
| paper. We still don't. We knew in our hearts and | | | | either side of the barter. It is a win win |
| minds that we had sealed a deal and we began to | | | | agreement. |