Here is a References Worksheet. Use it as a guide when you call references for your (possible) future housemate.
Also here is longer discussion on how to check references.
Posts Tagged ‘sharing housing’
References Worksheet
Action News-Las Vegas Seniors seeking housemate
Action News in Las Vegas did a short piece on a senior considering renting a room in her house to manage her difficult finances. It describes Rita, who after her husband died lost his pension and veteran’s benefits (reducing her income by 70%) and can no longer afford her home. She really wants to stay [...]
Who makes the match?
There are programs that take on responsibility for matching householders with home seekers. In general these programs are non profit social service programs focusing on people in need for reasons of age, disability or low-income.
The National Shared Housing Resource Center provides a directory of programs in states, updated in March of 2009. A casual count [...]
Software to the Rescue-Housemate’s Companion
Confused by the bills you need to track in your shared home? Tired of using an spreadsheet and working out the formulas? Housemate’s Companion by Slamdunk Software comes to your rescue. It’s brand new and looks exactly like the basic tool that everyone needs. It not only offers easy management of the bills, it sends [...]
Methods to divide chores
Every home needs to be cleaned. When people share housing the question arises about how the common areas that everyone uses are cleaned. Here are three methods that work.
Hire a Pro
If you can afford it, the easiest, best way to get the house cleaned is to have someone else do it. Seriously – once every [...]
Messy Housemates
Sometimes I find myself grumbling about mess in the house, something along the lines of “Why doesn’t he EVER clean up after himself?” Years of experience have taught me to look again. Oh, I say to myself, “That’s mine and that’s mine and that’s mine..” It is a very natural human tendency to look at [...]
Reference Checking
Guidelines for how to check references for possible housemates. Includes down loadable form.
Avoiding Foreclosure
Has your house become too expensive for you? If so, you are hardly alone. According to RealtyTrak, in 2010 between 3 million and 3.5 million foreclosure warnings will be issued. This is up from 2009’s record of 2.8 million. (USA Today, Feb. 11 2010) That’s a lot of houses, that’s a lot of unhappy people.
If [...]
Four Degrees of Sharing
Authors and attorneys, Janelle Orsi and Emily Doskow, have developed a model they call “four degrees of sharing”. The first degree requires minimal cooperation and no planning, while the fourth degree requires extensive cooperation and long-term planning. The whole model can be read here:
They assign sharing rental housing or a single family home to the [...]
The New Housemates
Here’s an article, published by the AARP on middle-aged single women choosing to live together. It was written in 2007. I wonder how many more people are discovering the pleasures of sharing housing?