1st HomeExchange.com Newsletter - October 2008

Previous Versions
 
In this issue:

• Our special offer continues
• Update your listing
• New e-mail address
• A home exchange adventure by Don and Rita from New Zealand
• Our swap tips to help you organize a successful swap
• A word of caution
• Use our free flight search engine to save money
• Help us grow - tell a friend
• Navigate 1st HomeExchange.com
• Unsubscribe from our newsletter

Special Offer!

If your home exchange listing is about to expire, has expired, or you are currently subscribed to the Basic plan, you'll be happy to read that our money saving offer continues.
 
Pay for a 12 month Premium membership at our already low price and get an additional 12 months for free. That's the equivalent of a 50% savings.
 
With almost 15,000 members in over 130 countries our Premium membership is one of the best ways to save thousands of $$$ €€€ £££ on your next holiday.

Take a Few Minutes to Update Your Listing

If you're considering an autumn or winter swap, now is the ideal time to update your listing. Are your desired destinations and dates up to date? How about adding some new photos? Photos are key to selling your offer! An updated listing ensures that it is correctly displayed for relevant searches.
 
If you've already concluded one or more exchanges, let visitors know by adding this information to one of the text boxes.
 
No plans to swap anytime soon? You can easily indicate this by setting your offer to concluded.

New E-mail Address?

If you change your e-mail address, you'll need to let us know. It's easy and automatic to update your e-mail address.

A Home Exchange Adventure
from New Zealand to Canada and the USA

Rita and I arrived home Friday to a raging storm, of high winds and cold rain, but the New Zealand weather definitely cannot dampen our spirits at all.
 
We are now experienced home exchangers.
 
We have had a fantastic, awesome two months of travel to Canada, Alaska, back to Canada then onto Windsor, in Sonoma County just north of San Francisco.
 
What a blast.
 
... your site 1st HomeExchange.com created the fantastic time we had and has changed our lives forever ... - Don & Rita
 
Read Don and Rita's house swap adventure

Did you recently participate in an exchange? Tell us about your swap.
 
We also want to hear about any funny anecdotes and photos you want to share. With your permission we'll share them with other members via future newsletters.

House Swaps Tips

We are often asked to provide tips on how to find and ensure the ideal swap. Here are our top tips to help you land a house swap and avoid disappointment:

• Maintain an updated listing
  A comprehensive well written and up to date description is a door opener.
• Include lots of photos.
  Photos show off your home and neighborhood. Many members skip offers that have no photos. So avoid being passed over.
   
  Did you know that our paid Premium membership allows an unlimited number of photos?
• Be flexible
  Be open with your destination and dates. Often a destination you hadn't considered can turn out to be a pleasant surprise.
   
  Use our advanced search to identify the listings of interest. Try a reverse search to find out who is interested in visiting your destination.
• Contact, contact, contact, …
  We can't say this enough.
   
  Unless you have the perfect home in the most desirable location, you'll need to send a lot more than 3 or 4 e-mails. Take the time to identify and e-mail as many potential swappers as possible. Waiting for someone to e-mail you regarding a dream swap rarely happens!
   
  Be pro-active and avoid disappointment!
• Start early
  The closer you get to your departure dates the harder it is to find a match. Starting early also has the benefit of allowing you time to get to know your exchange partner before committing.
• Get to know your swap partner before committing
  Even though we rarely hear of problems with a swap, there's always a possibility that something can go wrong.
   
  The best way to avoid problems and disappointment is to get to know the exchange member before committing. Use e-mail and the phone to ensure that you have the same expectations. Commit only when you are comfortable with the other person.
   
  This requires time, so as we said before, start early.
• Discuss details
  Make sure you've taken the time to discuss details.
   
  This includes who pays for expenses, mileage allowed if swapping cars, enter and exit cleaning, when tickets are purchased and much more.
   
  You probably want to put this all down on paper so there's no misunderstanding.

Do you have other suggestions? E-mail us and we'll be happy to include them in an upcoming newsletter.

A word of caution

We recently had a member contact us regarding an e-mail they received from another member. The member was requesting a damage deposit prior to exchanging their home.
 
Although someone may have a legitimate reason for asking for a deposit you should be aware that this type of request does not adhere to the principles of home exchanging which is based on trust. There is a high probability that this type of request is a scam.
 
We recommend that you
 
1. NEVER WIRE FUNDS
 
2. NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 
Please keep in mind that the best way to avoid a scam is to get to know the people you are exchanging with through e-mails, telephone calls, reference checks, and possibly even meeting the other member upon arrival.
 
Only commit to an exchange once you have gotten to know the other member and are comfortable with the person you are exchanging with.
 
1stHomeExchange.com does not verify any of the listings on the site. We are not involved in the discussion/negotiation between members. You must do your own verification. For additional information, please see our Disclaimer.

Save Money When Booking Flights

Planning to book a flight soon? Find the best deal on a flight in seconds. Our FREE flight search engine googles flights from 450+ travel sites! Yet another great way 1stHomeExchange.com saves you money!

Tell a Friend

Would you like even more home exchange offers to choose from? Tell a friend about 1stHomeExchange.com!
 
Word of mouth is the best way to build awareness regarding this vacation alternative.
 
If each member convinces one friend to list their home, we can easily double the number of offers on the site. The result, more selection for everyone.
 
We even have a Tell a friend form you can use.

Navigate 1st HomeExchange.com

Premium Membership
To learn more about the Premium membership.
 
Logon and Subscribe to the Premium Membership
To subscribe to the Premium membership plan, simply log on and click Premium from the member's menu on the left side of the page.
 
Forgot Your Password?
If you can't remember your password, try resetting it. Or e-mail us and we'll help you get logged on.

And Finally

Don't want to receive future newsletters? Log on to the member's area; edit your profile and select I do not want to receive the e-mail newsletter.
 
If you have questions, please feel free to e-mail us.
 
Happy home exchanging!