Sellers turn to live-in home stagers

Last year, when Jim Guido needed to downsize and sell his home, his biggest concern was keeping his children in the same school.

That's when he stumbled across an ad that looked like a mistake: $1,200 per month for a 2,800-square-foot house with a private pool in a gated Cave Creek community.

"It was really a godsend for me," said Guido, who contacted Scottsdale-based HomeTenders of America about the property. "The house was perfect for us. It fit all our needs."

Not only was the rent price correct, Guido said pool care and yard care were included. Their duty as "home tenders" was merely to furnish the home nicely and keep it spotless for Realtors to show on a moment's notice.

Seven months later, the home is under contract at a price that pleased its sellers.

"I think it worked out for both of us," Guido said. "The buyers kept saying how much they liked our furnishings."

In this down housing market, companies are matching sellers with live-in home stagers in a bid to give them an edge. Locally, both Showhomes and HomeTenders of America train home "managers" or "tenders" who are technically independent contractors. They pay a fraction of typical rent, utilities and renter's insurance and keep the home looking like a model one for buyers.

On the downside, they also have to move — sometimes quickly — when a property sells.

"We say it's a great lifestyle for someone who can live an organized life," said Dana Reynolds, who along with Kathy Haase is a local Showhomes franchise owner. "It's kind of a hugely coveted group to be in."

With a flood of unsold homes on the market, Showhomes and HomeTenders work with homeowners, Realtors, banks and builders. Their clients get a nicely decorated home, lower insurance rates because the home is occupied, and ultimately a chance to sell for more than the vacant home might fetch.

Haase and Reynolds, who specialize in $1 million to $5 million homes, said their program continues to grow, boosted by the number of vacant luxury properties on the market. There are more than 3,000 luxury homes for sale in Greater Phoenix that are listed for $1 million or more, said Mike Orr, founder of the real-estate research Web site cromfordreport.com.

Showhomes has more than three dozen active home managers and several bank-owned houses lined up to fill — in part to mitigate liability from unsupervised pools.