Pockets of people across the Southland are living like royalty without it costing them a king's ransom. Take Jim and Laura Fisher, currently basking in about 5,000 square feet of luxury on the water in upscale Huntington Harbor.
Their Italian-style two-story house has four bedrooms -- the upstairs master overlooks the harbor -- five bathrooms, a library-study, an office, a huge formal living-dining room, a cherrywood kitchen, a laundry room, an outdoor spa and a barbecue. And, of course, somewhere to tie up a boat.
The Fishers don't have a boat; nor do they own the property, which has just been listed for $4.25 million. They do, however, pay only $2,800 a month to live there, less than one-third the going market rate.
Similarly sweet deals are available in mansions, upscale condos, luxury high-rises and even more modest dwellings as homeowners reach for another tool in the ongoing struggle to sell their properties.
The Fishers and others like them are home managers. They live in empty homes, keep them in pristine condition and ready to show at a moment's notice, and are prepared to pack up and ship out in as little as 10 days once the place sells. In many cases, they also supply all the furnishings.
Something of a cross between a paying tenant and a free house sitter, it's an option that's winning support among creative owners and real estate agents who say it's giving them an edge in today's mulish market.
"A home looks and feels much more beautiful with nice things in it, furniture and personal things, and someone living there," said Sukie Fee, founder and president of SeaCliff Realty Home Sales & Information Center in Huntington Beach. "It's a very subtle, almost subliminal thing."
Fee has used about 30 home managers over the years to help sell properties whose owners have relocated, moved in with relatives or have another home in which to live.
She sees many practical advantages, the most obvious being that a house is not left vacant and uninviting -- a place where mail and dust can accumulate and leaks may go unnoticed -- or perhaps become a target for vandals.
An empty property, she said, can signal a "sense of desperation" to potential buyers who may reduce an offer accordingly. Just staging a home with nice furniture is expensive and still doesn't produce that personal, lived-in feel, Fee said.
