In June 2001, our family kissed Seattle goodbye and moved to my husband's ancestral Portugal to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity "for one year."  Soon afterward, the dollar crashed (and our children refused to move back to the States), so we started buying €uro-zone real estate in our medieval neighborhood in order to generate some much-needed euros via in-city holiday rentals.  And then, of course, sharing our love for the people and culture of Portugal with fascinating guests from around the world turned out to be unbelievably delightful.  We had no idea it would be so much fun!  (Or so much work.)

One of the most important resources in this business is your fellow holiday rental owner.  Be kind, be generous, remember to laugh... and listen well to the advice of those who walk beside you.