Welcome to the FAQ page. This is where you will find the answers to frequently asked questions.

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GENERAL

Let's say you want to take a vacation or attend a conference or class reunion out of town. Think "home exchange"; it's the smart way to go. By swapping your home with someone, you get to stay in a private home or apartment You trade homes on the same dates--or--at different times if you own a second home or have access to temporary accommodations.

Typically, people exchange homes from 1 - 4 weeks, though some exchanges are longer, some shorter. Rentals are more appropriate for people who plan to be away from home for a year or more.

To arrange a home exchange, you must be a member Only In America Home Exchange. Go to http://www.exchangehomesoia.com and click on "Apply for Membership." Fill out the application form, submit it, and your home will be posted on the site. After becoming a member, follow these steps to arrange an exchange:

Step 1: Go to http://www.exchangehomesoia.com and click on "View Home Listings."

Step 2: Click on the map to view the listings posted in a state or province.

Step 3: After finding a home that interests you, click on the highlighted Home ID for that home, for example, CA-001 for the first home listed in California. You will be asked to enter your e-mail address and password, after which you will gain access to the member's contact information.

Step 4: Make contact with the member to determine if there is mutual interest in exchanging homes. If you agree to swap homes, the two of you work out the details of the exchange. Keep in mind that Only In America Home Exchange facilitates the process and not arrange home exchanges for its members.

Most OIA members are professional people, teachers, nurses, executives, business owners or retirees, who are financially secure and respectful of their own and others' property. Keep in mind that your exchange partners are trusting their home to you and share the same concerns about safety as you. Also, prior to swapping homes, you will communicate with your exchange partners by e-mail, phone, or fax. Such contact will give you a "feel" for them, along with the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual concern. In addition, you may request references from previous exchanges. However, OIA does not guarantee the safety of a member's home, nor does it take responsibility for the actions or behavior of its members or the status or conditions of a member's home.

OIA's application form covers a wide variety of preferences and requests for the applicant to check. Any additional requests may be discussed in follow-up contact between exchange partners.

You may add a photo at any time by choosing one of the following options:

1. Send a picture to the address below and we'll post it. (Write your name & location of exchange home on the back. Please note: photos are not returned.)

Only In America Home Exchange
980 Vernal Ave.
Mill Valley, CA 94941 USA

You don't need a computer to apply for membership and post your home. OIA will mail you an application upon request and post your listing for you. However, to view home listings and get contact info. for other members, you need access to a computer.

The most obvious answer is cost. With a home exchange you save yourself the considerable cost of a hotel, restaurants and often a car rental. Your exchange home also gives you the space and freedom that no hotel room can provide. In addition, you enjoy the experience of living like a "local" rather than a tourist. Shopping in neighborhood markets and cafes, taking public transit, etc., personalizes your sense of the place and people living there. And you may even be able to arrange for your exchange partners to look after your pets while you're away!

No, they won't. Visitors browsing through the site will find only the general description of your house, along with the accompanying photo (optional). No personal identifying information will be available to them. Only members w/ homes posted on the site will have access to this information.

OIA reviews all modifications, incl. the addition of photos and revised home descriptions, before posting them. As a result there's a brief time delay before you see your updated listing back online.

No. Unfortunately, we have no way of distinguishing between people trolling the site to gather contact information . for marketing purposes and those genuinely interested in home exchanges. For this reason we require members to post their homes in order to gain access to our members' home details, which include their contact info. Through this, we ensure that our members are protected from people with commercial interests. Also, since exchanging homes is the basis of the service, we think its fair that someone interested in a particular member's home also have a home posted on the site. That way both parties have the same advantage if contact is made for. a possible exchange.

That's up to the exchange partners, but many do swap cars.

Check your homeowner's policy or speak with your agent to find out what's covered and what isn't. OIA knows of no policy that specifically lists home exchanges in its coverage, nor do we assume responsibility for the security or belongings of a member's property. As for car insurance, check with your company, but many policies cover drivers other than the policy holder. Also, for quite reasonable rates, you can usually purchase limited, short-term insurance, if necessary.

Yes, your Charter Membership entitles you to as many exchanges as you want indefinitely.

You will need to read your exchange partner's house description carefully, and then follow up with well-focused questions via e-mail, fax or phone. Often members with large homes are quite happy to trade with partners living in smaller homes or apartments if the location is particularly desirable, e.g., San Francisco or Montreal. Keep in mind that OIA does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the home listings or the status or conditions of a member's home.

Remember that people travel to different places for all sorts of reasons: holidays, weddings, graduations, or visit the relatives. People like having their own space and often want to avoid imposing on friends or relatives. It's also true that while you may consider your area as ordinary, others may see it quite differently. For some, it may be a jumping off point for exploring a wider region. For others, it may be the appeal of a setting completely different from their own.

OIA's application form covers a wide variety of preferences and requests for the applicant to check. Any additional requests may be discussed in follow-up contact between exchange partners.

You may add a photo at any time by choosing one of the following options:
1. Send a picture to the address below and we'll post it. (Write your name & location of exchange home on the back. Please note: photos are not returned.)
Only In America Home Exchange
980 Vernal Ave.
Mill Valley, CA 94941 USA
2. Go to http://www.exchangehomesoia.com and click on Modify Home Listing. Follow the directions for adding a photo.
3. E-mail a digital image to travel@exchangehomesoia.com.

There's no charge for listing your home or arranging an exchange. While the site grows, Only In America is offering free Charter Membership. Charter Members will remain non-paying members for as long as they wish to list their home. When this offer ends, new (non-Charter) members will be charged a once-yearly fee at the time they post their home.

To access details about particular homes, including . the contact information of the home owners, you must first post your home for exchange.

You click on their (highlighted) Home ID to the left of their home listing. This will take you to their home details, including their contact information. You can then email, phone, fax or write to them to inquire about exchanging homes. However, to access their home details, you must first post your home details as well.

No. Our site is dedicated to American exchanges only

You don't need a computer to apply for membership and post your home. OIA will mail you an application upon request and post your listing for you. However, to view home listings and get contact information of other members, you need access to a computer.

We protect your personal contact information from people browsing through the site without membership ID, a password, & a home posted for exchange. We do not sell or give out any personal details, including. the contact information, about our members to other organizations or non-members.

OIA is the only online home exchange catering exclusively to the needs of members living in North America, including Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Travelers will find OIA very user-friendly. It offers a clear and simple procedure for becoming a member, listing a home, and finding an exchange. While we grow, OIA is offering Charter Membership free of charge. Charter members may list their homes indefinitely at no cost.

Yes, members who live in houses, apartments & condos are eligible to participate in exchanges.

It's entirely up to agreements made between exchange partners. Many exchanges do include pets. OIA advises members to include information . about their pet needs in their home descriptions.

No, OIA doesn't charge a fee to join. While the site grows, Only In America is offering free Charter Membership. Charter Members may post their homes and use the service as often as they want at no cost. When this offer ends, new (non-Charter) members will be charged a once-yearly fee at the time they post their home.

After logging in, click on the "Cancel Membership" link.  OIA will remove your home post as requested.

No, our service posts homes for exchange on a temporary basis only.

Yes, you go to http://www.exchangehomesoia.com and log in with the same e-mail address & password used to post your first home. When a new page appears, click on "Post your Home Exchange Listing." OIA posts second homes for free.

Yes, any home, condo, or apartment. may be posted for exchange

After you've filled out the application to post your home for exchange (required in order to participate on the site), there's a delay of up to a few hours, sometimes 1 business day, while we review your listing for appropriate content. As soon as you see your home posted, you can begin contacting other members through our secure mail system.

Exchange partners decide for themselves whether or not to put into writing the terms of their agreement. However, OIA encourages members to look at the site's left-hand link titled Agreement Letters bet. Exchangers for suggestions about letters of agreement.

For your security, all member contacts go through the OIA mail system. Members cannot view each other's contact information in the public forum. When you wish to contact a member, you click on the "Contact Member" link located in the the member's home listing. The member will receive an email from us telling them of your interest, providing a link to your home post, and supplying your email address so they can reply to you. 

If your landlord consents to a home exchange partner staying in your house for a period of time, there should be no problem. We advise you to check with the landlord before you begin looking for an exchange.

Typically, members don't remove food & clothing. In fact, they often leave items of fresh food for their exchange partner's day of arrival. However, it's important to leave a clean, well-ordered home. Members usually tidy up drawers & closets, and many leave closet space for their exchange partners.

There are 2 ways to access saved favorites:
1. After first logging in, you'll automatically be taken to a page called "Members Area." In the list of links there, the second one from the bottom is "Home Favorites." Click on it to view your favorites.
2. If you're already logged in, go to the home page and click on "Member Logout." This will take you to the "Members Area," where the options include logging out AND viewing favorites.

You must first add the member's listing to your "home favorites." To do this, go to the home listings and locate the member's listing in a state/province. Then, click on "Add to Favorites" at the top of the page. From then on, you can find it quickly by logging in and clicking on "Home Favorites."

Mobile homes, like any other type of home, can be swapped if you're able to find an exchange partner interested in your offer.

Members may cancel their membership at any time by logging in and clicking on the "Cancel Membership" link. However, in order to receive a refund, members must request cancellation of their membership by emailing OIA at membership@exchangehomesoia.com no later than 24 hours after submitting their application. No refunds will be made later than 24 hours after submission of the application.