House Sitters America

House sitting & pet sitting exclusively for the US

Mark

Hopeless Traveler

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Picture of House Sitter, House Minder and Pet Sitter at House Sitters America, United States. User Hopeless Traveler
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Platinum (36mths+)

I do this for free because I think the service is a win-win for the house sitter and the house owner. The owner gets to travel knowing their home and pets are well taken care of and I get to check out a new area of the USA. The only real cost for me is the transportation to get to the home, and because I like traveling by road, I don't really mind that cost too much. That's not to say that I won't accept a tip if someone wishes to give me one. Gas prices are low, but not that low.

House Sitting Preferences
  • 0 - 1 week, 1 - 2 weeks, 2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months
  • Dog(s), Cat(s), Fish, Bird(s), Rabbit(s)/Guinea Pig(s), Reptile(s)
Preferred Locations
  • Anywhere in the United States

Hopeless Traveler

66, Retired

I'm a single retired guy who loves to travel. I've been employed in various jobs that require precision, flexibility, communication skills, responsibility and dedication. I'm well educated and well traveled. While I like pets and have owned or been owned by several dogs and cats, I don't have one right now what with the traveling. One of the benefits of housesitting is the chance to have a pet for a while.

Because of my background experiences and desire to travel, I am uniquely suited to housesitting. I'm neat, reliable, flexible, experienced, personable, and a good communicator. If you choose me to housesit for you, you can expect your house to look the same or better upon your return. You can count on quick and thorough communications and you can have a worry-free time away from your home and pet.

I love to meet new people where I go so am especially interested in week long or greater situations but shorter stays are fine too depending on how far I need to travel.

So, if you have to be away from your home next to the beach, or your home with a mountain view, or your home in a lovely neighborhood, or your home miles away from anything, give me a call. I'd love to take care of it and your pets for you.

Some details:
Where I've lived:
MA, TX, AK, VT, OK, AZ, England, and Germany

Jobs I've had:
Communications Systems Controller, USAF
Gas Station attendant (while in school)
Analog/Digital technician, Digital Equipment Corp.
Software Engineer, Digital Equipment Corp.
Logistics Supervisor, Digital Equipment Corp.
HS Math Teacher, VT School system
MSF Motorcycle Instructor, VT State

Education:
BA in Business Admin.
Certificate in Software Engineering
BA in Math and Secondary Education
MA in Education Admin.
MS in teaching Mathematics.
Also the USAF program in Analog/Digital Electronics.

I have been following all Covid safety recommendations and am fully vaccinated. I would expect that home owners also follow CDC recommendations as well. It's just the world we live in now.

References:
January 14, 2020
Greetings,
Our family has known Mark in a variety of capacities for the better part
of twenty years. We met when he was our daughter's high school math teacher,
and immediately bonded over a common love of motorcycling. We have shared
many extended road trip adventures in which implicit trust and reliability are
essential to success. In recent years our son became a peer teacher with Mark
and also came to appreciate his integrity, professionalism, and attention to
detail. Meticulous does not really do him justice, but is the first word which
springs to mind in association with Mark. We would not hesitate to entrust Mark
with any possession, secure in the certainty that he would exercise greater care
and respect than we ourselves, and return it in original or improved condition.
We would suggest leaving him a bit of a mess to tidy up, and perhaps enlisting a
neighbor to skew remote controls on the coffee table at irregular intervals just to
have a bit of fun at his expense and keep him on his toes. You could do no
better than to rely on Mark to care for what is yours in your absence.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance in your
decision regarding Mark's services. It is our pleasure to highly recommend him.
Sincerely,
Larry & Loretta
Fairfax, VT

To Whom It May Concern,
I have known Mark for over six years. We started out as roommates, sharing my three bedroom condominium. During that time, I was very comfortable sharing the common area with him as we both enjoyed a clean home. I even found myself cleaning things up a little more often just to keep up with him.

Then I moved over to Michigan and had to leave my condominium in the hands of Mark. I was never worried and never had any issues with the care of my unit. Mark was always neat and tidy and considerate of my belongings. He took great care of my house while I was gone and I would highly recommend him for any similar task.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Please contact me for a link to a photo of my AZ fingerprint background check. It should serve to indicate that I'm an upstanding citizen with nothing in my background indicating otherwise.

Reviews (14)
Mark took care of our cat Charlie, our house, plants, and mail for two weeks, and did a great job. He left the house as clean, if not cleaner, than when we left. He arrived the day prior to our departure, and we found him to be an articulate, thoughtful, and interesting person. He offered to drive us early in the morning 2 hours to the airport, and to pick us up on our return, which saved us the airport car parking fees and made our trip so much easier. We would recommend him without ... MORE
 
EVA ( Florida, Sep 2020 - 2 weeks)
Mark was a wonderful house sitter and took great care of our cats. He was easy to communicate with before the sit and while we were away, he sent us updates and was very responsive the couple times we needed to get in touch. He also took great care of the house - it was spotless on our return. And the kitties seemed very happy. I would highly recommend Mark as a house sitter.
 
AMY ( Massachusetts, Apr 2022 - 1 week 4 days)
Mark was wonderful. From the time we met him he seemed like and old friend. We were very comfortable and confident with him staying in our home and keeping our dog. He cared for our dog like she was his own and she loved him! We had regular communication throughout the stay as well as positive feedback from neighbors. We returned home to a spotless house and a happy dog. Laundry was done, couldn't ask for more. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him or have him again.
 
SUSAN & LARRY ( North Carolina, Mar 2022 - 3 weeks)
Mark took care of my home in Sarasota FL, my two small dogs, and my pretty simple garden for over a week. He was absolutely perfect! This was my first time using this service and I am completely blown away! Mark was more than I could have even dreamed of: a very kind, polite, and quiet man who clearly loves dogs. From our very first conversation, I felt 100% sure that my dogs would be (more than) well loved and cared for in my absence. He is exactly the type of person you can totally trust ... MORE
 
SAMANTHA ( Florida, Mar 2022 - 1 week)
Mark watched our cat Zoe for nine days. During that time Zoe seemed happy, well fed, brushed frequently and played with. Couldn't ask for a better cat sitter. When we came home the house was spotless. It was cleaner than when we left. Mark is a terrific communicator who responded very quickly when we texted to see how things were going. You will be very fortunate if you get Mark to house/pet sit. We would have him back in a heartbeat to watch Zoe. Thank you Mark. We hope ... MORE
 
JUDY & TANIA ( Colorado, Nov 2021 - 1 week 2 days)
Mark house sat for us for a few days, and I could not have been more pleased. He is easy to communicate with, and very caring. He took excellent care of our two kitties, and seemed to enjoy them. When we came home, the house was spotless. He even washed the sheets and towels, and cleaned the cat bowls. Mark is very responsible, and I would hire him again in a minute!
 
MARILYN ( Colorado, Oct 2021 - 5 days)
Mark did a great job housesitting for us! He took really good care of our cats, Tuffy and Billy Ray. Their water bowl was clean when we got home, and the boys had been brushed and spoiled! We have extensive flower and veggie gardens and everything looked like it had been regularly watered via our micro irrigation systems. Mark was really on top of keeping plants wet. The house was also kept orderly and clean. Mark is a very disciplined guy and loves animals! Very happy with his love and ... MORE
 
DAVID ( Nebraska, Aug 2021 - 2 weeks)
We could not have been happier to have found Mark. He was fantastic and took great care of our dog and house. Great communication throughout and just a cool guy. Went the extra mile (or 70) shuttling us to and from the airport as well! We'd be delighted to have Mark back, and strongly recommend him to anyone in need of a house/pet sit.
 
DARREN ( Colorado, Jul 2021 - 9 days)
Mark was great! We feel fortunate to have met him and had him stay with us 1 day ahead of the sit. He took great care of our animals and our house and we would welcome him back anytime! Thank you, Mark!!
 
DEB ( Oregon, Jun 2021 - 1 week 2 days)
It was a great experience all around to have Mark come and pet sit our cat, Kit Carson. Mark is easy-going, friendly and very personable. We had a fun getting to know him and would welcome him back to our home anytime! When we returned home the house was very clean and , most importantly, our cat was happy and healthy! It was obvious to us that Mark had made an effort to befriend Carson and make him feel comfortable. If you are looking for a fantastic sitter, look no further, you will find one ... MORE
 
KATHERINE ( New Mexico, May 2021 - 2 weeks 3 days)
Mark is an excellent house and pet sitter. Gunnar enjoyed Mark's companionship as noted by his reaction to him and his behavior. He walked and played fetch with him. My house was cleaner when I returned and Gunnar learned a new command, gentle when taking treats. I was able to relax during my vacation knowing Gunnar was in good hands. He sent me updates on their activities and gave Gunnar his allergy medicine. Highly recommend Mark and would reuse use his services if our calendars ... MORE
 
DARLENE ( New Mexico, Apr 2021 - 6 days)
I had a great experience with Mark as a housesitter. My Greyhound loved him and pouted after he left, which is a good sign the dog has made a new friend! I always worry leaving my furbabies in the care of someone I don't know, but Mark made me feel at ease by agreeing to Facetime before the sit, being very responsive and communicative, and giving me updates while I was gone. He was clean, respectful of my house and belongings, did laundry before I returned, and even poo-picked the backyard! I ... MORE
 
JAMIE ( Kentucky, Mar 2021 - 6 days)
An excellent "first time" experience with House Sitters of America! Mark was great and my three pups were crazy about him!
 
SHERRIL ( Louisiana, Oct 2020 - 9 days)
No rating Mark Ladue sat for us last week. This was the first time we had contracted a sitter through HSA, and also the first sit Mark has done with HSA. Our pups are a handful, very active and affectionate, and we couldn't have been more pleased with Mark! He took great care of the house and plants, and most important, the girls were content and happy when we got home. We would call on Mark again to sit for us and would definitely recommend him to care for your home and fur babies.
WINNETTE ( Colorado, Jul 2020)
 
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