Live in a $2 million mansion for the price of a studio apartment

RISMedia reports on Dave Hill, who is able to live with his wife -- a teacher -- in a $2 million home for the same price he would normally have paid for a studio apartment.

And no, the home is not radioactive, nor is it the site of a triple-murder. Instead, David is a professional "home tender." The 7,000 square foot home he's living in is on the market and it works like this:

In exchange for highly affordable rent, the Hills furnish and occupy the home, keeping it clean and neat-and ready to show prospective buyers at a moment's notice. The seller, a contractor who built the showpiece at the height of the housing market boom only to see it languish vacant during the downturn, is betting that a furnished and occupied property will be more inviting to potential buyers.

And with the high-end housing market moving slowly, with ever-increasing days on market for top homes, the Hill's might not have to move for quite some time -- but if they do, they'll chalk it up to the price of living in a great house for a song and move on to the next one. This is the third home they've lived in as home tenders.

Dave has been set up with the home tending opportunities through a local company that does nothing but home tending, but it might be tough to find one in your market -- the idea of inviting strangers to live in your home for a reduced rent while the home is being prepared for sale is kind of a new thing.

Your best bet? Check with local real estate agents to see if they know any companies that provide this service, or have any clients who might be interested. For more information on home tending, check the video below.