Admit it. Wouldn't you love to play homeowner in a Caribbean ocean-front villa for a couple of weeks?

For the price of airfare, food, and living expenses, you can live this dream even on if you're on a tight budget.

Depending on where you go, staying in a person's home for free can save you over $1,000 a week when you compare renting a hotel room during the same time.

The concept is called house swapping and it's been around for decades. In these lean economic times, many travelers find home exchanges are a good way to stretch their budgets.

Several businesses help connect homeowners around the globe for home-stay vacations which typically last two to four weeks.

HomeLink International has been around since 1953, and offers about 13,000 house swapping opportunities. Another option, which offers about 20,000 swaps, is INTERVAC Home Exchange International, founded in the early 1950s by a group of teachers.

What's the catch? You have an open mind and above all else, have a sense of adventure and do your homework before you leave home.

If the thought of having strangers sleep in your bed, while away in your whirlpool or for heavens sakes, drive your car, this isn't for you.

One thing to consider is that while you may not be thrilled to have people curl up on your new couch, don't forget, the point of the exchange is that you, too, are able to curl up someone else's sofa and it's not costing you a lodging fee to do it.

Here's how home-swapping works: For an annual fee paid to the home-swapping organization, you list your home, along with a photo of the interior and exterior in a directory, Web site or both.

By and large, most home swaps are international because people usually want to experience the local culture on both sides of the desk. Still, you can swap your home to someone else in the U.S. if you both have interest in doing so.

Don't expect house swapping to be an automatic done deal just because you sign up. If your home isn't located near some big name draw like a theme park or national park, you may not get any takers right away.

As a member of the 'club' you can the search the service's directory or Web site to look for interesting places. Then contact the person who is advertising their home. All of the details pertaining to the swap are between you and the other homeowner.

And that's where it can be fun or get sticky, particularly if you're new to this type of travel.

Tips to live by

Be as flexible as possible. You'll increase swapping options if you aren't limited to visiting preconceived travel destinations.

Do your homework. Ask a lot of questions of the potential home swapper. How do you know they aren't going to rob your silver? You don't. But by the time you head to the airport to stay at the other family's home, you should be comfortable with the arrangement.

Put together an Agreement. Ask your home swapping service what they advise. Several organizations have standard forms they can give you.

Set limits and rules before you leave home. Check with your insurance agent to see if your policy covers home and car swapping. Draw up a list of things that may be possible headaches -- a finicky satellite TV remote control, a cantankerous washing machine. Tell them how to resolve these problems in the other person's language if possible.

Make a list of contacts including neighbors as well as community resources such as police, fire, library, plumber, electrician and so forth.

Remove or lock up valuables.

Leave the keys. Okay, that sounds like a no-brainer, but you want to make sure you've not only left the keys to the house, but also the keys to the cars. Many home swaps include cars, another thing to consider when your make this arrangement.

Advise your guests as to where to dine, shop, and buy groceries.

Still not convinced? Besides having a great vacation in Brazil, a place where you may not have gone pre home-swapping, you may get new lifelong friends in the exchange.