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The transients next door

What if I'm nervous about strangers? Is this the mega-question for those mega-companies rapidly turning residential neighborhoods into home-sharing territories? Into neighborhoods for rent, where rooms in the home, townhouse or condo next door are being rented to strangers for brief stays.

What if I'm nervous about strangers coming and going? About strangers who are dropped off by ride-share vehicles or cabs, strangers rolling suitcases in and out of the home next door. About strangers renting a room for a day or two. Or paying to crash on a neighbor's couch.

Home sharing is moving into neighborhoods across America and throughout the world. And multi-billion-dollar companies in the home sharing, short-term rental business are doing a lot of advertising and publicity -- with feel-good stories -- to spread the word about home sharing in what is being described as the sharing economy. Public policy executives are getting the word out to politicians. What's happening in the home sharing business -- in basketball terms -- might be described as a full-court press.

Big business has the power, the money and influence to spread the word and shape opinion. But who will spread the word for everyday people who are nervous about strangers? And nervous about something like this or maybe this?

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