The less conventional lifestyle we have cultivated has proven, for us, to be better facilitated through a non-traditional family structure. The work we both do takes us up and down the Willamette valley, mainly between Portland and Eugene. As the common household living arrangement does not lend itself well to what we do, we have based ourselves independently where we work most. In the entertainment industry, couples frequently find it necessary to live even across the nation from each other. To each their own, but we feel fortunate to have what we consider a much more manageable (shorter) distance.
To ensure that every show goes on, and without mishap, there is a need for competent event riggers. This is a highly-specialized skill of which the country is experiencing a nationwide shortage. Individuals with these skills are in high demand. Lighting and sound system infrastructure are an integral part of most arena events. As this equipment is commonly part of each tour's package, it travels with the show and needs to be installed in before and removed from each venue after every show. The people who do this, arena and theater riggers, are staffed locally in each town. Venues in smaller towns do not get as large a portion of the entertainment market, meaning fewer shows are scheduled in these locations. Maintaining an active/ready labor pool for these outlying areas is more difficult, as people typically go where more steady work exists. Therefore this outlying labor must be pulled from larger towns. People with these skills are accustomed to intermittent/frequent travel, and this somewhat unique career dynamic.
As a solution, my home base has been established here in Portland, and Andreas' in Eugene. We spend time at both, as well as quite a bit of time on the road for related and unrelated skills development, etc.
In order to ensure the success of our endeavors to serve this industry, having a home base in each town is necessary. Each work day begins with a "load-in" shift between 5am and 8am, frequently has a break from ~2 to 11pm for sound check and the show, and ends with a "load-out" shift from ~11 to 3am. In addition, there are often back-to-back shows. The nature of this schedule requires sleep between shifts. Driving long distances on either side of the work is ill advised for safety reasons. Having a home base near regular work places is recommended to ensure adequate rest.
In order to afford such expenditures as a private space to accommodate our irregular schedule, we rent a portion of each house. As a way to express our appreciation for housemates' more consistent schedules and regular presence, rent charged reflects the proportionate cost for private space in the shared home. A benefit of our motivation being of a different nature from those utilizing their real estate purchases for investment purposes is our ability to reward good tenants for tenure reflected through static rent.
