latimes.com

Still reluctant to try a home exchange? This new website, made by home swappers for home swappers, rolls out the welcome mat.

Name: Knok.com

What it does: Offers an easy-to-use home-exchange system with the added benefit of having insurance included in your membership fee.

What's hot: As someone who's interested in the benefits of home swapping but has yet to take the plunge, the free 30-day trial pulled me in like a magnetic force field. It's also the least expensive of the home exchange sites I've perused, such as HomeExchange and Love Home Swap. With the free trial I was able to take the site for a proper test run. I listed places I wanted to go to, described our home and family, and started searching for potential matches. I was logged on for only a few minutes when I started to dream about an exchange with a family in Zamora, Spain, that — except for its love of musicals — sounded a lot like our family.

What's not: When I clicked the "Exchange suggestions" button, I thought the pairings were a stretch at best. However, the suggestions from my dashboard were much better. Note: You need to become a full paying member to send messages to members and receive home exchange offers.