I am already working on 2023 scheduling having pieced together great, long sits for the near future. But when I climb onto the TH website, I often see new sits sometimes better than the ones I accepted much closer to the date of the sit. I am not about to stiff an accepted sit for a better one that pops up. Buyer’s remorse though. Ahead scheduling creates stability. Last-minute scheduling may offer better venues. There is a balance in there somewhere that more experienced hands may have found. Any words from experience you can share?
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Hi @EdG and welcome to the forum. I enjoyed reading your post, and by the end my response to your question was that you seemed to have answered your own question. 
However, chances are other members will give you their take on your question.
My only comment is to not look at those other sits as better than the ones you’ve accepted, and definitely not with buyer’s remorse. It’s a little bit of the ‘grass is always greener on the other side’, which can be deceiving. Hopefully you confirmed your sits after careful consideration, and for positive reasons. 
Francine,
Volunteer Forum Moderator 
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We have two strategies.
The first and the one we are following at the moment is we loosely make a travel plan for (say) 6 months then see what comes up along that planned route. It’s working very well at the moment but still spaces.
The second and more exciting is we see a sit which is a must have, apply and hopefully get it then plan our next six months around that one sit. Last year we spent two months on a tiny island in Bocas del Toras in Panama. That was our must have sit and planned little stops around Panama.
I would never step out of a confirmed sit because I saw an even better one. I think that’s just wrong. Although I do slaver over sits that I can’t do because I’m already booked up but that’s life.
Tom Cruise had to miss out on marrying me because I was already married. It would have been nice but wasn’t to be.
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I think you dodged a bullet there, Elsie 
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Thanks! My question goes to what that balance is. When I am casting far afield, I go for a month or more as an anchor sit in an area. Then I start filling around it somewhat in the area. I did that in Colorado during the Aspen changing season this year and two month-long winter sits in Washington state back to back. Stiffing is out of the question, but many homeowners do not plan that far ahead, and very good shorter sits pop up late. I don’t like gaps in schedule too close to the actual dates, nor do I like the lack of stability of schedule, long planned sits provide. The question is, how long do you let those gaps stay there before you fill it. A risk roll of the dice. I was wondering if there was something I am missing. So far, not missing anything I think.
Just a crystal ball perhaps Sounds to me like you have a logical and realistic approach, but sharing ideas and tips is always useful too. Happy planning to you. 
We like to secure sits AND our sitters 4-6 months in advance, if possible, because we are away for 6 weeks at a time. So we have found that sitters who look for longer sits do much advance looking. Therefore, as a homeowner, we like lots of advance work to secure a sitter.
As sitters, we feel the same way. We travel for many weeks at a time and like having plans made well in advance (4-9 months out). However, we did pick up a last-minute sit earlier this year, which was close to where we were, so short notice also works out sometimes. 
There is no “one” right answer. It’s a fluid situation.
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