No is my answer to your first paragraph. As others have said, we’ve all been first time sitters and are very grateful to the first home owners who took us on. They weren’t interested in looking at my home.
So let’s agree to disagree and leave it there.
@reggie1978 as a sitter I ask the HO about the safety of their neighborhood - is it in a high crime violent area prone to break ins, any weapons in the home, if they get along well with their neighbors, is there a possibility someone could show up at their home with bad intentions during the sit (crazy ex spouse etc), is there anyone that resides in the home that have outstanding warrants with the possibility of police coming to the home to collect them during the sit. So much to consider as a sitter staying in a home / neighborhood that’s unfamiliar to us. Most HO thinks it’s only them that’s “at risk” with letting a stranger into their home but sitters are taking a risk as well going into unknown territory.
You’re obviously in the US. But, do you honestly think people are going to answer those questions truthfully?
Yikes! 
None of these things ever occurred to me, now you’ve got be thinking. 
@anon55123711 same here! I’ve obviously lived a sheltered life as it would bever occur to ne to ask such questions! But then again I’ve never done a sit in the US…
@OnTheRoadAgain My hubby & I have been fully nomadic for 13 years and housesitting for the last 6/7 of those. We were staying in a guest house in Bali when we applied for our first sit so would not have been able to show our home even if asked! In those days it would not have occured to me to ask for a video tour of the hosts home (which I think is far more relevant!) -we just relied on the pictures and, anyway, we only had a voice call. (Video calls were not yet a thing back then)
Personally I think it would feel extremely odd to be asked to show a host around my home (if I had one!
) just to prove I am neat and tidy! Where is the trust?!! IMHO its far more important that you, as host, can show me YOUR clean, tidy home (where I will be living and caring for all your precious pets and possessions) and I will present it back to you just like that! Even as a new sitter I think I would have felt mildly insulted to be asked, as a responsible, capable adult, to prove myself in this way! We also actually never ask hosts for a video tour, although sometimes they offer. I trust they’ve posted accurate pictures and if any important ones are missing I ask for them. Trust goes both ways.
I don’t ask these things, but I think @kimshady makes a great point about the risks for sitters. It really, really bothers me when HOs say their is no risk for sitters (I see this more on the Facebook group than here). Of course there is. We are going to the home of a stranger we met on the internet.
Adding, on a sit, I usually have all of my food on the kitchen counter and my luggage spread over the floor, as few HOs have cleared space for me on sits thus far.
(Obviously, I would never consider showing someone else’s home to a third party.)
@Whirld-Traveller Exactly! and if you are applying from another sit you can not show your own home anyway!
I think the ring camera is very good to see comings and goings. Are they walking the dog as frequently as requested, for as long as requested? Are they going out for longer periods than expected, leaving the pet, longer than expected? And mention it.
I’ve done a number of local and local-ish (w/in a 3h drive) sits as I’ve been starting out, in order to gain documented experience (ie reviews 
.) Interestingly, the HOs I’ve worked with were actually more inclined to accept my application due to my proximity. I’ve even done repeat sits with some of the ones where I’ve become particularly fond of the pet and/or pet parents.
To your point, however, I have been asked some perfectly understandable questions during our video chat, such as why I’m willing to do local sits, do I own my own home, why do I travel without my husband () etc.
What are the worst-case consequences if an HO violates your trust with inaccurate or intentionally missing pictures or details?
What are the worst-case consequences of a sitter violating a homeowner’s trust?
How do they compare? They don’t. It’s not even close. A little trust goes both ways. Big trust goes one way.
Ironically, most of the sitter beefs with HOs posted in this forum would be completely sidestepped if the sitter had requested a virtual tour of the home during their video call.
I don’t like this at all, it’s spying & owners should be enjoying their holiday
It is some stranger in your home with your beloved pets. As a sitter, I don’t have problem with HOs checking that I am fulfilling responsibilities.
I don’t worry either as I do as requested, often walking the dogs more than the owners do. I still don’t like the thought of someone watching me though
Considering that big brother is applying an algorithm to everything we buy online, search online, whom we connect with online etc. An HO watching me go out with the dogs at 6 am, is not a big deal.
One would think that anyone who’s ever survived the beautiful bedlam of marriage knows an occasional solo voyage isn’t neglect - it’s selfpreservation. A warm bath, no background noise
In some places, my inner Poirot caught tenants…not genuine, inhabitant Owners! Should’ve asked to see the deed
Everyone is saying you must be in the US. I am in the US but don’t live in that world so those questions would never be on my mind. Never lived in a crime area or know people with warrants. I think if I was a PP I would be insulted if someone asked me do I have warrants indicating I am a criminal.
all valid points that are either covered off in our sit advert or during the video call/f2f meet. I also tell them all about the welcome pack that they will get that we have been adding to continuously over the last 5 yrs, and that has all this kind of information within it. It’s a 2 way deal after all.
Like that the photos don’t show user-equipment, weapons, they don’t show internal cameras monitoring the sitter (incl. one topic here with camera in the bathroom), they don’t show pests, insects, mold and other health-realted issues. Undisclosed aggressive pets so the sitter will need to lock oneself in the bedroom with the dog growling outside (another topic here on forum), pets with fleas or blind and incontinent, crazy neighbors and ofc crazy hosts and their relatives “popping by” or the “housemate” living on the premises. And ofc hosts with bad (and criminal) intentions - maybe perhaps a risk especially for vulnerable sitter groups - solo, female etc.
I know a well-off and reputable (for those not really close to them) family and house-owners with a famous name in a good neighborhood that had a backtail of unpaid bills, crazy damage to property (we’re talking playing football in the living room and such - imagine the state of it). All the neighbors were really relieved when they sold and left, and said to the next owner “no matter what you do, you can’t be that bad!”
So yeah. There are all sorts, and all sorts of people have pets, also. And would like a sitter without paying the kennel. They might be banned.
Wasn’t that encouraging!
And still with my experience I trust people in general and believe that most hosts are nice people. But not totally. I have a plan B for any sit.