My son played one summer in the Cal Ripken League (Maryland/DC/VA) and two summers in the Florida Collegiate League. The Ripken League was $100, and host families were free. He didn't need one, but I was in charge of the host family program for one of the teams for years, and we hosted many, many players. Florida Collegiate was $600 and a $50 a week charge for host families. Ironically, my son opted to live with my parents an hour away from his team rather than a host family. I thought he had enjoyed all those years we hosted, but maybe not. I imagine a host family that gets rent provides a different experience than those who host for free. I had always emphasized the "player as a member of your family" attitude, but perhaps those paying felt more free to come and go as they pleased. I don't have a problem with a player paying a fee to pay -- after all, the league has to rent the field, pay the umps, etc. -- but it is puzzling how the fees can be so different one league to another. In any case, we had a fantastic experience with Florida and it was worth every penny.