While I know very well, the Bintang market…not very far from our house, I don’t know anything about the houses behind it. So, Lise’s suggestion could be good.
There are other ways though, and the way I always recommend is to just come here, find a cheap day by day place….at about $20 a night, (with pool, breakfast, etc) and start to network.
You are looking for ten months in Ubud. You can afford a month of looking, while here, to find the “right place” for both of you. The best that can happen is that you get a “house sitting” job for a wealthy expat who has no desire to rent out his or her place when gone, but would love to have someone they can trust to live there, feed the cats and dogs, and just keep the place “alive.”
These arrangements are never found in the Bali Advertiser, or on the internet. These arrangements are only found by networking, “in the flesh” here in Ubud. I know a few expats who started off here by “house sitting” fabulous homes in Sayang, right on the Ayung River several times before setting off and “striking it” on their own. These are multi-million dollar homes, and the thought of just “renting them out” would never occur to their owners.
Short of that wonderful opportunity, just being here affords anyone a better opportunity than ever trying to secure a place in advance. In short, pay your dues. The club is well worth it.