The place is exactly what we expected. The host, Mike, was very cordial and gave us a quick rundown of what is included. One thing to keep in mind for Americans traveling is that you may need to buy adapters for your electronics. Fortunately there is a fnac electronic store in "Les Halles" shopping mall close by. There are quite a few little shops, restaurants, cafés, bistros within a 5 - 10 minute walk. Reading up on using the metro is a great way to get around to further locations. Buying a pack of 10 tickets to use within Paris on the metro lines (the numbered trains) or the RER lines (the lettered trains) will coat less than €15 which can get you easy access to most or all of the major tourist attractions. One thing to note is that early in the morning the garbage truck comes by so it's best to leave the windows shut at night.
All in all we had a great experience and thank you Mike for helping us make it happen.