I think you need to stick with your plan of house sitting. At least you will be in the same city and can spend time together. I know it is hard but I think this will have the best results. You have to respect your hubbys desires, as annoying as they might be. And he wants to spend time with you which is a great thing! He is just not ready to be 100% back together. Look how far you've come though and you'll see that it probably won't be much longer until you can start thinking about moving back in together. But you have to let him set the pace and he has already told you, very clearly, what he wants.
Not trying to be harsh but I just think that you need to move really slowly and make sure that the foundation you are building is sturdy before jumping into the next stage. It will be better in the long run.
Hang in there darlin'! We are all cheering for you!
We are all cheering for you!