A history of pushy sales tactics and shady deals has given time-shares a bad reputation in the past, but lately the industry has made a concerted effort to turn over a new leaf. According to the American Resort Developers Association, more than three million US households currently own time-shares, and nearly 85 percent of owners responding to a 2002 survey said they were satisfied with their purchase.
The term "time-share" actually encompasses two distinct forms of vacation ownership. In some cases, buyers acquire deeded ownership of a house or condominium for a specified period of time each year, while other deals involve buying intervals of time at a resort without actually holding a deed to the property.
Technicalities aside, all time-share owners must fork out annual maintenance fees to a management company, and most contracts allow you to trade for time at other resort destinations.
Although time-shares may be bought and sold like any other form of personal property, the US Federal Trade Commission warns that sellers typically get less than the original price, so brace yourself for what could be a considerable loss if you have a change of heart.
The FTC also emphasizes that buyers should never sign a time-share contract before thoroughly evaluating the obligations and benefits of ownership. Shop carefully, however, and time-shares can be a smart way to pay up front for future getaways.
Another form of shared ownership is to buy a vacation property jointly with a friend or relative. Pooling resources is not a bad idea if your relationship with your sister Sally or your best fishing buddy is on solid footing--just make sure you have a clearly written contract that spells out the details of the partnership and stipulates exactly what will happen if either party wants out of the deal.
More questions to ask yourself:
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main page(Morris Dye is a California-based writer and travel journalist who's still saving for his dream vacation home on a beach in southern Thailand. His work has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Islands Magazine, TIME Asia, Fineliving.com and other publications.)
