F A Q

F A Q

The grownth of an Industry

What is Vacation Ownership?

How Vacation Ownership Works

Choose From a Wide Variety of Vacation Ownership Products and Uses

How to Buy A Vacation Ownership

The Advantages of Vacation Ownership

What Are Yearly Maintenance Fees?

Important Vacation Purchasing Tips

Important Facts About Vacation Ownership

Travel the World with your Ownership

This information has been prepared to help consumers understand the various vacation ownership (timesharing) products and their benefits, what to expect during a sales presentation, and how to make an informed purchase decision. It has been created by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the professional trade association which represents over 900 members of the resort and vacation ownership industry from around the world.

The grownth of an Industry

From its beginnings in the French Alps in the late 1960s, vacation ownership has become the fastestgrowning segment of the U.S. travel and tourism industry, increasing in popularity at the rate of nearly 16 percent each year since 1993.

Today, more than five million households own vacation intervals at nearly 5,000 resorts located in 110 countries. Vacationers around the world are turning to vacation ownership resorts as their preferred travel destination, with timeshare owners hailing from 174 countries. North America remains the global leader with nearly half of all the resorts and more than three million owners. Europe is the second most dominant region for vacation ownership, with over 750,000 owners worldwide and more than 1,800 resorts. Timeshare resorts are found across the globe in popular vacation areas near beaches, rivers and lakes, mountains and even major cities.

By locking in the purchase price of accommodations, vacation ownership helps to assure future vacations at today's prices at luxurious resorts with amenities, service and ambiance that rival any of the world's toprated vacation destinations. Through vacation exchange programs, timeshare owners can travel to other popular destinations around the world. With unparalleled flexibility and fullyequipped condominiums which offer the best in holiday luxury, vacation ownership puts consumers in the driver's seat, allowing vacationers to plan and enjoy vacations which suit their lifestyle.

Timeshare resort developers today include many of the world's leading hoteliers, publicly held corporations and independent companies. Properties that combine vacation ownership resorts with hotels, the increasingly popular urban vacation ownership resort in major cities, adventure resorts, and gaming resorts are among the emerging timeshare trends.

The reasons for purchasing most frequently cited by current timeshare owners are the high standards of quality accommodations and service at the resorts at which they own and exchange, followed by the flexibility offered through the vacation exchange opportunities and the cost effectiveness of vacation ownership.

Nearly onethird of vacation owners purchase additional intervals after experiencing ownership. This trend is even stronger among longtime owners; 41.2 percent of those who have owned eight years or longer have purchased additional intervals within that time.

What is Vacation Ownership?

Vacation ownership offers consumers the opportunity to purchase fullyfurnished vacation accommodations sold in a variety of forms, such as weekly intervals and points-based systems, for only a percentage of the cost of full ownership. For a onetime purchase price and payment of a yearly maintenance fee, purchasers own their vacation either in perpetuity or for a predetermined number of years. Owners share both the use and the costs of upkeep of their unit and the common grounds of the resort property.

Vacation ownership purchases are typically financed by consumer loans of five to ten years, with terms dependent upon the purchase price and the amount of the buyer's down payment.

How Vacation Ownership Works:

Each condominium, or unit, of a vacation ownership resort is divided into intervals, either by the week or points equivalent, which are sold separately. The condominiums are priced according to a variety of factors, including size of the unit, resort amenities, location, and season.

With timeshare, owning your vacation is considered a major benefit. Once a majority or other pre-set percentage is sold to vacation owners, the management of the resort is usually turned over to a Resort Property Owners Association (POA) or Homeowners Association (HOA). The vacation owners in turn elect officers and take control of expenses, upkeep and the future of their resort property, including the selection of a management company.

What Are Yearly Maintenance Fees?

Yearly maintenance fees are fees paid each year to a HOA for the maintenance of the resort. Just like taking care of a home, resort maintenance fees help maintain the quality and future value of the resort property. In a vacation ownership resort, maintenance costs are shared by all owners. They pay for onsite management, unit upkeep and refurbishing, utilities and maintenance of the resort's common areas and amenities, such as pools, tennis courts and golf courses. Just like residential condominium owners, after management has been turned over to vacation owners, they determine the fees through their HOA Board of Directors. The amount of the yearly maintenance fee typically depends on the size, location, and amenities of the resort. Maintenance fees are assessed and paid annually by each vacation owner.

Choose From a Wide Variety of Vacation Ownership Products and Uses

Today, there are several types of timeshare programs from which to choose, enabling consumers to purchase the type of vacation ownership that best matches their lifestyle.

Timesharing or vacation ownership is a term which describes a method of use and ownership. It denotes exclusive use of accommodations for a particular number of days each year. Usually sold by the week, it is also called interval or vacation ownership.

The purchase of a timeshare interval can take various legal forms. Under a fixed-unit, fixed-week deeded agreement, the purchaser receives a deed allowing the use of a specific condominium at a particular time every year forever just like buying a house. Benefits may include the tax advantages of ownership, plus a voice in the management of the resort. Under this agreement, the owner may rent, sell, exchange, or bequeath the vacation interval.

Under a righttouse plan, ownership of the resort remains with the developer. The purchaser reserves the right to use one or more resort accommodations for a specified number of years, ranging generally from 10 to 50 years, after which all use rights return to the developer. These plans come in a variety of forms, most commonly as club membership.

Vacation intervals are sold as either fixed or floating time. With fixed time, the unit, or unit type, is purchased for a specific week during the year. That week is reserved for the owner every year, subject to cancellation if the vacation owner does not plan to use it in a given year. Floating time refers to the use of vacation accommodations usually within a certain season of the year, often within a three to four-month period such as spring or summer. The owner must reserve his or her desired vacation time in advance, with reservation confirmation typically provided on a firstcome, firstserved basis. The purchaser may also receive a deed under a floating time arrangement. According to a recent national study, approximately 70 percent of timeshare condominiums in the United States are sold as floating time. Some price differences are based on demand within each season.

Vacation clubs or pointsbased programs provide the flexible use of accommodations in multiple resort locations. With these products, club members purchase points which represent either a travel and use membership or a deeded real estate product. These points are then used like currency to access the various size accommodations, season and number of days at the participating resort. The number of points needed to access the resort accommodations will vary by the members' demand for unit size, season, resort location, and amenities. A vacation club may have a specific term of ownership or be deeded in perpetuity.

Fractional ownership enables consumers to purchase a larger share of a vacation ownership unit usually from five to 26 weeks. This type of ownership is popular in ski, beach and island resort areas.

"Lockoff" or "lockout" units allow vacation owners to occupy a portion of the unit and offer the remaining space for rental or exchange. These units typically consist of two bedrooms and two baths, or three bedrooms and three baths.

Split weeks are popular with consumers who prefer shorter vacations, as the owner may split use of the interval into two separate visits to the resort, such as one threenight and one fournight stay at two different times of the year. Reservations are usually granted on a firstcome, firstserved basis and are based on availability.

Biennial ownership, or alternate year ownership, allows use of a resort ownership product every other year and costs less than annual ownership at comparable resorts.

he Advantages of Vacation Ownership

Unlike a hotel room or rental cottage, which require payment for each use with rates that usually increase each year, ownership at a timeshare property enables vacationers to enjoy a resort, year after year, for the lifetime of their ownership with only a onetime purchase price and payment of yearly maintenance fees. Timeshare ownership offers vacationers an opportunity to save on the escalating cost of vacation accommodations over the long term while enjoying all the comforts of home in a resort setting.

Truly a home away from home, vacation ownership provides the space and flexibility to suit the needs of any size family or group. While most vacation ownership condominiums have two bedrooms and two baths, unit sizes range from studios to three or more bedrooms. Unlike hotel rooms, there are no charges for additional guests. Also, unlike hotels, most units include a fullyequipped kitchen with dining area, washer and dryer, linens, stereo, televisions, VCRs and more.

Timeshare resort amenities rival those of other toprated resort properties and may include swimming pools, tennis, Jacuzzi, golf, bicycles and exercise facilities. Others feature boating, ski lifts, restaurants and equestrian facilities. Most timeshare resorts offer a full schedule of on-site or nearby sporting, recreational and social activities for adults and children. The resorts are staffed with welltrained hospitality professionals, with many resorts offering concierge services for assistance with visiting area attractions.

Travel the World Through Exchange Vacations

Vacation ownership offers unparalleled flexibility and the opportunity for affordable worldwide travel through vacation ownership exchange. Through the international vacation exchange networks, owners can trade their timeshare interval for vacation time at comparable resorts around the world.

How vacation exchange works: Most resorts are affiliated with an exchange company that administers the exchange service for its members. Typically, the exchange company will directly solicit annual membership. Owners individually elect to become members of the affiliated exchange company. To exchange, the owner places his or her interval into the exchange company's pool of resorts and weeks available for exchange and, in turn, chooses an available resort and week from that pool. The exchange companies charge an exchange fee, in addition to an annual membership fee, to complete an exchange. Exchange companies and resorts frequently offer their members the additional benefit of saving or banking vacation time in a reserve program for use in a different year.

Important Vacation Purchasing Tips

A vacation ownership purchase is a significant commitment, not only financially, but also in terms of future vacations. You should be sure that the resort or club in which you purchase an interest will provide many pleasant vacations for years to come and can evolve with your lifestyle. Here are some important tips to consider when making a purchase:

Buy to use.

Buy because you plan to use the vacation ownership product in the future. Consider your vacation ownership purchase as an investment in future vacations, not in terms of an investment for financial profit.

Choose a vacation that fits your lifestyle.

Think carefully about what you value most in a vacation and travel experience, then explore the wide variety of vacation ownership products and options available and choose those which best suit your needs. In addition to visiting a resort and talking to industry professionals, a friend or relative who owns a timeshare may be a great resource as you gather information about the timeshare experience.

Visit a timeshare resort on your next vacation.

Take a tour of a local resort. While there, talk to existing owners about their ownership experiences at the resort. Many resorts offer mini-vacations which provide opportunities to experience the resort first-hand.

Read all documents carefully and understand what type of product you are being offered.

Is it a fee simple or righttouse plan, fixed or floating time or a vacation club, etc.?

Ask if the resort is an ARDA member.

Members of ARDA agree to follow the ARDA code of ethics and are expected to adhere to the highest standards of quality and service.

Look for signs of good management,

such as wellmaintained facilities and resort amenities, good housekeeping, and friendly service.

If you are purchasing primarily to take advantage of the exchange benefit,

buy the largest unit in the most popular season, or largest points package you can afford, as this will provide greater exchange potential.

How is the resort managed?

Does the developer manage the resort or has a management company been hired? Does the homeowner's association make management decisions? How often do they meet? Is the association budget adequate to maintain the resort and its amenities? Ask to see recent resort and HOA newsletters to learn more.

Verify the resort's affiliation with an exchange company

and learn about the resort's exchange policies and member benefits.

How to Buy A Vacation Ownership

Worldnet Brokerage a Timeshare Resale Directly from Developers

The vacation ownership industry uses a variety of methods to reach out to potential owners.

In many vacation destinations, off-property booths are located in areas highly populated by tourists and visitors. Representatives at these booths invite visitors to tour a resort, usually offering a gift as an incentive to take the tour. Direct mail programs are also utilized by many developers. Invitations are usually sent offering a brief vacation at the resort property with a reduction in price when the visitor tours the resort. Many resorts also offer incentive programs for referrals from existing owners.

After a purchase has been completed, there is normally a period of time, mandated by the state, in which new owners may consider their purchase. Although regulations vary from state to state, this grace period generally ranges from three to fourteen days. Your purchase agreement should clearly state the duration of the refund period.

Most Resorts will not help you Resale your Timeshare this is the Reason for Resale Companies like Worldnet Brokerage to existe. We do not own every timeshare we have for sale, We represent Owner who can't travel anymore for diferent personal reason. This Owners did pay a full price from the Developer now you can buy it from them and save 20, 30, 50 or even 75% from Resort Price depending on the urge to sell.

We use Duncan Realty & Escrow for Closing

Important Facts About Vacation Ownership

There are 5,000 vacation ownership resorts located in 110 countries, with 58.5 percent of the resorts found in six countries.

Over 5 million households worldwide now own a vacation interval, with owners residing in over 150 countries.

The U.S. is the leader in the worldwide vacation ownership resort market, with over 1,800 resorts, and over three million vacation owners.

With 500,000 new owners purchasing 778,000 vacation intervals and worldwide gross sales of $6.7 billion, 1999 proved a record year for the industry.

As an aggregate profile, the typical vacation owner is an upper-middle-income, middle-aged, well educated couple. Of U.S. vacation owners, 69.5 percent have incomes over $50,000, 68 percent are 50 years of age or older, and 64.2 percent have at least a bachelor's degree.

As of 1998, 71.1 percent of U.S. households feel they have a chance of purchasing recreational property within the next 10 years.

Florida is the single-most preferred state by Americans for a recreational property purchase. The next five most preferred states are Hawaii, California, Colorado, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada in that order.

Americans prefer the ocean/beach for recreational property ownership, followed by mountain settings and lakes, in that order.

Of more than 2,653 U.S. vacation owners surveyed over 85 percent claimed to be very satisfied with their vacation purchases.

Most important among the motivational benefits cited by U.S. owners in their decision to purchase vacations were the high quality accommodations of the resorts at which they own and exchange, followed by the flexibility offered through vacation exchange opportunities, and the value of vacation ownership.