Fractional News Articles

Fractional ownership is a swankier option than time-sharing, but buyers shouldn't view it as a real estate investment

It was a leaky faucet that soured Ken and Nova Matheson of Buffalo on owning a vacation house from afar. The leak persisted during a six-month absence from their Whistler, B.C., house, causing the kitchen floor to cave in and requiring a $60,000 repair. They don't have such worries now that they've bought into the Rocks Residence Club, a resort community at the base of Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale, Ariz. For $195,000 up-front, plus $14,500 a year in dues, they get use of a four-bedroom, Southwestern-style home for 21 days a year. The arrangement also entitles them to playing privileges at eight golf courses, access to a private spa, concierge services -- and the peace of mind that the management company, The Markers, takes responsibility for all upkeep. "We've been so pleased, we're thinking about selling our home in Whistler," Nova says.

 Back in 1987 a group of 30 Swiss neighbours formed a co-operative to buy two cars, and car sharing was born. The concept has spread and mutated and now operates in 600 cities across the world with a 150,000 members and growing fast. No doubt many informal car sharing arrangements predated the Swiss formalisation of the concept, but when an ideas time has come, there seems no stopping it.

Eagerly Awaited June Issue Set To Hit Newsstands On May 24

MALIBU, CA - May 16, 2006 – Scheduled to hit newsstands on May 23, Robb Report magazines 18th annual “Best of the Best” offers readers an unprecedented selection of new products and services that exemplify the very finest that the luxury world has to offer.

Second Home Real Estate Makes Up 40 Percent of Market – Highest Level Ever Reports National Association of Realtors

ORLANDO, FLA. – May 1, 2006 – Americas continued real estate boom has been going strong for more than a decade. According to a report released by the National Association of Realtors, four out of every 10 purchases are a second home – either being used for an investment or vacation property. This trend is only expected to grow as baby boomers enter their peak earning years. And, with todays evolving vacation home market, consumers have more options than ever.

Susanna Laurenti , Marketing Writer
March 09, 2006

If you've ever wished for the comfort and convenience of a private jet without the hassle of ownership, Avantair could be for you.

The fast-growing aircraft company with offices at Palm Beach International Airport specializes in selling "fractional" ownership of its seven-passenger planes. Customers can buy from 1/16th percent to 100 percent of a luxury jet, entitling them to use it for a pre-set number of hours.

Fractional Ownership Moves Beyond Jets to Include Yachts, Bentleys, Even Deluxe RVs

By RON LIEBER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Traveling the interstate like a rock star seemed like a swell idea to Tom Roegner until he began to do the math.

The motor coach itself would cost more than a quarter million dollars, insurance and storage fees were expensive, and the depreciation would be immediate and dramatic. So the retired banker from Palos Heights, Ill. did what bankers before him have been doing with jets for years: he bought himself a chunk of the vehicle instead.

Fractional ownership, where buyers purchase a share of an expensive asset and pay the seller fees to handle the scheduling and maintenance, is a fixture of the private jet industry and a growing force in the market for vacation properties. Now, this model of ownership is creeping into other asset classes, too.

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