Is a fractional ownership a time share?
Yes and No. Fractional ownership is a hybrid of direct ownership and time sharing, combining the best elements of both. The primary difference is that with fractional ownership, one actually owns the property, whereas with a timeshare, one merely owns the right to use the property. Another important distinction is that while timeshares involve many thousands of shares in a large complex with resort amenities and costs and built specifically for that purpose, fractional ownership is joint ownership by only a few individuals in a single property whose value can easily be determined on the open market and for which there are very few, if any, resort amenities which must be managed and maintained (and paid for!). For us, we consider the city of Paris to be its own resort! Virtually no timeshares have ever been offered on the open market for 100% ownership, unlike fractional ownership properties. As timeshare projects age, the right of use becomes less attractive, which explains partially w
