Timeshare 111

I own part of my vacation resort?

In short, yes.  Timeshare spreads the cost of ownership, maintenance and growth over a large group of owners.  Some people buy one week a year, some people buy one week in four resorts a year.  Some people buy twelve weeks in a row in their favorite Florida timeshare.  Whichever you choose, timesharing is flexible enough to help you get the best for your money.

Maintenance fees
Typical maintenance fees run from $200 (be cautious if it's this low) to well over $1,000 per unit per week.  It all depends on what you've bought.  If you own a four bedroom condo in Maui you would expect to pay a higher maintenance fee each year.  But remember, you're sharing the costs with other owners, you have a management team in place that manages all of the work, all you have to do is pay your fair share and show up for vacation each year.

Ownership
Keep in mind that each owner of a deeded timeshare in a resort owns a small piece of that resort.  (There are timeshare called RTU's or Right To Use Timeshares.  They are essentially a lease, you lease the timeshare for "X" number of years.  These are typical in Mexico, Hawaii and the Caribbean.  RTU's are rare in the US.