Taking the plunge from average vacationer to vacation property owner is a big jump. The fear associated with a full, outright purchase of property hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home can be blissfully alleviated through the purchase of a timeshare.

By getting involved in a timeshare purchase, a buyer is joining thousands of others worldwide who have taken this route for its investment potential, simplicity and the peace of mind a great timeshare management company can afford a vacation home owner. Rather than have to handle every aspect of a second property's upkeep year-round while being far away from the actual site, timeshare owners have others to rely on to ensure their one week or two a year at their vacation spot are perfect and greeted by a property that's well-kept and ready for vacationing fun.

When choosing a timeshare that's right for you, there are some things you'll want to consider:

First and foremost, it's important to decide where you'd like your piece of the timeshare pie to be.

If you don't really want to vacation in the location of your timeshare every year, choose top destinations such as tropical beach resorts or high-traffic ski areas. This will allow you great brokerage power with your annual weeks in auctions and exchange situations. If you plan on personally using your timeshare property for your own vacationing pleasure, location is extremely important. Make sure you like your choice destination, but keep in mind, it's possible to trade weeks whenever you'd like with owners in other resorts. A week in sunny Miami for a week in snowy Colorado perhaps?

Once you've researched locations, you'll find most major cities and tourist spots have more than their fair share of timeshare properties. Now's the time to pick the actual timeshare destination itself. Look at different resorts, compare management companies and, if possible, talk to other owners. Find out what's working and what's not and even frequent timeshare chat boards to get the advice of other timeshare users. A good timeshare company takes all the worries off owners' minds and handles the maintenance and upkeep paid for by annual fees in a way that's seamless for the owners. Another thing to consider over and above location is the peak demand times for a resort. This will help you determine the value of your purchase for any possible trades of set stay times in the future.

You also need to decide whether you'd like to buy into a deed or a points system. A deed will give you a piece of ownership for a specific weekly block of time, whereas a points ownership program will allow you to break up your week into shorter periods of time. It's important to determine how the purchase and sale should go and what you're comfortable with in advance. Check out your options. This is a luxury, so remember you have the time to make good, well informed decisions.

After you've chosen the location, company and considered the purchase options, you're well on your way. Just make sure through the entire process you're not feeling pressured and do take the time to review all the options before signing on the dotted line. To find a timeshare that's right for you, just log on to the Internet and visit locations such as www.atimesharesz.com to do a thorough search. If the sale and the process involved is handled correctly, buying a timeshare isn't painful and the rewards you reap for a small investment are priceless – especially when it comes to the family memories and time away from the rat race a great timeshare destination can afford.

© Copyright 2005 by Dana Sanders. All rights reserved.