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You may have asked yourself the question: "Is it financially realistic (or realistic at all) to buy a timeshare? "Yes" and "No" can both be the answer to this question, as it depends on who is making the purchase and what the intention of the purchase is.

A standard answer would be that you are the owner, and when you lease something you can't make that same statement. Ownership of timeshares has increased dramatically since it was first conceived in the US and since most misconceptions about timeshares by people have been clarified. Many hotel chains and resorts have become a part of the timeshare industry and it is estimated that it has become a five billion dollar a year industry. Nearly two million Americans own timeshares and the number keeps steadily increasing. Here are some of the many reasons that Americans have become timeshare owners...

Consider a hotel: You pay the rent for staying in a hotel for a week. Suppose it is $900. If you consider a period of 30 years, multiply the cost of living in a hotel for 30 years with $900. It will be $27,000. You spend that much amount and only get a suite with only a bathroom. Now consider this, if you buy a timeshare for $10,000 which has a maintenance fee of $450 annually. The cost for 30 years will be $10,000 plus 450 multiplied by 30. The answer will be $23,500 which is $3,500 less than renting a hotel suite. But here is the interesting fact. You still get to own your time share property which will earn some money if not the original price. So your actual expenditure on your vacation will be far less than renting a hotel suite. Plus, who can ignore the comfort of a home in a timeshare property? A typical timeshare unit has two or three bedrooms, more than one bathroom, a kitchen, a laundry room and a pool and let's not forget all the resort facilities.

Does it make more sense now? You know where you are going on vacation, so it saves you the hassle of planning your vacation each year. You have a guaranteed vacation each year.

A timeshare can be viewed as money lying safely in a bank account. It can be sold at any time. Should you purchase a deeded plan, your heirs will also inherit your timeshare when you pass away.

Consider being the owner of a timeshare versus a vacation home. With a timeshare, you don't need to be responsible for repairs, upkeep, and maintenance of the property. You can leave it all to the management company, paying a small fee that is well worth saving yourself the hassle of taking care of it all. A timeshare still feels like your very own home when you stay there; but living there is as carefree as staying in a hotel!

Many timeshare companies offer some discounts like bonus weeks, airfare discounts, car rentals, attraction tickets, restaurants and many more besides their benefits.