According to experts, the fractional ownership or timeshare vacation home market will be one of the first industries to recover from the recession.

History tells us that despite a sharp real estate downturn in 2007, the industry managed to recover strongly. Many attribute its strong recovery rate to the nature of the industry. Unlike vacation homes, which have high-costs and low-utility, timeshares offer owners the comfort of buying just what they need.

DCP International, a Chicago-based management company, claims that vacation homes are one of the most sought-after expenditures in a household (second only to college funds). And the annual expenses of a timeshare are significantly less when you compare it to renting a luxury residence. In addition to that, fractional ownerships reduce the wastes of an unoccupied house for the majority of the year.

The Lake House Timeshare

While many timeshare companies continue to streamline their organizations, some have managed to stay afloat. One good example is the Lake House at Chelan. “Pre-sales of residences at The Lake House have flourished despite the volatile economy,” said Brian Merril, the sales manager of the resort.

The Lake House provides vacationers with many payment options that allow them to work around the current economic condition. Merril explains, “Many buyers of fractional ownership do not require financing, but for those who do, we connect them with lender financing from a local bank that is supporting our community.”

Currently, the resort has sold around 22 percent of their fractional segments at pre-sale alone. The Lake House has partnered with the Cascades National Bank to devise fixed-rate financing schemes that work in favor of the buyer and the resort.

The Lake House at Chelan is set to open in March. Reservations for the summer are already being entertained.