Villa Teggiole

Villa Teggiole is a new home built in the alpine style. It is located on the hillside behind Riva and offers spectacular views of the valleys, vineyards, the Dolomite mountains, and of course the beautiful Lago di Garda

With four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms on three levels, the villa sleeps eight. Three outdoor patios offer breathtaking lake views. A swimming pool in the garden means makes a cool swim available at any time. Besides the patios, the home offers two larger balconies suitable for sunbathing and meals. Travertine floors (with radiant heating & cooling), an upscale modern kitchen with all the amenities, complete the decor that guarantees guests a warm and elegant vacation.

Contact us for more information on this beautiful vacation home.

The view from the pool at Villa Teggiole

What Luxury means to me

Luxury is the ability to do what you want when you want. It goes beyond a nice car and house that cost a fortune. These are just materials that can be damaged,lost or stolen.

To me Luxury is the use of your time. Time is the one thing in this world,that we can not buy. Our time here was detrimened when we were born. We have to make the best use of that time, and that is what Luxury is to me.

One way to increase the quality of your time is to purchase a fractional second home. Fractional ownership makes sense in that , you no longer have to worry about your holiday home, you can just enjoy your holiday home at a fraction of the cost.

Saving vs Buying Fractional in 2009

I am anxious to see how this 2009 summer second home real estate selling season turns out. The negative news that we were bombarded with over the last 8 months seems to be dying down. The US stock market is up 30% from its bear market low in less than 2months.  Spending is still down, but I think that is a postive in that. The postive is that the fractional sales model will become more attractive and with more money in the bank, the consumer will have more power to purchase that fraction in a luxury holiday home.

Mia Bella Italia

I am dreaming of Italy. The closer I get to going back, the more I want it. Italy to me is “heaven”. The moment I stepped off the plane in 2005, I knew that I was in the right place. The year I spent living in Florence was the best year of my life. I really learned how to live life .

I remember being so proud when I was working in the states, that I had not had a vacation in 3yrs. Work is not important, quality of  life is important, and the Italians know that very well.

For my Italian friends, Italy is not always heaven, but close enough for me for me.

Future Trends in the European Fractional Market

The fractional market has only recently entered the European market. The first few fractional products in Europe were developed at key holiday destinations/ markets such as Costa del Sol and Algarve. Although particularly successful with Americans the product was at its infancy stage in Europe and usage rights and arrangements were particularly inflexible. Currently there are 90 fractional deeded products located across Europe in the form of Private Residence Clubs or fractional properties. (Northshore Consultants, 2009) The bulk of supply is located in England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Scotland. The established destinations include the Algarve, Tuscany, Paris and Florence.

The main factors in a successful fractional property or development are the basically the same factors for a great tourist destination. Access to the location is the most important. Your travelers or owners need to be able to access your property quickly and as easily as possible. The location must be desirable world recognized location. The most successful operations have been in the most visited tourist locations. It is no surprise that Paris, Tuscany, and the Costa del Sol are favorites in the fractional world. Amenities and actives are also very important components of any fractional offering. Having a location in the mountains or near the sea allows the owners or members many years of enjoyment with their residence.

Where will the growth happen ?

With the growth of new tourist destinations in Asia, Europe and South America, developers will look at using fractional as way for consumers to purchase and use the resorts and luxury homes. Emerging economies like China, India and the Middle East have and will continue to create a new middle and upper middle class. Past history and trends show that these social classes have a greater demand for international travel and property, than the lower socioeconomic class. Thanks to an increased emphasis on air travel the demand for international property and destinations will grow.

The United States has been a leader the in both the use of timeshare, private residence clubs and fractional real estate.  Many companies that have generated success have taken their business models to other markets. The result of the consumer demand was an industry that generated over $1.6billion in sales in 2008.

Fractional real estate is growing throughout the world with special emphasis to few of the countries. The Middle East is the region where there has been a tremendous growth and $1.2 billion as annual sales. This growth can be attributed to the massive real estate investment projects in places like Dubai. In the Caribbean where most people like to go for vacations, the annual sales of fractional properties have been more than $1.9 billion in 2007.  There are still undoubtedly strong levels of desire in the market, purchasers are now considering the purchase costs of the property with the furniture and annual running costs and comparing that to the usage and rental incomes they are likely to have. Many are deciding that that these costs are not acceptable which has resulted in a proportion opting not to buy whole ownership.

The European market will see the biggest growth for fractional real estate in the next 5 years.  Once Europeans understand the benefits of Fractional Ownership then they will begin to buy.

A Balanced Approach to Living the Good Life

Fractional home ownership offers a first-class approach to your vacation dreams, in the most efficient, least time-intensive way, with the financial and deed benefits of independent ownership. Your fractional investment is more than property ownership, it’s an investment in your lifestyle. A fractional destination is often a luxury condo or a stand-alone home or villa that provides enough space to take off your shoes, throw your feet up and relax in true privacy. You are home with more family, friends, pets and material comforts. You will start your vacation the minute you arrive, not a second later.

Fractional Real Estate: The Smarter Way to Purchase a Luxury Property

During the past 12 months the world has witnessed the greatest destruction of wealth in recorded history. All industries and countries have been affected by the economic collapse that occurred in the second half of 2008. The travel, tourism and vacation home industry has been especially hard hit by the drastic reduction in consumer spending.

As the world begins to emerge from this global recession there will be many opportunities and trends that will alter the travel, tourism and vacation home business landscape. With the new found importance on saving, sustainable development and the days of unlimited credit gone, vacation home buyers will look to new products to satisfy their need to travel and enjoy the good life. Fractional deeded real estate will be a growing and important trend in the 21^st century.

There are many benefits to owning fractional real estate. During the credit fuelled expansion many people purchased second and vacation homes, only to watch them not get used and then hit hard by falling property prices.  Using a fractional model allows you the use of the asset without committing large amounts of capital in the process. Trends in the past have illustrated that the people purchasing fractional ownership are not principally motivated by investment factors. Owning a fraction is a lifestyle investment. A traditional second home purchase exposes the purchaser to the full purchase price, all the annual upkeep and maintenance costs and potentially long periods in which the property will remain unused. Under the current market conditions, trends have shown purchasers to be more cautious when considering an overseas property purchase.

The owner of a fractional property usually has access to exchange programs. Exchange programs allow owners the opportunity to exchange their fractional share’s time for another destination. The ability to exchange your time for your residence in Lake Tahoe for a comparable residence at Lake Como Italy has a direct and positive impact on the international tourism business.  These exchange companies allow the vacationer a chance to explore new destinations, which they may have not otherwise visited. When people don’t have worry about spending money on accommodations, they will spend more at other locations than normal.

Fractional ownership has all the privileges and none of the hassles like changing a light bulb, waiting for a plumber, or making sure that there is enough wood for the fireplace for that cold night.

Fractional ownership is also sustainable ownership. With the average use of a whole owned property at 25 days, owning one is not very environmentally sound. New developments will be challenged to use the scarce resources we have with even better care than before. Using fractions as way to sell is the most sustainable way to build any new developments. A development that has 120 apartments sold as whole ownership can only accommodate the demand of 120. If the area is a popular destination, new construction must be developed in order for the supply to meet the demand.  If the apartments were sold as ¼ fractions the same use of construction and facility maintenance resources can serve the needs now of 480 families. Using fractions as a sales model is trend in making resorts worldwide more sustainable and useable. For more information about the fractional lifestyle please visit www.lasarenne.com

Hello world!

Welcome to my new blog. I hope to bring valuable insight into the growing world of fractional and shared ownership. Please comment and add to the discussions.