[rblack44]

Thanks for the feedback. One of our biggest challenges is in overcoming the gimmicks timeshares use to hook customers. My parents have had a few different timeshares, some of which were great, others complete scams. They've been incredibly successful in building huge businesses with these tactics. It really comes down to what you are purchasing, when you can use the property, and how you resell.

With timeshares you are purchasing a block of time in a condo/resort with dozens or potentially hundreds of people. With Ancana, you are purchasing a share of an actual home with a small group of people. You own a piece of the home you are staying in, not a deed to a piece of a resort. Co-ownership is a concept that has been around for a while (a couple people in the comments have shared their experiences), but this has typically been limited to friends/family. We aim to make this accessible to everyone.

With timeshares you get access to the property for fixed weeks. With Ancana you have ongoing access to the home. you can plan a vacation 8 months from now, or a last minute getaway this weekend. Timeshares do not offer this flexibility.

Selling your timeshare is typically a nightmare. There are entire industries built around helping people get out of their timeshare contracts. Resorts have a vested interest in keeping you hooked, because the more buyers they get the more money they make. With Ancana, you are free to sell your share whenever and however you'd like. Since there are a limited number of co-owners, Ancana has no vested interest in making it hard to sell. We'll assist in helping you find a buyer if you'd like.

We appreciate your feedback as a timeshare owner. It really is helpful for us to understand these different perspectives and to try and differentiate ourselves more from a standard timeshare

[asah]

Sigh... Every timeshare starts this way and ends up in the same place once they need to get profitable...

Even then they're not all bad: I had friends who owned a $$$ place on the California coast but liked to travel so they bought a Wyndham timeshare and used it all over the world and loved it.

[PaulHoule]

It's hard to believe a timeshare can really compete with keeping the money and then spending it when you want at the resort or hotel you want to spend it at when you want to spend it.

"Just say no" seems to be the answer for me.

[ghaff]

I once stayed at a timeshare that a friend of mine had. I think, for her, it was maybe a forcing function to go there on a schedule. Earlier I was in a ski house which was nice but more bounded.

But personally I've never seen the attraction in a vacation house. Maybe it can be temporarily more cost effective but even if you have exclusive use of a room--which isn't the case with a traditional timeshare--I'm really skeptical that any potential savings are balanced by "Where do you want to go this month/year?"

[rblack44]

One area we differ from a timeshare is an Ancana home is an investment in real estate. If the property increases in value, you capture the appreciation and if you decide to sell you make a profit.

[PaulHoule]

People are finally realizing that's not a good reason to buy a house. If somebody wants to bet on real estate prices going up, shouldn't they just buy shares in a REIT?

[carlgreene]

It really only makes sense to bet on appreciation if you can leverage yourself into a property. I.E $200k down payment on a $1mm home means you’re making x% appreciation of the $1mm on a $200k cash investment…

Otherwise your best bet is just throw the money in a more liquid, synthetic vehicle like a REIT

[garciasn]

How do you deal with potential scheduling conflicts if timeframes are not dedicated and known across the owners?

[rblack44]

This is a top focus for us from a product perspective. What's interesting through our research is the overlap is probably not as big as we assumed. Some people want to use the home for special occasions (bdays, anniversaries), which can be spread out throughout the year. Some want it for holidays, others have their own holiday traditions. The demand is more evenly distributed than we anticipated.

But there will be conflicts no doubt. Our approach is to make access to the home as equitable as possible. Each co-owner can select their priority dates before the general booking window opens. This ensures each owner has access during high-demand times. Outside of the priority booking window owners are free to book anywhere from 2 days to 1 year out and can see which dates are available. We also limit the length of a stay so that even during high-demand times, multiple owners can enjoy the property.

[andi999]

Wondering:how do you get the right to do that if you do not own the place?

[tacostakohashi]

> You own a piece of the home you are staying in, not a deed to a piece of a resort.

Which piece do you own? Is it like I own the roof, but someone else owns the roof, and a different person owns the floor?