It’s an investment. Sure it’s 8K now, but then you have it for life. After 20 years of vacationing, a one time payment of 8K doesn't seem to be that much

Oh, sure, it's an investment all right. Unfortunately, the one profiting from the investment is the guy selling you the time share.

Let's say that you took that $8,000 and invested it very conservatively for 20 years, getting a rate of return of 5% compounded annually.

Your original $8,000 would be worth more than $21,000.

And your time share? Well, what would a 1/50th share of a 20-year old condominium be worth, after upwards of 1,000 families (well, the same 50 familes twenty times each) spent a week in it without being particularly concerned about how well they took care of it? A lot less than your original $8,000, I'll warrant. Also, don't forget about the annual maintenance fees, and the unexpected assessments along the way.

Any way you look it, you are far better off just taking a nice hotel suite once a year.

tanstaafl.