Fractional owner-ship offers a middle-ground solution to second home ownership. It lies between whole ownership where the owner has sole responsibility and exclusive use of the property, and time-shares where the owner buys vacation time in a resort (one or two weeks per year) and not the real estate itself. The popularity of fractional ownership is growing among second-home buyers.

By sharing the cost and responsibility of home-ownership, the fractional owner may enjoy a much larger vacation home, with more amenities, at a fraction of the cost of sole ownership. This has particular advantage in high-end resorts where the real estate is expensive. The fractional shares vary from 1/13th share to 1/2 share, allowing the share-holder as little as four weeks residency or as much as six months residency per year. A buyer may buy multiple shares in a residence.

Generally, the resort management also manages the property for the owners and makes sure that all is in order between occupancy dates. If the management has a global reach, fractional owners may participate in international vacation exchange clubs. Such clubs, though quite exclusive, give the owners a real feeling of "a home away from (second) home," with all the familiar services in a distant land.