A fresh take on fractional home ownership in Italy.

Carrara, LLC is proud to unveil Casi di Sotto, the first in a portfolio of luxury shared ownership homes in Italy. Selected after a yearlong search for the ideal property, Casi di Sotto stands above the crowd due to its sensitive restoration, luxurious interior and stunning location. The first of their kind in Tuscany’s iconic Chianti region, Casi di Sotto’s fractional interests will be listed by Peter G. Clark, Principal Broker, Keller Williams Realty in Portland, Oregon.

“There was immediate synergy between our vision and the loving restoration that had been performed by the sellers,” says Deborah Lyon, president and founder of Carrara. “Common ground and shared passion are very important, since we engage with both sellers and buyers over the long term. It all came together in this one.”

Fractional ownership is the fastest growing segment of the real estate market today, and according to industry experts is anticipated to rebound faster and stronger than whole ownership. Fractional home ownership divides the costs of a property among co-owners, providing an interest that can be sold or transferred like wholly owned real estate, at a lower entry point and without the strain of whole ownership. Although today it is difficult for whole owners to realize their home’s value, fractional ownership sellers often see an appreciable increase in the combined fractional sale over fair market value. Down the line, over 90% of fractional interest owners experience appreciation directly in line with the whole ownership value of the entire property.

Carrara is raising the bar in fractional ownership marketing services by investing in each home. Undertaking needed improvements such as landscaping, a pool, new furnishings and other interior design details, maximizes a home’s appeal. “Today, clients want more service and more value. Investing creates a relationship with our sellers that eases their minds, knowing that we are in the project together. Sellers often retain one or more shares rather than selling outright. Our continued involvement reassures buyers and ensures credible, consistent quality of each home,” says Lyon.

The expansion of fractional ownership overseas is a welcome development for many Americans. “We are committed to offering fractional ownership vacation homes that layer luxurious amenities against the rich tapestry of history, Italian culture and lifestyle,” says Lyon. “This beautiful property is just the beginning.”

To preview pictures of Casi di Sotto, please visit our Facebook album at http://tinyurl.com/y7azfhb.

About Carrara, LLC
Carrara partners with owners to market their luxury vacation homes in Italy as fractional ownership properties. The company also represents buyers seeking the lifestyle of an Italian home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), today announced the addition of Grand Lodges to its vacation exchange network. Tucked into Oregon’s majestic Cascade Mountain Range a few miles from Mt. Hood, this new fractional resort offers four seasons of recreation, including year-round downhill and cross-country skiing.

“The central location of Grand Lodges adjacent to three ski areas is ideal for our upscale members, who will have the opportunity to visit this high-quality ski-in/ski-out resort,” said David Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International. “This destination offers a wonderful variety of recreational options, including an extensive night skiing area at Mt. Hood Skibowl and summer skiing at Timberline Palmer Snow Field.”

Today, owners of 1/16 shares at Grand Lodges can catch the Porch-to-Powder shuttle to Mt. Hood Skibowl, Timberline Lodge, and Collins Lake Resort and ski back from Timberline via the glade trail to within steps of their front doors. A proposed aerial tramway connecting the three ski areas promises to further expand ski-in options.

With panoramic views of Multorpor Mountain, Mt. Hood Skibowl, and Collins Lake, 16 open-plan units are designed for a cosmopolitan market coming from the Pacific Northwest’s large metropolitan hubs (Portland International Airport is 53 miles away). Three floor plans ranging from 1,800 to 2,300 square feet offer owners and guests three bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a private balcony off the living room and master bedroom. In most units, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors and Cascadian stone fireplaces lend to an ambiance of rustic elegance.

“Our vision was to create the ultimate balance between a getaway retreat and a comfortable home,” says Kirk Hanna, managing member of Mt. Hood LLC II, the developer of Grand Lodges. Hanna also owns Mt. Hood Skibowl. “Units are acoustically engineered to give owners a quiet appreciation of the stunning panoramas. The on-site recreation center and full-service concierge and spa will provide first-class pampering. And, our affiliation with Interval International completes the picture by expanding our owners’ vacation options to other quality locations worldwide.”

Planned on-site amenities include a fully equipped fitness center, heated outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna, wireless Internet access, and shuttle service for skiers. Situated in the slope side village of Government Camp, the resort also offers visitors easy access to the surrounding Mt. Hood National Forest, with more than 1,200 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as world-class rafting, fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

Further reinforcing the value of ownership, new purchasers will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International, as well as Interval Gold®, its upgraded membership program. This gives them the opportunity to exchange their accommodations for those at other resorts in Interval’s worldwide network, as well as the ability to relinquish their resort weeks toward the purchase of cruise, golf, and spa vacations. They also will enjoy an extensive menu of benefits, including discounts on resort Getaways, ShortStay Exchangesm, access to a personal concierge service available 24 hours a day via phone and e-mail, complimentary Hertz #1 Gold® membership, and worldwide hotel and dining discounts.

Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 33 years. Today, Interval has a network of approximately 2,500 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and about 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through offices in 26 cities in 16 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family (NYSE:WYN), is celebrating a milestone anniversary this month.  Commemorating 20 years in business, WorldMark by Wyndham has successfully grown from a small product portfolio in Oregon to more than 70 resort properties throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the South Pacific and more than 270,000 owners.
“We’re very excited to celebrate this significant milestone anniversary within our Wyndham family,” said Franz Hanning, president and chief executive officer, Wyndham Vacation Ownership.  “It’s amazing to think that what originally began as a small credits-based vacation ownership company in the Pacific Northwest has evolved into one of the most prominent vacation clubs in the world.”

A Humble Start
In October 1989, WorldMark by Wyndham  (then known as Trendwest Resorts) recorded its first sale in Kirkland, Wash. and offered a very limited selection of vacation options – a two-bedroom town house in Eagle Crest, a two-bedroom condominium at the Inn at Otter Crest and a one-bedroom hotel suite at the Ashland Hills Inn.   Despite the limited options, the ease and flexibility of the credits-based program proved appealing to the first WorldMark, The Club owners.

“Being the first owner of a new timeshare concept was a little unnerving to say the least. But I knew it had success written all over it,” said Laurie Smith of Leavenworth, Wash.

As the first WorldMark, The Club owner who purchased in October 1989, Smith appreciates the flexibility of the credits-based program.  “What we love about being WorldMark owners is that the possibilities are endless!  We can go anywhere, anytime, for the rest of our lives!  It’s a canvas for memories to be made upon, whether it be a romantic getaway for my husband and me, or a family reunion, it is the ultimate gathering place.”

WorldMark would continue to expand its’ resort portfolio over the next ten years to include several highly sought after vacation destinations, including Bass Lake and Palm Springs, Calif.; Las Vegas and Tahoe, Nev.; Hawaii; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; and Whistler, British Colombia.

A Growing Family
In 2000, WorldMark welcomed its 100,000th owner to the WorldMark, The Club family.  The company also debuted seven additional resort properties that same year, including WorldMark, The Canadian – the portfolio’s first urban property in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The company also began to span the globe with the introduction of Trendwest South Pacific, which is now known as Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, in Australia.

In the years following, the company would add another seven resort properties to the ever-growing portfolio, including WorldMark Steamboat Springs, WorldMark Lake of the Ozarks and WorldMark Branson.   In addition to resort development, the company also added a variety of owner benefits, including expansive owner education programs and online booking capabilities, to further enhance the vacation experiences of the growing WorldMark family.

In 2002, WorldMark by Wyndham was acquired by Cendant Corporation, which would spin off into four separate publicly traded companies in 2006.  One year later, as part of the Wyndham Vacation Ownership family, WorldMark would celebrate eclipsing 250,000 owner families.  Today, WorldMark by Wyndham continues to provide world-class vacations to more than 270,000 owners at more than 70 resort properties.

About Wyndham Vacation Ownership
Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests.  Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.   As of January 1, 2009, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent approximately 20,000 individual vacation ownership units and more than 830,000 owners of vacation ownership interests. Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 13,800 employees globally.