Why are you describing timeshares as if it's some sort of innovation?
Because it's on the internet!
Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
31–40 of 161 posts
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#32How do you handle the situation where one owner refuses to make any investment in the property or doesn't pay for investments / costs?
This is a great question and we think one of the real advantages of our model. Because each co-owner owns an independent share of the home, they are protected if one of the other co-owners defaults on their payments. Ancana assumes responsibility in this case and if necessary we will take over the fraction and find another co-owner to purchase. The terms are laid out in the contract each co-owner signs
And if that owner of an "independent share" decides after purchasing the share that they don't want to do business with you? What about if they can't make it out to Mexico that year, and they want to AirBnB the property for those weeks?
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#33How do you handle the situation where one owner refuses to make any investment in the property or doesn't pay for investments / costs?
This is a great question and we think one of the real advantages of our model. Because each co-owner owns an independent share of the home, they are protected if one of the other co-owners defaults on their payments. Ancana assumes responsibility in this case and if necessary we will take over the fraction and find another co-owner to purchase. The terms are laid out in the contract each co-owner signs
I think he means maintenance costs. I own several rental properties, and I'm always coughing up large chunks of cash for water heaters, furnaces, AC units, rotting decks, and the like. What if an owner can't pay? Is there some sort of management reserve?
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
Very similar model. We are currently operating in different markets (US vs. Mexico) and are targeting different properties (Pacaso is going after ultra luxury homes). We also have slightly different approaches to splitting up the properties. Pacaso only sells 1/8 shares for all properties, where we also offer 1/4 or 1/10 shares for certain properties based on demand. On the properties side we partner with developers…
Pacaso allows you to purchase more than 1/8 of a residence, you can purchase as many 1/8 shares as you like. So in theory you could easily purchase 1/4 of a residence. Pacaso is also purchasing homes that are not yet built, for instance they’ve purchased two homes in North Lake Tahoe that are actively being developed. I am a 1/8 shareholder of a property in North Lake Tahoe through Pacaso and I love the model. Best o…
We're fans of what Pacaso is doing. If nothing else they are proving out the market for this type of ownership model. Congrats on the home, I grew up an hour from Tahoe and have always dreamed of buying a home up there!
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#35[deleted]
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#36Woof, that was a lot of marketing speak to wade through to basically say "Timeshare-as-a-Service". I know you're 'different' (every startup is), but maybe honesty is really the best policy here. I feel like if you said this was a digital timeshare outright, it would feel less scam-like to the average person who doesn't know/care about this in the slightest. If you establish an honest basis of communication, then you can delineate all the ways you're different from the rest. Otherwise, this unfortunately reads kinda like a newspaper ad from a never-before-seen company.
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#37Thanks for sharing.
FYI, the meta tags on your English site (, , etc.) are still in Spanish. For SEO and usability, you might want to update those to English as well.
Good luck with the venture!
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#38Intriguing idea. What does "property management" entail? Does Ancana take on the costs of major property failures, like a pipe bursting?
Property management = upkeep of the property, cleaning the home after each visit, handling of any issues that arise with the home or between owners. Each property has a reserve fund that all co-owners pay into (somewhat similar to an HOA). For small improvements and repairs, we'll take care of the work and pay for it out of the reserve fund. For larger home improvements, co-owners can put the issue up for a vote and if necessary will contribute their pro rata share of the costs.
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#39Someone's reinvented timeshares :)
Reminds me of when I accidentally reinvented a recruitment company
Re: Launch HN: Ancana (YC S21) – Fractional ownership of vacation homes
#40If it looks like a timeshare and smells like a timeshare, it’s a timeshare. If there’s no secondary free market to sell these “fractional ownerships” it’s just forced rent I can’t resell.
One way to look at this is unlike a timeshare, Ancana has no ownership interest in the property. Resorts own the property and sell you access to that property. At the point all of the shares are sold, we become property managers. You don't have to sell the share back to us like you do with timeshares - in fact, we don't purchase shares back. You are free to list your fraction with an agent of your choosing or sell to your own network at whatever price you desire. Given that we have a large list of qualified leads, we are happy to list your fraction for sale, but that is not a requirement.
Curious why you think there is no secondary market for these homes. The primary market is exploding for this model of ownership and given the limited inventory of vacation homes on the market, we think the secondary market is also going to be very large