Savvy vacation home buyers are out-Jonesing the Joneses

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

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This story is sponsored by Ember.

Have you met the Joneses? Of course you have, they're everywhere. They're your neighbors or friends who seem to have it all. Their homes are decorated perfectly, always on trend with the latest and greatest. Their kids are the captains of every team, have the perfect ACT scores, and win all the National Scholar awards. The Joneses even have that little designer dog, perfectly bred to not bark, shed, or poop.

But worst of all, the Joneses are always on vacation. They post on social media about it constantly, or just talk about it when you happen to run into them. Meanwhile you're neck-deep in your non-genetically modified dog, who does poop, and you're not on vacation. No fair.

You need a vacation. Better yet, you need a lot of vacations, and Ember has the perfect solution for that: luxury vacation homes. The Joneses, bless their hearts, spend way too much money staying in fancy hotels, whereas with Ember, you don't waste your money paying some landlord's mortgage by renting, you buy your very own vacation home - well at least a portion of it.

So how does it work? Each Ember home is divided into eight equal parts, with each owner getting 6+ weeks for each 1/8th share they purchase. Owners looking for more time can buy more of the home, with each owner only paying a fraction of the cost that corresponds to their ownership. Voila. Vacation home granted.

But isn't that just a timeshare?

No, Ember isn't a timeshare. If you and seven of your buddies go in together and purchase a home in Bear Lake, is that a timeshare? No. Why? Because you didn't have to listen to a 90–minute presentation from Sharon, and because you actually own the property (with timeshares, you generally only buy the right to use someone else's property) . With Ember, you co-own the property in an LLC with up to seven other owners, and once all 8 shares are sold, you can sell your portion at any time, capturing any appreciation in the property value. Keep in mind, you don't actually know the other owners, nor do you have to recruit any friends to buy in with you. At Ember, we find that vacation homes can sometimes be more enjoyable when you aren't co-owning a home with your mother-in-law.

Savvy vacation home buyers are out-Jonesing the Joneses — Photo: Ember

Who takes care of the house when you aren't there?

Ember's innovative approach to vacation homeownership promises a five-star experience from start to finish—free from hassle and stress. Each home is professionally designed and furnished so you can simply show up and start relaxing. A 24-hour property concierge is available for any issues that may arise. Need a few extra home supplies? Did you lock yourself out… again? The on-call concierge will be there in minutes, sort of like a personal Butler (pretty sure the Joneses don't have a Butler). Ember manages the entire property, making sure the home is always clean, the linens are washed, the lawn is mowed, and the pool is sparkling.