Before you go very far toward buying a timeshare, exercise due diligence and know exactly what you’re getting. The following are some tips to keep in mind:

Know the type of ownership you’re buying, such as deeded real estate, in which you receive a deed to real property; right to use, in which you don’t own the real estate; lease-hold, in which you buy the right to occupy land or a building for a specific length of time; or points in a membership club.

Make sure you understand how your weeks are calculated. For example, a fixed week allows you access to the property on week twenty-six every year. A floating system, or first-come, firstserved system, enables you to request first, second, or third choices on the week taken.

A rotation program gives you a week that is rotated through the calendar year and gives all members a chance to use prime weeks on an equal basis. If you’re buying into a vacation club, make sure you know what resorts are part of the system and how weeks are allocated. Points programs give members so many points equal to their level of membership. Members then use these points to book a resort in their system.

Not all destinations ‘‘cost’’ the same number of points; high-demand locations require more points. Before you commit, be sure you understand how many points you’re buying and where they can be used; get a list of resorts and how many points are needed for each one. Financing timeshares and fractional ownership is limited to a few lenders and there is no secondary market.

If the developer or timeshare offers financing, look over the disclosures carefully, especially the terms and APR. Many people use home equity loans to finance these programs because the rates and terms are often better.