baltimoresun.com

"For Rent: The Good Life"

by Dan Thanh Dang. March 22, 2006

"As a society, we're moving toward temporary ownership," says Daniel Nissanoff, the owner of portero.com and the author of the recently released Futureshop: How the New Auction Culture Will Revolutionize the Way We Buy, Sell and Get the Things We Really Want."

"Auction culture", as coined by Nissanoff, means that people acquire a good, use it for a time, and then return or resell it. Part of their investment can be recouped, or they rent or pay for only a portion of the property that they will use.

Fractional ownership properties, typically located in luxurious vacation destinations, can now cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, instead of millions. The fractional ownership concept started out with shared jet ownership and now includes a range of luxury goods, from exotic cars to recreational vehicles.

Looking for a good deal shows savvy - whether through picking up a purse second hand or renting "aspirational goods" or trading up golf clubs, or buying a portion of a vacation property.