Baby Boomers and empty nesters rather than families are emerging as most likely to buy timeshare and other vacation ownership products. A recent study conducted by Ragatz Associates for the American Resort Development Association shows that nearly 60 percent of buyers are over 50 years old. Less than 20 percent are under 40.

According to the study, less than a third of recent buyers have children under 18 years of age living at home. As recently as 1996, 36.4 percent of vacation ownership buyers were families with children at home.

Single females represent the fastest growing segment of timeshare buyers. The portion of single female buyers rose from eight percent in 1996 to 12.7 percent last year, a 59-percent increase. At the same time, the percentage of single male buyers has remained consistent — 4.3 percent of buyers last year compared to 4.1 percent in 1996.