And boy, have they caught up with it in speed. Foreigners now make up more than 8 percent of all property buyers in Paris alone, with Americans in second place behind Italians, according to the Paris Chamber of Notaries, a trade association of real estate professionals.

We liked the last para of this consumer advisory article: ‘ Like any major purchase, the decision to buy into a timeshare is a decision that requires careful consideration. It involves a large amount of money up front and considerable recurring costs. You should ask plenty of questions, take your time before making a decision and as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says in its Facts for Consumers, "You should know that the value of these options is in their use as vacation destinations, not as investments."

Timeshares sales climbed 6 percent over 2006, with sales totaling $10.6 billion in 2007, according to a new study of the U.S. vacation timeshare industry conducted by Ernst & Young, LLP. The survey encompasses 628 timeshare resorts throughout the country, showing sales up 66 percent since 2003 and an average resort size growth of 32 percent.

Just so you know who vacations where.

We’re talking folks like Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg, Howard Stern, Antonio Banderas, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon.