AS WITH ANY MAJOR PURCHASE, buying a timeshare will require you to sign a contract. The good news is, you can learn a whole lot about them before you have one in your hands. The bad news is, they vary widely throughout the industry and there is no standard form that you can review beforehand. Your safest bet is to learn as much as you can about the ideas behind the contract before it's time to sign. That way, you can ensure that you are actually getting everything you should.