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I love my timeshare and my husband hates it. When we bought this timeshare I had not had a vacation in five years. Every time I mentioned going somewhere the answer was that we could not afford it. My mother died and I used the inheritance to buy a one bedroom in Myrtle Beach in the off season. I have a real estate brokers license and foolishly bought at Seawatch Towers without ever having seen the place. That was really stupid, but that is how much I needed a vacation. I was lucky; it is nice. But since Myrtle Beach is not my favorite place, we don't go there much. They keep trying to buy my Myrtle Beach timeshare back and sell me something more expensive somewhere else. My favorite place to go is Lake Lure.
I am with a plan that allows points to be used. The one week in Myrtle Beach at what was then the most popular location turns into a one bedroom in primetime in Flagstaff and other less expensive locations. We have had the timeshare since 1998 and I have been places that I would never have been if I had not bought it. Plus, I can divide the points into three options and let my two children and their families vacation too. We can't stay for a long time and the choices are limited, but I like being able to give my children a free vacation. I get back lots of grandchildren pictures enjoying Edisto Island. That is where my son likes to take his family.
Things you need to know:
Don't buy a timeshare if you do not want to use it every year.
It can be limiting in places to go unless you use RCI.
Some military retirees are using this as a home instead of buying a vacation home. One lady said, "I will let __________ worry about the hurricanes." Something to think about. And you get maid service once a week included in the price. Not a bad deal at all. If you hear about a hurricane heading your way and it is more than 15 days off, just cancel that location and go somewhere else.
Buy what you need and stop. Don't keep buying because they want you to. And they will try to sell you more points and locations every time you go on vacation. To me that is the only bad thing about my timeshare. Last year I got so mad at the assertiveness of the sales staff that I am now on the "no marketing list."
Many of our locations are on the Extra Holidays by Wyndham - United States Vacation Condo Rentals website. I have been to Williamsburg many times. We always seem to use our extra points left over at the end of the year to go there in December. Other locations I have been to are: New Bern, N. C., Lake Lure, N. C., Sapphire Valley, N. C. where there was a ghost in our room (that was interesting), Fairways of Palm Aire and Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach, Florida, Smoky Mountains, Fairfield Glade and Nashville in Tennessee, Fairfield Bay in Arkansas where this all started, Flagstaff, Arizona and saw the Grand Canyon on a bus tour planned by the timeshare staff, Panama City Beach last year the first week of November, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, where we encountered snow the last week of March (that was a bit of a treat for a Southern girl), last year we drove to Ventura, California and took two boat rides to the Channel Islands, the least visited National Park in America. We have been to Edisto Island with our son, his wife and their two little girls. They so love that place and it is my least favorite place to go, so we usually let them go there alone. Our daughter and her family like Williamsburg because she is a nurse and cannot travel far and get back to her busy schedule. One year I had a few points left over and took my oldest granddaughter to Williamsburg for about three days. She stayed in the heated pool the entire vacation, but I got to eat with her and have quality time. We used our free RCI week we received when we bought to go to Duck, N. C. on the Outer Banks and had a lockoff unit that allowed my daughter and her family to occupy the other section that had a small kitchen, so we all ate on our side of the lockoff. Note, it sometimes rains sideways on the Outer Banks. This place had the best activities director I have ever experienced except Nashville where Elvis is the activities director or was when we were there. You see him perform at night and then he helps people onto buses the next day. Love it!
Nashville is my husband's favorite place because they keep you entertained at the timeshare the entire week. We went to some other places, but it would not have been necessary. T. Graham Brown and Johnny Cash's sister did concerts on the timeshare property. We had a beach party by the pool, we had pie and ice cream in the activities room while we were being entertained by a good singer I didn't know, karaoke had a professional singer show up. Yes, that is about the only good thing he says about the timeshare--he likes Nashville.
I forgot Branson. We have at least three choices to stay there. We stayed at Branson at the Falls for almost no points. Wonder where else I forgot? We rode the ducks there and saw Andy Williams and Ann Margaret perform. That was such a treat. They are two of our favorites.
So what am I up to now. In the spirit of the retirees that use the timeshare as home, I have been looking into renting places from extraholidays which is on the RCI website also. This Thursday and Friday I had a choice to get in on an RCI sale for $199 a week in mostly hotel rooms, one bedrooms and a few two and three bedroom locations. I found one in a place I had never heard of in Southern Vermont where I could have stayed for more than 8 weeks at the $199 per week. I haven't done this yet, but I am enjoying thinking about the possibility. I have also planned trips going from here to the Rockies and on to California where I spend a week at each location and then travel about a days trip on to another location. I may have to do this by myself, but at a timeshare one can feel safe doing that, because I discovered he does not like the timeshare because he simply does not like to leave home. It took me ten years to learn that. He doesn't care if I go though. RCI also has "last calls" and cruises for money instead of using your points too.
I love my timeshare. And I am so spoiled that I hate to stay in a cramped hotel anymore. The last studio timeshare I stayed in was more than 500 square feet in size.
Our family bought a share in a two-bedroom over-the-water bungalow in Moorea (Tahiti). At the time (mid '70s,) the place did not belong to any timeshare network and the same share owners (or their guests) were the only tenants who came and stayed year after year. We were allowed to save and accumulate the weeks, also to extend the stay, so every other year, we would spend the entire summer there. Later on, we sometimes exchanged the time to other locations around the world. I don't remember what we paid each year, but it was not expensive, definitely less than a couple of nights at a comparable hotel in the same location.
I also bought a share of a two-bedroom condo unit in Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) but lost it in a divorce.
I had turned down many offers to take over other people's timeshares for only the minimal cost of paperwork. With the exception of the timeshare in Tahiti, we have travelled and stayed all over the world, most of the time for less than the cost of owning a timeshare unit.
Our family bought a share in a two-bedroom over-the-water bungalow in Moorea (Tahiti). At the time (mid '70s,) the place did not belong to any timeshare network and the same share owners (or their guests) were the only tenants who came and stayed year after year. We were allowed to save and accumulate the weeks, also to extend the stay, so every other year, we would spend the entire summer there. Later on, we sometimes exchanged the time to other locations around the world. I don't remember what we paid each year, but it was not expensive, definitely less than a couple of nights at a comparable hotel in the same location.
I also bought a share of a two-bedroom condo unit in Squaw Valley (Lake Tahoe) but lost it in a divorce.
I had turned down many offers to take over other people's timeshares for only the minimal cost of paperwork. With the exception of the timeshare in Tahiti, we have travelled and stayed all over the world, most of the time for less than the cost of owning a timeshare unit.
that is interesting. I would like to know how you manage to travel all over and stay in a one or two bedroom unit for less than the cost of the time share, even considering the maintainance fees? I will give you an example: a studio at the nicer time shares in Vegas go for around $150 a night, multiply that by 7. We are talking one without even a kitchen and only when they are available which isn't too often...Now if you are talking totally off season that might be a little different, but for many, they prefer their vacations at a certain time each year....
that is interesting. I would like to know how you manage to travel all over and stay in a one or two bedroom unit for less than the cost of the time share, even considering the maintainance fees? I will give you an example: a studio at the nicer time shares in Vegas go for around $150 a night, multiply that by 7. We are talking one without even a kitchen and only when they are available which isn't too often...Now if you are talking totally off season that might be a little different, but for many, they prefer their vacations at a certain time each year....
Nita.
In the 30 or so trips to Europe that we made in the last two decades, we stayed in local hotels, B&B, or private apartments. We paid between $500 and $750 for one-week stay in hotels, less if we rented a private apartment.
For instance, in Norway, we paid $550 for one week stay (there was no high or low season) in a two-bedroom loft apartment (privately owned) over looking the harbour. In Austria, we paid $750 for two-week stay (Christmas week, high season) in an entire ground floor apartment of a local residence. We paid on the average of $55/night at B&B all through Ireland (any time of the year.) In the Italian Alps, we paid $65/night in local hotels during spring and autumn (shoulder weeks, in-between season.) We paid $550 per person for a complete package deal of airfare from Boston to Iceland, five-day stay in hotel, daily breakfast, and two dinners.
I could quote more, but those were the samples from the top of my head.
In the States, we often use points that we accumulated through our credit cards and other hotel stays, so we rarely have to pay for accommodations. We do not trade our timeshare weeks in Tahiti for anything in the States, since our weeks in Tahiti are worth a whole lot more to us. In addition, we do not stay in timeshare when we travel because we do not plan our trips in advance. Since my retirement in April 2000, aside from the set trips to the Alps (for skiing and Christmas Markets,) we just get up and go anytime we find a good deal. We also change our itinerary often and at whims, cutting short a stay if we did not like the location, extending if we did, making illogical detours, etc. I remember a trip to Venice when we cut short the stay so we could go to Corfu, Santorini, and Athens, then veered off to Amsterdam and London. We set out for one week originally, but did not returned home until almost 4.5 weeks later. Staying in timeshare would never work for us.
Last edited by Ol' Wanderer; 04-29-2012 at 08:19 PM..
They are very cheap to buy second hand. I even see a lot of them given away for free.
Yearly maintenance fee seems to be about equal to what it would cost you to rent a motel room for that week. Although they are nicer than motel rooms.
I know exactly one family that really uses theirs and they bought the cheapest one that was in an exchange program and the entire family goes all over the country staying in traded time shares. With 8 people going, it makes it much cheaper than a motel.
Other than that, I don't know anyone who has used theirs for more than a couple of years.
I nearly bought one in a time share 3 miles from my house because members can use the gym and heated pool all year round. The used time share was $500. Good price for a gym membership, but I decided that the $600 a year maintenance wasn't worth it.
Look pn eBay. Hundreds of them are there for free or extremely low price.
They are very cheap to buy second hand. I even see a lot of them given away for free.
Yearly maintenance fee seems to be about equal to what it would cost you to rent a motel room for that week. Although they are nicer than motel rooms.
I know exactly one family that really uses theirs and they bought the cheapest one that was in an exchange program and the entire family goes all over the country staying in traded time shares. With 8 people going, it makes it much cheaper than a motel.
Other than that, I don't know anyone who has used theirs for more than a couple of years.
I nearly bought one in a time share 3 miles from my house because members can use the gym and heated pool all year round. The used time share was $500. Good price for a gym membership, but I decided that the $600 a year maintenance wasn't worth it.
Look pn eBay. Hundreds of them are there for free or extremely low price.
Why are so many timeshares available at such low prices? STEEP yearly fees.
We used my son's timeshare many times( payback for a loan to him) and were very satisfied.
However, $1200 yearly fees are way too steep.
I talked with an elderly gent who also owns one. When he bought it he asked about re-sale. The salesman told him they are so valuable everyone passes them down in their will as family heirlooms.
He said he recently updated his will and all 4 grown children made it clear they do not want that timeshare.
Also,my son said he bought an expensive one with a lot of upgrades and those upgrades are only good for the original owner and are non-transferable if he sells.
He is too busy to use his the last few years and selling it is nearly impossible.
Why are so many timeshares available at such low prices? STEEP yearly fees.
We used my son's timeshare many times( payback for a loan to him) and were very satisfied.
However, $1200 yearly fees are way too steep.
I talked with an elderly gent who also owns one. When he bought it he asked about re-sale. The salesman told him they are so valuable everyone passes them down in their will as family heirlooms.
He said he recently updated his will and all 4 grown children made it clear they do not want that timeshare.
Also,my son said he bought an expensive one with a lot of upgrades and those upgrades are only good for the original owner and are non-transferable if he sells.
He is too busy to use his the last few years and selling it is nearly impossible.
That's the unfortunate sales pitch, that they're real estate so you can pass them down as an estate.
I've been to a couple of sales presentations in which the starting price in a place like Scottsdale, AZ is $30K for a 1 BR condo, but by the time the presentation is winding down it sounds like one of those "How much would YOU pay? But wait, there's more!" TV ads. "We'll offer you a today-only special for $9K, but for today only, and it comes out of my (the sales agent) commission and stock." Nonsense.
In any case, I always would say "Sorry, already got one", which I did, in Poipu, Kauai. Great place, premium location, and bought at a low price. For over twenty years we got a lot of enjoyment form it, exchanging through RCI for other places, only stayed at our home resort once. However, the annual fees of $200 in 1989, of which over half were property taxes and therefore a tax deduction, jumped to over $1200, with no commensurate increase in the deduction, in 20 years. I never did fully recover the cost of selling it but over the years the expense of the timeshare plus maintenance fees worked out to about the same as a decent 3 or 4 star resort.
If you sell a timeshare, never sell with upfront sales fees; only use a sales agent that charges AFTER the sale. My tmeshare warned us in time when we were selling our week, but the lesson was lost on others who would pay those "Sell your timeshare in a week!" advertisers who do nothing more than list your week in a web site for $499. Treat it as a real estate transaction, which in effect it is. It took us five years to sell, and while not at significant loss, the financial gain promised by most timeshare sales wasn't realized, either. We we lucky, the builder was closing out a unit at a deep discount when we bought. If you MUST buy, get a resale unit, they're realistically priced. However, I don't recommend it.
Now that we're timeshare-free, we're happy, no more high maintenance fees... $1200 a year equates to $200 a night for a six-night stay equivalent. And with a hotel you can pick and choose where and when you want to go, especially if exchanging.
Why are so many timeshares available at such low prices? STEEP yearly fees.
We used my son's timeshare many times( payback for a loan to him) and were very satisfied.
However, $1200 yearly fees are way too steep.
I talked with an elderly gent who also owns one. When he bought it he asked about re-sale. The salesman told him they are so valuable everyone passes them down in their will as family heirlooms.
He said he recently updated his will and all 4 grown children made it clear they do not want that timeshare.
Also,my son said he bought an expensive one with a lot of upgrades and those upgrades are only good for the original owner and are non-transferable if he sells.
He is too busy to use his the last few years and selling it is nearly impossible.
If the maintainance fees are $1200 it is certainly an top of the line time share and yes, some can be that high. This is one of the reasons we did sell. With our daughter have 3, we can always pay her cost and use hers.. Even 1200,though I agree is pretty steep, makes it cheaper than trying to find a one or 2 bedroom condo in a good resort area for a week.
BTW, the secret: you buy used units in less expensive areas. Some can be picked up for almost nothing and the fees are more like $400 to $500 a year. The owners can trade their unit for others each year. That is what our daughter does.
I know this is an old thread but I was hoping someone would have info on a legit place that sells timeshares?
I am beyond sick of paying fees and never getting to book anything then having to play the game with Interval International and all their feels and deadlines,etc.
I found one place and they were stalkers and wanted me to pay them $1,500 up front. I guess since I am time share owner, they know I fell for a scam once and they figure they can scam me again.
If you have a legit place that sells them, can you please post it or DM me.
Thanks
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Selling a Timeshare???
