Buy A Timeshare

Timeshares and timeshare presentations today are great ideas and great assets. However they are also misunderstood as well to the point where when the word "timeshare" is heard some people shy away. In fact you will probably see a lot of people who want to sell a timeshare and complain they never wanted one in the first place.

I agree that it does seem there are many pushy and/or unsavory salespeople in the timeshare business. To me, a great comparison is buying a new car or even a used car. There are shady people and there are very legitimate sales people. I think it goes with the territory of sales itself and is not isolated to timeshares.

Your best weapon? Arm yourselves with knowledge. Those people who buy a timeshare without fully understanding what it is and what the costs are will be likely to want to sell theirs off (and selling a timeshare isn't easy!). So if you can educate yourself and find out if a timeshare realy is for you, then you'll be much happier when you ultimately make the decision to buy or not buy.

For us personally we went to four timeshare presentations before we bought a timeshare. It just happened that at our fifth presentation we knew what we wanted and we bought it. And we love it, it totally works with our plans in life!

That being said: This article is to objectively set the record straight on what a timeshare is and what it isn't and to help you figure out if it's right for you.

A timeshare at its core is a piece of real estate that is owned by a number of owners.

Timeshare properties used to be tied to condominium resorts but they have evolved now to also be included as offerings by hotels, campgrounds, and even cruises. The options continue to grow every day.

The idea of a timeshare property originated in Europe in 1960s when the property rates were skyrocketing and it was impossible for people to afford a full time vacation house. But by sharing the ownership the burden of maintenance and other costs on single person were greatly reduced.

A technical definition of timeshare property is that an owner has specific time to share you own in a property.

It used to be that the time you could use the property was much more strict, but as timeshare ownership and management has evolved, so has the restrictions on time you can use your property. The options are becoming much more flexible each day.

The typical duration of a timeshare ownership unit is one week.

The cost of a property will of course vary depending on where it is, how desirable it is, and even what season the ownership is. Like basic economics, supply and demand will determine the pricing of a property and its "trade in" value.

Timeshares offer great vacation opportunities but they also offer great investment opportunities as these are real estate purchases. However, selling your timeshare can be difficult so they should not be bought for investment purposes only.

Timeshares are not purchased to be sold. They are purchased to have forever. That is where you will realize the value of a timeshare unlike regular real estate just because the resell value is so low. Similar to real estate, timeshares can usually be inherited to your children like any other real estate property. Most people rent their timeshare to others when they do not use their timeshare. This has a double advantage. You earn rent also along with appreciation of the property with passage of time. Timeshare properties are exchangeable and can be traded with other properties in most of the cases. While it may be easy for the owners of the red season timeshares to exchange their unit with other owners in any season it might be impossible for owners of low season timeshare owners to get a high season timeshare unit in exchange. That is why timeshares can be a good investment. Selling your timeshare is difficult though and that is why timeshares should not be purchased only for investment purposes.

Timeshares are NOT for everyone.

This is very similar to purchasing real estate. You normally would not just buy a house on a whim. Owning a house is a very specific commitment financially. Owning a timeshare is not much different. Make sure you are aware of all the annual costs so then you can decide for yourself if owning a unit is the best thing for you. Make sure you think you will actually use it or be able to rent it. If you purchased a car or a house and did not use it, no matter how great a deal it was, you are not able to realize the value of it.

For me personally, I am part of a family that owns some timeshares. For us it is a great investment because we know we will take vacations often. Similar to "renting" vs "buying" a house, since we will consistently use this property it makes sense for us to own it. After it is paid off, we will continue to use it and enjoy it. And the extra value is that owning these units "forces" us to take vacations every year, and this is priceless.

My hope is that I have explained well what a timeshare property is, and that you are able to use this information to decide whether or not a timeshare makes sense to you.

The most important part of choosing a timeshare destination is choosing a location you will want to return to often. That being said, if you think there are years you may not want to visit your timeshare, then you also might want to think about desirable destinations to make it easier for you to rent or exchange your timeshare for the years you do not want to use it.

Everyone would think that top timeshare travel destinations would only be in coastal states like Daytona Beach (Florida), Hawaii, and Cancun (Mexico). But you would be amazed to find that even places like Nevada, California and Minnesota are vying to occupy the top timeshare destination spot. Also the rocky mountain states of Arizona and Utah are also not far behind. Each of these destinations has some special traits which attract visitors from all over the world. Not to forget the kind of amenities these destinations offer which makes them a crowd puller.

Speaking of Florida, one destination that immediately strikes everyone's mind is Orlando.

It is considered to be the most favorite family destination in the world. Home to some of the world's largest and most popular entertainment companies it has number of wonderful theme parks to surpass the expectations of families across the globe. The unlimited and impressive list includes Disney World Resort, Universal Studio's Universal Orlando Resort, Sea World Orlando and Islands of Adventure. Millions of tourists around the world are overwhelmed by the joy and excitement offered by these resorts. Daytona Beach is also one of the world's most famous beaches with nearly twenty three miles of beach front. It offers visitors a chance to experience sailing, surfing and jet skiing. Many competitions take place round the year here.

Let's not forget a destinatino which offers something for just about everyone family and individual alike: Las Vegas, Nevada!

It is second to none in providing the ultimate in fun and excitement. It is the casino capital of the world and wouldn't be wrong to call it the night capital of the world. Whatever one can think of, Las Vegas has it and that too the greatest of them all, big hotels, big casinos, big convention halls, big malls and what not. You only need some good cash in your wallet if you visit this place and rest assured you will get the fun of your lifetime.

Hopping over to California, don't forget to think about the northern area of the state.

San Francisco is a fantastic city with many activities. It may not be the best family destination, but for the adventurous souls it offers city landmarks, hiking (right outside the city), the famous Pier 39 during the day and during the night and endless supply of galleries, restaurants, cafes, lounges, and clubs. San Francisco is not your traditional destination spot but it may be a favorite of yours once you visit there. And if you find your longing to be back every year or every other year it might be a great spot for you to own a timeshare.

In conclusion,

Just remember that the above are just suggestions. To figure out which destinations would be a good candidate for a timeshare purchase, you only need to think about where you really enjoy visiting for whatever reasons you have. Then consider if you would enjoy visiting every year or every other year. That location would then be a possibly ideal location for a timeshare purchase.

Timeshare has become one of the segments of the travel industry that continues to grow dramatically over the years. It has become an accepted way to plan travel and vacation for many people around the world today.

A timeshare is at its core a “fractional” ownership of a vacation home. In short, timeshare ownership is a fantastic way to have luxurious accommodations at a cheaper price. Vacation accommodations tend to be much more luxurious than hotels. Many units are condominiums or even actual vacation homes with full kitchen, living area, dining area, and spacious bedrooms.

Despite being a good deal for many lifestyles, there are times when an owner finds they just do not want their timeshare anymore. Perhaps their financial situation has changed or their lifestyle situation has changed.

Unfortunately sometimes it is the lack of understanding buy the purchaser on what the commitment is. Sometimes it is even a lack of disclosure by the salesperson (which commonly leads to the "timeshares are a scam" paradigm).

At any rate, at these times a timeshare becomes more of a burden than a benefit. At this point, timeshare resale is a viable option.

Regardless of their reasons for selling, timeshare resells see to be a much better deal than the original offer from which the timeshare was first bought. The owner can usually expect to sell their timeshare for half of the purchase price.

This is interesting because a timeshare is more like real estate which on average sells for more than the purchase price, depending on a lot of different factors of course.

But selling a timeshare is more similar to selling a used car than selling a piece of real estate. It is said once you buy a car, the resell value goes to about half of the purchase price. One thing selling does accomplish is that it allows the owner relief from the legal obligations of owning a timeshare.

When an owner resells timeshare, there are many timeshare companies that will successfully take a big fraction of your money and leave you with a less desirable profit. Legitimate timeshare companies fortunately exist to help you in selling your timeshare in a completely legal and desirable manner.

<b>Buying A Timeshare Resale</b>

Similar to buying a used car, sometimes it is better to go with a good name, one that has been in the industry for quite some time.

For buyers, you can have your vacation planning move faster than you expect right after finding the ultimate vacation spot you have only been dreaming about for a fraction of the cost. When your ideal timeshare resells, make a wise buying decision and enjoy your dream vacation the way you should.

<b>The hardest part is finding the timeshare resell.</b>

Because the resellers do not have the promotional resources that the resorts do when selling new timeshares. Have you ever gotten those promotional deals for free vacation, free helicopter tour, or even $150 in retail gift cards?

This is because resorts spend a lot of money on promotions and advertising. The resources available for new timeshare sales dwarf the promotional efforts of resell companies.

Therefore, many timeshare owners take to the internet to advertise their sale. So as a buyer, the internet is your best friend when it comes to finding resells whether they are on classified ads website or you find a reseller online. Make a smart decision when you buy and then you will be able to enjoy your home away from home at a fraction of the cost of new timeshares.