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Timeshares – Fantastic Opportunity or Pie in the Sky

Timeshares have had a lot of bad press over the years. Buying yourself 2 weeks vacation in a prime apartment every year which you can trade with a fellow “timesharee” and swap apartments in new and exciting locations might have seemed to be the end to all vacation problems of the future, but as with so many things, timeshares aren’t always everything that they appear to be. From being unable to walk down the beach without being accosted by Timeshare sales reps to tales of woe (nobody would swap with me . . . well maybe that’s ‘cos your timeshare is in Kansas) can a timeshare be a good idea?

Well, yes it can . . . but in order to get the most out of your timeshare and guarantee a lifetimes worth of budget holidays in prime locations, you’ve gotta go into it with your eyes wide open. Here are a few tips & tricks which might make your whole timeshare experience a positive one, instead of a nightmare.

• Timeshare Tip #1 – Do not believe all that you hear. Sales people who tell you that you’ll be able to trade your timeshare and go anywhere you want to at any time are more interested in their own commission than your next years vacation. Location, location, location. If you want to be able to pick and choose from the best vacation destinations, then make sure that your timeshare is in a desirable location itself, somewhere with year-round demand is really the best idea, like Orlando or Las Vegas.
• Timeshare Tip #2 – If your salesperson starts spouting words like “perfect”, “free”, “guaranteed”, “always”, “never” . . . do not sign anything. You know what they say, if things look to be too good to be true, they probably are. Don’t leave your brains at home when you’re thinking about a timeshare.
• Timeshare Tip #3 – Do a little homework. This all boils down to tips 1 & 2 really, don’t believe everything that you hear and know your stuff before they start to try and bamboozle you with bulls**t. Determine how much you’ve actually spent on your vacations over the last 2 or 3 years for your hotel/motel/condo (including taxes) and see whether this is actually a worthwhile venture for you. Find out the average cost of timeshares before your visit, so that you have some sort of “ballpark” figure in your head. The internet is a great place to find out all about what’s happening in timeshares right now, but also what has happened with timeshares over the last few years – so use it.
• Timeshare Tip #4 - Even if you’re only going to the timeshare presentation so that you can have some free theme park tickets/cash/dinner – do keep an open mind. Leave the sales person to do their job and don’t just sit there with your arms folded looking at your watch every 2 minutes. If you really don’t want a timeshare then why bother wasting your valuable vacation listening to the ins and outs of something you’re not interested in. Some people attend 2 or 3 of these in one vacation . . . stop wasting your time, their time, everybody’s time.
• Timeshare Tip #5 – Timeshares are an investment in your future vacations, not a financial investment in real estate. Let’s say that you pay around $15,000 for a timeshare, use it very happily and enjoy great vacations because of it for 10 years, then sell it for $10,000 – have you lost $5,000, or have you had 10 years of great vacations at a fraction of what you would have paid for hotels and motels in the same period.
• Timeshare Tip #6 – Don’t take anything at face value . . . question everything and assume nothing. Some timeshares are deeded in perpetuity, some timeshares are not. Some timeshares are operated on a points system which are not always inflation proof. If you’re not sure about anything don’t be afraid to ask, and if you don’t like the answer and this is not what you’re really looking for, then don’t go for it.
• Timeshare Tip #7 – don’t be bullied by high pressure sales people . . . if they have to try and bully you into taking a timeshare then they are either ignorant or they don’t really believe in the product they are selling.

Timeshare Tips & Tricks – Ask Yourself the Following Questions

• Do you really understand what you’re getting yourself into?
• Do you really like the timeshare, the resort, and the location within the resort?
• Would you use it?
• Do you spend the equivalent amount of money on vacations anyway?
• Look long-term, short-term it’ll cost you money, but long-term it could save you money
• If you won’t be saving any money, will you be getting a better class of vacation for your money? Will you be getting a spacious vacation villa with private pool for the same money as you generally pay for a small hotel room each year?