2. Timeshares are a good investment in your lifestyle if you want to raise the level of travel extravagance. Often when people talk about timeshares being a rip-off they are comparing their cost to what it costs to stay in moderate-budget hotels. But that’s an unfair comparison. The real comparison is between deluxe hotels and timeshares. Also, most timeshares are condos. What do you think it would cost you to rent a 2-bedroom condo with a full kitchen each night?

3. You won’t save money on your vacation travel, but you will increase your enjoyment and comfort. If you are strictly a budget traveler and money is more important to you than where you stay, then timeshares are probably not something worth spending your money on, but if you like to relax in the room and you feel cramped in hotel rooms, then timesharing is great.

4. Timeshares are self-serve. Let’s say you do like to have a nice luxurious accommodation, but you also like 24 hour room service, having your bed turned down each night, towels changed out and the bed made daily. Sorry, you won’t get that at timeshare.

There’s usually no room service because you have a kitchen and laundry and sheets are generally only changed mid-week for a 7 day stay and also when you leave so the next guest has clean sheets and towels. On the other hand, many timeshare resorts hold community events like barbecues and parties and cocktail parties so you can get to know other owners. Hotels don’t offer that kind of community experience.

Ultimately, whether you decide a timeshare is the right decision for you or not, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: Have a great vacation!

You have heard stories of people who defy the odds and have a will to live, well vacation ownership and timeshare can give added hope to those who need it most. If you communicate well with your guests you might hear more details about people’s illnesses than you might imagine.

How great does it feel to help people to get together with love ones in quality environments as vacation owners to create these long-lasting memories! It’s also rewarding to know that those who have strong family bonds want to look after their needs for continuing vacations even after the death of a loved one.

Vacation ownership helps the current and future generations to enjoy high-quality vacations without throwing away all their money in hotel rooms.

I have to thank Fred for sharing how strongly he felt about having more opportunities to be with his family instead of go home to hang out on his couch. It took a little longer to explain the program to Fred since it was so different than the traditional timeshare programs he had checked out over the years.

Fred just loved the flexibility of not having to buy a specific week. His wife felt comforted knowing that her needs would be cared for in the future so that she could take the grandchildren on vacation.

Get paid to take a vacation.

Consider your price – Don’t expect to sell your timeshare for the same price you paid for it. The fact is that most timeshares are sold to people who have been pressured into buying. Unless you are going to use the same tactics that chances of selling the property for what you bought it for are slim. I have seen statistics that indicate that most property owners only receive fifty percent of what they paid for the property. So if you bought the property for $10,000, you can expect to get around $5,000 for it. Of course there are different factors that play into the price. If the units are still popular and are well maintained you might have a chance of breaking even. There are many companies that specialize in buying timeshares. These companies will offer between 25% and %50 of what you paid for it. Be careful and decide if you really want to sell the property that bad and take that kind of loss. So the lesson is make sure you price your timeshare properly before trying to sell it.

Advertise on the internet – There are many free advertising sources on the internet so look around and post your timeshare for sale everywhere you can. You might want to create a website so that you can have some basic information available for prospective buyers. Search the internet for timeshares like yours and see how other people are selling their property. You might want to try to sell on eBay. The fees are pretty low and there are a lot of people looking to buy timeshares on eBay.

The fact is you need to be realistic about selling your timeshare. Price the property accordingly and advertise as much as you can. Good luck.

Many of us like to have luxurious yet affordable vacations. Timesharing becomes the solution to this when beautiful resorts around the world offer timeshare packages that will allow them to have the best of both worlds. Luxury and affordability are often emphasized when timeshare companies are advertising their vacation properties.

Timeshares are offered in fixed, floating and flex weeks:

• With a fixed week deed or agreement you can only stay at the resort during your assigned week every year.
• With floating weeks you are required to contact the resort to designate your desired week. You can make a reservation for any time during the calendar year (or as for the months determined in your agreement) based on the resorts availability.
• Flex weeks require you to make a reservation to an assigned season. Resorts have high and low demand seasons. In general red is peak or high season, white is mid season and blue is off-peak season. Of course demand affects the purchase price.

The purchase price of timeshares varies depending on the following factors: time of the year, location, resort amenities, size of the unit and market demand for the units on offer. Other timeshare companies use a point system as units of measurement to establish the value of the timeshare, which enables the timeshare owner to choose from a variety of resorts listed with the company.There are also timeshare exchange companies that give their members the option to exchange with a comparable resort elsewhere around the globe. The two largest exchange companies are:

• Resort Condominiums International (RCI)
• Interval International (II).

Be aware that your needs may change over time. So it may be wise to keep all your options open and make sure you are not tight down to the same resort for years on end. If you are looking to be able to exchange then here are some pointers to buy wisely:

• Buy high season timeshares. You are entitled to book any time during the year and won’t be restricted.
• Buy in high demand areas. This will be of benefit to you of what you get offered in exchange for your timeshare by timeshare exchange companies.
• Compare the prices expensive is not always better.
• Check the maintenance fee before you commit yourself.

You can buy timeshares for a lot less money than what resorts are charging. Many previous owners sell timeshares at a discounted price allowing you to buy for far less than what you would pay a resort. Go to internet and look up “Timeshare Resales” or “Timeshare Auctions”.And you can always try before you buy. Rent a timeshare for your next holiday to see if you really want to buy timeshares.

Get paid to take a vacation.

RCI Weeks owners have their timeshare unit and week and that is where they will be each and every year, unless they decide to do an exchange to another resort. There is a lot to be said for knowing where you will be and not having to waste even an hour of your vacation time getting oriented every year. If your Weeks timeshare is the perfect spot for you and you don’t want any surprises, then RCI Weeks is the place to be.

RCI Points also offer flexibility is unit size. Perhaps you always prefer to vacation with the same number of people. For instance, you might be a couple whose children have grown and gone and you like your special getaway with just each other every year. If you have a RCI Weeks one-bedroom unit, then you have the perfect excuse for not inviting people to come and vacation with you as you take a second (or third or fourth) honeymoon.

However, with a RCI Points system, you can choose any unit size that your Points allow – and if you want more than your Points allow you can rent or buy more Points.

Almost always, RCI Weeks owners have to use their entire week annually. There is the option of banking the week though an exchange company. RCI Points members can book their getaways one night at a time. If they have the Points, they can even book an entire month. Another benefit that Points have over Weeks is that you can book your Points vacation any time of the year. The only limitation is availability.

If you have a Weeks vacation at a high demand time of the year you are assured that your space will be available. With RCI Points, you have to plan ahead as the vacation spots are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. While you will have a priority window between 11 and 13 months out at your home resort, if you are looking to travel somewhere else or just can’t commit that far in advance, it is possible that you won’t be able to book your first choice resort during high demand holidays.

Your lifestyle will likely have a lot to do with which plan appeals to you. RCI Points offer perks that Weeks do not such as being able to exchange them for airfare or car rentals or cruises. Also, they allow for great last minute deals when there are Points sales. If you have a flexible lifestyle and can go on vacation with very short notice, then Points are for you. If you like the set time and place so that you can plan ahead and anticipate, then Weeks are for you.