Needs some advice on purchase of resale

[fcerrato]

so i found this timeshare for sale on "my resort network" and its looks too good to be true

a floating week in lake tahoe 2br! but i feel like im missing something.....

Here is the info below-- any thoughts on what im missing? it cant be just $500

Owner
Timeshare Recyclers LLC
Price
$500.00
Date of Contact
11/10/2016
Unit #
2 Bdrms/Bthrms/OCC 2 / 2 / 6
Week Number
Float


Additional
Information

2 bed, annual usage, floating week. Tahoe Seasons Resort on Lake Tahoe's south shore offers elegant All Suite hotel accommodations and is across from the world class Heavenly Ski Resort's California Base Lodge.

 

[DeniseM]

I have often seen these for free - there are lots of free timeshares out there.

This is not one of the newer Tahoe resorts. I suggest that you read the reviews for it before committing. Try tripadvisor.com.

 

[vacationtime1]

The real cost of a timeshare like this one is the annual maintenance fee ("MF"). What is the MF for a 2bd unit on this property? Without that data point, you don't really know what it will cost you to use the place. If the MF is more than the rental value, the timeshare probably has a negative value.

Another major issue is whether you will be able to reserve the week you want. For example, if you want to ski Heavenly, a fall or spring week is pretty much worthless. Also, if the ski season weeks are deeded for weeks 48-50 and 1-16, that means you can never ski Christmas or New Years (weeks 51 and 52), and you will have 19 owners competing for the ten or so weeks you would want to be there to ski (because there are 19 weeks in the specified season you would own, but only about 10 ski weeks with predictably good snow).

This is the right time (and the right place) to do your research. It is easy to buy timeshares but often difficult to impossible to sell them. Based on who the seller is, it is likely that the former owner actually paid to get rid of this unit.

 

[fcerrato]

i couldnt ask for better guidance, thank you so much deniseM and vacationtime1!

im treading water in the timeshare market for my family of 4 right now, ill keep looking!