Why did you buy, and is it worth it?

[Kenchele]

So many perspectives and great stories. Thanks! I am also an early riser and would love to get breakfast started before everyone is up. Also, having the washer/dryer so less packing is key!

 

[ronparise]

And you are welcome to ask it, but the problem is that it is an extremely broad question, and what is a great timeshare for one person, may be a horrible choice for you.

There is no universal consensus about what is the "best," timeshare because everyone's budget, taste, and travel preferences are so different.

We developed the questions, to focus on what would work the best for you.

Denise

I agree the question "what is the best" is an impossible question to answer, because "best" implies just one. and each of us have different criteria and circumstances.. I cant even tell you whats best for me (lots are good, nothing is the single "best"

But the OP didnt ask whats best, or great or for a consensus. The op asked "What did you buy and is it worth it"

This is a fun question, just asking for the experiences of the group. The answers are for me mind blowing or at least mind opening, causing me to consider a whole range of possibilities other than the narrow little box Ive put myself. Thanks to the OP for asking

 

[taterhed]

We bought into Marriott (2 units, Kauai and Orlando) for one simple reason: we love to travel and we like upscale and consistent quality accommodations.

We got tired of searching for the perfect hotel or resort, hoping it would have enough room and amenities to meet our needs/expectations and searching thru 1000's of rental/VRBO/Resort ads etc.

Marriott has tons of great destinations, affiliation with II (the best exchanges) and provides a great trading platform. You always know what to expect.

Like others above, we love our coffee, our cocktails and our 'gourmet' food--all made by us, in our room (on the grill etc...) and served when and how we want it. We travel for business, and get tired of expensive meals, expensive drinks and lousy coffee. When we go out, we like to pick and choose and go when and where we want--not because we have-to or need-to (no kitchen).

When we travel we like having friends come along too. Asking your friends to come join you (just buy a $1500 hotel room) isn't a good solution in rentals (timeshare rentals excepted). Booking a 2br or another unit for friends/family is easy and doable. After being on TUG for a while, renting seems like an equally easy task--just a bit more expensive for some locales (HI).

Sometimes I feel like making a reservation. Period. Other times, I feel like turning my 3br MGR into 2 weeks in Hawaii. This provides me with the 'thrill of the chase' but also lets me maximize my vacation dollars. Same for Worldmark: how can I make my lowly WM points become a 4 star week in Kauai? Easy. Interval International. Yes, it costs money, but no-where near the cost of a rental week. Not for everyone.

Finally, others above have hit it on the head: have $$$$ in your pocket does not necessarily make you take family vacations. Ask me how I know. Having timeshare weeks/points DOES make you take vacations--or at least realize what you are giving up when you can't use them. Being forced to plan vacations and time-off is the best thing that ever happened to me. So sad it didn't happen 10 years earlier. I lost a good bit of family time to work and piddling around the house on vacation. YMMV, but I feel strongly about this. Teach your family (or relatives) to take vacations, build strong annual memories of vacation/together time and hopefully it will stick with them and their families too. Sorry, soapbox time.

Rent and see yourself. If it clicks--buy the one that feels right.

 

[silentg]

Now that we've rescinded the timeshare that we bought directly from the developer, we're looking here at gaining information and possibly purchasing on the resale market.

Would you mind sharing your opinions on why you bought the program that you have and whether you find it worth it (versus just vacationing and getting hotel rooms wherever)? What do you find to be the benefits of owning interest in a timeshare? What are the benefits to the particular program in which you have your timeshare?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

Ok, since you asked I will share our timeshare history with you. My family used to rent cottages when I was growing up in Massachusetts . We would go each summer with other relatives who also rented cottages, was fun. We would go one or two weeks each summer. Lots of fun. As the cousins grew they rented cottages and I was invited to spend weekends. I loved summer on Cape Cod and New Hampshire. I met my husband who hardly ever took vacations, we started taking vacations together, I would plan and he went along. After we were married I saw an ad for a timeshare weekend in Vermont only 9 dollars! Was on a whim we said lets go look we had an 15 month old and a few days away sounded good, especially since my husband worked a lot. So we drove up to Vermont to a very rural place. Seasons at Sugarbush, I was not impressed was a long ride, baby was restless we made several stops etc. To my amazement my DH was enthused with the whole thing. We would be able to vacation each year, this was the selling point to me, he would have to take a week off each year for a vacation. Anyway we got a right to use lease for 30 years and it was 4 th of July week. We had no money which is why I thought it was a bad deal. But I asked my parents for a loan and we paid in installments. Everyone was paid in 6 months. Then the following year we stayed at our new timeshare and it was great. There were a few years that we exchanged thru II and we had another baby so our little one bedroom was exchanged for 2 bedrooms. It was a prime red week 4th of July or week 27. I was the planner still am for vacations. I found TUG in the early 90's and enjoyed sharing stories and info on timeshares. They got me interested in South Africa timeshare called Dikhololo. We bought a dirt cheap red week and used it for trades thru RCI. I have retired the kids are grown and on their own, DH is still working but gets vacation time, so we travel more and we have acquired more timeshare weeks. The best advice I can share is buy where you want to stay. We no longer have the Vermont week, or Dikhololo, but the timeshares we own have small maintenence except for HIVC we use that week with IHG to take bonus nights at hotels. Sorry I am going on too long. PM me or maybe I should write a blog?
Silentg

 

[Kenchele]

Ok, since you asked I will share our timeshare history with you. My family used to rent cottages when I was growing up in Massachusetts . We would go each summer with other relatives who also rented cottages, was fun. We would go one or two weeks each summer. Lots of fun. As the cousins grew they rented cottages and I was invited to spend weekends. I loved summer on Cape Cod and New Hampshire. I met my husband who hardly ever took vacations, we started taking vacations together, I would plan and he went along. After we were married I saw an ad for a timeshare weekend in Vermont only 9 dollars! Was on a whim we said lets go look we had an 15 month old and a few days away sounded good, especially since my husband worked a lot. So we drove up to Vermont to a very rural place. Seasons at Sugarbush, I was not impressed was a long ride, baby was restless we made several stops etc. To my amazement my DH was enthused with the whole thing. We would be able to vacation each year, this was the selling point to me, he would have to take a week off each year for a vacation. Anyway we got a right to use lease for 30 years and it was 4 th of July week. We had no money which is why I thought it was a bad deal. But I asked my parents for a loan and we paid in installments. Everyone was paid in 6 months. Then the following year we stayed at our new timeshare and it was great. There were a few years that we exchanged thru II and we had another baby so our little one bedroom was exchanged for 2 bedrooms. It was a prime red week 4th of July or week 27. I was the planner still am for vacations. I found TUG in the early 90's and enjoyed sharing stories and info on timeshares. They got me interested in South Africa timeshare called Dikhololo. We bought a dirt cheap red week and used it for trades thru RCI. I have retired the kids are grown and on their own, DH is still working but gets vacation time, so we travel more and we have acquired more timeshare weeks. The best advice I can share is buy where you want to stay. We no longer have the Vermont week, or Dikhololo, but the timeshares we own have small maintenence except for HIVC we use that week with IHG to take bonus nights at hotels. Sorry I am going on too long. PM me or maybe I should write a blog?
Silentg

For me, it's not too long at all! I love getting the information. Just like Rhonda posted several to share her experiences in various timeshares, it's great to hear your experience. It's awesome that your husband got the vacation bug after you guys started timesharing and sounds like you have made some great memories together.

 

[Kenchele]

We bought into Marriott (2 units, Kauai and Orlando) for one simple reason: we love to travel and we like upscale and consistent quality accommodations.

We got tired of searching for the perfect hotel or resort, hoping it would have enough room and amenities to meet our needs/expectations and searching thru 1000's of rental/VRBO/Resort ads etc.

Marriott has tons of great destinations, affiliation with II (the best exchanges) and provides a great trading platform. You always know what to expect.

Like others above, we love our coffee, our cocktails and our 'gourmet' food--all made by us, in our room (on the grill etc...) and served when and how we want it. We travel for business, and get tired of expensive meals, expensive drinks and lousy coffee. When we go out, we like to pick and choose and go when and where we want--not because we have-to or need-to (no kitchen).

When we travel we like having friends come along too. Asking your friends to come join you (just buy a $1500 hotel room) isn't a good solution in rentals (timeshare rentals excepted). Booking a 2br or another unit for friends/family is easy and doable. After being on TUG for a while, renting seems like an equally easy task--just a bit more expensive for some locales (HI).

Sometimes I feel like making a reservation. Period. Other times, I feel like turning my 3br MGR into 2 weeks in Hawaii. This provides me with the 'thrill of the chase' but also lets me maximize my vacation dollars. Same for Worldmark: how can I make my lowly WM points become a 4 star week in Kauai? Easy. Interval International. Yes, it costs money, but no-where near the cost of a rental week. Not for everyone.

Finally, others above have hit it on the head: have $$$$ in your pocket does not necessarily make you take family vacations. Ask me how I know. Having timeshare weeks/points DOES make you take vacations--or at least realize what you are giving up when you can't use them. Being forced to plan vacations and time-off is the best thing that ever happened to me. So sad it didn't happen 10 years earlier. I lost a good bit of family time to work and piddling around the house on vacation. YMMV, but I feel strongly about this. Teach your family (or relatives) to take vacations, build strong annual memories of vacation/together time and hopefully it will stick with them and their families too. Sorry, soapbox time.

Rent and see yourself. If it clicks--buy the one that feels right.

That last paragraph... "have $$$$ in your posket does not necessarily make you take family vacations." Great note. Yep, I know that there will always be other uses for the $$$ but we have to determine what's really important. We have had a few family vacations that really bring our blended family together. I wish we had started sooner too. But I think we still have some time to enjoy!

 

[Kenchele]

Denise

I agree the question "what is the best" is an impossible question to answer, because "best" implies just one. and each of us have different criteria and circumstances.. I cant even tell you whats best for me (lots are good, nothing is the single "best"

But the OP didnt ask whats best, or great or for a consensus. The op asked "What did you buy and is it worth it"

This is a fun question, just asking for the experiences of the group. The answers are for me mind blowing or at least mind opening, causing me to consider a whole range of possibilities other than the narrow little box Ive put myself. Thanks to the OP for asking

Glad you're enjoying the discussion and that it's helpful to both experienced TUGGERS and a newbie like me. I think that what I'm also learning is that people buy their first timeshare and then continue to learn and maybe do something different next time around. We keep thinking about how the big benefit is in getting something that we can enjoy and really USING it.

The discussions about fixed weeks are eye-opening to me because I think that we were (and still are, actually) leaning towards points because I like the idea of going to different places. In my younger days, accommodations mattered less but I REALLY like the relaxation offered at the timeshare resorts. I also like that there are activities.

Thanks and please keep the stories coming!

 

[AwayWeGo]

We Used To Know Everything About Timeshares. Now We Know Practically Nothing.

Why did you buy, and is it worth it?

Those questions & this discussion topic are making me think I should dig out an old piece I wrote back when I thought I knew a thing or 2 about timeshares -- that is, when I thought I knew lots & figured I had virtually mastered the system.

Much has changed since then -- some of it in the system itself, some in me & The Chief Of Staff & in our ideas about timeshares & timeshare vacationing.

Rather than rewrite the original story, I'll do the short version before adding more recent reflections.

We learned by doing, not by studying the situation before deciding. It started with a bunch of promotional timeshare tours in 2002. We had a nice time in Orlando & Ft. Lauderdale & Las Vegas, but we did not buy any timeshares because the prices were too high & also because we don't like high-pressure sales pitches. But we liked what we saw at the resorts, specially Vacation Village At Parkway, scene of our Orlando-Kissimmee timeshare tour.

Driving away after the Vacation Village At Parkway sales pitch, we spied a highway billboard that said . . .

TIMESHARES
BUY RESALE
SAVE THOUSANDS​

. . . & the rest is history. When we got home, we called the number on the billboard & came this close to buying, sight unseen, a 2BR fixed week at Isle Of Bali (later renamed Ron Jon & now known as Liki Tiki). I forget the details, but before that deal went through we discovered TUG & made internet contact with John Chase, HOA-BOD president at Cypress Pointe Resort (Orlando). Through him we bought (sight unseen) a 3BR floating prime-season week at Cypress Pointe for about $3,000 less than the resale price for Isle Of Bali. That got us started, not only on having fun with timeshares but also on a friendship with John Chase that developed & grew for the rest of his life. (He passed away in April 2014. He is remembered with fondness & respect, & he is greatly missed not only by us but by a solid segment of TUG-BBS, where he was a frequent & valued participant. May he rest in peace.)

Very soon we took our 1st Cypress Pointe vacation, & were wowed by how nice the place turned out to be -- better than expected in all respects. Naively, we signed up for the Owner Update. We we owners, so why not? Little did we know at the time that Owner Update is secret code for High Pressure Sales Pitch. (Live & learn.)

At the update, we were shown Phase II right across the street -- & were wowed even more by the added size & features. When we got home, we sniped in a winning bid on eBay for a Phase II unit comparable to the Phase I unit we already owned -- comparable except $1,750 or so cheaper! Then we resold our Phase I unit for the amount we paid for it.

Later, we bought back into Phase I when somebody on the internet offered, for $500, a biennial copy of what we previously owned. The offer included that's year's paid-for use of the unit, so we grabbed it. We owned on both sides of the street & our empire was growing.

By then we were into TUG & TUG-BBS & started picking up hints & suggestions, including the Tiger Trading Power of timeshares in South Africa. So we bought 1 of those. It came with 5 years of paid-up RCI membership, & we started getting exchange reservations at nice USA timeshares right away.

Instead of using our outstanding Phase II timeshare in Orlando, we rented it out for enough to pay maintenance fees with enough left over for RCI Last Call & Instant Exchange reservations for our own off-season vacations -- practically vacationing free.

We found out about RCI points & scoured eBay for a low-points & low-cost points timeshare just as a toe-hold into the points system. We soon found 1, bought it, & the rest of that is also history.

For the next few years, we thought we were timeshare masters -- buying low, renting high, & enjoying luxury vacation accommodations at Motel 6 & Super 8 rates (or less).

But things change. Maintenance fees at our points timeshare escalated way out of proportion so that our deed became a negative value. Fortunately the resort agreed to take our unit back via quitclaim deed, so we quickly became ex-owners & that was that. We got a replacement points unit (eBay) & kept on getting bargain Last Call & Instant Exchange reservations. (As it happened, our eBay replacement points unit was at Vacation Village At Parkway -- the very spot where we caught the timeshare bug in the 1st place. We had stayed there a few times via Last Call, etc., & at last we were owners -- but for w-a-a-a-a-y less than the high-pressure timeshare sellers wanted back in 2002.)

More things changed. It got harder to find renters for our outstanding Phase I & Phase II units at Cypress Pointe, & the margin shrank between what we paid in maintenance fees & what we collected in rent. Instead of waiting for the whole thing to turn into a losing proposition, we decided to downsize. We gave Phase II to a fellow TUG member, who got lots of TPUs out of it. We abandoned our South Africa resort when it quit being a timeshare -- we could no longer use it for RCI exchanges so we totally let it go with no correspondence, no more payments, no nothing. (If there are repercussions from doing so, we have not yet found out about it.)

John Chase's death in 2014 coincided, randomly or not, with a move by the timeshare company of record to exert more control at Cypress Pointe, to the extent of getting a court ruling that it could vote in HOA-BOD elections using company-owned units despite its predecessor company's binding agreement not to vote. With that ruling in hand, the timeshare company voted its candidates in & the independent directors out -- the end of an era. The Chief Of Staff & I faced the music & deeded back our prime-season Phase I biennial unit to the timeshare company. As a non-owner, I could no longer serve on the Phase I owner advisory committee, to which board president John Chase got me appointed just a couple of years before. So our separation from Cypress Pointe is complete except for the memories.

We sold our Vacation Village At Parkway triennial 2BR points unit & replaced it with a Grandview At Las Vegas triennial 1BR points unit -- i.e., went for roughly half the points at roughly half the annual cost. And today that triennial Grandview points unit is all the timeshare we have left. If someday we decide we need more, there's always eBay & the Bargain Giveaways section of TUG-BBS.

Was -- is -- it worth it? Are there lessons to be learned from our story that might benefit others? Maybe.

Number One is Buy Timeshares Resale. Get the same thing as full-freight, or the equivalent, or something even better, for pennies on the full-freight dollar. Full retail prices for timeshares are grossly inflated for a product whose open-market value is nowhere close to what the timeshare companies charge. Many timeshares have a true open market value close to zero, yet the timeshare companies charge many thousands of dollars for them. The only reason people go for it is because of the high pressure razzle-dazzle & ballyhoo that cloud the mind & shut off any opportunity for real-world comparison shopping.

Next is an oft-overlooked reality which is related, namely that no matter how much you pay There Is No Such Thing As A New Timeshare. By the time you show up & check in, other people will have previously been staying right there in your timeshare unit. That's used-used-used any way you shake it -- & there is no sense whatever, as in none, in paying new prices for used items. (BTW, the late John Chase said he actually did stay in a brand-spanking new timeshare unit 1 time. It was a new unit where nobody had stayed before in a new building at a large timeshare resort. He was staying there via RCI or possibly I-I exchange. When an owner eventually showed up to stay there in due course, that unit would have been occupied by who knows how many occupants before an owner checked in?)

Above all, thanks to our timeshare experience we now hate to settle for mere hotel-motel accommodations, not only because timeshares offer more space & more amenities but also because even PriceLine hotels cost lots more than off-season timeshares via Last Call, etc.

As long as we can keep on enjoying luxury timeshare vacations at Motel 6 & Super 8 rates, we're apt to keep on timesharing. With the escalation of exchange fees, etc., at RCI, who knows how much longer that will be the case?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[rhonda]

Love your story, Alan. Thanks for the reminder that we should let go of <things> before they become losing positions. Sigh. It is likely time (or even past time) for me to unload timeshares #2 and #5. Sigh. Heavy Sigh.

 

[klpca]

I am a much more recent owner - we've only been timesharing for 5 years. We have always been regular travelers so timesharing was a logical next step for us. I am an accountant. I like to get the most for our money, and after paying over $250 per night for a couple of average condos in south Maui during the depths of the recession (2008/09) I started thinking about timeshares. We had bought and rescinded WKORV in 2006 and our neighbors owned a Marriott in Palm Desert so I began looking into resales on eBay. I was shocked to discover that I could buy at the same resort as my neighbors for pennies on the dollar. I admit that I went on a bit of a spree. I have since sold some and bought some others that work better for us.

Since our primary motivation has always been financial, I always do my comparison against whatever discount rates I can find, such as travelzoo or booking.com. As long as our per night cost is lower, we're good. And with careful planning, I am able to keep our per night costs much lower.

Although we own at seven resorts, four of those are every other year ownership. Two of those are near our home so we use those for day use. We still probably own one too many. I haven't decided which one to let go yet.

Before timesharing I was ok with a small condo or hotel room. Boy am I spoiled now. We've had some wonderful trips with friends and family, although our (grown) kids still prefer our camping trips. I honestly don't think that we could go back to the old way. We never expected to like timesharing as much as we do. We love meeting the people at the resorts and find the other owners to be very friendly. It has definitely been worth it and I wish that we had done this while our kids were younger - although they do not agree as our camping years turned them all into outdoorsy types. (In fact my youngest daughter is on the Pacific Crest Trail as we speak). Truthfully I'm glad to have had both experiences...and I'm glad that our next step was timesharing and not RV-ing, which seems like a lot of work to me!

 

[bastroum]

We used to own second homes. They became expensive and burdensome to maintain. The pressure on ourselves to use them (because we owned them) also became a burden. When we visited these homes there was always work to do to keep them up. We had to worry about maintenance when we were not there. Then in 2000 we purchased a HGVC unit in Honolulu. We bought retail and had no idea what we were doing. The one thing we did notice was that vacationing in a resort was alot more fun than staying in a second home. We now own 18 weeks of timeshares (mostly purchased on eBay) and no second homes. We are retired so we can use all the weeks. The cost to vacation and use these weeks are much less than maintaining vacation homes. Because they're all in resorts it's also a lot more fun. Most of our friends today we have met at timeshare pools. It's a great way to vacation. We are also forced to plan 1 year ahead so it's much more organized than planning vacations any other way. The one downside is there is no appreciation on the real estate. Quite frankly, the vacation experiences are more valuable to us than the money.

 

[Tank]

Love the stories, GREAT question!

We went to Disney in Orlando and gotten suckered into a presentation 20 years ago.
At the time what sold us was the “investment” that could be passed on to the family. My wife started a new job and this was the year she could not put into her 401 retirement. So we invested into our timeshare that year instead. Made good since at the time, always thinking about our future.
We know better now, but I’m not sorry we bought, just wiser how I buy.
It made us plan family vacations, memories that can never be taken away in a roomy villa vs a stuffy hotel room.

I have been putting a system in place for easy use for my kids to follow if something happens so it truly is the “investment” we intended it to be. With a road map to affordable vacations, and the how too guide for best use strategy.

Yes - My kids want them when that time comes.
Hopefully will be a long time before they get them.

Dave

 

[dsexton]

Love Timesharing and Still Learning !

Would you mind sharing your opinions on why you bought the program that you have and whether you find it worth it (versus just vacationing and getting hotel rooms wherever)? What do you find to be the benefits of owning interest in a timeshare? What are the benefits to the particular program in which you have your timeshare?

Thanks in advance for your opinions![/QUOTE]

Thanks for asking this question, I have enjoyed reading everyone's responses.

We are fairly new to timesharing (going on 4 years now). We bought our first timeshare (from the developer unfortunately) in a place we love to visit and close to home (VA Beach). After that purchase I found TUG and began to educate myself on how to maximize my trading power and even get extra weeks. I have always loved to travel (my hubby, not so much, thank goodness for lots of girlfriends !), but hated hotel rooms. I like 'my space'. Others have commented on the kitchens, which is nice too, but we tend to eat out while on vacation. The kitchen definitely comes in handy at breakfast, lunch and cocktail hour !

I knew that I would eventually end up purchasing more timeshares, so I began to think about my guilty pleasures in life (sunbathing on the beach and drinking wine). Since we already owned a beachfront TS, my focus turned to the wine and I landed on RiverPointe in Napa Valley. I bought a 2-bedroom lock-off, site unseen on Ebay for $1. (I would never have done this without reading all the great tripadvisor reviews, which I believe is a requirement before even renting a place). We visited last year and LOVED it. It's an EOY usage and I already have friends waiting in line to go with me on the next 3 trips. We live on the East Coast, so I would not have considered this EY, however EOY works perfect.

As others have mentioned we love taking our friends with us on vacation (we have no kids), so it's nice to be able to invite them to come along and share our condo. Speaking of no kids, this makes it very easy for us to travel in shoulder seasons which is something to be considered as well. I'm extremely flexible when trading because I have no limitations and plenty of vacation.

BTW, I too have been a '2nd residence owner' and in a nutshell, pain in the butt. Another reason I love timeshares and extremely happy with the 2 we currently own.

As I prepare to retire in about 3 years, I'm searching for a couple more timeshares. In my mind I can spread that initial developer purchase price across several timeshares, then it doesn't seem so bad This is where I'm still learning because I know I want somewhere warm year-around (leaning towards Cancun or South Florida) but I'm having a ball with the research and searching re-sale sites. It's become a part-time job !

Finally, TUG has been a fabulous resource and I've learned so much. I encourage you to keep reading and posting !

 

[bnoble]

Now that we've rescinded the timeshare that we bought directly from the developer, we're looking here at gaining information and possibly purchasing on the resale market.

Would you mind sharing your opinions on why you bought the program that you have and whether you find it worth it (versus just vacationing and getting hotel rooms wherever)? What do you find to be the benefits of owning interest in a timeshare? What are the benefits to the particular program in which you have your timeshare?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

From our earliest days as a family---a toddler with our second on the way---we've vacationed in either homestyle suite places (e.g. Residence Inn) or renting private homes at the beach. I never understood why parents of young children got single hotel rooms and pretended to be asleep at 8:00 at night while the kids were nodding off. Darn it, it's my vacation too!

Now, we define "roughing it" as having to share a washer and dryer with other units rather than having one to ourselves. During our vacations now, there will be some point at which we are hanging out in the condo, and just enjoying ourselves, and my wife and I will look at each other and say: "Hotel rooms. How do people do it?"

Now, you don't have to own to vacation this way affordably. If you can visit places during off- or shoulder season, you can often rent for not much more than---or even less than---the maintenance fees required to own the same time. Renting can also be advantageous if you don't imagine taking a "timeshare" vacation very frequently, as owning works best if you plan to average at least one timeshare stay every year or at most two. But, if you want to travel during peak-demand times, and you imagine doing a timeshare vacation every year, owning can make sense.

I own three weeks. My first week was in a points-based mini-system, and I recommend this model for first-time buyers. I happened to choose Wyndham, but any of them could work; choose based on the set of destinations they offer and see what matches your needs best. One piece of advice you often hear is "buy where you want to stay." The advantage of a mini-system is that to a first order approximation you get to "own" at many different resorts at the same time. Of course, it's often a little more complicated than that, and in some systems/with some products it does matter which resort in the system you own. But, in my case, I can book just about any resort at just about any time of year as long as I do as as soon as the booking window opens. There are a few things that are hard to get this way, but not many, and I haven't run into one yet.

Wyndham has a great set of resorts, they are located in places I want to visit, and we've found that they hit a good balance between luxury and affordability. They aren't the most posh units you'll find---the Marriotts and Hiltons of the world tend to be nicer---but Wyndham's fees are a bit more affordable than some of those name-brand places. This is just a matter of preference. You might be willing to pay for nicer units, or you might want a system that's even more affordable.

My other ownerships are at fixed-week/fixed-unit resorts. I bought these primarily for trading, though I would also happily stay at them if that's what worked in a given year. When I bought them, the trading landscape was quite a bit different. I still get good use out of them---we are spending two weeks in Hawaii this summer and my exchange costs for both weeks are less than the fees to own there. But, that's becoming increasingly hard to do, and I definitely would not recommend it for a first-time purchaser. Exchanging well is really more of a hobby than "just owning a timeshare," and it is not for everyone.

I've gotten great enjoyment out of my timeshare ownerships. We've taken many more vacations than we would have otherwise, at some fantastic locations. My oldest is getting ready to go off to college next fall, and the memories we've made together have been priceless. In two more years, the second one will be gone and we'll be empty nesting. Some folks talk about selling at that point, but I don't plan to. Instead, I'm going to use our timeshare time to "date" my wife again---we've spent so much energy chasing after/raising the kids that we need to have some time to reconnect. Then, down the road, I imagine we will invite them to spend some time with us as they have new families of their own.

 

[SmithOp]

We took regular vacations to Kona, renting a condo owned by an acquantance. In 2001 we took a HGVC offer to go to Waikiki, right after 9/11. The place was deserted, nobody was traveling, we thought it was always like this . Lagoon Tower was the only timeshare units at the time. We purchased an every other year, thinking we would trade off with Kona visits. Since then HGVC has built a new tower, new pool, converted units in Kalia (after cleaning up mold issue), and is now building another new tower. Its more popular than ever. HGVC has added more and higher fees for everything, including maintenance.

We still enjoy going but feel more relaxed at Waikoloa, and have many excellent memories of annual trips these past 15 years, would do it all over.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk

 

[aandmrun]

Timesharing since 1994 & Loving It

We also bought our first timeshare from the developer (Marriott Vacation Club), but have since purchased 3 others resale. We bought where we like to vacation, but have found that trading is also fun. To us, these are pre-paid vacations that we plan at least a year in advance. It allows us to invite family members and give them plenty of time to plan as well. We enjoy taking our granddaughters on vacation. That is why it is important that we have the separate bedrooms, bathrooms and plenty of space. We especially like it when we have private balconies or patios.
We have enjoyed many years of travel. Our daughters have each picked which of our resorts they would like to take over when we decide we do not want to travel anymore and the others we will either give away or sell.
If you like planning in advance and exploring different areas, you will love timesharing! Good luck in your decision.

 

[ottawasquaw]

Yes, totally worth it! And, I bought from the developer...without regret. You can't buy my TS resale as far as I know. The MF's are very affordable and it's a well-run property. They are always adding amenities, including most recently, a really good Italian restaurant!
I bought in 2000 and there was no pressure. The salesman explained the offer. I told him Id sleep on it. My kids really liked the idea. Maybe because I am a single mom, the salesman wasn't even sure if I was qualified to buy. My sister worked at RCI when it was a new company, so I had stayed at many many TS's. My parents have a few weeks and it was their's which I was using. So, I was a fairly well informed purchaser. I knew how the program works.
I traded into Sedona which is a place I had wanted to visit for many years. I still enjoy it - more than ever! As an owner, I've never had to use it a week at a time and that's worked to my advantage. I live closer now and can buy bonus time. Only staying at the hostel would be cheaper.
My initial investment? That was very affordable! Maybe because they were just building the place, they offered me many, many perks. I was given all sorts of extra weeks through RCI which I used. So, with all the extra vacations, my payback was less than 5 years?
I do enjoy TUG and these forums. The bottom line is, knowledge is power. Good luck to you and I hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[rhonda]

One thing I'm especially enjoying in this thread is how vacationing is passed down from generations. Thanks for that reminder!

Indeed, my parents were hooked on great vacations and travel, in general. They dragged us all across the US by car and/or RV and across Europe by rail. They rented a friend's vacation cottage on the Jersey Shore for a week every summer and took us to Schroon Lake in New York.

My Mom grew up vacationing on the Gulf in a Mississippi shore-home shared, as a vacation home, by her Aunts and Uncles. I was also fortunate to stay at that home often and to both fish and crab from the private pier. Great memories and plenty of good eats.

Indeed, great vacationing can be 'caught' (or taught) from family and friends! Alas, even with a solid history of enjoying vacations together, my parents did not disclose to us their first timeshare purchase until after we told them we intended to buy into Worldmark. They later explained they were afraid they had made a mistake and didn't want us to know. So what had they secretly purchased ahead of us? Worldmark! Great -- we helped each other learn the system and use it well. When Dad and Mom passed, their Worldmark went to a sibling and we now enjoy the occasional travel with them, as we had with the folks. Phew!

 

[rhonda]

#5 DVC

DVC was our first tour ('98) but our 5th timeshare purchase. We never needed it for 'vacation' purposes -- this was about 'work' and an annual tech conference at WDW. In 2003 our employer stopped paying for our conference expenses and, spoiled as we already were by timeshare, we wanted the 1BR-experience at BWV. We tried buying resale but after multiple contracts fell through, we purchased from the developer in 2004.

After 19 years of covering the conference, 2015 was our final year. We've tried using DVC for 'vacation' purposes -- but it isn't a great fit for us. I've already suggested to my husband that we pare down our DVC contracts but he isn't ready yet. He hopes we'll use our DVC points, instead, at the Grand Cal and Aulani. (For those wondering, we are pretty lucky snagging weekends at the Grand Cal every so often.)

Worth it? Hmm, hard to say. Without DVC we would have felt a good deal of friction paying out of pocket for 'hotel' stays at the WDW Dolphin/Swan. We would have grumbled about the price, grumbled about the lack of kitchen, grumbled about the lack of space, grumbled about the lack of laundry ... just grumbled in general. Booking a 1BR at BWV was always a pleasure and we never gave the underlying costs (MF) a second thought. Loved the room, loved the experience -- which gave us the needed energy and strength to complete the conference year after year after year.

What do we (did we?) love about owning DVC? Mostly the obvious:

• No need for a car at WDW! Use Disney's ground transportation between airport/resort and between resort and all on-property experiences. I *love* not driving and not having a car.
• If visiting parks, staying at a Disney resort makes things "easy." Your group can come/go as they please between resort, parks, shopping, dining, etc. Remain as a group or join up for key events -- the built-in transportation makes it easy.
• "Owner's Locker" -- a 3rd party service for storing "stuff" between WDW visits. (Note: Owner's Locker has expanded their support to include most off-property timeshare in the WDW zone.)
• Grocery Delivery services integrated with DVC Resort Bell Services to avoid having to make a grocery run.
• Vero Beach, Grand Cal and Aulani as specific destinations.

However, without the conference, we are finding DVC to be the "least loved" of our timeshares. While it did secure my 'Holy Grail' of timesharing (The Manhattan Club over Thanksgiving for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!), it is too expensive to trade out in general. We love DVC's Animal Kingdom Villas but .... don't find ourselves traveling to Orlando for 'vacation' purposes except every few (several?) years. There simply are not enough destinations w/in the system to keep it 'sold' in my mind. Maybe things will change if better DVC-point options are introduced around the Pacific Rim?

Bah. I expect we'll sell all or part of this one sometime down the road.

 

[linpat]

Rhonda hit on one reason that I like timeshare - it allows family vacations like I never had. My dad had very limited vacation time, limited budget, and given his job it was hard to go in the summers when we kids were out of school. Also, my mother insisted that any vacations be spent visiting her family. Nice people, but a week on farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota do not make memorable family vacations. Whitewater rafting in Colorado, sailing excursions out of Virginia beach, and other fun things will let my daughter (and me) have the memories that I didn't. I only wish my Dad could have lived to go with us.

 

[WinniWoman]

Rhonda hit on one reason that I like timeshare - it allows family vacations like I never had. My dad had very limited vacation time, limited budget, and given his job it was hard to go in the summers when we kids were out of school. Also, my mother insisted that any vacations be spent visiting her family. Nice people, but a week on farms in Wisconsin and Minnesota do not make memorable family vacations. Whitewater rafting in Colorado, sailing excursions out of Virginia beach, and other fun things will let my daughter (and me) have the memories that I didn't. I only wish my Dad could have lived to go with us.

Yes, was similar when I was a kid. My dad always had to work. We never had vacations. I think we took a road trip once to upstate New York and once my mom and my aunts rented a bungalow on the Jersey shore for a few days and took the kids. All the husbands had to work.
That was about it.

When kids in my school went to Florida during spring break and so forth, for example- that was all foreign to me.

 

[mclyne]

We purchased our timeshares because it was the most reasonable way to travel with family. If we used hotel rooms, we would need 4 rooms. The cost for a weeks vacation in the Caribbean during holiday breaks or winter would be about $700 per night per room.
Our first timeshare was purchased thru the developer. That was about 10yrs. ago and looking at todays prices, we took a 50% loss. But, that money would have been lost on hotel rooms for one weeks vacation!!
We are aware that we will not make a profit from our units, if we should sell them. Our aim was to offer out family, which has grown to 14 in number, a beautiful vacation with lasting memories. And, that is exactly what has happened.
The grandchildren are getting older and sometimes it is a bit difficult juggling everyones schedules but we do it. We took advantage of the low prices and purchased a week 7. Now, juggling is not a problem, since the kids are off from school.
We live on the East Coast. Winters can be very hard. This year we plan on spending 3 weeks in the Caribbean. The kids will join us for week 7.There would be no way we could afford to spend that amount of time in the Caribbean during the winter,between of the cost per night in a hotel and eating out 3 meals a day.

 

[Tank]

Yes, was similar when I was a kid. My dad always had to work. We never had vacations.

My father in law was that way also. Change the "had" to "preferred" he was a workaholic.
He missed out on life, later tried to get it back with no luck , just regrets. He had a pile of money to give them but no memories. It was sad.

I have told my kids they won't have that pile of money when I go, but they will have a pile of memories and family togetherness. We have thrived on this concept.

 

[bnoble]

I have told my kids they won't have that pile of money when I go

A friend of mine puts it this way: "I plan to spend every last dollar before I die. I want the tears at my funeral to be real."

 

[rhonda]

In two more years, the second one will be gone and we'll be empty nesting. Some folks talk about selling at that point, but I don't plan to. Instead, I'm going to use our timeshare time to "date" my wife again---we've spent so much energy chasing after/raising the kids that we need to have some time to reconnect. Then, down the road, I imagine we will invite them to spend some time with us as they have new families of their own.

Sweet! Love the future plans both near term and beyond ...