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Do you regret buying your FIRST timeshare?

Do you regret buying you FIRST timeshare?


  • Total voters
    282

pedro47

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What year did the resell market kick in? In 1986 everything in Williamsburg, VA was brand new in the timeshare market.
 
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dabtpa

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Absolutely Not

My Mom and I bought pre-construction from Mariner Properties (Now HGVC) on Sanibel,Marco and Hutchinson Islands from the developer. Resold 5 of them and made thousands of dollars. All of us owners owe a debt to the good developers. They do the research on where to build, develop beautiful properties and market them. The good ones are not the devil. Look at it this way. How could any of us get great deals on resales at beautiful properties if the were no good developers. It's the bad ones that give the industry its' continuing black eye.
 

LannyPC

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My Mom and I bought pre-construction from Mariner Properties (Now HGVC) on Sanibel,Marco and Hutchinson Islands from the developer....They do the research on where to build, develop beautiful properties and market them. The good ones are not the devil.

That one is probably the exception to the rule. The developers of most resorts build in places that have little demand. Or they build too many in places with some demand.

Unfortunately, because of this, the developers have to stoop to their ever-hated sales tactics. Now, as can be seen from the many posts and polls on sites like this, many owners are dissatisfied and want out.
 

Passepartout

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It seems to me that a good case can be made that the internet changed the timeshare business model fundamentally. Before our TSs could be marketed as resales by you, me, and everybody else, bona fide realtors had that market. It only existed in resort areas, and got inventory from the relatively few that's owners had disposed of. Remember that timeshares really are a relatively new occurrence. Say in the last 25-30 years max. At that early time, they were market as 'second home' low-cost condos in resort areas, and MF's were really reasonable, and it made sense to buyers to be able to will them to their kids. A trinket to attend a presentation was a toaster or blender.

Now, in the free-market 21st century, owners have grown up (and older), MF's are no longer much of a bargain, having quadrupled with no end of the increases in sight. Kids aren't kids any more, and vacations have changed. AND all it takes to unload the TS is to list it in the TUG Bargain Deals for nothing.

We are all blessed with 20/20 hindsight. It would be interesting (and impossible on TUG) to be able to ask this same question of non-TUGgers.

Jim
 

dsmrp

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It seems to me that a good case can be made that the internet changed the timeshare business model fundamentally. Before our TSs could be marketed as resales by you, me, and everybody else, bona fide realtors had that market. It only existed in resort areas, and got inventory from the relatively few that's owners had disposed of. Remember that timeshares really are a relatively new occurrence. Say in the last 25-30 years max. At that early time, they were market as 'second home' low-cost condos in resort areas, and MF's were really reasonable, and it made sense to buyers to be able to will them to their kids. A trinket to attend a presentation was a toaster or blender.

Now, in the free-market 21st century, owners have grown up (and older), MF's are no longer much of a bargain, having quadrupled with no end of the increases in sight. Kids aren't kids any more, and vacations have changed. AND all it takes to unload the TS is to list it in the TUG Bargain Deals for nothing.

We are all blessed with 20/20 hindsight. It would be interesting (and impossible on TUG) to be able to ask this same question of non-TUGgers.

Jim

Yes internet has really changed the travel industry including timeshares. Look at how we buy airline tickets on our own thru the web. No more going to a travel agent for best 'deals'. We are pretty much all our own do-it-yourself travel agents :whoopie:

Here's an admittedly limited interpretation of my in-law's TS perspective:
My FIL is 90+ and my MIL passed away a couple of years ago. I think they were fairly typical of timeshare owners back in the early days. They lived in a colder climate (near Boston) and bought direct from developers for warmer vacation spots: Bermuda and Grand Bahama island. Went to Freeport each February with friends and really enjoyed themselves. I remember MIL saying in late 80's that MFs started out at a very reasonable $100/yr, and had gone up to nearly $500. MIL wasn't too pleased but accepted it. They traded in RCI....II wasn't even in existence then.

Later as they & friends were retiring and the grandkids started to come ,they were exchanging into Florida, late 80's-early 90's. They stayed at Ft Lauderdale and Orlando area timeshares, occasionally looking at what was available, until one trip someone introduced them into Sheraton Vistana. My FIL thought Vistana was great!! This was before DVC and other large hotel TS resort build up. He wanted a Vistana TS, and bought resale thru a broker in early 90's for nearly $6000. I'm not sure how many resale weeks were available back then ... I think he looked around for awhile. Even tho' he had a Vistana shoulder week in May which DH and I now own, my FIL managed to get units in Feb Prez week each year for nearly 8-10 years for the grandkids.

So all in all, I don't think my in-laws ever regretted getting into timeshares or the cost. They had lots of wonderful memories with family and friends. I think the only thing my FIL might have regretted was an exit strategy out of the 5 TS MFs. Fortunately he was able to give one away (Bahamas) to family friend, and his 5 children took over the remaining 4.
 
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WinniWoman

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"Think what would happen if let’s say Jan 1, 2015 every TS owner just simply didn't pay his dues."

I always say this about our school and property taxes at home- something else that's unsustainable..
 

jehb2

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My regret is not buying a 2 bedroom platinum at Hilton Hawaiian Village at pre-construction prices. We purchased a 1bdrm because that was all we needed and could afford at the time. Now 14 years later and 2 kids we still go to HHV every year. And getting an club season reservation has become an incredible pain. I would buy a 2 bedroom platinum resale but they cost more than the pre-construction prices. Yes, before HHV opened they were selling weeks for way less then what Hilton charges now. And the 3 bdrm penthouses were way less.

On a positive note, buying timeshares continue to be one of the best decisions we ever made.
 

silentg

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I don't regret buying my first timeshare, I regret that I keep buying timeshares, most can be had for cost of Maintenence but have to realize that the more you own the more you pay! I have had many great exchanges only a handful of not so great ones. been time sharing since 1981 and still enjoy timeshare vacations! Thanks to TUG for lots of helpful advice over the years!
TerryC:)
 
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