# Please Help Info on buying first timeshare



## GaGirl76 (Jan 25, 2012)

Back in 1985 I was a little girl who wanted a free mickey mouse phone. So what did my Dad do do on a timeshare presentation to get it. At the time it was this little resort with one golf course and some tennis courts. What would you know he bought a unit. Now years later that resort is not so little Orange Lake Country Club is a mega resort lol. I grew up there as has my children up til now. My daddy died just 5 years after buying. Up until this year my mom has been fair with making sure the time share was used as my dad would want it. I always thought we would have Orange Lake but my mom and her husband must need it more. So my husband and I have decided to do it alone. Find a way to own our own. But I need help, advice on everything. We arent rich we are just a normal family in out 30's with 4 kids. I believe in timeshares I know they are a great way to ensure yearly vacations. And it  can be done affordable if you know what you are doing. Thats why I am here. I have read hours of forums on here and you guys and gals know your stuff....So there you go...If any of you can find the time to mentor me lol I would be forever grateful and 20 years from now so will my kids. My Dad told everyone he bought the timeshare to ensure no matter what the furture holds he knew his children and grandchildren would always have a vacation.


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## aliikai2 (Jan 25, 2012)

*Is Orange Lake where you want to use your time?*

Are you looking for a fixed week like your Dad had or something with more flexibility? 

Greg


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 25, 2012)

DeniseM has a great list of questions for helping people decide whether a timeshare is right for them or not. Your case is different because you have experienced timeshare vacationing - so you are not new to timeshare. Just new to purchasing one.

Where do you want to go? (Same place, same time every year? something more flexible?)

I have a few timeshares that I would personally look into if I were doing this from scratch and knew then what I know now. 

I would seriously consider Hilton. There are not a lot of locations, but the resorts are really nice and there is some variety - Orlando, Las Vegas, New Yord and Hawaii. 

I would also consider Hyatt. Key West, San Antonio, Carmel, Colorado. 

I am sure that I am partial to them because my own favorite timeshare that I own is my Disney Vacation Club point --- so the point based systems are appealing.

elaine


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## chalee94 (Jan 26, 2012)

timeshares are easy to buy (or even get for free) but very difficult to get rid of sometimes.

the first thing to know is take your time and start slow.  do a few months of research and look around...


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## presley (Jan 26, 2012)

Figure out exactly what you want from it.  Do you want to buy at the same resort?  Once you know what you want to buy, start comparison shopping resales.  There are very inexpensive TS on Ebay.

For $15., you can join TUG (on this site) and have access to the marketplace.  There are many TS for sale in the marketplace right here.  Some are even free.  Just make sure that you know exactly what you want before you buy.


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 26, 2012)

aliikai2 said:


> Are you looking for a fixed week like your Dad had or something with more flexibility?
> 
> Greg



 Greg, Its hard for me to answer that question. My parents have always been members of RCI so even though we have vacationed at Orange Lake many years we have never been during our week. We have always traded. Last year my mom had wanted to deed the timeshare to me so I started researching all about RCI. This was at the time when they changed the way they were doing weeks owners. (by showing what your TPU's are) anywho the changes were good for us cause we were able to turn one week into 2 or 3 weeks if planned correctly. My husband and I were so excited. Then out of no where my mom decided to keep it. Im sure it had something to do with the change at RCI. Thats how I ended up here. I am very serious about wanting to learn as much as I can so the system can work in our favor. I am so impressed with the information that is in these forums. i know that is a long answer lol but I want you to know Its not that I dont care which one I choose to buy. Its just I have only experienced it in one way. What do you feel is the best way. Is RCI worth the benifits? The points system(not the tpu but poits) makes NO sence to me at all so any information on that is very much needed. I feel like I AM ASKING SO MUCH. Its just this subject is so close to my heart. When I go on these trips for some reason I always feel like I have my Dad's spirit with me. I know he would want me to do it this way if he knew how my mom was handling this right now. Its really sad esp for my kids.....So Thanks so much for everyones response. I cant wait...


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 26, 2012)

*offer*

I got a call for a nice lady I had emailed on Tug about the time share she has for sale or for free.... I have a few questions....Is there any way I can find out what the Trading power Units it is worth through RCI? It is a fixed week I think it was week 48. Can ya'll think of quetions that I need to ask. I know the location, I know they are willing to pay all closing cost. Thats about it...Looking forward to hearing from ya'll Thanks so much...


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## durrod (Jan 26, 2012)

One of the advantages of a floating week is that you choose the week you need to use each year and you are not tied to a specific week. That way you can eliminate extra membership/exchange fees and use it when you want at your home resort. You always can join the exchange company (RCI,II,etc) later if you want to trade for a different place.


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## SOS8260456 (Jan 26, 2012)

One thing to keep in mind is that some resorts have 1 in 3 rules or 1 in 4 rules.  This means that you can only trade into them using RCI once every 3 years or once every 4 years UNLESS you are an owner there.  I think Orange Lake Country Club is a 1 in 3 rule resort.  So if that is where you want to stay every year, you might want to consider owning there.  Some people will buy a cheap every other year studio just to be considered an owner there and then purchase cheaper timeshares to trade back into there.

Welcome to TUG!  It sounds like your Dad did accomplish what he wanted to - making wonderful memories for his family - and you want to carry on that tradition.  I hope my children will feel the same when they are adults.

Lisa from PA


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## aliikai2 (Jan 26, 2012)

*If going to Orange lake is your goal*

Then paying a trade company like RCI $189 for each trade, starts to get pretty costly unless like you stated you could get multiple weeks for your one week.  There are several for sale on Ebay right now, some come with this years use included in the price. Here is a link,
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...kw=&_osacat=15897&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1311

Take a peek at those and if you have questions, ask me. That week 48 which Village and what size unit? Greg



GaGirl76 said:


> Greg, Its hard for me to answer that question. My parents have always been members of RCI so even though we have vacationed at Orange Lake many years we have never been during our week. We have always traded. Last year my mom had wanted to deed the timeshare to me so I started researching all about RCI. This was at the time when they changed the way they were doing weeks owners. (by showing what your TPU's are) anywho the changes were good for us cause we were able to turn one week into 2 or 3 weeks if planned correctly. My husband and I were so excited. Then out of no where my mom decided to keep it. Im sure it had something to do with the change at RCI. Thats how I ended up here. I am very serious about wanting to learn as much as I can so the system can work in our favor. I am so impressed with the information that is in these forums. i know that is a long answer lol but I want you to know Its not that I dont care which one I choose to buy. Its just I have only experienced it in one way. What do you feel is the best way. Is RCI worth the benifits? The points system(not the tpu but poits) makes NO sence to me at all so any information on that is very much needed. I feel like I AM ASKING SO MUCH. Its just this subject is so close to my heart. When I go on these trips for some reason I always feel like I have my Dad's spirit with me. I know he would want me to do it this way if he knew how my mom was handling this right now. Its really sad esp for my kids.....So Thanks so much for everyones response. I cant wait...


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## ampaholic (Jan 26, 2012)

There are about 15 Orange Lake units available on eBay right now - many with free closing and under a dollar bid price.

Go nuts


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## Egret1986 (Jan 26, 2012)

*You have kids.  I would suggest that you take that into consideration.*



GaGirl76 said:


> When I go on these trips for some reason I always feel like I have my Dad's spirit with me. I know he would want me to do it this way if he knew how my mom was handling this right now. Its really sad esp for my kids.....So Thanks so much for everyones response. I cant wait...



The week 48, most likely would have to be deposited every year to be able to use it.  If you do go with a fixed week, even if you don't plan to use it at that resort or that week every year, you may want to look for a week that you can use when the kids are off from school.  That way if you want to use your actual ownership week, you can.  I see lots of Orange Lake timeshares on eBay all the time including summer weeks.

Happy Tugging and welcome!


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 26, 2012)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORANGE-LAKE...60942727390?pt=Timeshares&hash=item3cc16608de

Not this seller - but this is a great week. I believe that you can wait and get exactly what you need. 

elaine


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 27, 2012)

SOS8260456 said:


> One thing to keep in mind is that some resorts have 1 in 3 rules or 1 in 4 rules.  This means that you can only trade into them using RCI once every 3 years or once every 4 years UNLESS you are an owner there.  I think Orange Lake Country Club is a 1 in 3 rule resort.  So if that is where you want to stay every year, you might want to consider owning there.  Some people will buy a cheap every other year studio just to be considered an owner there and then purchase cheaper timeshares to trade back into there.
> 
> Welcome to TUG!  It sounds like your Dad did accomplish what he wanted to - making wonderful memories for his family - and you want to carry on that tradition.  I hope my children will feel the same when they are adults.
> 
> Lisa from PA



I just found out about the 1 in 4 rule last year. I have had some luck with hearing bback from sellers. I'm trying to do as much research as I can before I decide. Thank you for the welcome. Lisa, my Dad died of a massive heart attack only 4 years after buying at Orange Lake only 42 yrs old. The awesome thing is my mom and my dad were able to go to the Bahamas in June of 88. That was their last vacation together. If it wasnt for the fact he bought a timeshare they wouldnt of went there. My parents are golfers so through my teenage years after daddy passed we traded to Ft. Myers every year. We started going to Orange Lake after I had my first child. Its odd how I feel  him there. Your children will feel the same way. I know from experience, memories from vacations are the ones that never go away. I am so grateful my parents went to any extreme to make sure we atleast went on a family trip yearly. And I will do the same. Timeshares are very much worth the money exp if you know how to work the system. Thats why I need education from you guys so badly lol....I am so glad I found this forum. Its a blast reading....Where do you own? Do u trade through RCI?


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 27, 2012)

aliikai2 said:


> Then paying a trade company like RCI $189 for each trade, starts to get pretty costly unless like you stated you could get multiple weeks for your one week.  There are several for sale on Ebay right now, some come with this years use included in the price. Here is a link,
> http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...kw=&_osacat=15897&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1311
> 
> Take a peek at those and if you have questions, ask me. That week 48 which Village and what size unit? Greg



 WOW my eyes are crossing!!!! There are so many on ebay, just for Orange Lake!!!! Im sure Ill have way more questions. But first of all is it safe to buy from these resale companies. That seems to be all it is on ebay. Do  you recommend any one over the other? I cant beieve only this week I started this and pretty soon we may own one for ourselves. Is there any tricks of the trade you can think of that could help me making a purchase? Thanks for all of your help


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 27, 2012)

Egret1986 said:


> The week 48, most likely would have to be deposited every year to be able to use it.  If you do go with a fixed week, even if you don't plan to use it at that resort or that week every year, you may want to look for a week that you can use when the kids are off from school.  That way if you want to use your actual ownership week, you can.  I see lots of Orange Lake timeshares on eBay all the time including summer weeks.
> 
> Happy Tugging and welcome!



The school system where we live is year around school. Its really a balanced calender school year. The kids only have 7 weeks of summer. They have breaks throughout the year. In every season! I am not a big fan of it but it does give us different options when it comes to vactions. Thanks for the welcome. I really am enjoying myself


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## aliikai2 (Jan 27, 2012)

*The big question*

Hi, so what you are really looking for is something that will get you several vacations per year for the best possible price, right?

 There are affordable weeks at resorts that will get you 44 TPU, that is enough to do 1 prime summer week and 2 or 3 off season short notice trips.

With 6 of you , a 2 bedroom is really necessary. 

Do you have a budget for travel set yet? 

Is paying annual fees in November-January an issue? 

The key to finding the best trade TPU value is location and season which creates demand. 

A Myrtle Beach summer week will have great value, while a winter week won't. 

 A prime Ski week is great, but the off season "mud" weeks are worthless. 

Some people enjoy the search, others just want to know which week they should buy, which type are you? 



GaGirl76 said:


> WOW my eyes are crossing!!!! There are so many on ebay, just for Orange Lake!!!! Im sure Ill have way more questions. But first of all is it safe to buy from these resale companies.


 Many, we have them rated here on TUG


> That seems to be all it is on ebay. Do  you recommend any one over the other?


 The best thing is to find your idea week and then come ask


> I cant beieve only this week I started this and pretty soon we may own one for ourselves. Is there any tricks of the trade you can think of that could help me making a purchase?


 If you want the security of knowing that week 27 at OL is there waiting for you, then buy that week. If trading into another week or another resort is your goal, buy the highest value TPU week you can within your budget, and utilize the RCI System.


> Thanks for all of your help



Greg


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## SOS8260456 (Jan 27, 2012)

aliikai2 said:


> The key to finding the best trade TPU value is location and season which creates demand.
> 
> A Myrtle Beach summer week will have great value, while a winter week won't.
> 
> ...



And, keep in mind, that the prime weeks yearly fees are the same as the low demand week's fees.   A resort with fixed weeks can have different maintenance fees for different size units, but not for different seasons.

When we first started I thought I would like a fixed week in a fixed unit, but after trial and error (thankfully, everything was purchased on the resale market and easy to get out of), we decided a points systems worked best for us because we liked the idea of long weekends and being able to change the unit size as our children grow.  The availability near NE PA is not as much as in other areas, but we also can use it for short stays between here and Orlando when we drive there. and went with Wyndham points.  It has its ups and downs as systems go, but for the most part has worked for us.

Lisa from PA


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 27, 2012)

*TPU's*



aliikai2 said:


> Hi, so what you are really looking for is something that will get you several vacations per year for the best possible price, right?
> 
> There are affordable weeks at resorts that will get you 44 TPU, that is enough to do 1 prime summer week and 2 or 3 off season short notice trips.
> 
> ...



How can you find out what a unit's trading power would be? Oh and by the way I do enjoy the search but I would enjoy it alot more if I had the knowledge as most of you guys lol....I just cant afford making a big mistake. So I can enjoy the search maybe after I buy my first timeshare while searching for my second later in life lol


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## aliikai2 (Jan 27, 2012)

*You log into RCI*

and use their deposit calculator. Do you still have access to your mom's RCUI account? Greg



GaGirl76 said:


> How can you find out what a unit's trading power would be? Oh and by the way I do enjoy the search but I would enjoy it alot more if I had the knowledge as most of you guys lol....I just cant afford making a big mistake. So I can enjoy the search maybe after I buy my first timeshare while searching for my second later in life lol


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## GaGirl76 (Jan 27, 2012)

aliikai2 said:


> and use their deposit calculator. Do you still have access to your mom's RCUI account? Greg



I sure do....I have never used it before. Thats my next step. Is there any other website you would recommend other than ebay that have resales? that is trustworthy........Thanks so much for your time


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## aliikai2 (Jan 27, 2012)

*Have you narrowed down your search yet?*

Have you decided what your plan is? Once you have done that, then you can find gems on Tug, Ebay,etc.
That is the second time you have used the word trustworthy. All websites that list resale timeshares are basically the same, they carry postings, listings, auctions run by the seller. So any of them may or may not be Trustworthy, regardless of the site.

Greg 



GaGirl76 said:


> I sure do....I have never used it before. Thats my next step. Is there any other website you would recommend other than ebay that have resales? that is trustworthy........Thanks so much for your time


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## Passepartout (Jan 27, 2012)

What Greg said. On eBay, look at the feedback for the seller. Personally, I'd feel more comfortable buying from someone with 97% positives and 1000 sales than from an owner selling his own unit with no feedback at all.

Then there are the TUGBBB- or recommended TS resellers and closing companies. I think there is a sticky- maybe above Buying/selling/renting subforum by the Bargain Deals. TUG has no skin n the game, but these are companies that individual TUGgers have had good results with. Or some that TUGgers have had problems with.

Once you find the resort/unit/season you want, it's just a waiting game until it shows up for sale in the places where you look. 

And it wouldn't be the first time someone posted a 'WANTED' ad in the area where you want to buy. Something like posting in Florida- "WANTED- Orange Lake 3BR between weeks 5-15 (or whenever you specify). Will pay X and closing- click my blue username and send PM." I have seen it work. Lots of people lurk on TUG, have TSs and are shy or don't know how to sell what they have. 

Good Luck!

Jim


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## funtime (Jan 27, 2012)

You can afford to be picky - buy at Orange Lake since you like it there but buy only for the summer weeks - like 26 - 30 or 32 - that way if you trade you will have an awesome trader, if you rent it is much more easily rentable and of course you and your kids can enjoy it other years.  While you may have flexibility to do a work around and  buy a week 48 that is a fairly low week and not as good a value as you can find.  Remember, even if you can make do with a week 48 others can't and you won't  be able to rent it out when you are not using it.  The advice you have been given here is good - just one more thing - with timeshares so cheap - I would not suggest months and months of research - that is for when you are paying 10,000 - just do an ebay search for Orange Lake summer and if it is really cheap buy it.  I have owned several summer Orlando timeshares (week 26 and 28 and now transferring a week 32) of lesser quality than Orange Lake and I never had a problem selling them (did not make a killing but did upgrade after the sale) .  Funtime
PS join Tug - it is well worth it to contribute 15 to the organization and it provides a lot of services including great reviews of resorts.


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## applegirl (Jan 29, 2012)

GaGirl, you are so smart to do your homework here!  You will end up making the best decision for you and your family and years of wonderful memories ahead of you.  We have two kids 8 and 5 and have been timesharing since they were born. We have countless wonderful memories and your dad was so thoughtful to do what he did, I just wish he would have had more years to enjoy it with your family.

I am not familiar with RCI since we own Marriott and exchange through Interval International, but sounds as though you are getting lots of great advice here from Alikai and others.  My fellow TUGgers are who taught me everything I know about timesharing and now we usually get two weeks in a two bedroom for our one unit we own, but only because of all the great advice I learned from TUG!

Best of luck to you and take your time,
Janna


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## BOZO (Jan 31, 2012)

*Monthly Maintenance Fee*

I think what is often overlooked is the amount of money your family can afford monthly for maintenance Fees. I own Wyndham points which my wife and I really enjoy. But we knew, before we bought, how we were going to cover those fees. That helps a lot.


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## SMRgirl (Feb 4, 2012)

*Fixed week?*

When my kids were in school, I found fixed weeks best. I had to work around their vacations and not worry about not getting time I needed. Now that they are older and I am retired anytime would be good for me. Find the resort you want even if you have to rent a couple times before you invest. It took me over a year to find what I wanted but it was worth it. Two bedrooms are a must for your use, for rental, or for resale. If there are outdoor activities in the area you are looking, make sure they operate during your week. Pay attention to whether there are stairs or elevators. Know how far you have to get to the grocery store. Check out the TUG reviews. Good luck.


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