• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Very New to TS. Interested. Lots of questions

Chackadaux

newbie
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
first let me start by saying I will join soon tugbbs
Hello everyone, I’m very interested because we take trips every year totaling more as much as maintenance fees would cost, I think!!
My wife has family in Galveston and drives there often. She loves that island so much she wants to move there, but we can’t because of my work. But I was interested to see how would a timeshare help us out with our family going to Galveston so much. Plus, my son lives in East Tennessee about 30mins from Gatlinburg. How could owning a share help us see him more.
Also my wife been wanting to take a big vacation to Yellowstone and to Grand Canyon. All these things we want to do.
As we speak we have a vacation booked in 3 weeks to Gatlinburg 6day that’s costing us over $1000 just for room/cabin. I’m wondering how much could I have saved renting a timeshare from here?
 
Last edited:

rboesl

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2016
Messages
884
Reaction score
789
Points
203
Location
West Seneca, NY
Resorts Owned
Divi Village Beach & Golf Resort
Vidanta Grand Mayan
Villa del Arco Cobo
Grandview Las Vegas
Vacation Village at Bonaventure
first let me start by saying I will join soon tubby
Hello everyone, I’m very interested because we take trips every year totaling more as much as maintenance fees would cost, I think!!
My wife has family in Galveston and drives there often. She loves that island so much she wants to move there, but we can’t because of my work. But I was interested to see how would a timeshare could help us out with our family going to Galveston so much. Plus, my son lives in East Tennessee about 30mins from Gatlinburg. How could owning a share help us see him more also.
Also my wife been wanting to take a big vacation to Yellowstone and to Grand Canyon. All these things we want to do.
As we speak we have a vacation booked in 3 weeks to Gatlinburg 6day that’s costing us over $1000 just for room/cabin. I’m wondering how much could I have saved renting a timeshare from here?

The best way to get help from this group is to fill out the questionnaire found in the sticky post titled "What to Buy" Questions for Newbies. Not only will it provide important information to the group. It will also make you think through certain aspects of what it means to own a timeshare.

Owning a timeshare can be a way to save some money on trips. But, it's not for everyone. To help find out if it's for you, besides researching here, it's suggested you rent from an existing owner before jumping in the deep end. Check out the MarketPlace on this forum for something that could fit for one of the trips you've mentioned. You can also look at RedWeek for a rental as well. That way you get to see what timeshare accommodations are like and see if they meet your expectations.
 

Tank

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
2,990
Reaction score
6,937
Points
449
Location
Northern Ohio
Resorts Owned
HICV South Beach Myrtle Beach
HICV Lake Geneva
HICV Gatlinburg
HICV Orange Lake Kissemee
HICV has resorts in both of those places. As a owner in the points system you have to be able to plan far in advance ( our 10 month window) to reserve high demand time.
So a possibility of ownership in the system could work if you are a planner

You can check them out here

https://members.holidayinnclub.com/explore-our-resorts
 
Last edited:

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,003
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
Just remember that resale is the best way to acquire a timeshare.
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
first let me start by saying I will join soon tugbbs
Hello everyone, I’m very interested because we take trips every year totaling more as much as maintenance fees would cost, I think!!
My wife has family in Galveston and drives there often. She loves that island so much she wants to move there, but we can’t because of my work. But I was interested to see how would a timeshare help us out with our family going to Galveston so much. Plus, my son lives in East Tennessee about 30mins from Gatlinburg. How could owning a share help us see him more.
Also my wife been wanting to take a big vacation to Yellowstone and to Grand Canyon. All these things we want to do.
As we speak we have a vacation booked in 3 weeks to Gatlinburg 6day that’s costing us over $1000 just for room/cabin. I’m wondering how much could I have saved renting a timeshare from here?
On the surface, from what you say, it looks like you might be a good fit with timesharing. Welcome to the club! I'll go out on a limb here and say that you probably won't save muh (if any) money over renting, but you'll like it a lot better. Bigger units. Kitchens. Most have washers/dryers. Bedrooms for you and the kids.

A note of caution. You'll hear lots of recommendations. Lots of offers. Don't jump right in. BUY NOTHING. Read, study the various systems. Be honest with what you 'need' vs. what you 'want'. We usually recommend that people rent a few times in different systems and sit in on a few sales presentations. And most important- when the time comes, BUY RESALE! Timeshares are super easy to buy. But some of them- even free ones- can be too restricted, or stripped of perks, or unusable seasons, or a fixed unit with a view of the dumpsters. In short, proceed with caution.

Welcome to TUG.

Jim
 

Chackadaux

newbie
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
So when you book a stay at your home place, you have to book in months in advance? A lot of times my wife decides to go to Galveston only weeks in advance. I’m trying to learn more.
And if we do buy, I promise it would be resale!
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
So when you book a stay at your home place, you have to book in months in advance? A lot of times my wife decides to go to Galveston only weeks in advance. I’m trying to learn more.
And if we do buy, I promise it would be resale!
For those PRIME weeks- School holidays, special event weeks Summer holiday, will fill up early, so the earlier you can book, the better chance of reserving your desired unit you'll have at the time you want it. For non-prime weeks, you can often call a resort you own at and rent 'bonus weeks' at a reduced price. This is an advantage of owning at a drive-to location.
 

Tank

TUG Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
2,990
Reaction score
6,937
Points
449
Location
Northern Ohio
Resorts Owned
HICV South Beach Myrtle Beach
HICV Lake Geneva
HICV Gatlinburg
HICV Orange Lake Kissemee
Most people unhappy with timeshares IMHO can't get what they want for lack of planning far enough ahead.

Costs go up every year but if you can't get what you want it's not much good.

At our popular resorts at high demand @ the 10 month window time you will only have a couple day window before they are booked solid with only a few sporadic days left.

Off season is another story, since you have family traveling at this time you could find availability, but at this time you can also rent directly off the Holiday Inn sight pretty cheep. (Resort not the holiday inn express)

Example would be Gatlinburg from Holiday inn vacation Club directly
7 nights Christmas to Jan 1
1 bedroom villa $2404.00
2 bedroom villa $3142.00

Jan 1 to Jan 8 (7 nights) same place
1 bedroom $1106.00
2 bedroom $1604

That's how they all work
Suply and demand.
Your window to book off season would be much wider, maybe up to the week you want to go
 

Chackadaux

newbie
Joined
Apr 4, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
Points
1
How do the maintenance fees work? Do you pay them monthly or is it once a year? And what’s the avg. cost of them?
 

TUGBrian

Administrator
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
22,093
Reaction score
7,677
Points
1,099
Location
Florida

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
How do the maintenance fees work? Do you pay them monthly or is it once a year? And what’s the avg. cost of them?
Most are paid annually. Some, Wyndham comes to mind, is monthly and includes RCI (an exchange company) membership. Many are due right after Christmas and as you can assume, that has issues for some people.
The average cost can be all over the map. It depends on a lot of variables. Obviously a new, luxury resort with on-site amenities like golf, water park, full time activities staff, luxury accommodations, granite counters, stainless appliances, concierge desk, valet parking, it going to be lot more expensive than an older, independent, remodeled apartment or motel complex that only has a desk to check in and the board of directors are owners at the resort.
But you wanted a number. I have an independent (small group)- HOA board that's about $800/yr. I also know of Hawaiian, beach front units in hotel branded resorts that are north of $3,000 for a week. So if you were considering a 1 bedroom in Gatlinburg or Galveston, I'd guess, $1100/yr, and expect MFs to increase about 5% a year. Then, of course there are EOY (Every Other Year) ownerships that are under $400/yr.
Once upon a time, timeshare MFs were pretty cheap, but those annual increases have put them out of reach for many bargain hunting vacationers and elderly owners. This has resulted in the glut of $1 timeshares. People are willing to sacrifice these that they paid $10's of thousands for nothing. Even paying to give away some of the lesser weeks at unpopular or run down resorts.

Jim
 
Top