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When is enough timeshare ownership really enough?

DaveNV

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Is there an easy way to know when you own enough timeshare? How do you truly decide when enough is enough?

I've been thinking about my timeshare ownership, (currently 12K credits in WorldMark), and trying to decide if I want to add more credits, or perhaps even buy something different. I've always been one to frequently review my t/s ownership portfolio, and make changes to pass along something I no longer needed or wanted, and to acquire something new. "Learning by owning" has been my method, which has worked well for me. WorldMark has been great for the last few years, and I'm satisfied, but today is one of the days I question if what I own is enough.

Today is my WorldMark anniversary date, and my account has refreshed with my new year's allowance of credits. I have plenty of credits available to book something, and that's the issue: I already have enough vacation booked for next year. So in a sense, I have a pocket full of coins, and nowhere to spend them. (First world problem, for sure.)

This past year I started working with WorldMark exchanges through II. The dates for two exchanges I've set up are for a year from now, and it will give us a nice extended vacation next Summer. But since Worldmark only allows direct booking 13 months out, I have nowhere to go. This new credit allotment will sit in my account for now, until the time is right to book something for the following year.

So my larger question is, "Do I own enough, or do I need to make a change?" It sure seems so. How do you decide?

Dave
 

Ralph Sir Edward

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The most important question is "What is the purpose of the ownership?" That is true for any "buy or rent" decision.

Are you already meeting the goal? If so, you own enough. Now you may decide to upgrade in quality, (not quantity) of your holding by selling one and then buying another. But if you do that, you have enough total, you're just upgrading the "mix".

Personal example. my goal was to spend winter in Hawaii. I HATE winter. (Always have, even when I was a little bitty kid.) But in pursuing that goal, I came to the conclusion that - 1. owning a condo or a house was just too expensive for me to do. 2. Keeping track of the "baggage train", i.e. the mail, was just too awkward to do for more than a month. (I tried it in for several months in 1999-2000, and came to that conclusion).

So I found that the answer (for me - YMMV) was to buy timeshares. 4 weeks was enough, because of the "baggage train"described above. So I own 4 weeks. . . (I don't need, or should, buy any more.)

So Dave, what are your goals?
 

SmithOp

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At the high point I owned 4 weeks, I’m down to just one but I’m keeping my Interval membership going even with the underlying week gone. I’m letting the RCI account expire in Feb.

The only one I kept has value so will not have a problem disposing when the time comes.

At this point in my timeshare life I prefer to pay cash for bargain off season getaways.

The one I own I can rent out points and still have enough left over for a short stay.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 

DaveNV

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So Dave, what are your goals?

The larger goal is to have just enough timeshare options to cover our vacation wishes. I sold off all my Weeks ownerships when I realized I didn’t want the commitment of staying seven nights in the same place. I bought WM because the program allowed for shorter stays, and I am surrounded by WM locations. My spouse only gets a limited amount of vacation days each year, and for now, I’ve committed to use those days through the end of 2020.

My common sense tells me buying more WM would just be added expense, since I’m not running into a credit shortage. I just want to be sure I’m not shortchanging myself on my options.

Dave
 

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Is there an easy way to know when you own enough timeshare? How do you truly decide when enough is enough?

I've been thinking about my timeshare ownership, (currently 12K credits in WorldMark), and trying to decide if I want to add more credits, or perhaps even buy something different. I've always been one to frequently review my t/s ownership portfolio, and make changes to pass along something I no longer needed or wanted, and to acquire something new. "Learning by owning" has been my method, which has worked well for me. WorldMark has been great for the last few years, and I'm satisfied, but today is one of the days I question if what I own is enough.

Today is my WorldMark anniversary date, and my account has refreshed with my new year's allowance of credits. I have plenty of credits available to book something, and that's the issue: I already have enough vacation booked for next year. So in a sense, I have a pocket full of coins, and nowhere to spend them. (First world problem, for sure.)

This past year I started working with WorldMark exchanges through II. The dates for two exchanges I've set up are for a year from now, and it will give us a nice extended vacation next Summer. But since Worldmark only allows direct booking 13 months out, I have nowhere to go. This new credit allotment will sit in my account for now, until the time is right to book something for the following year.

So my larger question is, "Do I own enough, or do I need to make a change?" It sure seems so. How do you decide?

Dave
Own where you want to go with enough points to get you there as often as you want.
 

bizaro86

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Worldmark has the great feature where you can rent 2x your annual credit allotment, at a cost very comparable to MF on an account.

So I'd say unless you are consistently renting in a significant number of points every year you probably don't need to buy more.

Historically, I have bought more TS when I've found a resort or resorts that I wanted to stay in but couldn't get with my existing ownership.
 

rickandcindy23

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I kept thinking I didn't own enough and kept buying more. I think I have about 3X what I need. Seriously.
 

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In my TimeSharing heyday 6 Fixed Weeks/Fixed Units at 6 places I wanted to visit every year worked for me. There were times I only used 5 or 6 of my 7 days usually to save money on airfares but that was OK with me as I bought them all cheap and they all had reasonable MFs...

George
 

Grammarhero

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I have five TS, all resale and purchased for $1. It comes out to six weeks depending if I bank.
 

WinniWoman

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I have 3 weeks "week" ownerships. More vacation means I rent something in addition to what i have. I don't want to grow old with too much only to find we can't afford them or use them anymore and need to get rid of them.
 

JohnPaul

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Sounds like you have an amount that is working for you now. A big question is what do you plan to do in retirement and how close is that? Will children, grandchildren or pets limit your travels. And, of course, realize that things will change over time. We spent a lot of time skiing in the winter but that has ended for us.

Travel is one of our most favorite things to do. We currently spend 6 to 8 months on the road with most of that time in timeshares. Obviously, you don't own nearly enough for that kind of a plan. (We own 25,000 WM among a ton of other timeshare systems and still use a lot of Monday Madness and FAX time.)

So, I'm going to go ahead and list what we own for two reasons.

1) I suppose to brag a bit.
2) To show you that you have a long ways to go before becoming timeshare crazy.

497 Vacation Internationale Points
25,000 Worldmark Credits
17,000 Shell Vacation Club Points
12,450 HGVC (New York) Points
88,000 Vistana StarOptions (EOY)
144,500 RCI Points from Independent Resorts

So....whatever you do, I'm sure you will enjoy your vacation time.
 

DaveNV

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Sounds like you have an amount that is working for you now. A big question is what do you plan to do in retirement and how close is that? Will children, grandchildren or pets limit your travels. And, of course, realize that things will change over time. We spent a lot of time skiing in the winter but that has ended for us.

Travel is one of our most favorite things to do. We currently spend 6 to 8 months on the road with most of that time in timeshares. Obviously, you don't own nearly enough for that kind of a plan. (We own 25,000 WM among a ton of other timeshare systems and still use a lot of Monday Madness and FAX time.)

So, I'm going to go ahead and list what we own for two reasons.

1) I suppose to brag a bit.
2) To show you that you have a long ways to go before becoming timeshare crazy.

497 Vacation Internationale Points
25,000 Worldmark Credits
17,000 Shell Vacation Club Points
12,450 HGVC (New York) Points
88,000 Vistana StarOptions (EOY)
144,500 RCI Points from Independent Resorts

So....whatever you do, I'm sure you will enjoy your vacation time.


JohnPaul, you certainly have my appreciation for being invested in your vacations! That's quite a portfolio.

Retirement for me looks like it'll be the end of this year. Spouse has to work at least another four or five years. I don't anticipate traveling much by myself, unless it's to visit family. But even that would be rare. No kids at home. Pets are conveniently house-sat (Is that a word?) by my sister, who likes staying here when we go out of town.

What I have is working for me now quite well, and I'm comfortable to not buy anything more. This anniversary day, I had borrowed 5500 credits from my own account so I could book time at WM Vancouver for Valentine's Day. (I live just south of the border in Washington State, so it's about an hour's drive to Vancouver for me.) So I only got 6500 credits added for this 2019 year, and of course, the full 12K I can now borrow from my 2020 allotment. I have no intended plans to book anything WM until I can book Spring 2021, at the earliest, so I'm good till next Spring.

The only caveat to that might be if I decide to exchange through II. I've found them to be very easy to work with, and they've come back with two very nice exchanges I asked for in Hawaii for next Summer. I may do that again, if I can figure out where I want to go. That leads me back to my dilemma of wondering if I want to own something else/different. For as good as WorldMark is, they aren't everywhere. I'm thinking I'd like to have something where I can get to the East Coast more easily. For all the traveling I'v done, I've only been to NYC one time, and I've never been to the Florida Keys. That's kind of what started my thoughts of buying something else.

As I said earlier, "First World problems." LOL! :D

Dave
 
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rhonda

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@Ralph Sir Edward , lol, your reply is so logical! Nice approach.

For me, the question is, “Where do I want to go (or “what do I want to do?”) that I can’t reach with existing ownerships? How can I reach that goal most effectively?”

Sometime back, that usually meant buying a small slice of a different timeshare. Generally, today, I can reach places using existing timeshare and tools or use cash.

But, yes, I now find myself toying with a Welk resale as a friend mentioned they were hoping to offload theirs. What does it get me that I don’t already have: day use of the pools but more than an hours drive. Is that practical? Not likely ... I might just continue playing in the sprinklers. (Waiting for Warner Springs Ranch to reopen their pools is a crazy long wait. How long have they been closed ... 7+ years??)
 

Passepartout

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Dave, you might use a few of the credits for yourself and/or family before your spouse retires. Then you can use them full tilt. We have found that there are other ways to vacation than timeshares, (I know- Blasphemy!) We cruise, we VRBO, and we have a second home, used to have a big RV, but thankfully it found a new owner. You live in a perfect place to utilize WM credits. So stop trying to second guess yourself.

I find myself waving my arms in the air when people come to TUG whining that they 'have to use their points for a cruise' because they are just going to expire. Well, that just means they OWN TOO MANY!

Life is just a continual series of changes. What was our top hopes and dreams at 19 is entirely different at 40 when the kids leave and at 65 when we retire and think about slowing down.

We still need to discuss the meaning(s) of life over a beer or two.

Jim
 

DaveNV

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Dave, you might use a few of the credits for yourself and/or family before your spouse retires. Then you can use them full tilt. We have found that there are other ways to vacation than timeshares, (I know- Blasphemy!) We cruise, we VRBO, and we have a second home, used to have a big RV, but thankfully it found a new owner. You live in a perfect place to utilize WM credits. So stop trying to second guess yourself.

I find myself waving my arms in the air when people come to TUG whining that they 'have to use their points for a cruise' because they are just going to expire. Well, that just means they OWN TOO MANY!

Life is just a continual series of changes. What was our top hopes and dreams at 19 is entirely different at 40 when the kids leave and at 65 when we retire and think about slowing down.

We still need to discuss the meaning(s) of life over a beer or two.

Jim


Thanks, Jim. You're right (as you most often are) on multiple counts. As I mentioned in a previous post, I'd like to visit the East Coast. Yes, I can exchange for that, but the idea of owning WM was to be able to book it directly. If I owned something else, I might be able to do that.

I doubt I'd ever use my credits for a cruise, but it might be worthwhile to have a timeshare stay backed up with a cruise. My current plan (and that I have an ongoing search request on file with II) is to exchange into a resort in Key West for a week in Spring of 2021, followed by a small boat Caribbean cruise I have yet to book. That's the closest I can get without buying something. And if it looks like I can't get the timeshare exchange, I'll probably just rent a hotel room. I do like WorldMark, and after I'm retired I may use it for a few days here and there locally. I'll just have to coordinate that time away.

And yes, discussing the finer aspects of life in the Fast Lane is a thing we need to do. I'll buy the first round. :)

Dave
 

CPNY

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Sounds like you have an amount that is working for you now. A big question is what do you plan to do in retirement and how close is that? Will children, grandchildren or pets limit your travels. And, of course, realize that things will change over time. We spent a lot of time skiing in the winter but that has ended for us.

Travel is one of our most favorite things to do. We currently spend 6 to 8 months on the road with most of that time in timeshares. Obviously, you don't own nearly enough for that kind of a plan. (We own 25,000 WM among a ton of other timeshare systems and still use a lot of Monday Madness and FAX time.)

So, I'm going to go ahead and list what we own for two reasons.

1) I suppose to brag a bit.
2) To show you that you have a long ways to go before becoming timeshare crazy.

497 Vacation Internationale Points
25,000 Worldmark Credits
17,000 Shell Vacation Club Points
12,450 HGVC (New York) Points
88,000 Vistana StarOptions (EOY)
144,500 RCI Points from Independent Resorts

So....whatever you do, I'm sure you will enjoy your vacation time.
Looking to sell your 88k star options? Lol
 

CPNY

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Is there an easy way to know when you own enough timeshare? How do you truly decide when enough is enough?

I've been thinking about my timeshare ownership, (currently 12K credits in WorldMark), and trying to decide if I want to add more credits, or perhaps even buy something different. I've always been one to frequently review my t/s ownership portfolio, and make changes to pass along something I no longer needed or wanted, and to acquire something new. "Learning by owning" has been my method, which has worked well for me. WorldMark has been great for the last few years, and I'm satisfied, but today is one of the days I question if what I own is enough.

Today is my WorldMark anniversary date, and my account has refreshed with my new year's allowance of credits. I have plenty of credits available to book something, and that's the issue: I already have enough vacation booked for next year. So in a sense, I have a pocket full of coins, and nowhere to spend them. (First world problem, for sure.)

This past year I started working with WorldMark exchanges through II. The dates for two exchanges I've set up are for a year from now, and it will give us a nice extended vacation next Summer. But since Worldmark only allows direct booking 13 months out, I have nowhere to go. This new credit allotment will sit in my account for now, until the time is right to book something for the following year.

So my larger question is, "Do I own enough, or do I need to make a change?" It sure seems so. How do you decide?

Dave
Don’t go by one year. Next year I have 3 weeks planned and non are with my ownerships. So I’ll hopefully rent them then resume usage the following. Sometimes having too much in a particular year. Then there will be plenty where you feel like you don’t have enough. I’d say have a happy medium. In the years you don’t have enough, don’t be afraid to rent. It’s easier than burdening yourself with more ownerships you may not need. If you’re retired that’s a different story. I had a client who retired and was actively working on collecting deeded weeks. They retired and owned ownership weeks and was in the Caribbean from Jan-June then back in the states. Nice life. I’d love for that to be my retirement plan
 

controller1

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Well, I believe we have enough. I thought we had way too much but will end this year with just a few thousand stray Vistana StarOptions to bank.

We have the equivalent of 964,500 Vistana StarOptions with 706,800 of them Maui OF. We love Maui and go twice a year. Glad we retired six years ago!
 

Big Matt

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I think the answer depends on how much money you want to spend on travel and how many units you need. Think about it in current terms and what you need in the future. I am currently exiting my years with kids in the house and am a few years from retirement or semi-retirement when I have much more flexibility. I had just what I needed when the kids were around, and now have a little bit too many, but will soon use them all again.
 

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I currently own 5 but 2 of them are EOY. 2 of them get rented every year so it's like I only own two. This was my first year with II membership and I dented the wallet with Getaways a few times. I picked all of mine up for very little so it should be easy to eject them once I'm tired of the whole thing.
 

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I think I own 2 many at this point and will most likely give away 2-3 in the next 2yrs. The 2 I giveaway will be due to buyers remorse since I found our Holy Grails unexpectedly. The remaining will be kept at least for the next 5-7yrs because we are tied to school schedule and have a large family so flying is only an option(Too cheap to fly somewhere annually) We only have 2 annuals. All are traders and/or renters. As long as a certain % of MF is covered by renting, we are fine. So all this to say we have at least 4-6 trips planned annually that include weekend getaways.
 
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Sugarcubesea

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I have 6 weeks with 4 weeks of vacation, so I’m at the enough stage. I need to get rid of 2 weeks and since I love all my TS’s I’m dragging my feet.
 

easyrider

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So my larger question is, "Do I own enough, or do I need to make a change?" It sure seems so. How do you decide?


No, you don't own enough. I only say this because you are asking if you do. Worldmark works better with at least two memberships , imo. Because you live in the PNW currently a Vacation Internationale with a short RTU duration might be a good membership to consider. VI has a pretty good footprint in Hawaii and a good owner exchange program where you can use the points to reserve many other properties. You can deposit WM reservations in VI to get points.

I will not ever buy another single location deeded timeshare.

Bill
 
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