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Why did you buy, and is it worth it?

Kenchele

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Now that we've rescinded the timeshare that we bought directly from the developer, we're looking here at gaining information and possibly purchasing on the resale market.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

DeniseM

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Oh. Sorry! More than wanting to know "what we should buy," I was wondering what people love about theirs or about vacation ownership in general.
 
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Gophesjo

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I hate hotel rooms now that I have spent years staying in timeshare units, because the timeshare units generally have all of the comforts of home. I have had points memberships, but now have deeded fixed or floating weeks. I have one deeded ownership that I visit every year, and three other deeded unit ownerships that I trade, using the independent exchange companies. I have a Platinum RCI membership, and have been a member of II, but dislike both companies because of excessive costs. If I had Marriott or Hilton tastes I might feel differently, but what I have to trade and what I can generally get for it through the exchange companies I trade with suit me just fine. That said, I have offered one of my ownerships back to the developer through their take back program, and will replace that ownership with a points product if the deed back actually goes through.

I bought my first timeshare through a developer about thirty years ago, and when I realized that it wasn't worth 10% of what I paid for it, I let it go back to the developer, and then took a hiatus from timesharing for about twenty years. What I have had, and now have, ever since getting back into the market has been acquired on the resale markets. Would I do it again? Absolutely, except for that first purchase back in the day.

One last thing, my favorite gift to give family and friends is exchange company deposit credits.
 
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rhonda

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Fun question! I look forward to reading the stories that are to come in response!

Our first timeshare purchase was in 2000, four years following our first-ever "timeshare tour." We chose Worldmark the Club with the following dewey-eyed reasons:
  • Forced vacation time. ("Gotta use it -- we've already paid for it!" ... every year.)
  • We live in prime Worldmark territory (Western States). We liked having plenty of drive-to locations.
  • We liked the tagline of the flexible points system: "any size unit, any season, any length-of-stay"
  • We liked the promise: "like new, every time." (Yes, we've found this largely true.)
  • We liked the idea of bonus-time (booking last-minute stays on cash rather than points).
Yes, Worldmark was an excellent choice for us! In 16 years of ownership, we've had ~125 stays at 40+ Worldmark properties and many exchanges through RCI/II. We studied all available resources (owner education workshops, printed guides, etc), learned the system well and make great use of our Worldmark.

Key benefits of ownership and our usage pattern, looking back:
  • Kitchens! We love cooking together on vacation. We didn't have time to cook together at home -- but developed this as a hobby while on vacations. Yeah! for having fully equipped kitchens while on vacation!
  • Separate bedroom from living room. Yeah! The night owl can enjoy longer morning sleep while the early bird putters about in the kitchen/living room.
  • In-room laundry. Yeah! We can pack less and feel great.
  • Familiarity. It is strangely comforting to know a place before you've ever been there. We are confident of the resort/unit quality, the unit amenities, etc. This familiarity made it easy to book road-trips up/down the Pacific Coastline or across Western States ... hopping from one WM to the next.
  • LARGE units. We really enjoy booking 3BR or 4BR units, or even multiple units, for large family gatherings. Seriously: these gatherings would NOT happen if we had to use hotel rooms. Timeshare gives us sufficient space and comfort for all to enjoy themselves. We can be "together" and "apart" in just the right proportion.
Well, that is our first timeshare ... but each timeshare purchase had its own purpose, allure, justification. I might jump back in on the conversation later with reasons behind our follow-on purchases.
 
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sue1947

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Timesharing saves me money as it costs me less in fees than it would cost for motel rooms.
I travel more because motel rooms get old really quickly; cooking in a hot pot on the bathroom counter and washing things out in a sink is only good for a couple of days. Timeshares give me the option to really explore a location with a comfortable place to come home to at the end of the day. A full kitchen, laundry and a living room to settle into instead of propped up on a bed.

However, it isn't for everyone and that is where you need to take a closer look at the questions at Denise's link. You need to be able to plan a year in advance, more if you want school holidays, and I think that is the part that does in most timeshare owners. If you want a week on the beach for summer and you don't start thinking about it until April; then timeshares aren't for you. The maintenance fees are forever, so thinking about what your life will be in the future when everybody, kids and adults, are older is important. How easy is the timeshare to get rid of later or will it transition as you age? Those questions really go to your specific situation and what works for me may not apply to you.

Sue
 

DeniseM

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Oh. Sorry! More than wanting to know "what we should buy," I was wondering what people love about theirs or about vacation ownership in general.

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.
 

bogey21

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I bought my first timeshare through a developer about thirty years ago, and when I realized that it wasn't worth 10% of what I paid for it, I let it go back to the developer, and then took a hiatus from timesharing for about twenty years. What I have had, and now have, ever since getting back into the market has been acquired on the resale markets.

Very similar to my story. Originally bought from developer; became disenchanted; sold during time when selling was a viable option; bought 6 Fixed Week, Fixed Unit Weeks resale at HOA Independents at places I wanted to visit every year.

My general parameters when I bought was a maximum $1,000 purchase price and MFs in the $500 range. If I were to do it in today's market, I would set my maximum purchase price (including closing expenses) at $500 and raise my target for MFs to be less than $750.

Why this strategy? Three reasons (1) less money at risk; (2) relatively low annual costs; and (3) little loss on disposition.

George
 

artringwald

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Our story may be different from others, but we bought because we found a property we really liked.

In 2000, we were looking for a place to stay in Poipu for a group of 7. Two of the people would get migraines if it was too hot, so we had to find a place with AC. We discovered that not too many places in Poipu have AC, and the best deal for us was to rent two 2-bed timeshare units at the Point at Poipu. Back then rentals at P@P were easy to find. We really enjoyed the stay, but when we went back in 2004, most the rental agencies didn't book Poipu anymore. We finally found one, but before we attended our first presentation, we had decided to buy from the developer (before we found TUG). It must have been the easiest sale the guy ever made. A day later I stopped by the Timeshare Resale office in Koloa and was amazed how much less the resale units were going for, even though back then developer timeshares were cheaper, and resale units were more expensive. We followed the instructions and rescinded before we had left to go home. We got the call from the developer, they threw in more perks and incentives, and convinced us to buy from them. It was more expensive than resale, but we could immediately book next years trip, and they put our deeded week into their points base Club program which made it easy to book other resorts.

We never really regretted buying from the developer, but after discovering TUG, we purchased two additional weeks through resale at P@P. We've stayed there every year since, and have always been able to book 2-bed oceanfront units with fully equipped kitchens at a property we love. Plus we've been able to used the points to stay at a variety of other attractive destinations. There's no way we could have done what we wanted without the timeshare purchases.

On the downside, we are now committed to a lifetime of ever increasing maintenance fees. Timeshares aren't easy to rent, and even harder to sell or give away. It works for us, but is certainly not recommend for everyone.
 

VegasBella

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I started getting interested in timeshares because of the kitchens. I had been renting suites and condos and homes almost purely for a kitchen. There are a lot of reasons I like having a kitchen.

For starters, I am one of those people who wakes up hungry. I like coffee right away and then a few minutes later I want breakfast. But I'm often awake earlier than the rest of the family AND I don't want to get dressed until AFTER I eat breakfast. So even when I stay in hotels I bring breakfast bars or bagels or fruit things that I can eat first thing in the AM while still wearing my PJs.

Then also, having spent my college years waiting tables, restaurants often don't appeal to me the way they might to others who have never done a service industry job. To me, they often take too long and I get frustrated with mistakes etc. Plus, I very often tip way more than is common (as a result of knowing what it's like to get stiffed etc) and so dining out just costs me too much money and time - I'd rather do other things. Example: I just spent 5 days in Laguna Beach and we went out to eat twice. Everything else was eaten in our room or was a packed lunch. And both those places we went out to did not have table service.

Then of course there are the issues of food preference and health. With our own kitchen we can eat exactly what we want, when we want, and how we want - we can stay healthier too.

OK so onto the specific timeshare purchases...

My family (mom, aunts) was selling the vacation home that I visited as a child and I started getting nostalgic. I really wanted my son to have a similar experience of memories at a specific place (rather than a new hotel each time). Additionally, I realized that many times we would plan a vacation only to cancel at the last minute - I knew this wouldn't happen as much with a timeshare since you either use it or lose it, you can't just cancel last minute as easily. The "forced vacation" concept is not wise financially, but it can be very practical, particularly for those of us with (semi) workaholic spouses. My previous minor interest in timeshares grew and I started doing more real research.

We decided we wanted to own at Carlsbad Inn and I did a lot of investigation. I was coming to the conclusion that what we wanted wasn't available at the price we wanted. So I started to settle and that's how I ended up with my first two ownerships: Riviera Beach and San Clemente Inn.

I kind of set up some criteria for what I wanted: southern California, Summer, large rooms that sleep 4-6, resort has a pool, kitchens, walking distance to the beach. And then I easily found a handful that met my criteria on eBay for super duper cheap. We bought two.

Then a miracle happened and the ownership we really really wanted was available: a Summer unit at Carlsbad Inn for sale at a reasonable price. We grabbed it and were over the moon. We absolutely LOVE that place. FYI, Carlsbad Inn is all fixed week fixed unit. And I think that's great!

The last one is a deal that's almost complete. For years I've been saying that wee should go to New Orleans every two years or so. But it doesn't seem to happen, things get in the way. Well, earlier this year we finally took our son to NOLA and we stayed at a friend's house. We had a good time but it would have been so much better if we had stayed in a hotel or timeshare. Our friend's house was not safe for kids (despite the friend claiming it was - he just doesn't understand kids) and the location was a pain in the butt during Mardi Gras (locked in "the box"). So we vowed that if we returned we would stay in a hotel. Then I saw a posting for a free fixed week ownership in NOLA during the week our family would most enjoy visiting posted here on TUG in the Bargain Deals forum. So we're in the process of getting that week too.

To recap: the ownerships we value the most are fixed week, fixed unit in desirable places during desirable times. We like timesharing for the kitchens, the "forced vacation", and the consistency for creating family memories. We also appreciate a good value but to be honest if we didn't timeshare then we would just take fewer vacations and/or stay at places that weren't as nice. We don't actually "save" any money by timesharing - we just get more for our money.
 

rhonda

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Returning to add our stories on timeshare purchases #2 and #3:

#2. Purchased in 2001, a fixed summer week at a coastal resort.
Purchase reasons/justification:
  • High value trader in RCI. Depositing the high value summer week would allow me to perform online searches of RCI's inventory -- something I was not able to do using Worldmark's Confirm First exchange feature.
  • Day Use of resort amenities. As we lived nearby, we did visit often, at first, to use the pool, fitness center, sauna, hot tubs and various activities.
  • Got around 1-in-4 rules. A good chunk of SoCal resorts are owned/managed by this property's developer. Inbound exchange guests are restricted to 1 exchange w/in the resort group every 4 years. Owning w/in the resort group provided a workaround to the restriction.
  • EOY. Buying an every-other-year interval was a perfect frequency complement to our existing Worldmark.
Was it worth it? Yes, for the first several years. More recently, changes in the systems (both the resort property's policies and RCI's exchange characteristics) have tarnished the gleam. Long term, this purchase was a mistake.

#3. Purchased in 2002, a South Africa trader.
Purchase reasons/justification:
  • Cheap, resale purchase.
  • Low dues, partly due to US Dollar <> South African Rand value.
  • RCI Trade value far outpaced the annual costs.
Was it worth it? YES. Having a super cheap RCI trader was a BLAST. We got about 6 trades total -- with some real "great trades" among them. Over time, the resort itself fell victim to a South African developer "take-over." Losing our favorite trader was emotionally ugly but not a financial threat.

Stories #4, #5 and #6 ... in future chapters.
 
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VegasBella

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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.

I think the OP just wanted to start a discussion. I don't think they're taking this thread as the end-all, be-all of their own TS purchase. It's a great topic for discussion and I hope others chime in on why they bought what they bought.

I, for one, have long thought the list of questions ought to begin with "Why do you want to buy?" Because the answer to that one question can help with a lot of the other issues. It's also a lot more interesting to read and chat about IMO than many of the other questions.
 

Tahiya

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Saving money and staying in great places

We originally got interested in timeshares after doing a promotional stay at Eagle Crest Resort in Oregon, where we live. Most of the reasons given by other responders apply to us. We like to travel, and would spend the money on rental homes if we didn't own timeshares. We like having a separate sleeping area, a kitchen, laundry facilities, a pool, and the ability to invite friends and family to join us at no cost to them. We like going different places, and don't want the hassle/expense of owning a vacation home.

By owning mid-range, but nice, timeshares such as Worldmark, and high season weeks in popular areas with little supply, we have been able to keep our average costs per night affordable (i.e. less than it would cost to rent a house or apartment.) We have also exchanged into timeshares that we would not pay full freight to own or rent. It may be worth noting that when we went to Europe, we didn't use timeshares, since Airbnb had better locations and reasonable prices.
 

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Returning to add our stories on timeshare purchases #2 and #3:

#2. Purchased in 2001, a fixed summer week at a coastal resort.
Purchase reasons/justification:
  • High value trader in RCI. Depositing the high value summer week would allow me to perform online searches of RCI's inventory -- something I was not able to do using Worldmark's Confirm First exchange feature.
  • Day Use of resort amenities. As we lived nearby, we did visit often, at first, to use the pool, fitness center, sauna, hot tubs and various activities.
  • Got around 1-in-4 rules. A good chunk of SoCal resorts are owned/managed by this property's developer. Inbound exchange guests are restricted to 1 exchange w/in the resort group every 4 years. Owning w/in the resort group provided a workaround to the restriction.
  • EOY. Buying an every-other-year interval was a perfect frequency complement to our existing Worldmark.
Was it worth it? Yes, for the first several years. More recently, changes in the systems (both the resort property's policies and RCI's exchange characteristics) have tarnished the gleam. Long term, this purchase was a mistake.

#3. Purchased in 2002, a South Africa trader.
Purchase reasons/justification:
  • Cheap, resale purchase.
  • Low dues, partly due to US Dollar <> South African Rand value.
  • RCI Trade value far outpaced the annual costs.
Was it worth it? YES. Having a super cheap RCI trader was a BLAST. We got about 6 trades total -- with some real "great trades" among them. Over time, the resort itself fell victim to a South African developer "take-over." Losing our favorite trader was emotionally ugly but not a financial threat.

Stories #4, #5 and #6 ... in future chapters.

Rhonda, thanks! Keep em coming!
 

Kenchele

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I think the OP just wanted to start a discussion. I don't think they're taking this thread as the end-all, be-all of their own TS purchase. It's a great topic for discussion and I hope others chime in on why they bought what they bought.

I, for one, have long thought the list of questions ought to begin with "Why do you want to buy?" Because the answer to that one question can help with a lot of the other issues. It's also a lot more interesting to read and chat about IMO than many of the other questions.

Yes, I'm finding the stories very interesting!
 

Kenchele

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Our story may be different from others, but we bought because we found a property we really liked.

In 2000, we were looking for a place to stay in Poipu for a group of 7. Two of the people would get migraines if it was too hot, so we had to find a place with AC. We discovered that not too many places in Poipu have AC, and the best deal for us was to rent two 2-bed timeshare units at the Point at Poipu. Back then rentals at P@P were easy to find. We really enjoyed the stay, but when we went back in 2004, most the rental agencies didn't book Poipu anymore. We finally found one, but before we attended our first presentation, we had decided to buy from the developer (before we found TUG). It must have been the easiest sale the guy ever made. A day later I stopped by the Timeshare Resale office in Koloa and was amazed how much less the resale units were going for, even though back then developer timeshares were cheaper, and resale units were more expensive. We followed the instructions and rescinded before we had left to go home. We got the call from the developer, they threw in more perks and incentives, and convinced us to buy from them. It was more expensive than resale, but we could immediately book next years trip, and they put our deeded week into their points base Club program which made it easy to book other resorts.

We never really regretted buying from the developer, but after discovering TUG, we purchased two additional weeks through resale at P@P. We've stayed there every year since, and have always been able to book 2-bed oceanfront units with fully equipped kitchens at a property we love. Plus we've been able to used the points to stay at a variety of other attractive destinations. There's no way we could have done what we wanted without the timeshare purchases.

On the downside, we are now committed to a lifetime of ever increasing maintenance fees. Timeshares aren't easy to rent, and even harder to sell or give away. It works for us, but is certainly not recommend for everyone.

I enjoyed reading your different perspective. Thanks for sharing!
 

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I bought Marriott from developer (1500 points) in moment of weakness. That being said I do feel it has opened a whole new world of vacationing to me! We have used it twice since buying and have brought family with us each time Love the space and full kitchens. More then anything I do love the amenities. We only can do I week a yr at present so I love getting a beautiful resort for that week. It is an escape from reality for me. I am at my cottage while writing this, and while we are in a beautiful area with clean, fresh water and sand beach we spend half our "vacation" repairing and maintaining. Time sharing is more vacationey. Last time we booked a room with our 3 kids(20,17,10) I was at the front desk booking second room within a half hour!
 

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Here is a funny story of how my father got into timesharing - my uncle was working in sales at a timeshare near my grandparents house. My grandmother bought a week for my father. Why? Because my mother hated to come visit and didn't want to stay in my grandparents house. So the timeshare was the gift that kept giving - my parents would have to come spend a week there every year.:hysterical: 30-ish years later, my father still owns that week. My parents are divorced, my grandparents have passed, but my dad and my step mother go every year. They have never traded it, wouldn't even know how. But they go every year without fail.

As for me - I'm still getting my feet wet in owning. However, we have stayed in timeshares many times. I use to book through getravelop.com, which is now herosvacationclub. Over the years, it seems like selection has gotten worse, or I have gotten pickier. So I'm looking into purchasing now. My goal is for the timeshare week to take care of our "must be somewhere warm and sunny for the winter solstice" need. We generally rent timeshares or condos because my husband is an earlier riser - he is up between 4 and 5 and wants his coffee ASAP. I like to be left alone in a quiet room until about 9. Can't do that in a hotel. Like someone above said - making coffee in your PJs while the spouse et al sleep in is priceless!
 

missyrcrews

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One small resort for us

My parents have owned timeshare since 1991. I knew that I did NOT want floating weeks like they had....too much work! But I liked the timeshare concept. At first, we traveled on guest certificates from them. And then we bought at ONE independent resort at a place we wanted to return every year. In 2001, we paid $1200 for a week that often falls during our spring break. We used that for several years, trading when the week/break didn't line up. Once I felt fairly RCI savvy, we did some Last Call and Extra Vacation weeks. These were great....we have 4 children, and the savings over 2 hotel rooms/restaurant meals was significant. We were hooked!

We added a summer week at the same resort in 2012. Best decision ever! We love having the same unit/same week every year....we don't ever plan to trade that one. We paid more (around $5000, if memory serves)....but it was money well spent in terms of quality of vacation...it's a large sleeps 8 unit, and then kids love to go to this resort in the summertime.

Then I won a week at a giveaway at the resort. It's in late October, so we've never used it...always trade. It trades well enough to give us an early summer week somewhere in New England most years.

And finally, I bought a week from Sumday last spring. It cost $29.99, and usually falls between Christmas and New Years. The weeks this doesn't fall correctly, we'll either just go for part of the week, or trade for February break.

Again, all of these are at the same resort. My family enjoys visiting the same region every year....my kids are creatures of habit! We are not Disney fans...my strategy would have been different if I was trying to trade into those kinds of spots.

Good luck as you research!
 

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After a few years of buying, trying and selling timeshares, I finally figured out exactly what I want. While I do enjoy my timeshare stays, I also enjoy cruising, staying in nice hotels and camping. Timeshares got us started on taking regular vacations. Now that the habit is set, I don't need them as much.

We recently stayed in our favorite home resort, Carlsbad Seapointe Resort. We love that place. For us, it is like owning a condo at the beach without any of the hassle. I was walking along the beach and thinking about how much I enjoy that timeshare. I actually wished I owned a summer fixed week (I own a spring week and traded for this stay) there and not any other timeshares. I would love to stay there every year and only trade out once in a while. In many ways, that resort is the destination. It's across the street from the beach, has excellent ocean views on the balcony (unless you end up with one of the bottom floor units) and is overall laid back.

I'm in a weird situation where I have to keep my Marbrisa in order to keep my Seapointe in HGVC. I don't like Marbrisa, but I still use the HGVC for other places. Last night, my husband and I were talking about our timeshares (he was asking me if we could stay at Seapointe for a week every summer or if I could buy a week like that and get rid of everything else) and I basically decided that if I ever go a couple years without needing to use HGVC, I'll go ahead and drop Marbrisa and keep Seapointe as just a plain fixed week.

Originally, I got into timesharing because it forced us to take vacations. Now that we do take vacations, I don't really need to own timeshares, although, it is still nice, especially when I have a condo across the street from the beach.
 

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Worldmark, DVC, Grand Pacific Palisades // Gone: Warner Springs Ranch, Seapointer (SA), WinPointVIP (?)
missyrcrews' story is a perfect launch into the story of our 4th timeshare purchase: for the love of a single, independent resort.

#4: Sometime prior to late 2002, our WM switched exchange affiliation from RCI to II. We signed up for both and I found a local resort, through the II catalog, that I simply had to visit. It called to me: a ranch resort with ~2500 acres, horses, hot springs, history, and more. Attempts to exchange in against WM failed, possibly due to "quality filters" protecting the WM owner from exchanging into a perceived dump. ;-) The resort I was trying to visit was, ummmm, "rustic."

We thought to book the resort directly for an upcoming milestone birthday (mine) and drove 1.5 hours up from the San Diego coastal region into the hills. The security guards at the gate refused us entry, "Owners ONLY" and we turned back to try the reception desk. Refused again, we tried the sales office, thinking, "We'll take a TOUR and ask to purchase a trial weekend through them?" SHOCK: The sales fellow wouldn't tour us. After a brief chat he straightened his shoulders and ended the conversation with, "You wouldn't like it here." What? This property is all I've been dreaming about for months! I know I'd love it here. I guess we just aren't the "right KIND of people?" Who does that these days?

We went to Paris for my birthday weekend.

On return, I began scouting for a resale at the resort and researching all I could find on how their ownership model worked. I decided that I strongly wanted an "Every ODD month" ownership -- but finally found an "Every EVEN month" instead on eBay. I bought that gem for $1 plus my closing costs. By August 2003, I returned to the property as an OWNER and entered the gate for the very first time. Years later we found the Odd month membership and added that, too, giving us year-round access. Whoo-hoo!

So why did I love that property? Let's say it was a unique model of "country club meets timeshare." It was sold as timeshare (deeded property) but run like a country club with an unmatched set of resort amenities. Owners had access, in their ownership months (odd/even), to everything:
  • HORSES!! One could join a guided trail ride ... or complete the ranch's "Independent Rider" training and exam. As Independent Riders, we could "check out" ranch horses as if we were wranglers: fetch'em yourself from the paddock, clean and tack them, ride out ... return ... and put them away. No more "nose to tail trail rides." The ranch offered such beautiful spaces to explore on horseback. This was my #1 draw, my path back to horses and horsemanship w/out having to own the horses directly. Of course, the ranch was happy to board an owner's horse at a really great price (far, far, far below similar boarding facilities) which I later enjoyed as I purchased my favorite ranch horse and later added a 2nd horse to our lives.
  • Hot Springs! Historic, natural (no chemicals added) and simply marvelous! A great hangout after horseback riding!
  • Tennis courts.
  • Golf Course and driving range.
  • Private airport for owners and glider rides.
  • Historic cantina and restaurant.
  • Charming cottages from the 1880's and, more recently added units from 1980's. We preferred staying in the older units when traveling alone but the newer units when traveling with friends and family. The units were simply adorable with thick stucco and wooden beam contruction, huge stone fireplaces, etc.
  • Miles and miles of trails to explore -- by foot, by bicycle or by horse.
  • FRIENDS! This is where the Country Club aspect kicked in -- I formed great friendships at the barn, others formed great friendships at the golf course. Any time you showed up you were certain to run into at least a few familiar faces. You might not have recognized everyone at the pool -- but you were certain to know the people at your favorite venue: barn, air strip, golf course, tennis courts, etc.
Was it worth it / Did I love it? Absolutely! We gathered the entire family there, booking up to 5 units at a time, to celebrate just about everything: Holidays, birthdays, milestones. No other "timeshare" compared. It wasn't just a place to visit -- it was "coming HOME." It was, for me, CAMELOT. It changed my life.

It changed my life? Yes! Like many other owners, we purchased a second home in the area. I'm now here full-time, with the horses, some chickens, a garden, etc. While the resort itself closed down in 2012, I'm still living in the "glow": I have dear friendships from the ranch; I have the horses and a possibly budding career related to them; I am living my dream.

So WM, our first timeshare, introduced me to the Ranch through the II catalog. And the rest is history. My history, a love story. :)
 

WinniWoman

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Innseason Pollard Brook
First off, we are weeks owners so our view is somewhat different than someone in a points system. We like the simplicity of weeks. We just show up at the resort during our weeks. No having to reserve them a year ahead of time or anything like that.

We were introduced to timesharing by my parents who owned at a timeshare on the Connecticut shoreline - 2 fixed summer weeks 30 and 31. We spent lots of summers there with them and our son had wonderful memories of it. My mom purchased it from the developer with a small inheritance from her mom,. My mom always wanted a cottage on the ocean but never could afford it, so this was the next best thing. She loved it so much! Once she gave us a week to exchange for St. Lucia and another time she exchanged into Florida for a Disney trip for all of us. But those were the only times she exchanged it.

We vacationed twice at the resort (Smugglers Notch) we finally bought at in 1999. Our son was young and we loved the family catering atmosphere and we loved the state of Vermont in general. The children and adult programs are unmatched anywhere and that was a big factor in our decision, especially with an only child. It is a 6 hour drive from our home- so no airfare to deal with. It was a brand new community they were building there and we were able to pick the unit/view we wanted. Yes- we bought from the developer, but because we were young (I was 43) even with the high purchase price and including the maintenance fees it actually paid for itself and then some all these years. And- even though our son is 28 now, we all still go year after year to our home resort- our son visits with us for a few days. We all still love it! It is like having a second home for us since we can't afford a second home- and to be honest- it is great not having to take care of and having the expenses of a second home anyway! The added bonus is we can exchange if we want to.

Our friends had also purchased at the resort (however an every other year usage) so that factored into our decision as well. When we bought, we bought the same fixed summer week as they did. This week (prime summer week 30) and the unit we have has a high trading value supposedly, though we never trade it. We no longer belong to RCI because we don't exchange a lot anymore, but if we do we use some of the small independent exchange companies like DAE and Trading Places.

The purchase also came with a floater week- an off-season week- attached to the fixed summer week we own. In other words if we wanted a summer week every year we had to also take a floater week and pay maintenance on that as well. This worked out great in our situation though it wasn't obvious at first. We got to use our fixed summer week every year and because our son was in school during the floaters it forced us to exchange and we traveled all over the country on that week- usually in summer as well- or during spring break. We went to places like Hawaii, Arizona, Maine, Virginia, Florida, etc.

Now that we are older and our son is grown, we actually like using the floater at our home resort as well. Usually it is in the fall and sometimes- like this past June- it is in spring- beautiful those times of year in New England.

As for our other resort (Pollard Brook)- well- that we just acquired as a freebie last year- that week falls directly after our Vermont week (same check in/check out day- Sunday)and is a 2 hour drive from there- so we check out of Vermont and then check-into New Hampshire. We also had rented at this resort a few times from a private points owner before our ownership. It has the added bonus of being just 25 minutes from where our son lives. It is also in a state (NH) where we are considering retiring to so we intend to do a lot of exploration in that regard as well.

As for owning vs. renting a hotel room- well- we just love having a condo- 2 bedrooms- 2 bathrooms, a kitchen and living room, a balcony, etc. We have lovely views. It is so comfortable and we can spread out and we can have friends visit with us. Having that kitchen helps save a ton of money on meals and is also very convenient. For example, we mostly like having breakfast in before we get going for the day. Having just spent a few days at a hotel I can say that meals out were the most expensive part of the whole trip! And- having laundry appliances in the unit and in the building in the case of our NH timeshare is great- less packing of clothes- really great.

We love going to a place we are familiar with and we enjoy immensely and is easy to get to and now when we want to go on additional trips we rent from other owners for the most part instead of exchanging. We usually do our 3 weeks of timeshares and then rent to go somewhere else another week and /or for the XMAS holiday. We have rented timeshares in Yellowstone and Scotland, among other places.

Having a timeshare forces us to vacation every year. It is already paid for. If we didn't own one I think there would be many years that we maybe would have said we can't afford it or shouldn't spend the money. This way, it is in our budget and pretty much already pre planned.
 
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WinniWoman

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Innseason Pollard Brook
"I started getting interested in timeshares because of the kitchens. I had been renting suites and condos and homes almost purely for a kitchen. There are a lot of reasons I like having a kitchen.

For starters, I am one of those people who wakes up hungry. I like coffee right away and then a few minutes later I want breakfast. But I'm often awake earlier than the rest of the family AND I don't want to get dressed until AFTER I eat breakfast. So even when I stay in hotels I bring breakfast bars or bagels or fruit things that I can eat first thing in the AM while still wearing my PJs.

Then also, having spent my college years waiting tables, restaurants often don't appeal to me the way they might to others who have never done a service industry job. To me, they often take too long and I get frustrated with mistakes etc. Plus, I very often tip way more than is common (as a result of knowing what it's like to get stiffed etc) and so dining out just costs me too much money and time - I'd rather do other things. Example: I just spent 5 days in Laguna Beach and we went out to eat twice. Everything else was eaten in our room or was a packed lunch. And both those places we went out to did not have table service.

Then of course there are the issues of food preference and health. With our own kitchen we can eat exactly what we want, when we want, and how we want - we can stay healthier too."


I can relate- to the food/kitchen/eating out comments.When I am on vacation unwinding from my hell- hole job schedule I like to be in my pj's having my tea- and a second cup also-and having my breakfast while sitting out on our balcony and staring at the view.

Also- when we exchanged into Hawaii once for over 21 days (2 islands)- do you know we only ate out once- at a Luau? This really helped keep the costs of the trip down.
 

missyrcrews

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YES!!!!

"I started getting interested in timeshares because of the kitchens. I had been renting suites and condos and homes almost purely for a kitchen. There are a lot of reasons I like having a kitchen.

For starters, I am one of those people who wakes up hungry. I like coffee right away and then a few minutes later I want breakfast. But I'm often awake earlier than the rest of the family AND I don't want to get dressed until AFTER I eat breakfast. So even when I stay in hotels I bring breakfast bars or bagels or fruit things that I can eat first thing in the AM while still wearing my PJs.

Then also, having spent my college years waiting tables, restaurants often don't appeal to me the way they might to others who have never done a service industry job. To me, they often take too long and I get frustrated with mistakes etc. Plus, I very often tip way more than is common (as a result of knowing what it's like to get stiffed etc) and so dining out just costs me too much money and time - I'd rather do other things. Example: I just spent 5 days in Laguna Beach and we went out to eat twice. Everything else was eaten in our room or was a packed lunch. And both those places we went out to did not have table service.

Then of course there are the issues of food preference and health. With our own kitchen we can eat exactly what we want, when we want, and how we want - we can stay healthier too."


I can relate- to the food/kitchen/eating out comments.When I am on vacation unwinding from my hell- hole job schedule I like to be in my pj's having my tea- and a second cup also-and having my breakfast while sitting out on our balcony and staring at the view.

Also- when we exchanged into Hawaii once for over 21 days (2 islands)- do you know we only ate out once- at a Luau? This really helped keep the costs of the trip down.

I had to come second (or maybe it's a third by now!) this view. With 4 kids and two adults, meals would be SO expensive for a week. And I do not find eating in a restaurant to be the same relaxing experience as it used to be when my husband and I could go ALONE! :) I don't make gourmet meals on vacation (the kids wouldn't eat those anyway) but still, we eat well, and save a ton of money.

I had to stay in a hotel in May when I took my daughter to a regional gymnastics competition. ONE NIGHT cost about 1/3 of my maintenance fee for a week, and it was decidedly not a fancy place. Yep...I'm spoiled by timesharing. :)
 

linpat

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My first brush with timesharing was at Wyndham, then Fairfield Bay in central Arkansas. It was fixed week only and I persuaded my husband to pass on it since he was reluctant to take vacation due to family pressure.

Time passed, daughter and I moved, husband was now ex-, and Wyndham had gone to the points system. My first timeshare (mid 1990s)was developer points because I didn't know any better, and because TUG and the resale market had not come into their own. The other 3 have been resale - thank you TUG.

TS let me meet my daughter for 3 weeks in Europe and the UK during her Study Abroad year, and at the RCI exchange cost only. We've enjoyed traveling to the Rockies, to the Northeast, Alexandria, and Williamsburg among others. The freedom to have separate bedrooms and bathrooms along with a full kitchen gave us the options to eat in or go out - something a hotel room does not allow. I am fortunate that my job that includes around 6 weeks of vacation per year and timeshares are a huge incentive to use those days and not let them go to waste.

While the daughter is off starting her own life and career we do plan timeshare meet-ups for the future. She's already put in dibs for the timeshares when I no longer want them or am able to travel easily.
 
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