Can you view Resorts availability prior to purchasing a resale Timeshare? How to make ab educated decision on a resale

[Gizmo1221]

Hello Tugs,

I am interested in investing in timeshares to be used as a way to payoff maintenance fees and put some extra money in my pocket. Some of the questions I have during my searches are:

* If I bought this, would I even be able to book a popular month to be able to list my week... even if its floating?
* What are the best timeshares to buy to gain the most for your money?
* How do people on Airbnb post different prices for different dates without reserving it with their timeshare first?

 

[Passepartout]

First, timeshares are NOT an investment! If they could be rented profitably, why do suppose developers sell intervals to suckers like us?

Next: You can't if you list one for rent, someone else will list theirs for less to help subsidize MF they can't afford.

Next: ones that are in popular locations, at prime times, and paid for.

Next: They aren't.

The value of TS is in their use and the memories they provide families. It is not financial.

Jim

 

[Gizmo1221]

I am referring to resales. That are being sold for free. You are just paying maintenance

 

[brianfox]

So was @Passepartout. Even a resale purchased for $0 is not an investment. Well, it's an investment, just not a good one.
You are not just paying maintenance, by the way. You are paying for a special assessment whenever that happens.
If you purchase the unit for $0, unless the seller pays all associated costs, you will pay some sort of closing or transfer fee. Could be hundreds of $$.
If the seller is giving away the week and paying closing, it means he wants the albatross off his shoulders. Renting the unit was not working for them.
When the time comes for you to dump it, you may end up paying a year's MF to entice someone to take it. That's not an investment.
And rent is not foolproof. People do occasionally get screwed by renters.

All that being said, attempting to lock prime weeks is not necessarily easy.
If you buy Marriott, for example, people who own multiple weeks will have an advantage over you in reserving the best weeks.
If you want to see what units rent for, get a Redweek account (it's very inexpensive). You can see what people are asking for rent. You won't see what it finally rented for.
Interval International has a demand index for all their resorts. Let you know the most popular weeks, which one can infer are the weeks that would rent for the most $$.
Every system has their rules for reserving weeks, but you typically need to call a year ahead of time and be prepared for the best weeks to be gone within minutes.
Of course, having a fixed week makes you immune to that, but a high rent week will not be one that is given for $0.

You will also see ads with a low rental price, but showing "2020" as the arrival date. These are teasers to try to get you to call so they can rent you what they actually have.
Or they are middle-men, offering you the week you want at a high price. If you accept, they rent the unit from someone else at a lower price.
Vacation Candy did that to me. I offered my Hawaii week for $X on Redweek. VC listed a Hawaii week for the same date for $X+$300. Someone said OK to VC, and VC rented my week and turned around and sublet to their customer. They never had a week to rent, even when a customer contacted them. Personally I think that's dishonest.

 

[artringwald]

I've looked at rentals at some desirable properties, and the rates are barely above and sometimes below the MF's. You'd never be able to make a profit on less desirable properties. Timeshares can be hard to sell or even give away, so it should be considered a lifetime commitment. We're glad we bought resale, but we've been able to use it every year for the past 16 years. Both weeks that we bought resale, we weren't able to use the year that we bought, and ended up renting for much less than the MF's for the year.

 

[needvaca]

Agree with others.
Timeshares are NOT an investment.
If you are buying solely to rent out, you will likely be disappointed. Renting above maintenance fee is not a sure thing... ever... even for very desirable properties.
The only timeshares that seem to have a close to guaranteed rental potential are Disney DVC, and that has a high buy in price.

 

[timetofly]

It sounds like what you really want to do is buy a fixer-upper to rent on Airbnb. Otherwise, pick a desirable fixed week at a place you want to stay at every few years with relatively low MF, decent management, and wait for someone to be offering to give it away for free. I don't think you will make money so much as hopefully have some nice vacations and try to break even the rest of the time.