Live 12 months in TS? Help! How do we best do this?

[PSStafford]

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, brainstorming, and help.

My wife and I are thinking about selling our home of 22 years, and relocating in Arizona in 2022 or 2023. But before we purchase in AZ and settle in, we would like to travel. And we are strongly considering living in a timeshare(s) for up to 12 months once our home in beautiful Bear Valley Springs, CA sells this late summer or fall (2021). We have wondered for a while if this CAN be done, and are now convinced that it CAN be, because we have read the stories of several people who are actually doing it.

Now what we would love to learn from you, the experts, is the best path to doing this.

1. We don't own a timeshare. Never have. If you were going to start out like we are, what company or companies would you invest in to do this for a year? What companies have the best inventory, availability, flexibility, and cost? I guess a company with a point system would be preferred - something like WorldMark?
1.a. We live in the western states, and would spend most of our time in and around (Scottsdale) Arizona. And we have kids and grandkids in Portland area who love to go to the coast, and a son in Film School at BIOLA just outside of Los Angeles. These would be our target destinations. So primarily west coast and Arizona, and western United States.
1.b. I would on rare occasions go to the east coast to work with some of my clients in person.
1.c. Our "ideal" monthly housing budget (MoFees, housekeeping? exchange fees? etc.) would be between $1600-2000.

2. We would have cash from the sale of our home. We would like to purchase our timeshare(s) on the resale market - not retail - if possible. Unless there is some kind of punishment from the companies for doing so.

3. Would there possibly be some kind of tax advantages available for living in timeshares for 52 weeks, owning no other residence? It would not be "entertainment" or "vacation" property at this point, but rent. And for working remotely from the timeshare as my office? If read all that I can on this, but can't find this from tax advisors. Have any of you "full timers" found a way?

4. Finally, what would be a good exit strategy? Once we purchased a house in Arizona after our long adventure in timeshares, we would not want to pay the monthly fees for such a large amount of points. We might want to keep two or three months, but no more. So is there an exit strategy that we should consider before we begin purchasing points/weeks?

We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We are completely open to your ideas and experiences and out of the box thinking. This would be a completely different way for us to live our lives for a period of time.

Doug and Susie Cowan

 

[PSStafford]

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, brainstorming, and help.

My wife and I are thinking about selling our home of 22 years, and relocating in Arizona in 2022 or 2023. But before we purchase in AZ and settle in, we would like to travel. And we are strongly considering living in a timeshare(s) for up to 12 months once our home in beautiful Bear Valley Springs, CA sells this late summer or fall (2021). We have wondered for a while if this CAN be done, and are now convinced that it CAN be, because we have read the stories of several people who are actually doing it.

Now what we would love to learn from you, the experts, is the best path to doing this.

1. We don't own a timeshare. Never have. If you were going to start out like we are, what company or companies would you invest in to do this for a year? What companies have the best inventory, availability, flexibility, and cost? I guess a company with a point system would be preferred - something like WorldMark?
1.a. We live in the western states, and would spend most of our time in and around (Scottsdale) Arizona. And we have kids and grandkids in Portland area who love to go to the coast, and a son in Film School at BIOLA just outside of Los Angeles. These would be our target destinations. So primarily west coast and Arizona, and western United States.
1.b. I would on rare occasions go to the east coast to work with some of my clients in person.
1.c. Our "ideal" monthly housing budget (MoFees, housekeeping? exchange fees? etc.) would be between $1600-2000.

2. We would have cash from the sale of our home. We would like to purchase our timeshare(s) on the resale market - not retail - if possible. Unless there is some kind of punishment from the companies for doing so.

3. Would there possibly be some kind of tax advantages available for living in timeshares for 52 weeks, owning no other residence? It would not be "entertainment" or "vacation" property at this point, but rent. And for working remotely from the timeshare as my office? If read all that I can on this, but can't find this from tax advisors. Have any of you "full timers" found a way?

4. Finally, what would be a good exit strategy? Once we purchased a house in Arizona after our long adventure in timeshares, we would not want to pay the monthly fees for such a large amount of points. We might want to keep two or three months, but no more. So is there an exit strategy that we should consider before we begin purchasing points/weeks?

We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We are completely open to your ideas and experiences and out of the box thinking. This would be a completely different way for us to live our lives for a period of time.

Doug and Susie Cowan

My recommendation is to just rent timeshares when you need them. It is best to plan your travel one or two years out to get best choices. Too many timeshares are nearly impossible to get rid of later
and your kids may not want to inherit them with the burdensome fees. They can deny them if you have left them in your will, but it is a hassle with some timeshare companies. We have 3 weeks of timeshares, we normally use 2 weeks in Palm Desert and trade the one near Disneyworld in Fl. Most other times we rent using Homeaway.
I would think you should have a home base near your kids such as an apartment where you can leave your stuff when you are gone. Otherwise you would need a storage unit somewhere you go often, or a big RV.
Old Golfer

 

[Lansdowne]

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, brainstorming, and help.

My wife and I are thinking about selling our home of 22 years, and relocating in Arizona in 2022 or 2023. But before we purchase in AZ and settle in, we would like to travel. And we are strongly considering living in a timeshare(s) for up to 12 months once our home in beautiful Bear Valley Springs, CA sells this late summer or fall (2021). We have wondered for a while if this CAN be done, and are now convinced that it CAN be, because we have read the stories of several people who are actually doing it.

Now what we would love to learn from you, the experts, is the best path to doing this.

1. We don't own a timeshare. Never have. If you were going to start out like we are, what company or companies would you invest in to do this for a year? What companies have the best inventory, availability, flexibility, and cost? I guess a company with a point system would be preferred - something like WorldMark?
1.a. We live in the western states, and would spend most of our time in and around (Scottsdale) Arizona. And we have kids and grandkids in Portland area who love to go to the coast, and a son in Film School at BIOLA just outside of Los Angeles. These would be our target destinations. So primarily west coast and Arizona, and western United States.
1.b. I would on rare occasions go to the east coast to work with some of my clients in person.
1.c. Our "ideal" monthly housing budget (MoFees, housekeeping? exchange fees? etc.) would be between $1600-2000.

2. We would have cash from the sale of our home. We would like to purchase our timeshare(s) on the resale market - not retail - if possible. Unless there is some kind of punishment from the companies for doing so.

3. Would there possibly be some kind of tax advantages available for living in timeshares for 52 weeks, owning no other residence? It would not be "entertainment" or "vacation" property at this point, but rent. And for working remotely from the timeshare as my office? If read all that I can on this, but can't find this from tax advisors. Have any of you "full timers" found a way?

4. Finally, what would be a good exit strategy? Once we purchased a house in Arizona after our long adventure in timeshares, we would not want to pay the monthly fees for such a large amount of points. We might want to keep two or three months, but no more. So is there an exit strategy that we should consider before we begin purchasing points/weeks?

We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We are completely open to your ideas and experiences and out of the box thinking. This would be a completely different way for us to live our lives for a period of time.

Doug and Susie Cowan

I think it would be fun to do - you might wind up spending some time in places off season but that in itself could be a great adventure. We recently spent 32 days in Hawaii utilizing basically using the value of 3 timeshares and some Marriott points. We stayed in Ocean front views and Ocean view properties and they were all one bedrooms. In theory we could have extended our stay by 1/3 by going to a different view - such as island view or stayed in a studio. Some folks we meet in Maui owned 4 two bedroom Ocean view properties at the Maui Marriott property and converted them to several months by staying in island views and studios. Bottomline do you research and check out what options various combinations get you.

 

[dbfact]

I've been 'looking into' your idea for a few years. Have you looked at monthly rental prices at hotels and airBnBs? especially during those summer months in the Scottsdale area? I understand you approach the GMs directly (also, I believe the tax falls off after 30 day stay). Ive come to understand the hotel points systems pretty well, but the timeshare system is a whole different level. To me, it is endlessly complicated, and at each step of the way there is an additional fee. Ive yet to figure out how to make it work, but with enough knowledge I think it can. Thank you for those who posted the links above. I look forward to reading them and continuing to learn. Because I am legitimately interested in understanding, I do not mind attending the 'official' timeshare presentations for 2 hours when the incentive to stay is good. You learn alot about the programs. Though buying from the developer doesnt make financial sense, Im always surprised how disappointed the salespeople seem when you say will not purchase on the spot without more research, having lawyer or financial advisor look over the contract, etc. Good luck!

 

[rikdun67]

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, brainstorming, and help.

My wife and I are thinking about selling our home of 22 years, and relocating in Arizona in 2022 or 2023. But before we purchase in AZ and settle in, we would like to travel. And we are strongly considering living in a timeshare(s) for up to 12 months once our home in beautiful Bear Valley Springs, CA sells this late summer or fall (2021). We have wondered for a while if this CAN be done, and are now convinced that it CAN be, because we have read the stories of several people who are actually doing it.

Now what we would love to learn from you, the experts, is the best path to doing this.

1. We don't own a timeshare. Never have. If you were going to start out like we are, what company or companies would you invest in to do this for a year? What companies have the best inventory, availability, flexibility, and cost? I guess a company with a point system would be preferred - something like WorldMark?
1.a. We live in the western states, and would spend most of our time in and around (Scottsdale) Arizona. And we have kids and grandkids in Portland area who love to go to the coast, and a son in Film School at BIOLA just outside of Los Angeles. These would be our target destinations. So primarily west coast and Arizona, and western United States.
1.b. I would on rare occasions go to the east coast to work with some of my clients in person.
1.c. Our "ideal" monthly housing budget (MoFees, housekeeping? exchange fees? etc.) would be between $1600-2000.

2. We would have cash from the sale of our home. We would like to purchase our timeshare(s) on the resale market - not retail - if possible. Unless there is some kind of punishment from the companies for doing so.

3. Would there possibly be some kind of tax advantages available for living in timeshares for 52 weeks, owning no other residence? It would not be "entertainment" or "vacation" property at this point, but rent. And for working remotely from the timeshare as my office? If read all that I can on this, but can't find this from tax advisors. Have any of you "full timers" found a way?

4. Finally, what would be a good exit strategy? Once we purchased a house in Arizona after our long adventure in timeshares, we would not want to pay the monthly fees for such a large amount of points. We might want to keep two or three months, but no more. So is there an exit strategy that we should consider before we begin purchasing points/weeks?

We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We are completely open to your ideas and experiences and out of the box thinking. This would be a completely different way for us to live our lives for a period of time.

Doug and Susie Cowan

As an alternative, check out AirBnb (entire units). Monthly stays are discounted, sometimes as much as 40%, that fit your budget. Just pay as you go, no upfront costs, and no exit strategy required.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm sure it can be done, but you'd have to enjoy moving a LOT more than I do to pick up all your stuff and move to another place every week or two. No thanks.

Jim

 

[Mulege]

Look at living on a cruise ship. Cheaper and you get a lot more IMO

 

[Jodyv]

Thank you, GeneMurray for suggesting TripBeat.com. It's a site I hadn't heard of and had some good deals for Mexico and Italy. (I didn't look further.) Thanks to all for the websites mentioned in this post. Certainly stimulates me to think of possibilities!! As for staying in mulitple properties, Wouldn't a hybrid plan work well? Stay in an airbnb while you tackle the next step of your plan. Surely the last minute calls could afford you many (if not the best ever.....) low cost weeks, 45 days ahead at a time!!

 

[heitmullerj02]

I would suggest you treat the timeshares as a second home. I met someone who owned 12 weeks in FL every winter. I live inPHX area and have traded with RCI and HIlton, both bought resale. However because of lead time, mostly 9 months, you might find the whole year planning difficult. Also have you factored in cost of airfare gas etc? Also home prices in PHX are skyrocketing, would suggest you buy sooner rather than later.

 

[chaparrusa]

@kwelty These are excellent...thanks much!

best advise ever , dream idea , but just not possible with timeshares

 

[ronandjoan]

Well good for you! I would love to do that also. I actually remember someone on here doing that but I searched for then and can't find them, I specifically remember them saying they take family photos with them and put them in the timeshare to make it feel like home. If anyone on here does that, I would love to read your story and blog if you have one.

Hi there, it’s us!! our BLOG is
Here's the link,
Ron and Joan's Journey (http://ronandjoanjourney.blogspot.com/)

 

[ronandjoan]

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, brainstorming, and help.

My wife and I are thinking about selling our home of 22 years, and relocating in Arizona in 2022 or 2023. But before we purchase in AZ and settle in, we would like to travel. And we are strongly considering living in a timeshare(s) for up to 12 months once our home in beautiful Bear Valley Springs, CA sells this late summer or fall (2021). We have wondered for a while if this CAN be done, and are now convinced that it CAN be, because we have read the stories of several people who are actually doing it.

Now what we would love to learn from you, the experts, is the best path to doing this.

1. We don't own a timeshare. Never have. If you were going to start out like we are, what company or companies would you invest in to do this for a year? What companies have the best inventory, availability, flexibility, and cost? I guess a company with a point system would be preferred - something like WorldMark?
1.a. We live in the western states, and would spend most of our time in and around (Scottsdale) Arizona. And we have kids and grandkids in Portland area who love to go to the coast, and a son in Film School at BIOLA just outside of Los Angeles. These would be our target destinations. So primarily west coast and Arizona, and western United States.
1.b. I would on rare occasions go to the east coast to work with some of my clients in person.
1.c. Our "ideal" monthly housing budget (MoFees, housekeeping? exchange fees? etc.) would be between $1600-2000.

2. We would have cash from the sale of our home. We would like to purchase our timeshare(s) on the resale market - not retail - if possible. Unless there is some kind of punishment from the companies for doing so.

3. Would there possibly be some kind of tax advantages available for living in timeshares for 52 weeks, owning no other residence? It would not be "entertainment" or "vacation" property at this point, but rent. And for working remotely from the timeshare as my office? If read all that I can on this, but can't find this from tax advisors. Have any of you "full timers" found a way?

4. Finally, what would be a good exit strategy? Once we purchased a house in Arizona after our long adventure in timeshares, we would not want to pay the monthly fees for such a large amount of points. We might want to keep two or three months, but no more. So is there an exit strategy that we should consider before we begin purchasing points/weeks?

We appreciate your thoughts and ideas. We are completely open to your ideas and experiences and out of the box thinking. This would be a completely different way for us to live our lives for a period of time.

Doug and Susie Cowan

Please see private conversation

 

[AnnaS]

Hi there, it’s us!! our BLOG is
Here's the link,
Ron and Joan's Journey (http://ronandjoanjourney.blogspot.com/)

Hi. Thank you for checking in.

Any updates?/recent posts?

Hope all is well.


I would not want the commit to so many timeshares (and we only own DVC) - based on so many stories/posts here. I am not sure how much sense it makes financially too. What about all the constant moving expenses (unless you plan on just driving)?

As many suggested, buy just a few weeks and rent from other timeshare owners, etc, VRBO, AirBnB and perhaps some of the other sites suggested. Just get your toes in the water and start playing the system.

Good luck. Definitely let us know what you decided/how you make out. Hope it's a positive journey.

 

[wrk2travelalot]

Our Adventure,
How very very exciting. To have the ability, health, resources to do this is fantastic. If you have not already you must join Tug for 15.00 a year. It is a fantastic online community. So many members are so generous with their knowledge.

I agree with others about not purchasing multiple timeshares. Maybe 2 to start. One that trades in RCI and another that trades in Interval International. This is so as others have mentioned you can access cheap getaways, extra vacations, as explained these you pay cash for. There are several other smaller exchange companies that you can also join and get bonus weeks from. You can do your research here and find out what they are. 2 timeshares that you for FREE would not be that big of a deal to keep and pay maintenance fees on for many years to come. If you choose something rentable you could do that later. Right now there are Park City, Utah ski weeks available on the giveaway board by a generous Tugger. Many folks are fond of Grandview/Las Vegas for RCI points which there are free contracts of those floating around all the time it seems. Vacation Village in Williamsburg is another favorite maybe a 4 bedroom that can be split into 2/2 bedrooms for use or exchange. Maintenance fees under 850.00 Yearly. I believe this resort banks with Interval. Sheraton Vistana seems to be another favorite for folks wanting access to more than 1 week with their contract.

If you want to spend a lot of time in the West I think WorldMark is your best bet. Maybe start by putting feelers out for WorldMark owners who want to use their extra points. 2021/2022 will be a good year for that because of Covid. Owners had to roll their points over. You might have raise your budget to 2500.00 per month. As I’m certain you have already factored in you will no longer be paying utilities or property taxes on a home which should free up several thousand dollars per year. You’ll also have linens, kitchen products provided. Resale or free.

Wyndham Points system is more complicated. Many Tuggers own millions of points with Wyndham. This system you will need to study throughly before purchasing anything resale. Buying only home resorts with lower maintenance fees. This also would give you access to RCI exchange company as part of your membership. Unfortunately Wyndham is getting in the habit of changing the rules whenever they want.

If you would consider traveling to Mexico you could find some great getaways there. Stay away from all inclusive resorts unless you want to treat yourself for week. I own multiple contract weeks at my favorite place on the Planet in Playa Del Carmen, MX. We spend our winters there as we are from the Midwest. I use 8 weeks and rent the remainder. In 2022 I have 22 condos confirmed for Jan.-Mar. Another 3 or 4 weeks in Cabo in November and December.

Take your time and do your research. If you start out by renting from owners, you would also have the opportunity to go to sale presentations at most resorts for a free gift between 100.00-250 or upward. A bit of cash to subsidize your stays. As long as you always say no no no to purchasing. This way you can find out about developer cost for each program.

Have fun, but be careful don’t fall into the trap of going timeshare crazy. Before long you’ll hv the monkey on your back and it will be difficult to stop.lol. I don’t own enough for a years stay, maybe 6-9 months depending on how I use my point systems. I love my timeshares someday I’m sure I will tire of them or find it too difficult to travel, but today is not that day. Good Luck and feel free to keep asking questions.

This is wonderful information. While some people like VBROs and AirBnB..we love timeshares. By using getaways and last minute deals-you can see the world for many months economically. We have own maintime in Cabo-we keep that time and use II and RCI to supplement. Overall II seems to do a better job if you have timeshare issues.

 

[lprstn]

Traveling for a year, you have many options. Buying a timeshare is not a temporary option and if you buy one (even resale) they are hard to get out of.

Options:
Do a short term rental in the places you want to stay - many places offer this and allow a great experience
Do the timeshare discount rental sites like:

https://www.extraholidays.com/

http://www.condodirect.com

https://tug2.com/timeshare-rentals/default.aspx

https://www.redweek.com/

If you do decide to buy - buy resale:
Wyndham - allows you flexibility in points and trades with RCI
BlueGreen - also allows flexibility in points and trades with RCI
Sheraton/Marriott - upper end points and flexibility

 

[JulieAB]

We are recently "homeless" in Scottsdale as we look for a house to buy. We ended our lease and put our stuff in storage. The hardest part I can't figure out it is having a "residence address." I have a PO box for our mailing address, but I've run into several things that want our physical place of residence on record, but we're moving several times! Judy, what are you doing for your "residence"?

The other issue I've run into is the food/supplies! We've vacationed for a month before, but we had a home to leave all the pantry, condiments and extra boxes of kleenexes behind! When we packed up our house, I did not realize I would have 6 open boxes of kleenex from each room to move to the VRBO! I finally got it down to 1, but I still had 3 bottles of salad dressing, plus soy sauce, hot sauce, salsa, etc to move to the timeshare -- all stuff I would usually leave at home when I vacation!

So far we've spent 5 weeks in a VRBO and currently in our first week of many in a timeshare. We had hoped the internet would be better at the VRBO (my husband is still working), but we realized there were other tradeoffs we miss about being in a big resort, such as being able to switch units if there's a problem! Even though I got a monthly "discount" in the VRBO, it was still more expensive than the timeshares here in Scottsdale, even though it's the blazing hot summer! Our 2 timeshare weeks we tacked on to the end of the VRBO has turned into 7 as we continue to look. 2 of the weeks will cost me $388 in RCI and maintenance fees, the other 5 will be $562 because of those darn daily resort fees. I could've booked another resort without the daily fees if I booked farther in advance or didn't need the 2-3 bedrooms (we are a family of 4). This is still cheaper than our previous monthly rent, utilities, plus the toiletries the timeshare now covers!

Anyway, all that to say, I used to admire the idea of full time time-sharing, but now I realize I still want a home base while I travel for long periods.

 

[Traveler2121]

Just be warned, very difficult to dispose of a timeshare, I would only buy what you would want to keep and rent or use extra vacations for the rest.

Best advice so far! Resale definitely!most exchange companies offer extra vacations for as low as 300 week

 

[ronandjoan]

We are recently "homeless" in Scottsdale as we look for a house to buy. We ended our lease and put our stuff in storage. The hardest part I can't figure out it is having a "residence address." I have a PO box for our mailing address, but I've run into several things that want our physical place of residence on record, but we're moving several times! Judy, what are you doing for your "residence"?

The other issue I've run into is the food/supplies! We've vacationed for a month before, but we had a home to leave all the pantry, condiments and extra boxes of kleenexes behind! When we packed up our house, I did not realize I would have 6 open boxes of kleenex from each room to move to the VRBO! I finally got it down to 1, but I still had 3 bottles of salad dressing, plus soy sauce, hot sauce, salsa, etc to move to the timeshare -- all stuff I would usually leave at home when I vacation!

So far we've spent 5 weeks in a VRBO and currently in our first week of many in a timeshare. We had hoped the internet would be better at the VRBO (my husband is still working), but we realized there were other tradeoffs we miss about being in a big resort, such as being able to switch units if there's a problem! Even though I got a monthly "discount" in the VRBO, it was still more expensive than the timeshares here in Scottsdale, even though it's the blazing hot summer! Our 2 timeshare weeks we tacked on to the end of the VRBO has turned into 7 as we continue to look. 2 of the weeks will cost me $388 in RCI and maintenance fees, the other 5 will be $562 because of those darn daily resort fees. I could've booked another resort without the daily fees if I booked farther in advance or didn't need the 2-3 bedrooms (we are a family of 4). This is still cheaper than our previous monthly rent, utilities, plus the toiletries the timeshare now covers!

Anyway, all that to say, I used to admire the idea of full time time-sharing, but now I realize I still want a home base while I travel for long periods.

Renting a box at the UPS Store gives you a “physical” address and the box number becomes your unit . They will forward your mail also in bunches for a fee. We did that for 7 years when were full-time in timeshares.
We’ll be out for 5 months again starting in August and as our mail comes to our son’s house anyway now since our apartment mailbox is too small for even our regular mail, I am planning for this trip to have him forward the items in flat rate envelopes periodically .
As to the condiments, we would not purchase the larger amounts of what we used and of course, we had an ice chest to transport those items. Items that did not need to be refrigerated, and there were many, were kept in plastic bins, which were marked as kitchen or laundry, or even a small tub as “office supplies”. We had a printer with us as well, so we could do a lot of the regular things we usually did at our home. Yes, and another smaller tub, of family pictures, a couple of vases, candles, placemats, table runner, etc. to make things look homey. Without those types of personal items , it would have been more difficult to not have a home base

 

[chromeo]

I've lived with a storage unit and a UPS box address, and it was tough. During Covid, I traveled 6 months straight, mostly on VRBO or Airbnb. I like the idea of a week at a nice resort with a lazy river, but you can get some truly awesome VRBOs. I'd start slow with the timeshares and book rental apartments or houses for a while.

Even if you really want golf or a nice pool or whatever, you can find apartments that will meet your needs, maybe in less touristy, cheaper places.

 

[OurAdventure]

All of these ideas have been so very helpful! We're now thinking of the hybrid models - some executive apartments (Landing.com etc), some Air BnB's, and slowly acquire some timeshares. You have all been wise and helpful. The reality that homes in Scottsdale are quickly increasing in cost/price is our only concern now. So we'll have to find another place to invest the equity from the sale of this home that might keep up with the increased cost of buying in 2023 in Scottsdale. I am looking forward to having six months or a year of owning very little, maintaining very little, and focusing more on my wife and kids and grandkids.

I appreciate the ideas and conversations. Please keep sharing!

And if you're looking for a home in Bear Valley Springs, let me know.

 

[wrk2travelalot]

We are recently "homeless" in Scottsdale as we look for a house to buy. We ended our lease and put our stuff in storage. The hardest part I can't figure out it is having a "residence address." I have a PO box for our mailing address, but I've run into several things that want our physical place of residence on record, but we're moving several times! Judy, what are you doing for your "residence"?

The other issue I've run into is the food/supplies! We've vacationed for a month before, but we had a home to leave all the pantry, condiments and extra boxes of kleenexes behind! When we packed up our house, I did not realize I would have 6 open boxes of kleenex from each room to move to the VRBO! I finally got it down to 1, but I still had 3 bottles of salad dressing, plus soy sauce, hot sauce, salsa, etc to move to the timeshare -- all stuff I would usually leave at home when I vacation!

So far we've spent 5 weeks in a VRBO and currently in our first week of many in a timeshare. We had hoped the internet would be better at the VRBO (my husband is still working), but we realized there were other tradeoffs we miss about being in a big resort, such as being able to switch units if there's a problem! Even though I got a monthly "discount" in the VRBO, it was still more expensive than the timeshares here in Scottsdale, even though it's the blazing hot summer! Our 2 timeshare weeks we tacked on to the end of the VRBO has turned into 7 as we continue to look. 2 of the weeks will cost me $388 in RCI and maintenance fees, the other 5 will be $562 because of those darn daily resort fees. I could've booked another resort without the daily fees if I booked farther in advance or didn't need the 2-3 bedrooms (we are a family of 4). This is still cheaper than our previous monthly rent, utilities, plus the toiletries the timeshare now covers!

Anyway, all that to say, I used to admire the idea of full time time-sharing, but now I realize I still want a home base while I travel for long periods.

If you need address, there are now places called mailboxes where you rent a mailbox and have a physcial address. I think UPS and FEDEX may have this service too.

 

[JulieAB]

It's not an issue of of having a street address, I can give my mom's. But many places want the physical address you reside at. We live in resorts, not a UPS store. So credit cards, DMV, and some medical-related things have all wanted our actual address of residence.

 

[ronandjoan]

It's not an issue of of having a street address, I can give my mom's. But many places want the physical address you reside at. We live in resorts, not a UPS store. So credit cards, DMV, and some medical-related things have all wanted our actual address of residence.

We have used our sons address since 2008. It works! (it might even work for DMV. )

if absolutely necessary we can give the address of the resort we “live” at the most … our Canadian friends did that ,, they needed that for a US bank account. Pick a favorite small resort where you are well known ( the Townhouses at St Augustine Beach and Club even put in a mailbox for us—- we didn’t ask! They just did it! We were surprised!)
DMV is the hardest , no problem with credit cards, medical, banks… we do everything on line.

(UPS guarantees a street address . )

Some people just want a “home base”. We were fine, even for the 7 years and could have gone for more, but I wanted to see our grandchildren more before they got too old, (the youngest then, after the 7 years, was 13.— she’s 18 now. So we’ve been renting relatively nearby - for 5 years.)

BTW, we’re “off” again! After canceling numerous timeshares, Airbnb’s, and many flights for the last 1 1/2, we’re starting a 6 month trip Aug 25! I’ll have to start up my BLOG again.