This is how I calculate the true cost/savings to own a timeshare, is this right?

[rickandcindy23]

I totally agree with Bill and have the same experience. With Marriott, I paid about MF or slightly above. With other systems, 50% to 100% of MF, and rarely I pay more than MF.

The advantage for me is that I don't need to book 12 or 13 months in advance to ensure that I get the week that I want. I normally will plan about 3 months in advance to get a good deal. However, I do need to be flexible with the week.

You would still be better off buying resale for the guarantee. And resale Marriott is reasonably priced and gives you a lot of choices through exchange.

 

[marmite]

My ROI situation is somewhat unique, since my preferred season is low or shoulder. It was eye-opening when I finally compared numbers a couple of years ago. I was paying MFs for three TS contracts, but since MFs don't vary by season (Platinum and Gold owners pay the same), I realized it was more cost-effective for me to rent, especially since I could often get entire weeks at my preferred resorts for as a little as $300 via exchange company getaways, during my preferred seasons. I divested my contracts.

You're right, the low and shoulder season travel really changes the value of the week. For many years I was tied to the kids school-schedule and would go to Palm Desert in summer. If I would have payed attention to the price (and availability) of Getaways, I would have learned pretty quickly that those weeks weren't worth the M.F. I was paying on them (to be trading them into the desert in summer of all times!). I am trying to utilize Getaways more often when I am travelling in the off-season and many weeks are an absolute bargain.

A lot of the math people do is also based on staying a 'top' week in the resort they bought, which there is nothing wrong with if that is their plan and how they use it. When I owned DVC, I always used it within their system (never trading out), so it was pretty clear cut when I looked at the numbers. However, for the 10+ years I have owned a Vistana lock-off, I have never once stayed there. It is only a 'vehicle' to get me somewhere else. That 'somewhere' is mostly resorts with M.F.'s that far exceed my little SDO.

It actually makes it difficult for me to find somewhere that I think is worth it to own and occupy, as generally those properties I am attracted to are newer, more expensive to purchase and have higher maintenance fees (i.e. Marriott/Vistana Hawaii weeks, Hyatt, Four Seasons etc.). I find there is plenty of value using II, but can hardly make that part of a ROI scenario. I don't know how to calculate value on that, other than to look at the cost of the week I am trading, vs. the cost of the week I am trading into... which means it would be fluctuating year-to-year depending on what I traded into and what my fees were.

My experience is closer to that of @Ken555, I can easily look at what my nightly rate is of what I own and it IS really that low. This year I calculated my costs to be $114 a night in a 2 bedroom (Hawaii being my most frequent destination). That is with considering an upcharge of $100 for the unit-size increase, trade fees and my II membership all-in. Plenty of people are still getting trades into Vistana and Marriott (or other Hawaii) without having priority as well -- they probably can even pay less per night as @little1 posted.

I always buy something that I think I can at least give away on TUG at the end, and never actually pretend it's an asset. Works for me despite my math making a lousy-looking spreadsheet.

 

[Ken555]

My stay at Wyndham timeshare in Oahu for 5 days (3 years ago) was $500 (+ resort fee, I remembered it to be around $30 per day) for an 1-bedroom unit.
I don't own timeshare. I rent them from existing owners.

Wyndham is not Westin.


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[skimeup]

I think it is very variable because for some folks, staying at a high end resort is essential and for others (like myself) I love to be in a high end resort but mostly I'd like to be able to afford to stay someplace that I want to visit. My first timeshare was at Inn at the Opera, across the street from the opera house and a block away from the symphony in San Francisco. For what is essentially a two bedroom , two bath unit, my inital cost was about $3700. My MF has gone from some $650 to $1400 since then, so about $200 a night now, which is shared by whatever other opera nut comes with me.

The 1&2 BR units are virtually unavailable for rental, but if you could see one online, it would list during music season for about $500 per night. So I get to walk a half block to the opera, stay in a place with a nice kitchenette and great breakfast, for far less than I would pay for a decent hotel room in a safe place. Basically I could not afford to stay there even with someone splitting the cost with me. So have I just saved some $30, 000 over the 20 years or have I stayed in a place I could not otherwise afford? I paid an embarrassingly low price for my Hyatt in Carmel, which I think offsets the greater MF for the unit - maybe the highest MF for a ts in the Hyatt system. But I can stay in a 2BR Marriott trade and a studio as well for the points by trading through Interval. Again, getting to New York, Boston, and Washington DC - as well as Palm Desert, etc, and staying in very nice places - mostly with kitchenettes or kitchens. Or trading within Hyatt made it affordable for me and my relatives to spend a week at Key West. The cost factor has worked extremely well for me, but I think it is a very personal calculation - not something you can plug into a formula. I've never not used my time because I can always deposit or rent it, wherever I own.

I conclude that the biggest factor when I discuss timeshares with others is the fact that you have to spend a LOT of time planning things out ahead of time in order to get the reservations you want, especially if you are trying to string together several desirable weeks to keep airfare down. I am retired now and able to spend the planning time and go when the kids are in school. Such a difference!

 

[frank808]

You're right, the low and shoulder season travel really changes the value of the week. For many years I was tied to the kids school-schedule and would go to Palm Desert in summer. If I would have payed attention to the price (and availability) of Getaways, I would have learned pretty quickly that those weeks weren't worth the M.F. I was paying on them (to be trading them into the desert in summer of all times!). I am trying to utilize Getaways more often when I am travelling in the off-season and many weeks are an absolute bargain.

A lot of the math people do is also based on staying a 'top' week in the resort they bought, which there is nothing wrong with if that is their plan and how they use it. When I owned DVC, I always used it within their system (never trading out), so it was pretty clear cut when I looked at the numbers. However, for the 10+ years I have owned a Vistana lock-off, I have never once stayed there. It is only a 'vehicle' to get me somewhere else. That 'somewhere' is mostly resorts with M.F.'s that far exceed my little SDO.

It actually makes it difficult for me to find somewhere that I think is worth it to own and occupy, as generally those properties I am attracted to are newer, more expensive to purchase and have higher maintenance fees (i.e. Marriott/Vistana Hawaii weeks, Hyatt, Four Seasons etc.). I find there is plenty of value using II, but can hardly make that part of a ROI scenario. I don't know how to calculate value on that, other than to look at the cost of the week I am trading, vs. the cost of the week I am trading into... which means it would be fluctuating year-to-year depending on what I traded into and what my fees were.

My experience is closer to that of @Ken555, I can easily look at what my nightly rate is of what I own and it IS really that low. This year I calculated my costs to be $114 a night in a 2 bedroom (Hawaii being my most frequent destination). That is with considering an upcharge of $100 for the unit-size increase, trade fees and my II membership all-in. Plenty of people are still getting trades into Vistana and Marriott (or other Hawaii) without having priority as well -- they probably can even pay less per night as @little1 posted.

I always buy something that I think I can at least give away on TUG at the end, and never actually pretend it's an asset. Works for me despite my math making a lousy-looking spreadsheet.

For my 2br stays here at Marriott Ko Olina I am paying about $650 a week + $118 to upgrade a studio to 2br + $159 trade fee and $45 lock off fee. Will even include the $112 a year platinum II fee so for 40 weeks a year about $3. My cost for a week at MKO is about $975 ($139/night). If using the more expensive Harbour Lake units, the cost is about $1075 ($153/night) per week in a 2br unit using a studio trade. Using a 1br unit it will be $59 cheaper a week, about $8 per day less.

Can't find a 2br unit on Oahu for $153 a night. Heck a hotel room will run you more than that nightly here.

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[pedro47]

The true cost of owning a timeshare cannot always be measured in dollars. IMHO
I measure my timeshare ownership in quality vacation spent with my family and friends.

 

[bogey21]

This whole discussion is appropriately focused on those desiring high end accommodations. For those who are willing to accept less and are primarily looking for location and possibly specific time frames the calculus is a whole lot different. What you do is buy Fixed Weeks at well-run Independents for between $0 and $1,000 and relatively low MFs knowing that they will have zero-dollar value when you are done with them. This worked for me during my last 7-10 years of Timesharing. Sure, you give up quality but save a ton of money...

George

 

[marmite]

Can't find a 2br unit on Oahu for $153 a night. Heck a hotel room will run you more than that nightly here.

Also less than a fish dinner for two ... And honestly, if you gave me a budget of a $153 a night in Oahu, it would still be a 3* hotel room at best. A far cry from staying at Ko Olina.

 

[davidvel]

The true cost of owning a timeshare cannot always be measured in dollars. IMHO
I measure my timeshare ownership in quality vacation spent with my family and friends.

You can have the same quality vacation spent with family and friends, whether you own or pay cash. People are talking about how you get the SAME vacation for less cost.

 

[Quadmaniac]

Everything has been covered on both sides. I find that there are few timeshares that rent for much above their MF apart from SOME places in Hawaii and NC vs renting from an owner on Redweek and particular event weeks. It depends from resort to resort but some timeshares are worth owning, you just have to research the market first.

 

[kanerf]

This formula does work at DVC where most of the timeshares have gone up in value over the years unlike other timeshares. I bought 150 points at BRV for $90 a point several years ago and can easily sell them for $115 a point right now, a $25 per point profit.

 

[boraxo]

I don't really understand the calculations or where you get the $2k per year for the timeshare cost (the time value of your purchase price at 8%?)

But as others have noted it is a risky to assume that you will recoup 100% of your purchase price on resale (Disney is an exception but I hate everything Disney), and also you need factor annual increase in maintenance fees which go up even without inflation and will likely be worse now as labor costs are shooting up.

The "not-owning" scenario is a lot higher for me. 2BR typically rent for minimum of $500 per night and go as high as $800 per night, so I would be looking at $3500-5600 per week. But owners don't rent for less than one week, and with children in school I am typically looking for 2-4 nights over a long weekend. So timeshare rental is not really an option for me. On AirBnb I'm likely to pay $400-500 per night (incl. taxes, cleaning, fees etc) for a lesser non-timeshare property. Hotel rooms typically run at least $500 per night for 2 hotel rooms + bogus resort fees and parking (without living room, kitchen etc.)

In my case the lost earnings (8%) on my initial investment is $280 and I pay $1500 maintenance. Worst case scenario the value goes to zero over 10 years lifespan then the cost is +$350. But of course I may hold it longer and the resale market is decent.

This year I "traded" my ski week for 9 nights during ski season, so I'm pretty happy with my ROI.

I've seen some TUGgers that have used 10 years (instead of 15), so that is what I generally calculate against. However, I really compare the cost of ownership to what I personally would usually pay for a vacation, not what the rack-rate or rental cost might be. i.e. If I usually get a condo on Priceline for $300/night, then I am using $2100 as my comparison for a week. I may very well be in a much larger and nicer unit when in a timeshare, however I am not a person that pays $6k for a week anywhere. If I used $6k a week as my measuring-stick, owning a timeshare would always come out far ahead.

That sounds like timeshare sales talk to me. I don't have a "usual" vacation and it is one of the reasons I avoided buying a timeshare until 2020. On our family excursions we rarely spend more than 4-5 nights anywhere. We also rarely visit the same location regularly except for the location we purchased (which is why I bought it!) and rarely the same dates. That said I concur that I would not spend $6k per week anywhere - the closest I came was $3k to rent a villa in Tuscany for a week. Plan to do this in Greece and maybe south of France, too. In my limited experience Interval is useless to trade into these types of locations and the villas are much nicer.

Some non-financial aspects;
1. Guaranteed access to unit size and view (Platinum, ocean view) in season
2. A place we love and have no problems returning year after year
3. A magnet to draw kids, grandkids and friends for visits
4. High trade value. Have traded to many resorts, and even traded back into Maui. A fee lets us upgrade size (from lockoff to 1 or 2 bedroom)
5. Free parking, gym, resort amenities and great staff
6. Forces us to go on vacation, or to give away time to friends and family or rent to others.
My point is that for many, the value of timeshares is not in the finance, but in the experience.

This is what is often promised. However I don't need a timeshare for 2, 3 and 6, and I have not found 4 to be true (no doubt Maui is among the best for trading, but I would have paid 10x more even on resale, not to mention airfare x 4 every time I visit. For me the savings on room rates, parking, resort fees plus getting twice as much space offsets the hassle of working the system to book the 2-4 night partial weeks that we prefer.

 

[marmite]

I took what @pedro47 said to be an additional 'plus' to the value of ownership.

His spreadsheet might have a one liner that says True value of timeshare vacations = priceless! I like that math.

I can't really afford to take the same vacations in the sheer quantity I do without a timeshare. Being able to add an extra bedroom on an Interval trade for $100 isn't usually possible when renting (is it?). Certainly the M.F. on a 2 bedroom isn't double that of a 1 bedroom, yet buying a lock-off gives a lot of flexibility (especially for years you want to rent it out). Those are a lot of different comparisons you could try to make on a spreadsheet. Many of us who own have experienced a myriad of benefits because they can get that extra bedroom so cheaply -- it is one of the few benefits that allow me to invite friends and extended family so often.

I think many of us have also gifted multiple vacation weeks to others, which is something I was never able to do before. Starting with some financial assumptions is always wise (so you don't feel like you just made the most terrible financial decision ever), but ultimately how you actually use your ownership over its lifetime will determine the value.

@kanerf As for my old Disney BCV contract, I definitely made money, but I also bought it when the Canadian $ was at par (and sold when it wasn't!). If I had a crystal ball I would have bought many more points than I did back then!

 

[AlmostRetired]

Let us look backwards. Cost of a timeshare aside, I can say with 100 percent certainty, owning a timeshare saved me money than if I didn’t own it. I owned the Monarch at Sea Pines since 1996. The Monarch had an owners website that listed MF's from the time it was built. From 1996 until I sold this year, I paid a total of 25,000 The per year cost was about 970 per year. In 1995, I rented this unit for about 1,000 before buying it in 1996. The MF was about 400. So rental was about 250% of MF. The last 6 years I rented my Monarch at an average of about 2750 and my MF averaged about 1500 or about 85% above MF. So while MF is going up faster than rentals, it is still a healthy profit.

The cost of my July Oceanfront Monarch in 1996 was 13,000. this included all closing costs. I sold it for 18,400 this year. I will not look at the return of investment because I think it complicates the discussion and the last 13 years a dart thrown at a newspaper could have gotten a return that historically is not accurate nor sustainable. Also I once owned Bear Sterns and MCI at one point, so though I am a genius in recent years, who wasn't.

Let us now look forward. To quote the infamous Mona Lisa Vito in My Cousin Vinny, “ It’s a bullshit question, it’s impossible to answer”
I will say that if you purchase a resale unit that you enjoy going to, rents well and/or trades well it will retain the price you paid. I sold three units this year (2 Monarch's and an EOY Grand Chateau) and purchased two (Grande Ocean and 3 bedroom annual Grand Chateau). I am looking for another Grande Ocean. How I use my weeks now would require too lengthy an explanation, but I will say I rent to get a good return on my MF (now MGO) so I can travel outside of timeshares with my wife and I trade my MGC to travel with family. I purchased again because it is cost effective for me. I know it is not mathematical but I could make up assumptions that could justify whatever position I would take. I would rather use my gut and experience.

Added after original post.
I will say that even thought for me owing is more cost effective, it takes more work than renting from an owner. I can understand some not wanting to do that work. Summer HHI commands a premium above MF and as long as that continues, for me that work is worth it no matter if I rent it or use it. I also did not include when life gets in the way. It happens but having a unit that rents well minimizes the impact. In 2021 my kids could not make the planned week. I rented my unit and rented another week from an owner.

 

[DRH90277]

I'm in agreement with these most recent posts about timeshare rental being the low cost alternative to use. I think you will always find ownership through resale or through a developer purchase to be more expensive than renting. I must add the purchase of points from a developer is absolutely the most expensive approach to use. Simply put, a rental at or near the maintenance fee will always be the least expensive - if you can find what you want. But high demand Marriott properties will rent for about twice the maintenance fees.

Another reason to rent is that you can usually find the exact week you want quite easily with proper timing of the rental effort.

If someone must buy, I suggest they buy resale at a property "they like enough to use frequently" and, in a good season. This will be on the low end of the cost scale as the cost will be the annual maintenance fee plus some amortization of the low purchase cost. We chose this option for our purchases as we and our children will use the specific weeks for many years. We chose platinum properties at Newport Coast in So CA and at Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach, SC and they are used every year (but can be rented easily). Also, large parts of our families live within easy driving distances to these locations.

Marriott sales plays the "imagine game" to entice you to the flexibility of visiting so many different properties across the world. We could probably "imagine" a bit more.

 

[frank808]

That said I concur that I would not spend $6k per week anywhere - the closest I came was $3k to rent a villa in Tuscany for a week. Plan to do this in Greece and maybe south of France, too. In my limited experience Interval is useless to trade into these types of locations and the villas are much nicer.

Not trading through Interval, but Hilton Grand Vacations has villas in Tuscany. Actually HGVC has a few locations in Europe I will be visiting. MVC does has Disneyland Paris location.

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[marmite]

That sounds like timeshare sales talk to me. I don't have a "usual" vacation and it is one of the reasons I avoided buying a timeshare until 2020. On our family excursions we rarely spend more than 4-5 nights anywhere. We also rarely visit the same location regularly except for the location we purchased (which is why I bought it!) and rarely the same dates. That said I concur that I would not spend $6k per week anywhere - the closest I came was $3k to rent a villa in Tuscany for a week. Plan to do this in Greece and maybe south of France, too. In my limited experience Interval is useless to trade into these types of locations and the villas are much nicer.

Ouch! Not timeshare sales talk at all. I am dramatically reducing the value of my vacations of what I compare cost of ownership to. I was using $300 a night as an example, but that is actually my 'personal' spending habit for a vacation when I am doing a hotel stay (in North America at least). I do a week and usually spend $300 a night. That is a fact for me and me only. So when I stay for less than $300 a night in a timeshare that I consider at least as nice as the hotel I was going to stay in, that is how I see my 'savings'. Even if I dropped that down to $150 a night, I would STILL see savings, but perhaps not enough to justify the risks associated with ownership (and the effort for booking).

As for spending 4-5 nights somewhere, I have often ended or started my timeshare vacations on a day that suits me, cutting a day or two off the week. Even in those situations, I have found a shorter stay has still been less expensive (trading my owned week) than if I were to rent using the hotel websites.

I agree that there are locations I choose not to trade into, just as you have made plans to rent villas in Europe. Timeshare travel is just one of several options, and for most of the world outside of North America, I don't use my timeshare. Some do (and know what the gems on II are), but I am pretty particular on the quality-level of my accommodations, and in many cases the selection in international destinations are a step down from what I'm good with (Marriott and Anantara perhaps being the exceptions), and often outside the cities I want to go to. So far the only International destination that worked out well for me was Bangkok, but that was a Marriott and probably one of my top timeshare stays ever. A timeshare stay does not work at all when you are hopping around every 4 days to a new city or country, I certainly wouldn't be able to pull that off using II, so that is probably where II is also 'useless' as you said.

I work, have 8 weeks of vacation a year, our family is largely into world travel (minus this pandemic of course) which includes land vacations and cruising. Half those weeks though (which are what I have labelled my 'usual' vacation where timeshares are concerned), are spent travelling in the US, mostly Hawaii, California and Arizona which are great for a timeshare stay if you are ON the beaten track and not wanting to stay in the smaller towns. I expect that when I retire, my travel pattern will change and my flexibility will increase (making the use of Getaways or AC more possible). It definitely comes down to a personal examination of how you (and the OP of course) like to travel and if it is a fit for you and your family.

Timesharing is not for everyone or every vacation by any means. There are a plenty of good reasons not to own a timeshare and to be cautious when getting one.

 

[bogey21]

The cost of my July Oceanfront Monarch in 1996 was 13,000. this included all closing costs. I sold it for 18,400 this year.

What is it about Monarch? I also sold my resale Monarch Week at a large profit a number of years ago...

George

 

[AlmostRetired]

What is it about Monarch? I also sold my resale Monarch Week at a large profit a number of years ago...

George

I know it is an older and smaller, but the Monarch has a very loyal ownership from generation to generation. I think it is because it is fixed week and seeing the same families year after year reinforces pride of ownership. I believe the end of June through the end of July is peak timeframe and the Oceanfront units on floors 3 to 5 have the best unobstructed direct ocean front views , with only maybe 15 units. Oceanfront units and they do not come on the market often. The old supply and demand. The fact they are fixed units ensure you get the same view forever. Back in 1996 it was much harder to sell a unit than it is today so this is why I got a good price. The person who just purchased the oceanfront already owned oceanfront and was waiting for years for one to come on the market in July for this week. I was surprised I got that much but I had a number of interested buyers.

My other unit I sold for 7400. i bought it for 5000. It was unit 4 units away but not ocean front. It was for the 3rd week in August that while a premier week, is not in as high demand. I just took the first buyer above 7K because I already purchased the Grande Ocean.

As much as I really enjoyed my ownership at the Monarch, , sleeping six is too much of a challenge.

 

[grupp]

I know it is an older and smaller, but the Monarch has a very loyal ownership from generation to generation. I think it is because it is fixed week and seeing the same families year after year reinforces pride of ownership. I believe the end of June through the end of July is peak timeframe and the Oceanfront units on floors 3 to 5 have the best unobstructed direct ocean front views , with only maybe 15 units. Oceanfront units and they do not come on the market often. The old supply and demand. The fact they are fixed units ensure you get the same view forever. Back in 1996 it was much harder to sell a unit than it is today so this is why I got a good price. The person who just purchased the oceanfront already owned oceanfront and was waiting for years for one to come on the market in July for this week. I was surprised I got that much but I had a number of interested buyers.

My other unit I sold for 7400. i bought it for 5000. It was unit 4 units away but not ocean front. It was for the 3rd week in August that while a premier week, is not in as high demand. I just took the first buyer above 7K because I already purchased the Grande Ocean.

As much as I really enjoyed my ownership at the Monarch, , sleeping six is too much of a challenge.

I think you are correct about the loyal following and fixed weeks adding to the value. I sold my summer oceanfront a few years back to the person who owned the week right before mine in the same unit. I wasn't looking to sell, but he wanted consecutive weeks and made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

 

[CO skier]

I never paid more than the "net cost" of $1200 for any ski location using Wyndham or WorldMark system (and other systems) for 2-bedroom units. Some of them are ski-in and ski-out. Granted that I only booked the Christmas week 1 year in Lake Tahoe, The Ridge Sierra, for $1,100 for a 2-bedroom unit for 1 week.

I don't own any timeshare.

I have rented Banff/Camore for $600 (2x)
Colorado for $600 (3x)
Lake Tahoe for $550 to $800 (3x)
Park City/Canyon ski-in/ski-out for $1,150 (2x)
Whistler, across from the Olympic Village $1,100 (1x)

Not to mentioned non-skiing areas like
Atlantis (Bahama) for $1,100 (1x)
Lone Pine, AZ for $600 (1x)
Big Bear Lake, CA for $350 (1x)

To name a few....................

I think you and michael13 are way over-valued the "saving" or the true cost of timeshare ownership.

My 20+ years of renting from existing timeshare owners has been: my rental price has been consistently less than the maintenance fee paid by the owners for the same resorts.

Sincerely.....

It is 13 months until Christmas/New Years 2022. Plenty of time to plan. Show me a few ads for a 7-night vacation in a 3 bedroom/2 or 3 bath condo that I can rent for less than $2,000 that has a free shuttle that is 10 minutes or less to the base, and I will concede the point that renting is as good as owning. With my timeshare, I know I can book a certain week every year, if I want, and exactly what is will cost a year in advance. Search time is less than 10 minutes.

I use my timeshare to stay in 1 bedrooms during the off-season at resorts with swimming pool, hot tubs, clubshouse, etc. for $360 for the week (about $50/night) -- total cost with no additional cost for housekeeping, like many rentals. Pinetop, AZ, St. George, UT, Steamboat Springs, CO when the leaves change, just to name a few available to me using my timeshare.

That is how I value timeshare ownership. I know it saves me thousands of dollars every year versus renting and the hassle of searching for a vacation rental.

 

[Dean]

IMO the financial aspect needs to make sense, it's a requisite in my view. But there are other benefits and reasons to own and also not to own. Control of the reservation is one another is an upgraded vacation for many compared to what they would/could do on cash. For me personally forcing me to vacation and dream has been one of the best benefits of owning timeshares.

 

[frank808]

I actually enjoy the planning a year out and the anticipation of my next vacation. I like the fact I can look and book airfare when it is at the lowest price I think it will be. I have to fly anytime I go for a vacation. It is like booking a cruise a couple years in advance. I look forward that I will be on board a ship for a week or month on this date. Same as Iooking forward to using the TS weeks on vacation.

 

[bogey21]

Back when I owned a bunch of low cost Fixed Weeks at various Resorts I often used less than the full 7 days. The savings I got from manipulating air fares and car rentals often covered much of my MFs....

George

 

[SueDonJ]

Sometimes TUG makes me feel like we're doing timeshares all wrong.

We took our first vacation to Hilton Head and knew almost immediately that we'd want to return year after year. While staying at an oceanfront Windsor Court condo rental in Palmetto Dunes we met with a real estate agent who quickly dashed our dreams of buying an oceanfront property and suggested that timeshares might be a good fit. At the time I'd been following Disboards for years and had started reading TUG so, not too timeshare-savvy but certainly enough to know the different brands and that an external resale market existed. We visited SurfWatch during its construction phase with a current issue of a timeshare resale magazine in hand, loved everything about it and bought two weeks direct because it was too new to have any intervals in the resale market. A year or two later Don found his favorite during a stay at an oceanfront Barony unit when we learned that it's the only newer Marriott on the island with all oceanfront-designated units directly facing the ocean, so we again bought direct because no resale intervals existed. We knew enough about exchanging to know that we couldn't rely on it to get into these two particular resorts in particular view units, and really the only consideration we gave to the financial aspect was whether our expected vacation budget would support the purchase and ongoing MF's. <shrug>

Years later when the DC came on the scene we were happy to learn that buying in would give us more exchange value for our particular Weeks (especially the SW 3BR's) than II ever had and, that the introductory pricing favored our direct purchases, so we jumped in feet first immediately. Add more years still and our decision to buy a home and eventually settle on Hilton Head Island, and the DC still is more favorable than II for our purposes.

And like others have said, prior to that first visit to HHI we hadn't ever made a commitment to vacation/travel regularly - in our early years because we couldn't afford it and later because Don's work schedule didn't allow it. The island itself convinced us to make the commitment to at least yearly visits; the timeshares forced us to make those visits. Until he retired the timeshare layouts also allowed him to work comfortably during our visits, some of which we never would have been able to take if he couldn't work while away.