Time Share Ownership Advice

[dagger1]

Haha. My original response was regarding your comment about earnings and savings. I never responded to your comments about your travel comments. My second response was about your statement regarding earnings and savings. The same issue I first responded to, to which you agreed with on the second pass.

I don’t see TS as being an investment in the typical use of the word in the financial/investment community. Is it an investment in having enjoyable vacations as many have expressed here? Yes, I think that’s abundantly clear.


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Traveling and utilizing timeshares is definitely enjoyable. However this is not why I consider TS’s an investment, as you know by my responses above. It’s been apparent from your OP that you don’t see TS’s as “an investment in the typical use of the word”, but that only applies to less savvy investors. As you agreed above, smart saving strategies are great investments, and can provide substantial monetary gains.

 

[heathpack]

I’ve been with them for 12 years and I have already liquidated my first investment. I’m sorry that you haven’t been contacted by this firm but I guess you aren’t on their radar. All the best and please stop messaging me. We have nothing further to discuss.


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Lol I don’t think you understand the difference between messaging someone on an Internet forum and replying to a post on an Internet forum.

You don’t get to control who responds to your posts if you start a conversation in a public venue like a discussion forum. It’s the moderators and the owner of the forum who make that decision and it’s based on forum rules, not your personal preferences.

If you don’t want responses, then simply stop posting. If you continue the conversation, then anyone is free to chime in.

Even those of us “selling newspapers”. Whatever in the heck that means.

 

[uaremymuse]

Traveling and utilizing timeshares is definitely enjoyable. However this is not why I consider TS’s an investment, as you know by my responses above. It’s been apparent from your OP that you don’t see TS’s as “an investment in the typical use of the word”, but that only applies to the savvy investors. As you agreed above, smart saving strategies are great investments, and can provide substantial monetary gains.

Haha. No, I didn’t say anything about “being a savvy investor” as that can imply a number of things. And no, I never said that smart saving strategies are great investments. I’m not even sure what that means.
My comment on what you originally said dealt only with your comment about the relationship between savings and earnings. Nothing more, nothing less.


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[uaremymuse]

Lol I don’t think you understand the difference between messaging someone on an Internet forum and replying to a post on an Internet forum.

You don’t get to control who responds to your posts if you start a conversation in a public venue like a discussion forum. It’s the moderators and the owner of the forum who make that decision and it’s based on forum rules, not your personal preferences.

If you don’t want responses, then simply stop posting. If you continue the conversation, then anyone is free to chime in.

Even those of us “selling newspapers”. Whatever in the heck that means.

Lol. Really? Have you heard of the block command? I guess not.


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[heathpack]

Lol. Really? Have you heard of the block command? I guess not.


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Go ahead and block anyone whose posts you don’t want to see.

That of course is not the same thing as prohibiting that person from replying to you. The reply is still there, whether you choose to view it or not.

Nor is it the same thing as repeatedly telling someone to stop messaging you. Especially when the person is not, in fact, messaging you.

 

[uaremymuse]

Go ahead and block anyone whose posts you don’t want to see.

That of course is not the same thing as prohibiting that person from replying to you. The reply is still there, whether you choose to view it or not.

Nor is it the same thing as repeatedly telling someone to stop messaging you. Especially when the person is not, in fact, messaging you.

Lol. Really? How silly of me.


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[CPNY]

What system is that?


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It depends on what destinations you want, which resort chain you prefer. I own vistana properties mainly because I like to go to the Atlantis and the Westin properties. The ownership I have allows me to book at 8 months in any resort in the system with my points with a decent how fee. I paid pennies for the ownership and as of right now would have no issue finding someone to “buy” the units.
Last night I Saw availability and I used star options (points) in the amount of 64K which is 900 bucks in maint fee from a timeshare I got for free.... a large one bedroom at the harborside at Atlantis for 3/22-3/28. Attached is the going rate as of today $4527.78 for the same exact room for the dates I’m going. I’d say that makes what I own worth it. Considering it’s a place I really enjoy going to.

 

[uaremymuse]

It depends on what destinations you want, which resort chain you prefer. I own vistana properties mainly because I like to go to the Atlantis and the Westin properties. The ownership I have allows me to book at 8 months in any resort in the system with my points with a decent how fee. I paid pennies for the ownership and as of right now would have no issue finding someone to “buy” the units.
Last night I Saw availability and I used star options (points) in the amount of 64K which is 900 bucks in maint fee from a timeshare I got for free.... a large one bedroom at the harborside at Atlantis for 3/22-3/28. Attached is the going rate as of today $4527.78 for the same exact room for the dates I’m going. I’d say that makes what I own worth it. Considering it’s a place I really enjoy going to. View attachment 16157

I’d agree with you based on what you’ve shared.


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[dagger1]

Haha. No, I didn’t say anything about “being a savvy investor” as that can imply a number of things. And no, I never said that smart saving strategies are great investments. I’m not even sure what that means.
My comment on what you originally said dealt only with your comment about the relationship between savings and earnings. Nothing more, nothing less.


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Well I guess I can say thanks for clarifying what you didn’t say and didn’t mean and what you don’t understand and what you did say. My comments were meant to aid in your understanding of the financial benefits of TS ownership. Hopefully you now see that TS’s can be great investments for travelers, allowing them to grow their net worth faster than a non TS traveler.

 

[uaremymuse]

Well I guess I can say thanks for clarifying what you didn’t say and didn’t mean and what you don’t understand and what you did say. My comments were meant to aid in your understanding of the financial benefits of TS ownership. Hopefully you now see that TS’s can be great investments for travelers, allowing them to grow their net worth faster than a non TS traveler.

Haha. No, I don’t know how owning a TS helps a person grow a persons net worth. If you explained that then I missed it. Can you explain that in a a few words?


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[CPNY]

Haha. No, I don’t know how owning a TS helps a person grow a persons net worth. If you explained that then I missed it. Can you explain that in a a few words?


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No one buys a TS to grow their net worth. I hope no one buys with that intention. If they do, they were lied to. Luckily this site is around and you can become educated on whether or not owning a TS is worth it for the family or themselves.

 

[dagger1]

Haha. No, I don’t know how owning a TS helps a person grow a persons net worth. If you explained that then I missed it. Can you explain that in a a few words?


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I think I will pass on explaining again. It’s all there if you want to reread my comments. I’m pretty sure that everyone else reading my posts on this thread understand the TS financial benefits I have outlined. If you didn’t understand it the first time, I don’t think repeating myself would help you understand. Besides, it’s apparent that you have made your mind up about your question, it seems even before your OP. Maybe someone else can simplify the math for you that would cause you to change your mind.

 

[uaremymuse]

I think I will pass on explaining again. It’s all there if you want to reread my comments. I’m pretty sure that everyone else reading my posts on this thread understand the TS financial benefits I have outlined. If you didn’t understand it the first time, I don’t think repeating myself would help you understand. Besides, it’s apparent that you have made your mind up about your question, it seems even before your OP. Maybe someone else can simplify the math for you that would cause you to change your mind.

Not sure why people make assumptions about my post. It was a sincere post. I wanted to be convinced that buying a time share made financial sense. My past understanding, many years ago, is that TS are lousy things to own. Some made the case that they have been able to take vacations for amounts that are less than what one would pay for the same thing on the open rental market in the same location and at the same time of year. I get that. What I’m still not convinced of is that they are an investment. I don’t think they are in the strictest since of what an investment is because when they are sold, you lose money. People get a return by spending less money on a vacation vs spending on a hotel, etc. so they calculate that savings as an offset to the loss on the sale in the future. But with maintenance fees, exchange fees and RCI and II fees, I guess some do ok and others don’t and could care less because their ROI is their enjoyment.


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[LannyPC]

What I’m still not convinced of is that they are an investment. I don’t think they are in the strictest since of what an investment is because when they are sold, you lose money.

I look at them as an investment in one's vacation accommodations.

 

[paxsarah]

Some made the case that they have been able to take vacations for amounts that are less than what one would pay for the same thing on the open rental market in the same location and at the same time of year. I get that.

If someone saves money they would otherwise have spent on traveling, that makes financial sense.

What I’m still not convinced of is that they are an investment.

That wasn’t part of your original question. Most people were answering the former. If you were looking for an answer to the latter in your OP, you should have asked it there. Most of us would have simply said of course they’re not and left it right there.

 

[Jan M.]

In financial terms, I lost money as do “all” TS owners when they decide to jettison their TS ownership.

This is the one thing out of the post it is quoted from that I can object to because it isn't true. Some people have actually made money. Not just on a timeshare purchased resale but on a developer purchase. We are one of the admittedly somewhat rare cases of people making money on a developer purchase.

 

[uaremymuse]

This is the one thing out of the post it is quoted from that I can object to because it isn't true. Some people have actually made money. Not just on a timeshare purchased resale but on a developer purchase. We are one of the admittedly somewhat rare cases of people making money on a developer purchase.

Which TS?


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[dagger1]

No one buys a TS to grow their net worth. I hope no one buys with that intention. If they do, they were lied to. Luckily this site is around and you can become educated on whether or not owning a TS is worth it for the family or themselves.

We did not buy our TS’s with the idea that we would sell them in 10-20 years and make a profit. We bought with the full realization that they would be worth 50%-90% less than we paid for them. Our financial consideration though, and why we bought, is because we knew we would 1. Be traveling 10-15 weeks per year and 2. Would be traveling with family and/or friends and would need 2-4 BR’s per trip. This is when the financial “investment” perspective became apparent to us. Renting 2-4 hotel rooms at the times and places we wanted 10-15 times a year would cost approximately X dollars. Buying TS’s, amortizing those upfront costs with annual MF’s would cost X minus 25-30%. I haven’t matched our total TS costs annually with exact hotel room costs plus sales taxes plus resort fee’s plus parking etc., I just haven’t done the hotel cost side to compare. But I am sure that we are saving $10K (at a minimum) by having purchased the TS’s vs renting multiple hotel rooms. I haven’t included the savings from eating meals in, or utilizing the in unit W/D.
This financial aspect of TS’s was a prime motivation for us when we bought. The $10K-$15K we DON’T spend on hotel rooms drops straight to the bottom line, thus increasing our net worth. Obviously this is only true for the “traveling” subset of the “investing” public. If we didn’t travel we would save a lot more and our net worth would grow even faster. But for travelers like us TS’s make significant financial sense.
Plus we get all the fabulous benefits mentioned above: staying in units with family/friends and not being separated and isolated in bedrooms, having meals together without having to fight lines and noise, etc....

 

[Jan M.]

Which TS?


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Golden Strand Villas. The resort has since then been bought out by a developer and no longer exists.

 

[dagger1]

Not sure why people make assumptions about my post. It was a sincere post. I wanted to be convinced that buying a time share made financial sense. My past understanding, many years ago, is that TS are lousy things to own. Some made the case that they have been able to take vacations for amounts that are less than what one would pay for the same thing on the open rental market in the same location and at the same time of year. I get that. What I’m still not convinced of is that they are an investment. I don’t think they are in the strictest since of what an investment is because when they are sold, you lose money. People get a return by spending less money on a vacation vs spending on a hotel, etc. so they calculate that savings as an offset to the loss on the sale in the future. But with maintenance fees, exchange fees and RCI and II fees, I guess some do ok and others don’t and could care less because their ROI is their enjoyment.


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Yes, you are exactly right in this assessment. Some people do the math, i.e., they amortize the purchase price of the TS, consider the loss upon sale of the TS, and consider the annual MF’s. If these numbers make more sense for renting, then renting should be considered. If these numbers make sense buying (resale, of course) a TS, then buy the TS. It’s really that simple. Travelers should definitely consider TS’s because they make financial sense in many cases. If the math doesn’t work, don’t buy.
They are also fun to stay in

 

[uaremymuse]

Yes, you are exactly right in this assessment. Some people do the math, i.e., they amortize the purchase price of the TS, consider the loss upon sale of the TS, and consider the annual MF’s. If these numbers make more sense for renting, then renting should be considered. If these numbers make sense buying (resale, of course) a TS, then buy the TS. It’s really that simple. Travelers should definitely consider TS’s because they make financial sense in many cases. If the math doesn’t work, don’t buy.
They are also fun to stay in

Great response.


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[uaremymuse]

So, to borrow an over used phrase, at the end of the day, which TSs are the best to buy for diminishing one’s vacation costs along with increasing tradability into premier TSs and rentability towards profit making?


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[dagger1]

Our favorites are our Marriott’s in Hawaii (we have 5 2/2 EOYO’s) we go every 8-13 months, and our Hyatt’s in San Antonio, Breckenridge, and on Ka’anapali Beach.

 

[WorldTraveler1972]

It depends on what destinations you want, which resort chain you prefer. I own vistana properties mainly because I like to go to the Atlantis and the Westin properties. The ownership I have allows me to book at 8 months in any resort in the system with my points with a decent how fee. I paid pennies for the ownership and as of right now would have no issue finding someone to “buy” the units.
Last night I Saw availability and I used star options (points) in the amount of 64K which is 900 bucks in maint fee from a timeshare I got for free.... a large one bedroom at the harborside at Atlantis for 3/22-3/28. Attached is the going rate as of today $4527.78 for the same exact room for the dates I’m going. I’d say that makes what I own worth it. Considering it’s a place I really enjoy going to. View attachment 16157

Hi, i was just wondering at which resort in staroptions you have. I have not heard of any maintenance fees (including taxes but excluding the vsn fee) that are as low $900 for 64,000 points. Can you let me know. Thanks

 

[bluehende]

One of the timeshares I own was bought for zero with 1 yr usage. I can now deedback to the resort for zero. That is a pretty good rate of return. A lot better than the GE I have owned in the same time frame.