evestor1 said:

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A few months back I kept hearing a "sell us your timeshare" commercial on Houston radio. Can't remember the name, but apparently this type of company exists.

Good luck

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You know timeshares are a bad idea when an entire industry has popped up just to get people out of timeshare agreements.

Probably easier just to build a time machine and not sign up for a time share.

I sat through one at Hyatt wild oak ranch and it was very tame and was only 90 minutes. You just have to educate yourself and have a good story to stick to as to why you can't sign up. We ended up getting a 4 day vacation out of it during off season for peanuts.

Bobby Petrino`s Neckbrace said:

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Exactly what freebies are worth sitting through a timeshare presentation?

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I've never had any desire to sit through a hard close 2 hr sales pitch while on tropical vacation, but usually the freebie is something like a helicopter tour or other "activity" in a probably $200 range. They will also usually offer something like even if you dont buy the condo, you can buy another week here at this resort or another property to use in the next year for a discounted price that sounds good but isnt really a great deal.

I've been to a few and never had them go over the allotted time. I listen to their pitch and then tell them the price they will have to get down to in order to get me to sign up. My price is based on apartment rent of similar size divided by 52 weeks in the year plus $30 to cover utilities for the week I'm there and that any maintenance fees need to be included in that prize. I've held fast to my number, they're never been able to come close, and I'm out of there usually under the allotted time. If you show that you understand their pricing structure and the real value of the unit, the sales agent won't waste his time on you.

Don't ever buy a timeshare and especially don't be the first owner. If the math makes sense, they will find a way to change it.

Bobby Petrino`s Neckbrace said:

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Exactly what freebies are worth sitting through a timeshare presentation?

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I've done it numerous times.

4 nights in the French Quarter with a balcony room for $150? Yeah. I can ignore you for 90 min

4 nights in a 3 BR condo in west Palm Beach with an ocean view for $300? Yep. I can also ignore you for 90 min there too...

We own a timeshare in Breck and love it.

We trade it through interval for our summer vacations. This summer is marriott ocean pointe in Palm beach, next summer is westgate town center in olrando for Disneyland.

We get a week at these places, and our HOA yearly fee is about $700. So in essence, we are getting a week at a resort for $700. Marriott ocean pointe for a week in June, after taxes, runs for $1822. So we are saving ~$1100. Westage town center for a week bottom line is $2125, saving over $1400.

Also as an owner, we have 'day use' at our home base, which is Grand lodge on peak 7 in breck, a ski/in ski/out huge resort resort. We can visit any day, 365 days a year, and park in their heated garage, use any of their amenities (lockers, pools, hot tubs, fitness center, spa, arcade, etc), and if there is an available room, we can get it for really cheap as an owner. Like $59 in the spring/summer/fall and $99 in winter. This is a room that goes for about $200 off season and $350-$400 in winter. It's called the bonus time program, and is unlimited in use. I can book up to 2 weeks out. We often do it spur of the moment on Friday afternoon. So we do that 3-4 times a year for a cheap and fun weekend. Savings of ~$300 there in the summer, even more in winter.

Other perks:
Once a year in August, they have an owner party were get get 2 nights in a suite for free (or pay about $75 for a 1 bedroom), and get free drinks/dinner at the party. Twice a year, we can do an owner 'update' preview and they'll give us $150 or a lift ticket. We have the same salesperson as when we bought it, so it's an easy no pressure preview. We say no, he let's us go. Takes 60-90 min. We basically check out whatever they are currently building.

Now, obviously, we didn't get this timeshare for free. I'll throw it out there, we paid $15k for a two bedroom biannual. We use it annually by 'locking off' into a suite and 1 bedroom (which we then trade for 2 week long stays).

So yes, there is upfront cost, but I figure we'll save $1000 a year on the trade, and another $1000 a year on using our cheap nights, another $400-$500+ worth of owner party and owner previews, so it might take 5-6 years to actually recoup it. In the meantime, ski days are super easy, using the garage and lockers, then walk the 100' to the lift from locker room. If a room isn't available to stay, we either drive the 2 hours back home, or we make the 45 min drive to Vail and stay at my aunt's/uncle's condo to ski the next day as well.

I track the financial side of it, and we've lowered our initial $15k investment cost down to $11k in about 4 years. But that was without any trading (we used or sold our weeks instead since our kids were infants and we didn't want to fly). That reduction was strictly from money made by selling our week or the money saved by using bonus time/owner party.
Now that we are trading weeks, we'll shave that down quickly.


To op, if you don't want it anymore, just stop paying the HOA, they will take it back. Or just do like every timeshare owner does, USE IT. Trade your week y from mexico to somewhere else.



So come at me. I think I have a fantastic situation with my timeshare, and we use the hell out of it.

Edit:
Another thing I forgot; our room is worth certain number of points. Because it's a really nice property at a really highly desirable location, ours in particular is worth a lot of points. You can break up those points into multiple stays at other locations. Can easily get 2 weeks worth in Mexico or even 3 weeks at some place like hilton head or other mid tier destination.

91_Aggie said:

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I was born in 1969. For as long as i remember all i ever heard about time shares is that you have to be a complete idiot to buy into one.

How can there still be actual people under the age of 60 who would do this?

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Timeshare industry has changed dramatically since the last exposure you had to it.
In its infancy, you had a fixed week, fixed location, fixed room.. etc.

It is absolutely nothing like that now.

https://www.consumerreports.org/travel/the-timeshare-comes-of-age/

WES2006AG said:

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evestor1 said:

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A few months back I kept hearing a "sell us your timeshare" commercial on Houston radio. Can't remember the name, but apparently this type of company exists.

Good luck

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You know timeshares are a bad idea when an entire industry has popped up just to get people out of timeshare agreements.

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This is largely due to the older generation buying in the timeshare industry in its infancy, which as compared to today's industry is a joke. This older generation is now even older, well into retirement, and probably on limited income, so the HOA dues are unaffordable. Hence, the desire to get rid of it. (which, shows the ignorance of the owners; don't pay the HOA, and it goes away)

My parents bought an aruba timeshare in early 90s for like $6k. They've gone almost 30 years in a row now. While it is limited (fixed week, fixed room), they have spent almost 30 weeks in aruba for $6k, which ain't bad by any definition. Obviously, there are dues that come into play, but they are a fraction of the cost of the room; their 2 bedroom goes for like $400/night.

Personally, I'd rather not be locked to a location, but again, this was the old industry. Every timeshare now is in the exchange pool, or if you're branded (like marriott, Hilton), you exchange within the branded pool.

We are unbranded, but interval has Marriott and Hilton properties in the pool, so we can exchange to them.

Fair enough. I just stay for free on my Sonesta points. Nothing better than a free week at the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans.

62strat said:

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We own a timeshare in Breck and love it.

We trade it through interval for our summer vacations. This summer is marriott ocean pointe in Palm beach, next summer is westgate town center in olrando for Disneyland.

We get a week at these places, and our HOA yearly fee is about $700. So in essence, we are getting a week at a resort for $700. Marriott ocean pointe for a week in June, after taxes, runs for $1822. So we are saving ~$1100. Westage town center for a week bottom line is $2125, saving over $1400.

Also as an owner, we have 'day use' at our home base, which is Grand lodge on peak 7 in breck, a ski/in ski/out huge resort resort. We can visit any day, 365 days a year, and park in their heated garage, use any of their amenities (lockers, pools, hot tubs, fitness center, spa, arcade, etc), and if there is an available room, we can get it for really cheap as an owner. Like $59 in the spring/summer/fall and $99 in winter. This is a room that goes for about $200 off season and $350-$400 in winter. It's called the bonus time program, and is unlimited in use. I can book up to 2 weeks out. We often do it spur of the moment on Friday afternoon. So we do that 3-4 times a year for a cheap and fun weekend. Savings of ~$300 there in the summer, even more in winter.

Other perks:
Once a year in August, they have an owner party were get get 2 nights in a suite for free (or pay about $75 for a 1 bedroom), and get free drinks/dinner at the party. Twice a year, we can do an owner 'update' preview and they'll give us $150 or a lift ticket. We have the same salesperson as when we bought it, so it's an easy no pressure preview. We say no, he let's us go. Takes 60-90 min. We basically check out whatever they are currently building.

Now, obviously, we didn't get this timeshare for free. I'll throw it out there, we paid $15k for a two bedroom biannual. We use it annually by 'locking off' into a suite and 1 bedroom (which we then trade for 2 week long stays).

So yes, there is upfront cost, but I figure we'll save $1000 a year on the trade, and another $1000 a year on using our cheap nights, another $400-$500+ worth of owner party and owner previews, so it might take 5-6 years to actually recoup it. In the meantime, ski days are super easy, using the garage and lockers, then walk the 100' to the lift from locker room. If a room isn't available to stay, we either drive the 2 hours back home, or we make the 45 min drive to Vail and stay at my aunt's/uncle's condo to ski the next day as well.

I track the financial side of it, and we've lowered our initial $15k investment cost down to $11k in about 4 years. But that was without any trading (we used or sold our weeks instead since our kids were infants and we didn't want to fly). That reduction was strictly from money made by selling our week or the money saved by using bonus time/owner party.
Now that we are trading weeks, we'll shave that down quickly.


To op, if you don't want it anymore, just stop paying the HOA, they will take it back. Or just do like every timeshare owner does, USE IT. Trade your week y from mexico to somewhere else.



So come at me. I think I have a fantastic situation with my timeshare, and we use the hell out of it.

Edit:
Another thing I forgot; our room is worth certain number of points. Because it's a really nice property at a really highly desirable location, ours in particular is worth a lot of points. You can break up those points into multiple stays at other locations. Can easily get 2 weeks worth in Mexico or even 3 weeks at some place like hilton head or other mid tier destination.

---

It's all so clear now! Just to make sure I have it straight:

- you trade time at your place for other fabulous places
- you have "day privileges" at a resort where you "own" property
- you can cheaply stay in the place you own if you are willing to go last-minute
- one of your other miscellaneous (and valuable!) perks is the privilege of having your same salesman pitch to you again each year, along with dinner and drinks that you totally don't pay for
- there is also a point scheme that you profit immensely from because the property you "own" is really point-worthy

This in no way is a shell game. Nope, not a shell game.

Jack Cheese said:

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62strat said:

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We own a timeshare in Breck and love it.

We trade it through interval for our summer vacations. This summer is marriott ocean pointe in Palm beach, next summer is westgate town center in olrando for Disneyland.

We get a week at these places, and our HOA yearly fee is about $700. So in essence, we are getting a week at a resort for $700. Marriott ocean pointe for a week in June, after taxes, runs for $1822. So we are saving ~$1100. Westage town center for a week bottom line is $2125, saving over $1400.

Also as an owner, we have 'day use' at our home base, which is Grand lodge on peak 7 in breck, a ski/in ski/out huge resort resort. We can visit any day, 365 days a year, and park in their heated garage, use any of their amenities (lockers, pools, hot tubs, fitness center, spa, arcade, etc), and if there is an available room, we can get it for really cheap as an owner. Like $59 in the spring/summer/fall and $99 in winter. This is a room that goes for about $200 off season and $350-$400 in winter. It's called the bonus time program, and is unlimited in use. I can book up to 2 weeks out. We often do it spur of the moment on Friday afternoon. So we do that 3-4 times a year for a cheap and fun weekend. Savings of ~$300 there in the summer, even more in winter.

Other perks:
Once a year in August, they have an owner party were get get 2 nights in a suite for free (or pay about $75 for a 1 bedroom), and get free drinks/dinner at the party. Twice a year, we can do an owner 'update' preview and they'll give us $150 or a lift ticket. We have the same salesperson as when we bought it, so it's an easy no pressure preview. We say no, he let's us go. Takes 60-90 min. We basically check out whatever they are currently building.

Now, obviously, we didn't get this timeshare for free. I'll throw it out there, we paid $15k for a two bedroom biannual. We use it annually by 'locking off' into a suite and 1 bedroom (which we then trade for 2 week long stays).

So yes, there is upfront cost, but I figure we'll save $1000 a year on the trade, and another $1000 a year on using our cheap nights, another $400-$500+ worth of owner party and owner previews, so it might take 5-6 years to actually recoup it. In the meantime, ski days are super easy, using the garage and lockers, then walk the 100' to the lift from locker room. If a room isn't available to stay, we either drive the 2 hours back home, or we make the 45 min drive to Vail and stay at my aunt's/uncle's condo to ski the next day as well.

I track the financial side of it, and we've lowered our initial $15k investment cost down to $11k in about 4 years. But that was without any trading (we used or sold our weeks instead since our kids were infants and we didn't want to fly). That reduction was strictly from money made by selling our week or the money saved by using bonus time/owner party.
Now that we are trading weeks, we'll shave that down quickly.


To op, if you don't want it anymore, just stop paying the HOA, they will take it back. Or just do like every timeshare owner does, USE IT. Trade your week y from mexico to somewhere else.



So come at me. I think I have a fantastic situation with my timeshare, and we use the hell out of it.

Edit:
Another thing I forgot; our room is worth certain number of points. Because it's a really nice property at a really highly desirable location, ours in particular is worth a lot of points. You can break up those points into multiple stays at other locations. Can easily get 2 weeks worth in Mexico or even 3 weeks at some place like hilton head or other mid tier destination.

---

It's all so clear now! Just to make sure I have it straight:

- you trade time at your place for other fabulous places
- you have "day privileges" at a resort where you "own" property
- you can cheaply stay in the place you own if you are willing to go last-minute
- one of your other miscellaneous (and valuable!) perks is the privilege of having your same salesman pitch to you again each year, along with dinner and drinks that you totally don't pay for
- there is also a point scheme that you profit immensely from because the property you "own" is really point-worthy

This in no way is a shell game. Nope, not a shell game.

---

oh but WAIT. keep reading and he makes an even dumber post about a time share his parents bought, and how old people bought bad time shares but he bought a smart, new time share.

Jack Cheese said:

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62strat said:

---

We own a timeshare in Breck and love it.

We trade it through interval for our summer vacations. This summer is marriott ocean pointe in Palm beach, next summer is westgate town center in olrando for Disneyland.

We get a week at these places, and our HOA yearly fee is about $700. So in essence, we are getting a week at a resort for $700. Marriott ocean pointe for a week in June, after taxes, runs for $1822. So we are saving ~$1100. Westage town center for a week bottom line is $2125, saving over $1400.

Also as an owner, we have 'day use' at our home base, which is Grand lodge on peak 7 in breck, a ski/in ski/out huge resort resort. We can visit any day, 365 days a year, and park in their heated garage, use any of their amenities (lockers, pools, hot tubs, fitness center, spa, arcade, etc), and if there is an available room, we can get it for really cheap as an owner. Like $59 in the spring/summer/fall and $99 in winter. This is a room that goes for about $200 off season and $350-$400 in winter. It's called the bonus time program, and is unlimited in use. I can book up to 2 weeks out. We often do it spur of the moment on Friday afternoon. So we do that 3-4 times a year for a cheap and fun weekend. Savings of ~$300 there in the summer, even more in winter.

Other perks:
Once a year in August, they have an owner party were get get 2 nights in a suite for free (or pay about $75 for a 1 bedroom), and get free drinks/dinner at the party. Twice a year, we can do an owner 'update' preview and they'll give us $150 or a lift ticket. We have the same salesperson as when we bought it, so it's an easy no pressure preview. We say no, he let's us go. Takes 60-90 min. We basically check out whatever they are currently building.

Now, obviously, we didn't get this timeshare for free. I'll throw it out there, we paid $15k for a two bedroom biannual. We use it annually by 'locking off' into a suite and 1 bedroom (which we then trade for 2 week long stays).

So yes, there is upfront cost, but I figure we'll save $1000 a year on the trade, and another $1000 a year on using our cheap nights, another $400-$500+ worth of owner party and owner previews, so it might take 5-6 years to actually recoup it. In the meantime, ski days are super easy, using the garage and lockers, then walk the 100' to the lift from locker room. If a room isn't available to stay, we either drive the 2 hours back home, or we make the 45 min drive to Vail and stay at my aunt's/uncle's condo to ski the next day as well.

I track the financial side of it, and we've lowered our initial $15k investment cost down to $11k in about 4 years. But that was without any trading (we used or sold our weeks instead since our kids were infants and we didn't want to fly). That reduction was strictly from money made by selling our week or the money saved by using bonus time/owner party.
Now that we are trading weeks, we'll shave that down quickly.


To op, if you don't want it anymore, just stop paying the HOA, they will take it back. Or just do like every timeshare owner does, USE IT. Trade your week y from mexico to somewhere else.



So come at me. I think I have a fantastic situation with my timeshare, and we use the hell out of it.

Edit:
Another thing I forgot; our room is worth certain number of points. Because it's a really nice property at a really highly desirable location, ours in particular is worth a lot of points. You can break up those points into multiple stays at other locations. Can easily get 2 weeks worth in Mexico or even 3 weeks at some place like hilton head or other mid tier destination.

---

It's all so clear now! Just to make sure I have it straight:

- you trade time at your place for other fabulous places
- you have "day privileges" at a resort where you "own" property
- you can cheaply stay in the place you own if you are willing to go last-minute
- one of your other miscellaneous (and valuable!) perks is the privilege of having your same salesman pitch to you again each year, along with dinner and drinks that you totally don't pay for
- there is also a point scheme that you profit immensely from because the property you "own" is really point-worthy

This in no way is a shell game. Nope, not a shell game.

---

I bought a used timeshare a few years back. I think i paid $600 total.

Maintenance fees are $800/yr. it's worth a ton of RCI points. I'll never go to the base place I own.

I can get 3 weeks in high season in St Martin for $200.

You aren't finding any accommodations in St Martin over Christmas/New Years for $1000 for 3 weeks...

I've also used it for the DR and I'm still coming out way ahead.

My late mother in law had this one timeshare that we inherited. I could get about 10 weeks in Cozumel for the $800/yr maintenance fees.

Not a bad deal since I'm almost retired...I'm going to use the **** out of it then.

Is this time share in Breckenridge selling on eBay for $.01 with no bids a good one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Grand-Timber-Lodge-Odd-Years-Floating-Week-19-2019-Usage/323696492632?hash=item4b5dd08058:g:qdgAAOSwXoJcZy2i

Jack Cheese said:

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It's all so clear now! Just to make sure I have it straight:

- you trade time at your place for other fabulous places
- you have "day privileges" at a resort where you "own" property
- you can cheaply stay in the place you own if you are willing to go last-minute
- one of your other miscellaneous (and valuable!) perks is the privilege of having your same salesman pitch to you again each year, along with dinner and drinks that you totally don't pay for
- there is also a point scheme that you profit immensely from because the property you "own" is really point-worthy

This in no way is a shell game. Nope, not a shell game.

---

-Yes
-Yes. And here in another year or two when my kids can ski, we'll be using it damn near every winter weekend. Day trip from denver with heated underground parking, a locker room, and a 100' walk to independence quad lift and a heated pool dip afterwords? I'll bow down to you if this is not good enough for your skiing preferences.
-Yes (the only reason we really bought it; only using our 1 week would not be worth it. We live 90 miles away, so we don't need to plan these mountain getaways months in advance like you Texans do)
-Yes. $150/hr for a no pressure tour, while they babysit the kids, why not? The dinner/drinks is just an annual owner party, no 'tour' required.
-Yes. You laugh, yet I've made a few grand just in the last year or two by selling some of our unused time to users HERE ON TEXAGS. 3 separate transactions, $3k to be exact. We split our week up, sold 4 nights, and used 3 nights for a weekend getaway. I know, it sounds terrible doesn't it? But now, since kids are preschool aged, we'll just use the week elsewhere, like marriott ocean pointe this summer and orlando next.

You ask all this as if it's supposed to imply these are bad things.. so I'm confused. Why are these things not good?

Call it what you want, I don't care. I plan to break even on my initial investment in the next 5-6 years, and from there, I get a week at a $250+/night resort for $800, and get to day trip/weekend ski in luxury. You texans pay $500+/night to stay at this resort in winter, I get it for $100. Every so often I may just trade my week back into winter, and you hear stories of people getting lucky and getting xmas or NYE week, which sells for about $6k-$7k, and they sell quickly.

You can't escape. Resistance is futile. You belong to the time share people now.

lotsofhp said:

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Is this time share in Breckenridge selling on eBay for $.01 with no bids a good one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Grand-Timber-Lodge-Odd-Years-Floating-Week-19-2019-Usage/323696492632?hash=item4b5dd08058:g:qdgAAOSwXoJcZy2i

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While it's a great deal, because you're basically getting a week vacation for the cost of HOA (less than a grand), a resell at grand vacations doesn't transfer day use or bonus time privileges. For an out-of-stater, this is irrelevant, but for someone like us who lives here, it would be useless in that regard.

FWIW, when that timeshare was sold (in '01-'02), it would have been about $5k. It is offseason. We've stayed at the Grand Timber a few times. It's nice but not ski in/ski out, and just a basic, single pool. The 'suites' are a hotel room, so sleeping 4 is crowded, whereas at Grand lodge, a suite still has a master bedroom with separate living area that has the fold out couch.

Beer Baron said:

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You can't escape. Resistance is futile. You belong to the time share people now.

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I'm good with that. We have no buyers remorse at all.

expresswrittenconsent said:

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oh but WAIT. keep reading and he makes an even dumber post about a time share his parents bought, and how old people bought bad time shares but he bought a smart, new time share.

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Where did I say my parents bought a bad timeshare? They've been really happy with theirs, and have used it for 30 years now.. do you not read that part?

Quote:

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Call it what you want, I don't care. I plan to break even on my initial investment in the next 5-6 years,

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Are you factoring in the opportunity cost of that $15k from 4 years ago? Market is up roughly 45%, so that $15k is worth closer to $22k for your break even point.

I realize timeshares can obviously make sense for some, and it sounds like you and your family can get use out of it more regularly than most, and good for you. I just can't imagine using the word investment to classify something I am paying for annually (maintenance fees) and don't technically own.

752bro4 said:

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Quote:

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Call it what you want, I don't care. I plan to break even on my initial investment in the next 5-6 years,

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Are you factoring in the opportunity cost of that $15k from 4 years ago? Market is up roughly 45%, so that $15k is worth closer to $22k for your break even point.

I realize timeshares can obviously make sense for some, and it sounds like you and your family can get use out of it more regularly than most, and good for you. I just can't imagine using the word investment to classify something I am paying for annually (maintenance fees) and don't technically own.

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No I'm not factoring opportunity cost, because honestly I don't view it as an investment. I look at it as paying for the opportunity to make family weekend skiing VERY easy, weekend getaways VERY cheap, and having a week vacation at any number of destinations around the world for a fixed amount (my HOA), which is much less than the face value. I literally have a week booked at a resort in Orlando that costs over $2k for the week we're going, and I'll pay $730 for the HOA that year. Within 10 years, I do anticipate generating enough savings to pay off that initial cost, and if I do, great, but it's wasn't my goal when we purchased. If we did not live near grand lodge, and they did not have this day use and bonus time (the cheap nights), there is no way we would have purchased it.


What do you mean by 'technically own'? With my purchase, I have have deeded real estate, on file with the summit county recorder, is that not owning it?

Yes, I totally agree that there are a lot of timeshares that are crap. A crappy location/hotel with no trading power, no privilege of using the resort outside of your booked week, etc.

I sat through one of the presentations once to stay four nights at some Westin resort for like $200.

Dude kept explaining all of the cross booking trading stuff with other properties and I would quote it back to him in terms of how much per night I would be paying for that. He would come up with another "yeah, but..." and I'd ask him if increases on the maintenance fee were capped. That pissed him off so he starts down the road of how I must not be very savvy to pass up an investment opportunity like this, so I asked him for proof of sales of any of their "sister properties" on the secondary market, when he stammered, I told him that everyone knows timeshares to be the absolute dregs of real estate investing and that our allotted time had expired. He seemed to take it more personally than I would have.

At best, a timeshare is prepaid lodging for vacations at some discount with the tradeoff of lots of restrictions, and usually, you end up paying way more than you thought you would.

OnlyForNow said:

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But it one the whole (not including purchase price), 1 week in a time share is vastly cheaper than 1 week in a hotel and about equal to 1 week in a similar VBRO.

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If you're ok with locking it in, you might make back that initial purchase price in the discounts over some period of time, at which point it would feel like a hell of an albatross to me.

If you just want to go somewhere every year and you like that type of property, it might work out ok for you. If you aren't retired and want to take a vacation elsewhere every couple of years, you just shot your economics.

Oh, and you're maintenance fee is going up again.

The maintenance fee change is what astonishes me.

And thinks for being able to decipher that! I deleted it because I lost my train of thought after I re-read it.

in-laws use/own some time shares, we went to Cabo with them in 2018 to the Westin, but a property around the corner got smashed by a hurricane a few years back, and once it got fixed and renovated the maintenance fees went up by like thousands of dollars and the owners there didn't have any say so in it (I think there is currently a lawsuit about it - but still).

OnlyForNow said:

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The maintenance fee change is what astonishes me.

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It's definitely a big factor. Our resort is a huge ski in ski out resort with heated pools, heated concrete around all the pools, movie theaters, grotto/spa, arcade, bars/restaurants, 2000sf gym, private shuttle service, etc, etc, so it's on the higher end of what dues can be, but it's still much less than what I am getting out of it on a yearly basis by either selling or trading. I sold 4 nights of my week last year to someone here on texags for $1750, over $1000 what I paid in HOA. Then we used the other 3 nights and did a sales pitch for 90 minutes for $150 to buy our food/drinks for the weekend. The sales pitch after you've already purchased is much different than one where you aren't an owner. They are basically getting feedback from owners on what they like, what they don't like, is the trading system easy to use, what can they change, and also seeing if you want an additional unit, or they'll offer to buy back yours and you can get a bigger unit, a different season if you are looking to do that. They offered to buy ours back to get a better season (winter), and the offer was more than we paid. We didn't care though, because we don't actually typically stay there with our week. If we want winter, we trade it through interval.

I randomly see other timeshare hoa fees, and some are like $100 a year. It's basically a plain hotel 'off the strip' with a 20' rectangular pool and not much else to speak of for amenities. You also aren't trading that for a week at a Marriott resort on the beach.


Timeshares started out as these crappy hotels (which in the 70s/80s were probably the standard), and they still are around. But clearly that has changed as brands like hilton, disney and marriott are in the game now, and we are now talking huge resorts on prime real estate in prime locations.

I think it could work if (1) you can drive to the time share and (2) it's someplace you really want to go every year. Breckenridge for someone living in Denver is a perfect example.

As for me - we have all sorts of different places we want to go. And signing up for an expense that has no cap whatsoever is daunting. Add the fact there are so many commercials now advertising for how to GET OUT of a time share - well, too many red flags for my blood.

The commercials are for people who can't manage their wealth (re: their debt).

Are financial idiots.

And have no business buying into any type of real estate venture.


Someone who has taken proper care of their wealth, who actively manages their money, and likes the choices that are available through a timeshare property do a lot of homework before buying.


People love to keep throwing it out there that there are time share buy back companies... well there are more used car lots specializing in buying cars from people who are upside down on their car note.

Guess what else? They are also companies that buy houses from folks who are completely upside down on their mortgage.

Guess what those two types of people have in common? They can't manage expenses or their money for ****, but that is their responsibility.

Just like the mortgage crisis in 07-09; no one made those idiots sign contracts without reading them about variable rate mortgages; they chose to do it - sure the slimy title companies and mortgage companies are just that slimy, but they saw a way to make a buck off ignorant people.