Timeshares - What questions should I ask?

[Emily and Jack's Dad]

Interested in a timeshare for future vacations in orlando and at other resorts in the US. Anyone have an opinion on the major timeshare operators and what issues should I consider when evaluating them?

thanks for your help.

 

[CarolA]

One word RESALE!

Most timeshares lose over 50% of their value the minute you buy them. (Disney's is actually an exception since Disney keeps the price high by repurchasing any 'cheap' sales)

I would suggest going to www.tug2.net It's a timeshare user group and they have folks with great info, resort reviews and resale listings.

 

[spiceycat]

you can also look on
www.redweek.com

now some of these prices are very strange. they have individuals using this site but also have some brokers. brokers prices don't always make sense.

just depends upon what you are looking for and where.

Don't buy in Orlando (unless you are buying DVC)!!! Orlando has a bunch of timeshares - more than is in demand (the exception is DVC).

there are cheaper timeshare with less maintence fees elsewhere. You can trade into Orlando and because Orlando must maintain it high standards or it will get downgraded by RCI or II - they are some wonderful ones you can trade it with a pretty bad week!

also I might reconsider even buying a week now. with skyauction it is so easy to get a week and cheaper than maintence fees now. (DVC will never be on skyauction neither will most of the Marriott) yes that means some of the Marriott do appear now and then on skyauction. They can't stay Marriott because of Marriott relationship with II or lack of relationship with RCI.

same with Williamburg, Branson and one other place that I can't remember.

 

[MN Dis Fans]

CarolA hit the nail right on the head. Buy timeshare resales, not from the developer. You will get it for about 1/4 of the price. I also believe it's best to buy a red week / gold crown resort to insure you get the best trading power. We own 2 weeks at gold crown resorts and never have had a problem getting in at any resort we've gone after. Good Luck!

 

[mrsstats]

Buy in an area you want to go to every year. In the event that exchanges become too hard to get or the cost gets too high, you will have a place that you want to be at. This is what my brother suggested when I was looking to buy. This was after he purchased Orange Lake 15 years ago. I agree, buy resale.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

They've given you some great advice:

1. No matter what developers sales people tell you, 99% of the time you get the same benefits when you purchase a timeshare resale as you do when you purchase from them and you can get it at 20-30% of the developers price.

2. TUG is a great website filled with lots of information. If you are internet savy (and since you have found this site I am sure you are), there is also tons of information available on timeshares in general or even specific brand name timeshares.

3. Be patient and do your research. While "great" deals do happen on occasion, if a deal doesn't seem right, walk away, because there will almost always be another one.

4. If you buy where you would like to go most of the time, you are then not at the mercy of the trade companies and their fees and rules.

5. My final piece of advice is to also look at the trade companies and which resorts they offer before committing to buying your timeshare. The two major compaines are Interval International and RCI. If you would like to have the chance to trade into one of the DVC resorts, you would want to make sure your buy a good quality resort that trades through Interval. Trading into a DVC resort is hard but it can happen. The chance of trading into DVC is slim, but if your resort only trades through RCI, then there is no chance of this at all.

Just my two cents.

 

[Emily and Jack's Dad]

Thanks for all the useful advice. The sales pitch was so convincing, yet it's quite a bit of cash commitment and we have heard of so many bad examples. I'll search out the tug site and look for other advice.

Again, many thanks to you.

 

[spiceycat]

no offense - but most timeshare salesman will say ANYTHING to make a sales - the two exception I have found (so far) are DVC and Marriott.

II use to go highly on the best resort period. However they have found that certain areas (like the Panhandle, Fl) they don't have enough of these resorts - RCI has too many.

so with the same resort you can get great trades with II and horrible ones with RCI - the same applies the other way too.

I also have a SA (south africia) that gets wonderful trades with RCI but II won't even touch it.

 

[tamu91]

Just my two cents but most timeshares in and around Orlando isn't worth buying. Orlando is the timeshare capital of the world so there are many quality properties that you'd be able to trade into fairly easily. There are few exceptions of course but in general, Orlando properties does not carry great trading power. But whichever property you choose, I'd say resale is the way to go for sure.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I think the caveat to the buy where you want to stay idea is spiceycat's don't buy Orlando idea...unless you can get it dirt cheap! The other reason you might want to buy Orlando is if you can only go in the summer. I planned to trade for time for my trip last week. Fortunately the people that I intended to go with decided to stay onsite instead because I couldn't find a unit through II.

That said until I moved to Georgia I really wished my timeshare was closer to home than it was. I would have preferred to trade out a ski timeshare to go to Orlando than the position I'm currently in of trading an Orlando timeshare for Orlando (or elsewhere). When your timeshare is within a comfortable driving distance of home (for me that would be about six hours) you are sure to use it every year without a struggle.

 

[spiceycat]

hey I live in Ala (b'hama) and I drive to Orlando about 3 to 7 times per year!!!

It is not a bad drive from Al or Ga. Of course I don't have to deal with I 75 until I get to Fl - that may be the difference.

My PCB is 4 hours from my house to it.

 

[Lisa P.]

The best tips were already stated:

1. A resale at a good price offers the best value.
2. Buy at a resort you love, where you'd be happy to vacationing if exchanging became problematic later.
3. Choose a resort that trades with your preferred exchange company - II or RCI - with resorts where you may want to exchange in the next 5+ years.

Here are some more:

• Consider the other resorts/locations offered by the resort's management company. Do they suit your future travel desires for exchanges?
• Talk to owners with that resort/company. Ask about the good and the bad. Is it easy to do internal exchanges or make reservations at your home resort or sister resorts? Are there any fees involved?
• How much are annual maintenance fees? Can you afford them? Have they risen with inflation or faster? Have the resort maintained older rooms well?
• How much are rentals for this resort on RCIHolidayNetwork.com or CondoDirect.com? Would it be cheaper to rent than to own?
• Join TUG and read the reviews for the resort(s) you're considering, at the very LEAST, before buying anyplace. Better yet, read about several and visit them the next time you're in Orlando.

We really enjoy our timeshare vacations and prefer them to any other way of vacationing! But it's easy to get ripped-off, to overspend or to regret a timeshare purchase. By learning what you can before you buy, you'll have accurate expectations and be another satisfied owner... like us!!!