want to buy a timeshare

jessie32

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 25, 2003
Messages
171
we just got back from disney.loved it but will never go at christmas time again.way to many people.got a christmas gift from my brother him and his wife showed up at disney.that was the greatest gift i got.well any way my brother now wants me and my hub to buy a time share but my hubby said no for the one for disney but he does like the condo we stayed at.it was the sheratons vistana resort.the falls area.what i was wondering do any of you know a good web site or any place to buy a timeshare from.we dont want to go to the company to buy it because it will cost to much.i would like to do resale on it.any body with any info would sure help me to make him buy.so i can go go to florida ever 2 years.thanks for your help...:confused:
 
http://www.tug2.net/

Valuable source of info. They also list timeshares for sale or rent. Also, when buying make sure you look at the maintence fees too.
 
We own the Disney timeshare ...it is great.....Sorry to hear your DH doesn't want to buy into it....
 
BUY RESALE!!!!

You will save yourself a bundle and its quick and painless.

We have a timeshare at Orange Lake and love it! If you like to golf there are three golf courses on Orange Lake's property. Both resorts are RCI properties. You can will the timeshare for Orange Lake but I don't believe you can will WDW timeshares?
 

You can will the DVC timeshares, the lease does expire however (when I hope to be a very old woman), but that is beside the point since they are not looking into DVC.

We bought DVC through www.atimeshare.com. They sell non-DVC as well and we were quite happy with the transaction. If you do a google search on timeshare resale Orlando, you will hit a ton. The Timeshare Store sponsors the DVC board here, you can hit them through their banner on the DVC board - they are very reputable as well and carry resorts other than DVC.

Do keep in mind a few things. Not all timeshares offer the same perks to a resale owner as they do to the orignal buyer - so pay attention to that. Orlando timeshares are "blocked off" from trading into DVC, despite what some timeshare sales people tell you - so don't plan to trade in to stay on property.

There are a lot of different programs out there - we liked DVC for its flexibility - we can spend our "points" however we want - going when we want and getting the unit that meets our needs - we aren't paying for a two bedroom for just me and the hubby, and if we need to add a studio to bring my brother in law, it can be done (I am not trying to sell you on DVC, just pointing out features of different programs that you may want to look at - other resorts also have points based programs), but we do pay for that flexibility in a fairly hefty cost for a timeshare. On the other hand, some DVC members get fustrated because the unit you will stay in each time will vary, not all the views are great, sometimes you end up in smoking when you want non - for those people, knowing they are in unit 202 the second week in Feburary may make more sense.
 
Make sure you really sit down and run the numbers carefully. Even buying resale, when you add in the maintenance fee, a timeshare may cost you more than just renting a place each year with no ownership interest. I think a lot of folks fall for the sales pitch and don't think it through.

For example, you can rent a 2-bedroom condo in Kissimmee for $55/nite. That's $385 for a week. If you go through Skyauction, you can spend under $300 for a week.

On the other hand, if you buy a timeshare, you are locked into that location (unless they have multiple locations in the Disney area) and you may have less flexibility on travel dates. Plus you have your initial investment and the annual fee which is usually a few hundred dollars.

If you plan to travel to other places, check where the company has properties, and what fees are charged for you to go somewhere other than your home base.

Just stuff to think about.

Steve
 
Jessie32, since you are considering a timeshare purchase, do learn more at TUG, as suggested above by Pooh Girl 71. You'll learn invaluable information. The bulletin boards/forums and the "Advice" articles are free. But for someone considering a purchase, you would find the ($15/first year) TUG membership extremely worthwhile. Read all the reviews from owners, renters and exchangers for any resort your are considering purchasing.

Sheraton Vistana Resort is a great place. Since you've already stayed there and you loved it, you know that. As mentioned, TUG has classifieds listings and you may find a good deal there. Remember that some listings are going to be negotiable, both on TUG and with resellers.

Consider whether you want a fixed or floating week or points. Decide this before you search for a good resale. This is an important decision and will affect your longterm satisfaction with your purchase. TUG explains the differences.

If you choose a floating week, make sure it includes all the possible seasons that may interest you in the future. With Vistana, that means you would probably want one that may be scheduled for vacation during Spring Break weeks, all Summer, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's weeks. Some are only good for January, May and Autumn months. While you may not want to revisit during the most crowded time of year, the week will resell more easily later if this is an option. That reduces your risk with your purchase.

Since you like the Falls, that may be a good choice. Did you see the other sections too? The Falls is the only section which has twin beds in the 2nd BR, as opposed to 2 full size beds. If you hope to travel with a large family or 2 couples, you may appreciate the larger beds. Otherwise, go with what you like. It's your money and your vacation. Don't get an every-other-year week. They're harder to resell later. Usually, you can find an annual week for the same price with just a little searching.

When considering costs, include your purchase price (should be under $5,000 including closing costs, maybe less, for a prime week, especially in one of the older sections, like the Falls), annual maintenance fees and annual FL property taxes which are billed separately. Make sure you consider the costs worthwhile.

If you love to return to the same vacation home yearly and you know you want to stay at this resort rather than try different ones each year and especially if you want to travel during popular school breaks, then you will probably love having your own timeshare vacation home in FL. A lot of people will say to buy elsewhere for less money and trade around. (That's what we do.) But it really depends on what you want from your ownership. Read on TUG and decide for yourself.

Here are some reputable timeshare resellers. Remember to offer less and try to negotiate. Look for a great deal and you could save thousands. Make sure the week you are buying is in a section that would please you.

TUG Classifieds by owners
Trish Grossi's Timesharing2000.com
The Timeshare Store
Holiday Group
E. L. Reid

HTH! Enjoy! :)
 
if you buy a timeshare, you are locked into that location (unless they have multiple locations in the Disney area) and you may have less flexibility on travel dates.

Steve, Vistana trades via RCI and RCI doesn't have a regional restriction (like II). So it may be traded to other area resorts, though that costs extra each time it's done. Trading to other parts of the world via RCI is not too tough with early planning (a year ahead) and a prime week, like Christmas, New Year's & Easter weeks.
 
thanks for your help.i will keep looking into it.there is so much to learn about.have any of you bought from any of the web site?if i do buy i dont want to get tokk.because there is so many company out there you just dont know if the company is true or not.thanks again for all the good web sites.hope to buy in to it soon.
 
:D Hi. Definately check out TUG. You don't need to buy membership to read the discussions only some parts including official resort reviews are member only.

I most agree with disneysteve. I have been staying in timeshares near Disney for 6 years. (5weeks this year) Usually 2 BR 2Bath. Amenities great. I rent them for far less than the Main/taxes and don't have investment tied up. Don't for get to add the interest that you lose every year if financed and even if you could pay cash that money is tied up in a money losing investment. TUG figures resales are 75% less than developer so definately buy resale. If you still want to buy. Take the tours and at least see the resorts and get the free gifts. Then look for a resale at the resort you choose
 
Just my 2 cents from our recent visit...we stayed at Cypress Pointe (Lake Beuna Vista) with a rental we found on the TUG2 board. Worked great! For the flexibility and lack of financial commitment, I would recommend renting other people's weeks. I voluntarily sat through a 45 minute sales pitch for Sunterra (owns CP) and got $100 in Disney certs. Found out they are not selling traditional timeshares anymore, but a set number of days you can use at any of their resorts worldwide. BUT the entrance fee is steep like in the $20K+ range for the cheapest plan. Yikes!!!
 
I bought my first timeshare from Century 21 in Texas and my 2nd from Tug. No problems with either one.
 


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