Why is it that every person i know who owns a timeshare thinks it was a great decision?

[Anonymous]

I love my timeshare. It's in florida, however we trade it for some amazing destinations. I have now been to places I wouldn't have otherwise been.

The beauty is that I can get 2-3 trips out of one exchange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, but we have a point system that has locations all around the US and a few outside. We also trade into RCI frequently for overseas trips. We have taken so many more vacations than we would ever have taken otherwise. Forces my husband to take time off from work and we're building great memories with DC. Just this year we've been to Florida, Arizona, Hershey, PA and Williamsburg, VA all on the timeshare. We have two more trips planned and are still deciding on Christmas time. I dread staying in hotels now. We always get 2 bedroom condos with full kitchens, and a lot of the locations are full resorts with several pools, etc.

The key is never finance a timeshare (if you don't have the money to buy it outright, you don't have the money to buy a timeshare). Try and buy it on the secondary market - much cheaper. I would never buy a fixed timeshare as we like to go to new places and revisit only a few, so personally, I would buy into a point system. Finally, you must be able to plan ahead to get the places you want and the high demand times - i.e. school vacation time. If you can't plan ahead, you will never get want you want. Those that our happiest with timeshares research it before buying and know how to use the system. Finally, most timeshares will not return any money if sold (a few exceptions), so you need to calculate that into the price you pay. Most of the time these days you can buy points for pennies on the dollar, so just calculate that into your costs for how long you plan to keep it and don't expect to sell it for anything. If you do, its just bonus money.

This

We always stay in 2 bedrooms too. But we just call the timeshare resort we want and pay the rack rate. We always wonder if the timeshare owners know about this? We stay for 4 nights at Powhatan Plantation in Williamsburg for less than the annual maintenance fee our friends pay. Nevermind the payment on the timeshare itself.

Same with DVC. We did the breakeven analysis on DVC and it would take us 15 years to make the money back. We'd rather keep our flexibility. Maybe it was a better deal 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:... One of these places directly. Saving on rack rates, sure. Saving on well- publicized sale rates? I just don't see it. What am I missing?

I can only speak to my Disney time share, but there are never sales on the high-end disney resorts that come close to what we pay if you average out our costs of ownership over the years. The villas we typically stay in at Disney cost upwards of $500/night. No way could we afford that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, but we have a point system that has locations all around the US and a few outside. We also trade into RCI frequently for overseas trips. We have taken so many more vacations than we would ever have taken otherwise. Forces my husband to take time off from work and we're building great memories with DC. Just this year we've been to Florida, Arizona, Hershey, PA and Williamsburg, VA all on the timeshare. We have two more trips planned and are still deciding on Christmas time. I dread staying in hotels now. We always get 2 bedroom condos with full kitchens, and a lot of the locations are full resorts with several pools, etc.

The key is never finance a timeshare (if you don't have the money to buy it outright, you don't have the money to buy a timeshare). Try and buy it on the secondary market - much cheaper. I would never buy a fixed timeshare as we like to go to new places and revisit only a few, so personally, I would buy into a point system. Finally, you must be able to plan ahead to get the places you want and the high demand times - i.e. school vacation time. If you can't plan ahead, you will never get want you want. Those that our happiest with timeshares research it before buying and know how to use the system. Finally, most timeshares will not return any money if sold (a few exceptions), so you need to calculate that into the price you pay. Most of the time these days you can buy points for pennies on the dollar, so just calculate that into your costs for how long you plan to keep it and don't expect to sell it for anything. If you do, its just bonus money.

This

We always stay in 2 bedrooms too. But we just call the timeshare resort we want and pay the rack rate. We always wonder if the timeshare owners know about this? We stay for 4 nights at Powhatan Plantation in Williamsburg for less than the annual maintenance fee our friends pay. Nevermind the payment on the timeshare itself.

Same with DVC. We did the breakeven analysis on DVC and it would take us 15 years to make the money back. We'd rather keep our flexibility. Maybe it was a better deal 20 years ago.

I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

[Anonymous]

I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

This is us too. We bought in 2002, and even with maintenance fees we're way ahead of the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, but we have a point system that has locations all around the US and a few outside. We also trade into RCI frequently for overseas trips. We have taken so many more vacations than we would ever have taken otherwise. Forces my husband to take time off from work and we're building great memories with DC. Just this year we've been to Florida, Arizona, Hershey, PA and Williamsburg, VA all on the timeshare. We have two more trips planned and are still deciding on Christmas time. I dread staying in hotels now. We always get 2 bedroom condos with full kitchens, and a lot of the locations are full resorts with several pools, etc.

The key is never finance a timeshare (if you don't have the money to buy it outright, you don't have the money to buy a timeshare). Try and buy it on the secondary market - much cheaper. I would never buy a fixed timeshare as we like to go to new places and revisit only a few, so personally, I would buy into a point system. Finally, you must be able to plan ahead to get the places you want and the high demand times - i.e. school vacation time. If you can't plan ahead, you will never get want you want. Those that our happiest with timeshares research it before buying and know how to use the system. Finally, most timeshares will not return any money if sold (a few exceptions), so you need to calculate that into the price you pay. Most of the time these days you can buy points for pennies on the dollar, so just calculate that into your costs for how long you plan to keep it and don't expect to sell it for anything. If you do, its just bonus money.

This

We always stay in 2 bedrooms too. But we just call the timeshare resort we want and pay the rack rate. We always wonder if the timeshare owners know about this? We stay for 4 nights at Powhatan Plantation in Williamsburg for less than the annual maintenance fee our friends pay. Nevermind the payment on the timeshare itself.

Same with DVC. We did the breakeven analysis on DVC and it would take us 15 years to make the money back. We'd rather keep our flexibility. Maybe it was a better deal 20 years ago.

I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

Yes, I said it was a good deal a long time ago. It's about $30k now for the points needed for an off peak 1 br.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, but we have a point system that has locations all around the US and a few outside. We also trade into RCI frequently for overseas trips. We have taken so many more vacations than we would ever have taken otherwise. Forces my husband to take time off from work and we're building great memories with DC. Just this year we've been to Florida, Arizona, Hershey, PA and Williamsburg, VA all on the timeshare. We have two more trips planned and are still deciding on Christmas time. I dread staying in hotels now. We always get 2 bedroom condos with full kitchens, and a lot of the locations are full resorts with several pools, etc.

The key is never finance a timeshare (if you don't have the money to buy it outright, you don't have the money to buy a timeshare). Try and buy it on the secondary market - much cheaper. I would never buy a fixed timeshare as we like to go to new places and revisit only a few, so personally, I would buy into a point system. Finally, you must be able to plan ahead to get the places you want and the high demand times - i.e. school vacation time. If you can't plan ahead, you will never get want you want. Those that our happiest with timeshares research it before buying and know how to use the system. Finally, most timeshares will not return any money if sold (a few exceptions), so you need to calculate that into the price you pay. Most of the time these days you can buy points for pennies on the dollar, so just calculate that into your costs for how long you plan to keep it and don't expect to sell it for anything. If you do, its just bonus money.

This

We always stay in 2 bedrooms too. But we just call the timeshare resort we want and pay the rack rate. We always wonder if the timeshare owners know about this? We stay for 4 nights at Powhatan Plantation in Williamsburg for less than the annual maintenance fee our friends pay. Nevermind the payment on the timeshare itself.

Same with DVC. We did the breakeven analysis on DVC and it would take us 15 years to make the money back. We'd rather keep our flexibility. Maybe it was a better deal 20 years ago.

I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

Yes, I said it was a good deal a long time ago. It's about $30k now for the points needed for an off peak 1 br.

Not if you buy resale.

[Anonymous]

It's the Disney ones in particular that I don't get. How many times can you go to Disney? I've been 3 times and have no desire to go again. Plus the cost of the parks are rediculous. No other real reason to go to Orlando. Last time we went, we split the cost of a beautiful 5 bedroom house with pool for about $800 each for a week.

[Anonymous]

We had one in New England while I was growing up and we loved it. 2 bed 2 bath condo in a great area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the Disney ones in particular that I don't get. How many times can you go to Disney? I've been 3 times and have no desire to go again. Plus the cost of the parks are rediculous. No other real reason to go to Orlando. Last time we went, we split the cost of a beautiful 5 bedroom house with pool for about $800 each for a week.

I have been to Disney about 75 times. Looking to hit 100!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love ours, but we have a point system that has locations all around the US and a few outside. We also trade into RCI frequently for overseas trips. We have taken so many more vacations than we would ever have taken otherwise. Forces my husband to take time off from work and we're building great memories with DC. Just this year we've been to Florida, Arizona, Hershey, PA and Williamsburg, VA all on the timeshare. We have two more trips planned and are still deciding on Christmas time. I dread staying in hotels now. We always get 2 bedroom condos with full kitchens, and a lot of the locations are full resorts with several pools, etc.

The key is never finance a timeshare (if you don't have the money to buy it outright, you don't have the money to buy a timeshare). Try and buy it on the secondary market - much cheaper. I would never buy a fixed timeshare as we like to go to new places and revisit only a few, so personally, I would buy into a point system. Finally, you must be able to plan ahead to get the places you want and the high demand times - i.e. school vacation time. If you can't plan ahead, you will never get want you want. Those that our happiest with timeshares research it before buying and know how to use the system. Finally, most timeshares will not return any money if sold (a few exceptions), so you need to calculate that into the price you pay. Most of the time these days you can buy points for pennies on the dollar, so just calculate that into your costs for how long you plan to keep it and don't expect to sell it for anything. If you do, its just bonus money.

This

We always stay in 2 bedrooms too. But we just call the timeshare resort we want and pay the rack rate. We always wonder if the timeshare owners know about this? We stay for 4 nights at Powhatan Plantation in Williamsburg for less than the annual maintenance fee our friends pay. Nevermind the payment on the timeshare itself.

Same with DVC. We did the breakeven analysis on DVC and it would take us 15 years to make the money back. We'd rather keep our flexibility. Maybe it was a better deal 20 years ago.

I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

Yes, I said it was a good deal a long time ago. It's about $30k now for the points needed for an off peak 1 br.

Resale baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the Disney ones in particular that I don't get. How many times can you go to Disney? I've been 3 times and have no desire to go again. Plus the cost of the parks are rediculous. No other real reason to go to Orlando. Last time we went, we split the cost of a beautiful 5 bedroom house with pool for about $800 each for a week.

You use it to trade into other areas of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the logic in owning one...

Because it was a great decision for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just priced out a week at OKW in a two-bedroom in September. It goes for about 3 grand. And that's low season. In peak, it's closer to $5,000. I only paid 10 grand for the whole 50-year timeshare in 1996.

This is us too. We bought in 2002, and even with maintenance fees we're way ahead of the game.

How much are the annual maintanance fees?

[Anonymous]

I pay about $90 a month.