Buying a Timeshare
Why Buy a Timeshare?
Forced Vacation
Timeshares are great way to ensure your family a vacation to create memorable family moments year after year. When asked, timeshare buyers usually say the best benefit they've gotten from their timeshare is a "forced vacation". In this day and age both Mom and Dad work hard and typically outside the home. The children go from school to sports practices, and other events. When everyone is home Mom and Dad are busy around the house and the children are glued to television and video games. Family time is so important and Americans just don't take enough vacation time. So many don't even take all their vacation time and others use it to get work done at home. Buy a timeshare and spend your vacation time enjoying life with the whole family.
Quality & Style of Vacations
Some other reasons cited as to why buying a timeshare is a good idea are ensured quality and style of vacations and affordability. Timeshare resorts are often located in prime destinations on the beach, close to theme parks, on the golf course and ski-in ski-out. Spas and dining options are almost always on cite or a stone's throw away. Services and activities are available to help take the hassle out of family vacations, keeping everyone happy and relaxed. When you buy a timeshare you ensure yourself a certain level of quality from one location to the next. Buying a timeshare takes the guess work and risk out of planning, especially when buying a name brand timeshare with a reputation to uphold.
Affordability of Vacations
If affordability is what your searching for buying a timeshare also helps in the financial arena. Most timeshares are condos with fully equipped kitchens so cooking and dining in can be a huge financial savings for most families. Additionally, most timeshare resorts have free activities on site and discounts available to local attractions. Little things like this are what really add up and make family vacations an affordable luxury.
Own Multiple "Second Homes"
Furthermore, buying a timeshare allows you to invest in a week, 2 weeks or more instead of full ownership. Many buy multiple weeks of timeshare at their favorite locations and use them back to back to stay for months at a time and use it as a second home. In many high end locations, where real estate is expensive, like beachfront in California or Hawaii buying a timeshare is a great idea. Plus, you get all the amenities and services a resort offers such as housekeeping, pools and activities.
Putting a Price Freeze on Future Vacations
Once you buy a timeshare the cost to vacation each year is only your share of maintenance fees. Depending on the quality of the resort maintenance fees can range from a few hundred to over a thousand. Regardless, that number divided by 7 nights is your nightly rate. It's like putting a price freeze on future vacations! Staying slopes side or beachfront in a 2 bedroom with Marriott can cost $500 - $800 per night. You can see how buying a timeshare would save you thousands over the years.
Just as hotel rates increase over time, maintenance fees go up an average of 5-6% a year as wages, utilities and other costs to run the resort go up. However, large maintenance increases are seldom and many resorts include refurbishment funds in the fees to plan for future renovations and avoid assessments to owners.
Pass it on to Family Members or Sell it
To make buying a timeshare even more attractive, once your finished with it you can either pass it on to family members or sell it and make some money on the sale. At the end of 10 years of renting vacations all you will have in your wallet are receipts. At the end of 10 years of timeshare ownership you will have a timeshare. Resort salespeople may tell you timeshares go up in value like a buying a house and can be bought and then flipped in a year or two for profit but that is untrue in almost all cases. The truth is that buying a timeshare is similar to buying a new car that loses value the moment it is driven off the car lot. Some cars hold value better than others but all generally lose value. Timeshare are very similar. Not all timeshares are sellable for very much but the name brand properties can usually be sold for more than the non-branded timeshares. The amounts fluctuate with supply and demand and current economic conditions. Buying a timeshare on the resale market for thousands less than the resort retail level increases your chances of selling it at the price you paid for it and in some cases and economic conditions even more.
Priceless Family Investment
Even though buying a timeshare can save you money especially long term, please
remember, timeshares should never be looked at as a financial investment but
instead as a family vacation investment. That is where you will truly find priceless
value.
