Taking Full Advantage

When your vacation $$’s are concerned, remember…

“Resale Beats Retail”

As vacationers are becoming more knowledgeable about timesharing, more and more people are taking advantage of the fact that the timeshare resale market offers them the same product as the resort itself offers, except generally at a reduced price. The resale market is composed of vacation timeshare properties (many exquisitely furnished and located in fantastic locations) that are owned by individuals who have a need or desire to sell. Changes in lifestyle are usually the reason someone wishes to resell. These are the SAME units being sold at the resort by the developer – however, because the original price included a 40% to 50% marketing cost built in, the “resale” price is typically less than the “retail” price.

The Timeshare Concept!

“We enjoyed the kitchen. My wife likes to cook and we feel we saved as much money by eating in as the rental cost was! We enjoyed having a 2nd bedroom and bath for the children. We loved watching the sunrises from our private balcony.” Andy Anderson, ERA Whisenhunt Realty“

Spectacular! I had no idea it was like this!” Rick Toma, ERA Corporate, Marriott Grand Ocean, Hilton Head Tour

When you think about it, vacation ownership makes good sense:

Said simply... Timesharing is buying only that period of time (your share) of a beautiful resort, which you can sensibly use during the year. Vacation Ownership enables you to upgrade from a hotel atmosphere to a fully equipped condominium resort experience. This includes numerous amenities such as kitchens, saunas, VCR’s, fireplaces, playgrounds, washers, dryers, athletic facilities, etc. Options can include one, two & three bedroom facilities. These are among the many reasons why Vacation Ownership has attracted over 3 million households in the U.S.

Timeshares are usually purchased in increments of one week. They can be “fixed” weeks or “floating” weeks. You can also purchase “Quarter Shares”; meaning you could use your vacation property for a full 3 months during the year. Timeshares are categorized by their availability during a particular season of the year -- High, Medium & Low (i.e. High Season at Hilton Head, SC would be in the summer; low season, in the winter, etc.)

Another plus to vacation ownership is the exchange feature. You can spend one vacation at the beach and the next one, at a comparable resort on the ski slopes, at a theme park, etc. through your exchange privilege. If your “home resort” is close to your city of residence, typically, you can also take advantage of your resort’s amenities year round (i.e. boat launch, marina, tennis courts, golf course, swimming pool, picnicking, athletic facilities, etc.)

The Renaissance!

The Past: Back in the 70’s when the Timeshare Industry was in its infancy, there were a few freewheeling and unregulated developers using questionable sale practices and high-pressure selling techniques. The result? Stories of unhappy buyer/owners and a good example of how a few bad apples can spoil the barrel. The unsavory reputation left by those few developers and non-licensed resale companies gave the timeshare industry a “black eye” that was hard to heal! The good developers realized that they needed to take action on behalf of the industry.

The Present: The 80’s & 90’s brought welcomed timeshare regulation for consumer protection. This created a major, positive step forward for the industry and the timeshare Industry flourished! As an example, Marriott last year had over $800 million in sales at its 40 Vacation Ownership resorts.

The Future: The very concept of Vacation Ownership makes economical sense, and the overwhelming demand for responsible and reliable resale and rental services continues to grow and expand. During the past 2 years alone, over 560,000 households have purchased a total of 845,000 Timeshare Intervals, which represents a sales volume of more than $7 billion! A few of the major developers in the Vacation Ownership Industry include Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Radisson, Sheraton, Disney, Fairfield, Westin, Embassy Suites & Four Seasons. These major brands will account for a large share of new development in the future.

So, to all you “new” buyers as well as you “seasoned” owners, be sure to take full advantage of the resale market. The selection is broad and the inventory dynamic. It’s out there just waiting to offer you the vacation of your dreams – and at great prices too. When you’re ready to start looking, just use your own good judgment and work with timeshare specialists who are also licensed real estate companies. Remember, REALTORS® are bound by a Code of Ethics. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is comprised of 810,000 REALTORS®

Copyright ©2003

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