Many people buy a timeshare because they fall in love with an area of the country or a particular resort.  They go there every year and truly enjoy it.  But sometimes they grow tired of going the same place every year and want to go somewhere else.  This is where timeshare exchanging comes into play, and we thought it might be helpful to cover some of the issues involved in timeshare exchanging in this post.

When timesharing first got started, you had no choice but to go every year to your resort, at the same time, and in the same unit.  Over the years, companies were started to give us some choice.  You would pay a yearly fee to belong to that company and you could give them your week and then pick from other weeks that had been deposited by other people.  They charged you a fee, but it gave you some flexibility.

As things developed, many timeshare resorts started into the point system where you purchased a number of points and then you could use your points to go to your resort when you wanted and in the size unit you wanted.  Also, you could use those points to go for less than a week. You could also take your points and use them with these exchange companies to go to other resorts or other size units and at different times of the year.

Many people bought into larger timeshare resort companies like Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham, etc., and they then could use their week or points to go to other resorts in that system and not have to use any exchange companies.  This does require you to stay in resorts within that system, and for some folks, that is too restrictive.

The largest exchange company is RCI (Resort Condominium International) and the other big one is II (Interval International).  We are not overly familiar with II, so for the purposes of this post, we will mainly be referring to RCI.  There are a few other minor players, but they are not really significant.  A timeshare resort, or timeshare company, decides which exchange company that they will be associated with, and you need to exchange within that company if you wish to go to a different resort.  The exchange companies only make money when you exchange and do not own any timeshares themselves.

We have written a couple of posts about exchanging into the weeks and the points system using RCI.  These posts might be helpful to you.

Some folks have asked us if you should buy a timeshare just for exchange purposes.  We have always been of the opinion that you should buy a timeshare where you would be happy to go every year.  Over the years, the rules for exchanging have changed and have left many people high and dry when they went to exchange.  For example, in the Wyndham system, you used to be able to exchange into some great resorts and/or a much larger unit with just a few Wyndham points– but they closed the loophole.  Many people had bought just a few points to do this, and were left holding those points, unable to make any exchanges because they did not have enough points to do anything with.

Again, there are no guarantees that they will not change those rules down the road.  You have no control over those rules or the cost they might charge to make your exchange.  It is nice to have that flexibility if it exists, but keep in mind the game might change in the future.

Also, the cost of exchanging has gone up in recent years.  In addition to your yearly fees to the exchange company, your yearly maintenance fees, and the fee for the exchange itself, many people have said that it makes it too expensive to exchange.  The cost for most exchanges runs about $190.00 per exchange, and the yearly fee to the exchange company is around $90.00.

In spite of the high cost of exchanging, one of the real benefits comes into play if your points or weeks are about to expire.  Perhaps you simply could not take a vacation this year, for various reasons, or maybe you did, but still have several points that you can’t use.  As the expiration date looms close, you can deposit that week or those points into RCI, and they will be good for another 2 years.

We hope this provides a basic understanding of the exchange system, and its relevance to your timeshare.  If you have questions or experiences you would like to share, let us know.  Also, watch for a future post on “Some Hints and Helps with Timeshare Exchanging–our Experiences!”  Keep using those timeshares for great vacations!

What a difference the time of year can make!  Our recent spring trip to Branson proved to be quite different from our August, 2009 trip, and definitely more enjoyable!  Probably this is due to the fact that it wasn’t horrendously hot, the crowds were non-existent, and our accommodations at Mountain Vista were top-notch.  That being said, let’s explore all 3 Wyndham Resorts in Branson.

The first Branson Wyndham timeshare is the Falls, which is off by itself about 3 miles from the others.  The units are very nice, but the only real amenity is an outdoor pool.  The resort offers activities, but you have to drive to Mountain Vista to partake of these (I believe van transportation is also available).  Wyndham at the Meadows is across the road from Mountain Vista and was built after the Falls.  Check-in and Member Services are located here, and the activities at this resort seem to cater more to families with children.

MountainVista is the newest Wyndham Resort, located very close to the Welk Resorts and Theater.  The grounds are lovely, and it seems to sit atop a hill offering great views of the surrounding countryside.  Our 2-bedroom unit (an upgrade) was large and decorated in a pretty, country cottage style that we have not seen elsewhere.

The living room, complete with sleeper sofa, sports a white wood clock cabinet that offers an ideal place for guests to store their belongings.  In fact, storage space is abundant everywhere in the unit, one of the best that we’ve seen.  A large, well-equipped kitchen and large dining area complete the main part of the condo, as well as an outdoor balcony with table and chairs. There are large-screen TV’s in the living room and both bedrooms.

The master bedroom is good-sized with king bed, dresser and nightstands.  The Jacuzzi , closet and sink area are adjacent, with a separate room for shower, another sink, and stool. The washer and dryer are located in the master bedroom, also.  The second bedroom has 2 double beds.  Our 4^th floor unit overlooked an outdoor pool, hot tub, and playground area.

The clubhouse features an indoor pool and activity rooms to include some free internet access in the computer room.  The fitness center is also located here.  Because we visited from Monday to Monday, we missed the welcome orientation, and because of our show schedule, we also missed a wine and cheese social.  The week after we left, the resort began bringing in some local entertainers on 2 different nights, which included meals.  The cost is $12.50 per person.

We were kind of disappointed in the activities’ offerings, as we remembered that some years ago they used to offer entertainment and a meal almost every night for $8 a person or less.  However, this was at the Meadows, not Mountain Vista, and in looking at the Meadows’ activity schedule there seemed to be more of this kind of thing as well as more family-friendly activities.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that a lady by the name of Nancy Bryant-Slocum still teaches classes 3 times a week in the activity center.  These voluntary classes help guests to better understand the mysterious workings of Wyndham and RCI, and are well worth attending.  This is where we found out about the new Wyndham VIP levels, supposedly happening in late October of this year:

Silver VIP:             400K-699,999K points

Gold VIP:             700K-999,999K points

Platinum VIP         1,000,000 points

Nancy explained that everyone who currently owns is grandfathered into the new tiers.  She also talked about how gold and platinum members can receive one-level unit deposit upgrades on all low and medium demand (quiet and value seasons) worldwide external exchange deposits through Wyndham Plus.  You have to request at time of deposit, and you have to call the vacation planning center to request.

She also went over RCI nightly stays, and the travel protection plan (the $49 fee ONLY protects your points).  This was only one session—our plans prevented us from making it to the other 2 sessions, but if you are staying at Wyndham in Branson, we would highly recommend it, as she is a wealth of information minus any sales pitch at all!

We saw some excellent shows in Branson, although the tornado was responsible for delaying the openings of at least 8 of them.  (See our previous post:  Trip Report:  Branson Re-visited-the Truth About the Tornado)  The Centennial Celebration was phenomenal, Pierce Arrow continues to be amazing, Yakov is fantastic, and The Cats’ Pajamas is one of the newer a cappella shows that we enjoyed immensely.  The Titanic Museum was in full gear celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the tragic incident, and Branson itself is celebrating its 100th birthday, also.

Overall, we had a great time, and still have many things on our list that we never got to do—and so, of course, we can’t wait to get back there!

Anyone who has ever been to Branson, Missouri, knows what a fun-loving, upbeat magical place it is to vacation in.  That it could still be that way, in spite of the recent Leap Day tornado that swept through this Ozark town, is pretty much remarkable beyond imagination.  Because, you see, it was really much worse than the reports that you heard or saw on television.

Once the destruction and rubble had settled, apparently someone in this spunky town decided that tourists were not going to feel sorry for Branson and stay home or go somewhere else—and the only way to really do that, was to downplay the effects of the tornado.  In many ways, this was a wise decision, as early spring is the beginning of their tourist season and things were just getting started.  And, for the most part, except for a lot of blown-out signs, most buildings are okay.  The area closest to the downtown was hardest hit, especially some of the older buildings not built to code.

But the downside of this decision was not helpful to the dozen or so shows that had to relocate temporarily because their theaters were severely damaged—or even not open at all.  The stoicism of Bransonites, while protecting their tourist trade that is their livelihood, meant for less money in disaster relief.   

But this is also a community that takes care of its own.  We recently attended a Centennial Celebration Show (at the paltry price of $35 a ticket) commemorating Branson’s 100^th birthday (1912-2012).  The show was phenomenal, and featured many of the Branson headliners to include Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff, The Presleys, the Baldknobbers, Jim Barber, The Haygoods, The Platters, Jim Stafford, Doug Gabriel, Barbara Fairchild, The Foggy River Boys, Carrie Tillis, the Lennon Sisters, Roy Rogers, Jr. and the New South.  Andy Williams and Tony Orlando sent congratulatory letters, as they could not attend.  Approximately 1500 people packed the RFD-TV Theater, and enjoyed every minute of the 2.5+ hour show.

And even though this show had been in the planning stages for months, when that Leap Day tornado hit, it became a benefit for those needing help due to tornado damage.  And so, Branson will carry on and continue to be the amazing place that it is, enjoyed by so many.  The people of Branson, with their pioneer mountain spirit, will see to that.  

We’ll be writing more about our Branson trip soon, but in the meantime, you can check out an earlier post at:            http://www.timesharetidbits.com/take-a-trip-to-branson/.

What were we thinking?  If we had a dollar for every time these questions were uttered by timeshare owners, we would probably be rich—or we would at least have enough to pay our maintenance fees! 

The terrible truth is, most people don’t truly understand what they’re getting into when they fall prey to timeshare salesmen and end up signing on the dotted line.  We can still remember sitting at a table at a Las Vegas Buffet many years ago and striking up a conversation with the couple at the table next to us.  They had just purchased an HGVC timeshare from the developer for many thousands of dollars, and upon finding out that we were also owners, wanted to know if they had made a good investment.  We sort of ignored the “investment” part, but told them that yes—they would have some wonderful vacations. 

If that happened today, we would definitely be more honest, tell them that we bought ours resale, and teach them the word “rescind.”  But, of course, even that wouldn’t guarantee that they would listen to us—some people just have to learn it on their own.

Some friends of ours, Bill and Susie, paid a great deal of money to a developer and then never used their points for at least 10 years!  But they religiously paid the maintenance fees, thinking that their timeshares were good “investments.”  (There’s that word, again!).  And just last week, we spoke with someone who owned a timeshare in Mexico, but hadn’t used it in several years because they were “too busy” to travel.  They want to sell it (to us, of course!), but haven’t done any of the research to make it happen (too busy!).  So, they just keep paying the maintenance fees and bemoaning the fact that they made a mistake in buying it.

One of the saddest scenarios involves those who really can’t afford to buy  timeshares.  Sally and Phil are a young couple with two small children who were enjoying a vacation in Florida when they fell prey to an unnamed timeshare conglomerate promotion.  Apparently they were doing a pretty good job of saying “no,” when the salesman excused himself briefly and then returned, quite excited.  Evidently he had identified Phil’s parents as  owners, and thus Sally and Phil were eligible for a “huge” discount on a timeshare. They said yes, and bought the timeshare. 

Now, three years and no vacations later (can’t afford to go), they are wishing they had never bought.  They have much better uses for all that money that is being drained by their maintenance fee.  Unfortunately, even if they sell, they will not recoup even half of their money.  AND, because they took out a loan to buy the timeshare, they will still have to make the payments.  Kind of a double whammy, and an unfair punishment for a weak moment.

So, the purpose of this post is really two-fold:  exercise caution when buying a timeshare, and if you already own one, but feel you made a mistake, get over it!  Let’s look at the elements of the first part:

EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN BUYING A TIMESHARE

1.  Never buy from the developer.  If you attend a timeshare promotion, be wary of information that the salesperson gives you—not all of it may be true.
2.  Look carefully at the maintenance fee before you commit.
3. Do your research—go online and check out what folks say about the resort.  Go to their webpage, read reviews, talk to owners, if you can. Do your best to determine if this timeshare purchase will satisfy your vacation needs.
4.  Follow eBay auctions, if that is how you wish to buy.  Find out what similar timeshares are selling for.
5. Don’t be in a hurry. There are many timeshares for sale, and if you don’t see one today that interests you, wait a few days and check again.
6. Call the resort before you buy to make sure that all fees are up-to-date and there are no hidden costs or special assessments.
7. Realize that when buying a timeshare, it is not an investment.  The only investment involved here is the ability to take great vacations because you own a timeshare.

Now, let’s look at part two:  if you own a timeshare, and feel that you have made a mistake, get over it!  In other famous words:  “Don’t cry over spilt milk!”  Yes, this attitude might be a bit callous, but the bottom line is, you can’t go backwards, especially in the timeshare world.  You committed to those maintenance fees for life, and unless you can sell that sucker, you are pretty much stuck with it.  So here are some things you can try:

WHEN YOU OWN A TIMESHARE THAT YOU DON’T REALLY WANT

1. Try to sell it.  Check out these posts for help.  Go on eBay and find out what your resort is selling for, then list it if that is what you want to do.
2. Give it away.  Some charities are willing to take unwanted timeshares and auction them off.  No, you won’t get any money, but at least you won’t have to pay the maintenance fees anymore.
3. Check into renting your weeks.  This will take some research, and it is not without hassles, but at least you’d get some money to cover your fees.
4. Start over.  Something made you buy that timeshare to begin with—maybe you loved the location, or just the idea of leisure and fun and pina coladas.  You have it, so you may as well use it!  Do some research and learn the system in which you own—then book some vacations and forget about not really wanting it!

Hopefully, this post will help those considering timeshare purchases—after all, it IS a great way to vacation!  And for those who regret their purchases—hopefully you will find a way to live with your timeshare—after all, it IS a great way to vacation!  To learn more about buying and selling timeshares, check out some of the other posts on our website.

On some of our more recent timeshare trips, we had occasion to eat breakfast in the condo quite often.  There were 4 of us on that trip, and we were interested in saving a little money, plus we kind of enjoyed having some leisurely mornings when we didn’t have to rush off to find a meal.

And then, there were the mornings when the “runners” in our party wanted to start with a 6-mile jog and return to a home-cooked breakfast prepared by the “non-runners.”  This pattern seemed to work out well for everyone, and so I began scouting around for breakfast recipes to supplement our Baggie Omelet, Breakfast Banana Splits and French Toast recipes.

This first one tastes WAY better than an Egg McMuffin!

Ham & Egg Sandwiches

4 eggs scrambled, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste  (I also like to add a little mesquite seasoning)

4 cheese slices, or 8 tsp. grated cheese

8 thin slices deli ham (2 for each sandwich)

4 large biscuits or English muffins or hamburger buns, toasted

Divide eggs evenly onto the biscuits.  Top with cheese, ham and biscuits. Makes 4 servings, but you may want to increase amounts to accommodate second helpings.

These sandwiches are simple, but very yummy.  You can vary the recipe by adding strips of ham or sausage to the eggs.  Or, use a cooked sausage patty instead of ham slices.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pastry

2 8-oz. tubes crescent rolls

1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

1 C. blueberries, divided

Unroll crescent dough into 8 rectangles, pressing perforations to seal.  Beat cream cheese, vanilla and sugar lightly.  Spread mixture onto the dough rectangles to within ½ inch of edges.  Top evenly with blueberries, then bring opposite corners of rectangles together, pressing to seal.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 10-13 minutes at 375 degrees.  Makes 8 pastries.

(Kraftfoods.com, modified)

Granola Yum

5 C. old-fashioned oats

¾ C. sliced almonds

½ C. ground flaxseed or wheat germ

½ C. brown sugar

¼ C. maple syrup

1/3 C. honey

2 T. cooking oil

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

½ C. dried cherries

1 C. dried banana chips

½ C. dried apricots (chopped to bite-size)

½ C. dried pineapple

Combine the oats, almonds, and flaxseed in a large bowl.  In a small pan, combine brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, salt and cinnamon.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour over oat mixture and toss to coat.

Pour into a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring about every 8 minutes.  When the cereal is completely cool, stir in dried fruits.  Store in an airtight container. (I keep mine in the frig.)  (Healthy Cooking, Feb./Mar. 2010, modified)

Since this recipe uses so many ingredients, I would not recommend making it in the timeshare.  However, it travels extremely well and keeps a long time, so if you make it ahead of your trip, you can munch it on the way as a snack, or enjoy it for breakfast when you get there!

Savory Bacon

1 lb. bacon

1/3 C. brown sugar

1 tsp. flour

Place bacon slices over a drip pan on a wire rack.  Mix flour and brown sugar in a bowl and sprinkle mixture over the bacon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until bacon is cooked to your satisfaction.  Drain on paper towels.

If you wish, you can add ½ C. chopped nuts to the flour/sugar mixture.  (The New Cooking with 4 Ingredients, modified)

Taco Roll-ups

This is a quick, easy way to serve eggs, especially for those on the go!

6 eggs

6 flour or corn tortillas

1-1/2 C. chopped deli ham

1-1/2 C. grated cheddar or other cheese

¼ tsp. mesquite seasoning

pinch salt and pepper

Scramble eggs in pan or skillet, adding seasonings.  Spoon eggs over the 6 tortillas.  Sprinkle ham and cheese over top and roll them up.  Microwave all in pan or on large plate for 30-45 seconds, until cheese is melted.  (The New Cooking with 4 Ingredients, modified)

Breakfast can be a great time to organize the day’s activities on your timeshare vacation.  The time it takes to prepare and eat these meals is less than the time it takes to go to a restaurant, wait for your orders, eat your food, and then travel back to the condo.  AND you save MONEY!!!  Give it a try, and while you’re at it, check out some of our other timeshare recipes!

We hope our last post about the issues and cost of timeshares vs. vacation homes started you thinking about your vacation options as you move into your retirement years.  We would like to continue the discussion in this post and take a look at buying a condo vs. timeshares.  There are many similarities between the vacation home and the condo, but there are some differences that we would like to take a look at.

First let’s do a cost comparison of the two.  We will use the same figures from the last post for the timeshare end of the equation.  Again we are looking at yearly costs. 

                                                    Timesharing                                    Condo

Purchase costs: 15 wks-$63,338.00 ($4,222.00-per week)        $100,000.00 and up

Upkeep:    15 wks-$8,211.00 ($547.40)                             $1,000.00 to $2,000.00

Association Fee:  Included in upkeep                                 $1,200.00-$4,300.00

Booking fees:           $300.00                                                               $0.00

Insurance:        Included in upkeep                                     $500.00 to $1,000.00

 Taxes:             Included in upkeep                                   $1,000.00 to $2,000.00

 Utilities:           Included in upkeep                                    $500.00 to $2,500.00

                                                                                      (Some included in fees)

If you do the math, we find the timeshare comes in at around $8,500.00 for the year.  On the other side, the condo is at a low of around $5,000 and a high of $12,000.00.  If you average the low and high you get $8,500.00 so we could conclude that the figures are fairly close to the same.  Keep in mind that we are using 15 weeks of timeshares where we get 18 weeks of vacations.  If you plan to own less or more weeks of timeshares, you would have to adjust the figures accordingly.  The condo is available to use 365 days a year.

We have not included the purchase costs of the timeshares or the condo in the yearly cost. Also, you would have to adjust those figures if you purchased more or less timeshare weeks, and if you bought from the developer. In both cases, you would have to add any interest to the purchase costs if you had a loan associated with your purchases.  Just like the vacation home, condo costs can vary quite a bit, even upwards to $1,000,000. Again, remember we have purchased all of our timeshare weeks on the resale market.

When you look at the issues involved in these two approaches to vacation time, we see several similarities with the vacation home (we covered these in our previous post in greater depth).

1.  Condo: can use 365 days a year vs. timeshare– only the number of weeks you own
2.  Condo:  cleaning, decorating, and upkeep on the inside vs. timeshare– the resort takes care of those.
3.  Condo:  only one location vs. timeshare– can trade all over the world.
4. Timeshare:  must plan ahead vs. condo– you can go any time you want.
5. You own two of everything with a condo or vacation home (stoves, microwave, etc), plus your permanent residence;  vs. timeshare–  you own your permanent residence and the resort takes care of the furnishings and appliances in the timeshare vacation unit.  You need to consider travel costs in getting to your timeshare locations.  (Obviously there will be some involved in getting to a condo or vacation home, but not nearly as many.)

There are a few areas that are unique to the condo world.  One would be that, rather than an actual home, you are living in more of an apartment setting.  The space usually is smaller and there may be some issues with noise.  You also do not have to worry about outside problems like snow, lawns, driveways, pools etc.  You are paying for that service in your monthly association fees. If you own a condo, usually you do not need to bring a lot of things with you, because most everything is already there. 

There is a problem of what to do in the off season.  Some folks have friends or neighbors look after things.  Others try to rent the condo when they don’t plan on using it.  In most areas, you can pay someone to check on your condo every couple of weeks.  Clearly, you do not have those problems when timesharing.

Many condos (especially in Senior communities) have some activities.  This can vary from almost none to having a full-time activity director.  We have participated in some of these activities while visiting friends and relatives.  For many, this is a great benefit that they seem to really enjoy and it has become a major part of the vacation experience.  Even if there are no organized activities onsite, there are usually many things to do and see in tourist areas.

 In most condo complexes you get some additional amenities that are lacking in a vacation home, and they actually seem more like the timeshare resorts.  This would be things like swimming pools, tennis courts, exercise rooms, etc.  Again, if this is to your liking, it might affect your thinking as to where you’d like to spend your vacation time. 

As you move forward, we hope this and the previous post has given you some food for thought.  What’s important is for you to assess your own life style and interests as you make your plans.  Your decisions might include a condo and a couple of timeshare weeks.  Also, get that calculator out and do the math based on your own situation.  We hope that you enjoy your retirement as much as we have.  Let us know what you think!

We thought it might be helpful to take a look at some of the issues involved in buying timeshares, a vacation home or a vacation condo, as many folks look to retirement.  We started timesharing earlier in our lives and slowly added additional weeks/points as we got closer to retirement.  We love timesharing and now go about 18 weeks a year.  But is this the best answer for us, or for anyone?  You need to look at your interests, desires and needs as you attempt to make vacation decisions for you and your family.   With our timesharing, we have created some fantastic family memories and traditions and you can do the same, if you so desire.

We know several people who have purchased vacation homes located within a few hours of their residences. Some of these folks inherited family cottages and then fixed them up to become year-around homes.  They seem to enjoy this lifestyle, but is it the best answer for them?  We also know several friends and relatives that have gone the route of purchasing a condo, usually where it is warm, thus becoming Michigan snowbirds.  Again, is this the right choice? 

We will attempt to look at some of the costs for each of three approaches and look at the issues involved by examining some of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.  Because of the length of the material, we will focus on the the vacation home in this post, and continue in our next post with our observations about buying a condo.

First let’s take a look at the costs of timesharing vs. a vacation home. (These are annual costs)

                                                    Timesharing                                    Vacation Home

          Purchase costs:   15 wks-$63,338.00 ($4,222.00-per week)       $150,000.00 and up

          Upkeep:              15 wks-$8,211.00 ($547.40)                             $1,000.00 to $3000.00

          Booking fees        $300.00                                                           $0.00

          Insurance:           Included in upkeep                                            $400.00 to $1,000.00

          Taxes:                 Included in upkeep                                          $1,000.00 to $3,500.00

          Utilities               Included in upkeep                                           $1,000.00 to $2,500.00

You can see from the chart above that for 15-18 weeks of vacations, we are paying around $8,500.00 per year.  On the vacation home side, we are at $3,400 to $10,000.00 and if we take an average, we get about $7,500.00. These figures are comparable, and can vary some with certain locations.  However, we are using our weeks of timeshare to vacation 18 weeks a year, whereas with the vacation home you might occupy it anywhere from 0 weeks up to 6 months or more. We are using actual costs for our timeshare and we are using averages for the vacation home.   You also need to consider that a vacation home needs to be furnished, and thus you are dealing with two of everything.  You have a stove, furnace, appliances, towels, etc., both at home, and in your vacation home.

Another area you need to think about is entertainment.  When we timeshare, we usually experience some type of entertainment on each trip and this needs to figure into our costs and planning. Some trips might need a larger entertainment budget than others.  For example, if we go to Branson, we might spend a few hundred dollars on shows.  Other trips might be more for relaxation, and the costs involved in sitting on the patio and swimming in the lake are much cheaper.

 We also have to think about some of these costs in regard to a vacation home.  If your home is on the water, you may purchase, boats, jet skis, kayaks, fishing equipment, etc. You may, at some point, need to spend money to repair these things.  The same would be true if you have a ski vacation home.  Things like ski equipment, lift tickets, etc., can be costly. They really don’t figure into the cost of lodging, but would figure in to overall costs.

The purchase costs can be all over the board.  We purchased all our timeshares on the resale market.  The vacation home can vary a lot, also. Some people inherit places, or build on a small lot in the woods in northern Michigan, while others buy expensive homes on the lake or ocean.

You also need to take a look at the value of what you own.  Many could sell their vacation homes for a good profit, while others that paid top dollar would take a loss if they sold today, what with the bleak housing market.  We always figure that we could probably get what we paid for our timeshares, because we bought resale.  Our timeshares, just like the vacation home, come with deeds, and will be sold or passed on to our children.

More importantly, we need to consider some of the issues with both approaches, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each.  First, the vacation home is yours to use 365 days a year anytime you want.  But some surveys have found that the average person uses their vacation home only 14-20 days a year.  We are able to take our 15 weeks of timeshares and get about 18 weeks or 126 days of vacations each year.

Also, a great deal of time in the vacation home is spent in cleaning and maintaining the home and property, which takes away from relaxation and enjoyment. Keep in mind that if you own a vacation home, ALL maintenance and upkeep work falls on the owner either manually and/or financially, and can really cut into your leisure time.  You are totally responsible for two residences. 

Owners also have to deal with any problems like storm damage, power outages, lawn or beach work, etc.  When you go to a timeshare, all of those problems are dealt with by the resort, and you are free to enjoy your vacation. We talk a lot about many of the other advantages we see in timesharing on this web site, so be sure to check out some of our other posts.

Another issue is that when you own a vacation home, you tend to go THERE, and almost nowhere else.  The timeshare world lets you pick and choose where you would like to go.  You can go back to the same location every year if you want to, as we do with some of our weeks on Lake Michigan in Traverse City–or you can trade and go all over the country as well as take some international trips.  You have a lot of flexibility.  We usually go for 3 or 4 weeks south every winter, but know some people that timeshare for 12 weeks in the south every year. 

We love to travel and see different parts of the country.  We enjoy going back to certain areas, but usually plan a couple of trips every year to locations that we have never been to.  Other folks just want to relax and have little interest in traveling or sightseeing.  Some people who own vacation homes on the water like nothing better than to enjoy the swimming, sunning and fishing that their own little piece of paradise offers.

One problem with timesharing is that you need to plan ahead.  And, yes, it does take time to organize and keep track of all of it, but for us it’s almost like a hobby and is part of the fun.  We usually plan about a year ahead with our vacations.  We have all of 2012 booked with our timeshares, and have already booked some weeks in 2013.  The vacation home is yours anytime and if you feel like a weekend getaway at the last minute, you can do that.  

 Another issue you need to think about on the timeshare side is the escalating cost of travel both by car and air.  The high cost of gasoline seems to be increasing even more as we move into the high travel season. Also, unless you are using credit card points for hotel stays, we have seen an increase in hotel costs. As for flights, the cost and hassle of flying continues to go up while availability goes down.  Car rental expense continues to increase. All of these issues add to the cost and feasibility of timesharing. 

It should be clear that both approaches to vacation and/or retirement living work for a lot of people.  The choices you make need to take into account your own situation, interests, personality, life style etc.  We hope that we have covered some of the issues and costs that might help you as you think about how you’re going to vacation and relax in your later years.

In summary, if you like to:  travel, sightsee, go different places, can plan ahead—then maybe timesharing is for you.  On the other hand, if you like to relax, stay in the same location most of the time, and go whenever you want, sometimes on the spur of the moment– then you might look into a vacation home.  If these two approaches don’t suit you, join us for our next post when we take a look at purchasing a condo.

We invite your comments and will explore the differences in our next post.

Frequently when we travel, we share stories and problems with other timeshare guests, especially concerning our timeshare ownerships.  It seems that all it takes is a simple, “Do you own here?”, and the next thing you know everyone in the immediate vicinity is spilling his/her guts about all the trials and tribulations of maintenance fees, difficult bookings, etc.

Putting the negative aside, people also open up about the really nice resorts they have been to, as well as all the neat activities at those resorts.  And, inevitably, talk moves around to the wonderful places to visit and things to do while staying in various areas and locations.

These frequent exchanges sometimes prompt the question:  “Why do you own 15 timeshares in so many different timeshare systems?”  Usually we answer that one quite simply, something along the lines of that “different systems allow us to do different things and go different places.”  On this site, we have often made mention that our Hilton ownership can get us to Marco and Sanibel Islands, whereas our other timeshares (Wyndham, Disney, RCI Points, Pinestead, etc.) are unable to do that.

Wyndham offers accommodations in many places, however, while Hilton is concentrated in Las Vegas and Florida (yes, there are others in Colorado, Portugal, Scotland, Hawaii and now Myrtle Beach, but compared to Wyndham, the places to choose from are lacking.  And yes, you can get to other places by trading Hilton through RCI, but for a hefty exchange fee!)

And then there’s our 6 weeks at Pinestead Reef in Traverse City that used to trade well through RCI, but has been somewhat handicapped by the new system.  Do we care?  Not really, because we love going there!  Whatever days we can’t use, we rent, and put the money toward our maintenance fees.  Plus, it’s only 3 hours from our house and right on Lake Michigan!

So, the point is, different systems offer us different travel options.  That’s the simple explanation. But the real explanation lies in a quote by Faith Baldwin, that we came across the other day:  “Time is a dressmaker, specializing in alterations.”

Obviously, this can apply to many things in life, things that are much more meaningful than timeshares.  But, it kind of started us thinking about the paths that we have chosen along the way in making our purchases.  At the time, all of our timeshare purchases were good ones, but as years went on and things changed, or our needs changed, maybe not.

For example:  We own 2 contracts at Wyndham Seawatch in Myrtle Beach.  These were some of our earliest timeshare acquisitions, purchased when we were still teaching.  Because we loved Myrtle Beach and wanted to go there in the summer months (partly because that’s when we COULD go), this seemed like a great idea. When you own Wyndham, points are points—except if you want to go toMyrtle Beach in the summer months, you need the 12-month priority that ownership provides.  The maintenance fees are higher because the property is oceanfront and susceptible to hurricanes, but we figured that was the way it had to be.

Now that we are retired, we have no desire to go to Myrtle Beach in the summer when it is overpopulated and crazy.  We occasionally go to Myrtle Beach in the shoulder season (May or October) when it is quiet and the weather is still nice. It’s not difficult to get in at those times of the year, and you don’t need the 12-month priority.  But, alas!  We are still paying those high maintenance fees and kicking ourselves for not buying at the Glade or another nice inland resort instead!

Another major error we made was buying a Marriott timeshare several years ago.  We stayed at an older Marriott timeshare on Hilton Head for a week (it traded through II and RCI), and we fell in love with the beautifully furnished, high-end Marriott resorts there.  Unfortunately, the maintenance fees were also high-end.  We bought a resale in the Bronze season, hoping that this would get us to some really nice resorts.  We found it extremely difficult to trade, although the person that sold it to us assured us that it had pulled Hawaii, Colorado, Las Vegas, etc.

We found that the II system worked somewhat differently than RCI, and at that time you had to trade a full week. The maintenance fees were the same for a February Bronze week as a July week, and, as previously mentioned, definitely on the high side.  After struggling with it for a year, we did manage to trade our 2-bedroom for a 1-bedroom and a studio in Las Vegas.  We then sold it through an online company at a slight loss, which we figured we would quickly recoup by not having to pay the maintenance fee that year.

So, “the best-laid plans. . .” do not always work out for the best, although overall, we’ve been pretty lucky with our choices.  We could try selling our Wyndham Seawatch points, and would do that if the resale market was better—but I know that we would probably have to buy other Wyndham points to book all the trips that we want to take.  Our Pinestead weeks will be great if we decide that due to age or disability our traveling has to be more limited than it currently is.  Now, if we can just win the lottery so that we can buy a Marco Island timeshare outright, we’ll be all set!

So what’s the lesson here?  Well, you do the best you can, hopefully thinking everything through and taking your time.  Assess your family’s wants and needs, and try to project where you’ll be in 5, 10, 15 and 20 years.  And, as we always stress, DO YOUR RESEARCH!  If you’re looking to buy on eBay, read the listings carefully, ask questions, and check with the resort to make sure things are in good standing.  The same would be true if you are working with a realtor.  And, of course, NEVER BUY FROM THE DEVELOPER.  Best of luck in planning your timeshare future!

Have you ever wondered if timesharing is a good value and a smart way to use your vacation dollars?  We keep close track of our major timeshare expenses, as well as tracking all expenditures on each of our trips.  We love to timeshare and think it is an excellent value for tremendous vacations.

We thought it might be helpful for us to use an actual trip that we took, and make cost comparisons of the different choices between staying in our timeshares, renting at the same timeshares, or booking into medium-priced hotels.

We recently completed a 26-day trip to Florida for our usual winter getaway from the Michigan winters.  We stayed with friends for two nights, so we will not count those nights in our calculations.  We own 15 timeshares, so those are our usual choice for travel.  We do pick up some hotel stays using our Hilton Honor Points for one or two nights here and there.

For the purpose of this case study, we used dollar amounts we spent, got figures from the front desk where we were stayed, or found prices online for the same time of the year that we were traveling.  When we came up with timeshare costs, we included what we pay in actual maintenance fees for the resort that we used to trade for our accommodations.  We also included any booking fees that we paid to book the timeshare.  We did not include the actual upfront cost of the timeshare.  We usually figure we can probably get what we paid for the timeshare when we want to sell, because we have purchased all of our timeshares resale. So that cost becomes a wash, but for those who think we should include that, the following paragraph should suffice.

We can add to our actual costs some figures for buying our timeshares.  If we take all of our 15 timeshares and divide by what we paid, (to include costs of the timeshare plus all closing and transfer fees), we come up with an average of $4225.00 for each week.  If we cannot sell the timeshare and use it for 20 years, it works out to costing us $211.00 per year per week.  So, if we plug that into our present costs for this trip, we used 3 weeks and 2 days of timeshares, which works out to an additional $696.00 for the trip.

Lets take a look at the numbers for our actual stays:

• Day 1: (travel day) Hampton Inn-Honors Points.  They come from using our American Express charge card.  We also booked one additional room, as we had 4 people on this trip.  Total– $100.00
• Day 2-9 (Orlando) Animal Kingdom Lodge 1 Bedroom deluxe with two baths. 4 people.  We used RCI points we own at Vacation Village at the Parkway, costing us $379.00 in maintenance fees and a $179.00 booking fee with RCI. Disney charges each room $95.00 for the week to cover transportation and amenities.  Total– $653.00.
• Day 9-16 (Marco Island) We stayed in 2 bedroom/2 bath, ocean front suite- Hilton Timeshare-Club Regency.  We own in the Hilton system and used 5000 points.  Those 5000 points cost us $650.00 for maintenance fees plus a $59.00 booking fee with Hilton.  Total– $709.00.
• Day 16-23 (Daytona Beach) We stayed in a 2 bedroom/2 bath, ocean front room at a Wyndham timeshare-Ocean Walk.  We used a week at Gatlinburg,TN-Treetops resort to trade with RCI weeks to book the 7 nights.  Maintenances fee of the resort we traded-$480.00 and we paid $179 RCI booking fee.  Total–$659.00.
• Day 24-25 (Nashville, TN) We were heading home but decided to stay two nights at the Wyndham timeshare in Nashville.  We booked two nights in a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit using some of our Wyndham points. It costs $275.00 in maintenance fees for those points and we booked directly with Wyndham, so no booking fees.  Total– $275.00.

Grand Total for the trip: $2396.00  (4 people)  If we add the cost of buying the timeshares we used to book this trip, we get $3,092.00.

The costs if we booked directly:

• Day 1: (travel day) Hampton Inn-Two rooms $100.00 each. Total cost–$200.00.
• Day 2-9 (Orlando) Animal Kingdom Lodge 1 Bedroom deluxe with two baths. 4 people.  Renting with Disney it is $660.00 for weekday nights and $710.00 for weekend nights.  Total– $4720.00 plus taxes $519.00 = $5239.00.
• Day 9-16 (Marco Island) We stayed in 2 bedroom/2 bath, ocean front suite- Hilton Timeshare-Club Regency. A rental week is $2400.00 with taxes of $264.00.  Total–$2664.00.
• Day 16-23 (Daytona Beach) We stayed in a 2 bedroom/2 bath, ocean front room at a Wyndham timeshare-Ocean Walk.  Renting at $239.00 a night weekday and $299.00 for each weekend night, it comes to $1793.00 plus taxes of $198.00 for a total of $1991.00.
• Day 24-25 (Nashville, TN) we were heading home but decided to stay two nights at the Wyndham timeshare in Nashville.  Renting at $169.00 a night for $338.00 plus taxes of $37.00.  Total– 375.00.

Grand Total– $10,469.00.

Finally, the cost in Hotel accommodations:

• Day 1: (travel day)       Hampton Inn- $100.00 per room-two rooms Total– $200.00.
• Day 2-9 (Orlando) We selected several Hotels in the Orlando area somewhat close to the Disney property.     Hampton-$119.00 per night   $119.00 x 7 nights $833.00 plus taxes $91.00 = total-$924.00.  Homewood-$139.00 per night $139.00 x 7 nights-$973.00 plus taxes $107.00 = total-1080.00.  Doubletree-$175.00 per night $175.00 x 7 nights-$1225.00 plus taxes $134.00 = total $1359.00. Embassy-$179.00 per night $179.00 x 7 nights-$1253.00 plus taxes $137.00 = total $1390.00.  Total between $924.00-$1390.00 but would need two rooms (used averages) $1157.00 X 2 rooms   = $2314.00.
• Day 9-16 (Marco Island) Low end, (not on beach) $179.00 x 7 nights = $1253.00 plus $137.00 taxes for a total of $1390.  Middle ground $589.00 on beach (but garden view) x 7 nights $4123.00 plus $453.00 in taxes   = $4576.00.  High end total for 7 nights $4590.00 plus $504.00 in taxes = $5094.00.  Total for Marco Island (selected ocean front as that’s what we stayed in) 5094.00 x 2 rooms = $10,188.00.

• Day 16-23 (Daytona Beach) Low $129.00 x 7 nights= $903.00 plus taxes of $98.00 =$1001.00.  Middle $229.00 x 7 nights $1603.00 plus taxes $176.00 = $1779.00.  High $419.00 times 7 nights $2933.00 plus taxes $322.00 = $3255.00.  Total for Daytona Beach (selected ocean front as that’s what we stayed in) $3,225.00 x 2 rooms = $6,450.00.
• Day 24-25 (Nashville, TN)      Hampton $159.00 x 2 nights $318.00 plus taxes $35 =$353.00.  Embassy Suites $209.00 x 2 nights = $418.00 plus taxes $46.00 = $464.00.  Opryland Hotel $178.00 x 2 nights $356.00 plus taxes $39.00 = $395.00.  Total for Nashville (used average) $385.00 X 2 rooms = $770.00.

Grand Total for Hotels =   $19,922.00.  If you only booked one room at each location, it would reduce the cost to $9,960.00, but you would sleep 4 in a room except at Embassy suites.

Cost summary:

1.  What we spent-$2396.00.
2. What it would cost to rent the same accommodations-$10,469.00.
3.  What it would cost to stay in hotel rooms-$19,922.00 (If only one room, cost would be $9,960.00).

It should be clear as to the value of our timeshare vacations.  We also enjoyed excellent accommodations with great amenities at each of the resorts where we stayed. This is to say nothing of the money we saved by eating in approximately half the time.  (And yes, you do get free breakfast at some hotels, but the accommodations are not nearly as nice or spacious.) We suggest that you keep track of your own expenses when you travel, and when you get home, do some cost analysis.  Enjoy those timeshares and continue to save money!

They say that if something sounds like it’s too good to be true, it probably is.  That is certainly correct regarding the “new” method of pulling in current Wyndham owners for an “update.”  What a joke!  In our case, we were too trusting, too willing to actually hope that maybe things had changed and Wyndham salesmen would no longer lie, intimidate or practice arm-twisting to sell their product.  We were, in other words, stupid.  But we did not succumb and buy, so I guess that means we won?!    Read on for the complete story of our Wyndham update, otherwise titled “Spending a Wednesday Morning in Hell!”

The story begins peacefully enough at check-in at Wyndham Daytona Beach Ocean Walk.  We headed over to get our parking pass (another joke) only to meet a sweet young girl (nameless, in case she wants to pursue her Wyndham sales career– but we don’t think she will).  She told us about the new “group” update that included a nice breakfast or lunch.  She said that most people really liked the group approach, but if you wanted an individual update you would get more gifts—otherwise,  just the meal.

She also said that it lasted about an hour, and that all of the member services staff had been made to sit through it, and it was well-received.  We indicated that we’d think about it.  Surprise—we only had to say “no” once—that has to be a record, as it usually takes at least 5 “no’s!”

So the next day, we called and signed up, thinking that we could write an article for Timeshare Tidbits about this great new update approach, which apparently is currently being offered at only 6 resorts.  BIG MISTAKE!

There were about 10-12 couples present, all seated at small round tables with name cards.  While we ate (the breakfast at least was good—scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, bacon, fruit, juice and coffee) salesmen worked the room asking how the food was and introducing themselves.  Our rep was Tom, who sat down at a table next to us and ate and chatted.

After this pleasant social interlude, our speaker, Glen, began his presentation.  Using whiteboards, he discussed many things of interest to Wyndham owners to include: Wyndham’s rewards Visa card, Perks Card (which replaced the Leisure Plan), and a plan called Wyndham by Request.  He spent a lot of time talking about VIP benefits, pushing the need for the Gold status.  He used numerous examples to show how to get the resorts you want, when you want them, by using your VIP Gold or Platinum status.  He also talked about buying into the Wyndham’s Access plan so you can get better resorts and book them earlier than the other folks (13 months out.)

This part of the presentation was informative, and there was a great deal of interaction between Glen and the owners.  As  former teachers, we would have given him a B+–we felt that he talked down to us a bit—and we think everyone learned a few things about Wyndham.  This lasted about 45 minutes, and at the end there was a drawing for a free cruise and a free dinner for someone who could answer a question that related back to the presentation.  We didn’t win either, but that was okay.

At this point, we thought they’d take some questions and then wrap it up.  After all, the hour was almost up.  ANOTHER BIG MISTAKE, because that’s when Tom told us to follow him to another room.  Well, we thought, this will be short and sweet—yeah, right!

Aside from being a pretty nice guy who really likes to talk, Tom is a Wyndham salesman—need we say more?  He proceeded to try to sell us another 80,000 points for only $18,000 so that we would be VIP Gold (we actually have enough points, but they flagged our last purchase as resale).  This went on and on, and included bringing in another higher mucky-muck salesman who began with the intimidation techniques.

Then we proceeded to the “if we could sell you these points at a minimal price. . . “mumbo jumbo.”  At one point, we reminded him that we were told this would last an hour (it had now been almost 2 and ½ hours); Tom laughed and said something like “you don’t really believe that when they tell you that, do you?”

When Tom ran out to copy some figures, we called our son and girlfriend, told them to wait 5 minutes, then call us.  When they did, we said “we have to go, NOW!”  The ensuing conversation, exit interview and gifting room (they also gave us a Wyndham blanket, which if we keep it will always remind us of that distasteful morning) took about an additional 15 minutes.

So, there you have it—the new group approach to selling Wyndham timeshares– GARBAGE!!!  This is nothing more than a ploy to sucker you in.  We would have been further ahead to go the traditional route and get some better gifts—if that’s what we had wanted.  Probably Wyndham designed this new approach to save money and pull people in—after all, who doesn’t like to eat?—and then use the same rotten techniques that they’ve always used.

We have learned our lesson, and we will probably never do another Wyndham update.  Maybe we’ll just copy this post and after the 3^rd “no,” give it to the person who is trying to “hook” us and tell him or her to read it—we are through arguing and defending our right to NOT do an update!  And if you are asked, or “browbeat” to do one, especially the “new and improved” kind, our advice would be to run as fast as you can in the other direction, unless you are REALLY hungry and want a throbbing headache!