As always, the answer to that question depends on circumstances, and your particular vacation needs. We own 5 weeks in Traverse City at Pinestead Reef, an RCI Resort. It is approximately a 3-hour car drive from our home, right on the beach of Lake Michigan. Because it is so close, and 4 of our 5 weeks are Flex Weeks, we can break it up into 1-6 day intervals if we don’t care to stay an entire week. Often it can be fairly last minute.
This is an older, Silver Crown resort, built in the 1980’s, that has an excellent manager. There are 46 units that are re-furnished every 5 years, and while it is not elegant, it is homelike and cozy. Traverse City is a thriving area with great restaurants, good shopping, 2 casinos, many wineries, and close access to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, Sault St. Marie, Mackinac Island, and other tourist destinations. Since it was sold out long ago, only resales are available. The prices are amazingly low, compared to our other timeshare purchases, and it trades very well.
So for us, this was a no-brainer. We deposit our red January week into RCI Points, use our fixed early September week, use our 2 June weeks when the weather is great, and use our early May week as flex. If we have extra days when we can’t be there, we rent them through the resort and use the money for maintenance fees. Also, if you are interested in being on the Board of Directors for your timeshare, living close by would make it easier to attend meetings. So our reasons for buying a timeshare close to home include:
- Short travel times
- Quick getaways
- Love of the area
- Reasonable cost of ownership
- No expensive airfare needed
Here are some other scenarios that illustrate how buying a timeshare close to home might work for you:
Let’s say you live in Knoxville, and own a timeshare in Gatlinburg (about a 40 minute drive). Your middle school daughter wants a sleepover birthday party, but wishes it could be more special than the usual. So you use your points, or rent, 2 very large units that maybe sleep 6- 8 people, making sure you have at least one adult sleeping in each unit, of course! The kids can use the pool and sports facilities at the resort, and you can order pizza for dinner. You can use your timeshare kitchens to make breakfast (maybe, Baggie Omelets?) Buy a cake, see some of the sights, and you have a party! And, you save wear and tear on your own home!
Similar scenario: You live in Las Vegas, and egad! Guess who’s in charge of the 5-year Family Reunion this year??? Use your points, or better yet, rent units and charge everyone! With resort activities, pools, saunas and fitness rooms, you have lots of built-in entertainment for everyone (and you don’t have to clean your house before they come!) Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have all those casinos around, either.
Last one: You’ve just found out that Uncle Harvey and Aunt Nadine are coming to visit for the weekend. But your house is a dusty mess because you’re remodeling the kitchen, and right now you can’t even cook in it. If you live close to your timeshare, why not put them up in it for the weekend? You might even have a more enjoyable visit, because everyone will have more privacy.
Of course, buying a timeshare close to where you live might not even be an option for you in certain parts of the country, because there might not be any nearby! But if you are committed to timeshare travel, you might want to consider this option. We know of several people (besides us) who have done it!
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