You may not have realized it yet, but 2012 is a leap year. Meaning, of course, that the calendars we commonly use in the world today will insert (it is properly called intercalate) an extra day in the month of February to ensure that the calendar, over time, stays in sync with the solar year.

But what does a leap year really mean for you?

Well, if you work for yourself, you have one extra day to earn income in the month of February, while if you work for a salary, your boss or your company picks up an extra day of your labor. But perhaps a better way of thinking about Leap Year is that it means, in this 366-day year we all have an extra day to live life to its fullest and an extra day to show our friends and family how much they matter to us.

Which for anyone vacationing in the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida or Disneyland® Park in California, Leap Year 2012 is being translated into a never-before celebrated, 24-hour Leap Day. For the first time ever in the history of the parks, they will be open to guests for 24 straight hours of fun. Beginning at 6 AM on February 29, 2012, select attractions and entertainment within the parks will operate—for one magical day—around the clock!

What better reason do you need to plan a Disney Vacation Club, California timeshare or Orlando timeshare vacation right now?

Leap Day 2012, make plans and make it count for something extra special!

For Christmas, consider not one, but three Santa’s that could make your holidays a whole lot merrier.

The Wyndham Santa Barbara Resort and Yacht Club is an amazing resort but it may not be where you expect. Located along the Intracoastal Waterway in Pompano Beach, this Florida timeshare resort was formerly known as the Santa Barbara Resort and Yacht Club. It’s an ideal destination for leisurely cruising along the waterways of Fort Lauderdale, soaking up sun at the beach or taking advantage of special golf and spa privileges at its nearby sister resort, Wyndham Palm-Aire.

Las Brisas de Santa Fe is a modern resort getaway in the heart of old Santa Fe, New Mexico. Perfect for winter ski vacations or summer shopping and museum excursions, Las Brisas de Santa Fe lets you take in the quaint charms of the old Southwest while enjoying a luxury condominium that’s part of a residential condo community.

Or how about finding Santa at Club Intrawest’s Palm Desert resort, a California timeshare in the beautiful Santa Rosa Mountains? With more than 90 nearby golf courses, along with hiking, horseback riding, shopping, museums and casinos nearby, this visit to “Santa” is sure to please everyone in the family.

Santas apparently, are everywhere! From a sunny beach in Florida to a snow-covered slope in New Mexico to a golf course in southern California, you can find “Santas” that are guaranteed to make your New Year ahead merry and bright.

… From everyone at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, we hope you are enjoying a safe, happy, and blessed holiday this year.

Liberty Bank has increased and extended its loan to Shell Vacations Club. Wellington Financial, the exclusive resort finance lending correspondent for Liberty Bank, says Liberty Bank’s loan to the timeshare development company will provide end-loan financing for Shell Vacation’s Napa Valley California timeshare resort project.

In what seems to reflect positive news about the economy, with banks lending money and gaining confidence about the future, Liberty Bank Vice President David Brede explains, “Shell Vacations, LLC is one of our key clients and we are very pleased to expand our relationship with them. They provide a quality product and their sales have remained steady, despite the recent downturn in the economy. We have every reason to believe this trend will continue as the economy improves.”

Shell Vacations LLC Chief Financial Officer Bill Weber says, “We’ve been working with the team from Liberty Bank and Wellington Financial since 2007 and are happy to expand on that relationship. They understand the intricacies involved in servicing a first-class organization like ours. Over the years we have been pleased with their ability to seamlessly provide the underwriting for us to offer reasonable financing to our owners.”

The loan targets the development of Shell Vacations’ Napa Valley California timeshare project, the Vino Bello Resort®, located in the heart of wine country. Vino Bello Resort is being constructed adjacent to the Meritage Resort, making it easy for Vino Bello timeshare owners and guests to enjoy the Spa Terra, Estate Wine Cave and Meritage Wine Tasting Bar at the Meritage Resort in addition to the numerous amenities of the Vino Bello.

Timeshare units at Vino Bello will include studios and one- and two-bedroom timeshare suites, with  plasma screen televisions, five-headed showers, in-room Jacuzzi tubs in all one-bedroom suites, fully equipped kitchen or kitchenettes, and other luxury features.

What Makes Shell Vacation Club Timeshares and Timeshare Resales So Popular

Shell Vacations is a highly respected vacation ownership (timeshare) developer, operating or affiliated with some 24 resorts in the US, Mexico and Canada. With more than 115,000 timeshare owner / members, Shell Vacations Club is known for its flexible ownership program, a customer-first approach to resort hospitality, and some of the most popular resort getaways in North America.

Shell Vacations Club timeshare includes:

1. Shell Vacation Points within a Shell Owners Club (also known as a “Home Club”), and
2. Deeded Shell timeshare intervals which is often a fixed week at a specific Shell Vacations Club Resort.

Shell Vacations Timeshare Company is headquartered in Northbrook Illinois.

Let’s face it. Sometimes Christmas shopping can become a chore. There are the crowds, the lines, and the parking lot … oh my, that parking lot!

But suppose this year you took another approach to holiday shopping? How about combining a great shopping venue with a timeshare rental getaway? That could put a new spin on Ho! Ho! Ho! and make your season a whole lot merrier.

And with plenty of last-minute, discount getaways available, many that you can elect to rent for only a few night’s stay, you could soon be trading holiday frazzled for holiday refreshed.

Here are 5 top choices for timeshare resort destinations where you can balance marathon shopping with resort relaxation.

1. New York City timeshare. From the flagship location of FAO Schwartz on 5th Avenue, to the Shops at Columbus Circle in the heart of Manhattan, there’s no place for Christmas shopping quite like New York City. Add in time to take the two-mile walking tour of the most amazing Christmas-themed window displays in the world, perhaps an afternoon showing of the New York City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, and you will have a classic Christmas shopping experience.

2. Las Vegas timeshare. Shop where it’s sunny and warm when you vacation in a Las Vegas timeshare and take your holiday shopping list to the Fashion Show mall in Las Vegas. The 250-store center features 7 flagship department stores and is famous for its live runway fashion shows.

3. Pennsylvania timeshare. Pennsylvania may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of timeshare vacations or of legacy shopping destinations. But in fact, the 3 million square feet of retail space at the King of Prussia Mall, paired  with all the many great Poconos timeshare getaway locations, earns Pennsylvania timeshare a spot on this list. With more than 400 stores, the King of Prussia Mall is the largest shopping complex on the East Coast.

4. San Francisco timeshare. San Francisco’s Union Square includes major department stores along with boutiques, restaurants and theaters. With a roughly two and a half mile plaza area, shoppers can explore one of the premier shopping districts in the world. And when the shopping is done, you can head to any number of fabulous San Francisco timeshare resorts to unwind and pamper yourself.

5. Last minute timeshare rental deals anywhere in the US. And for everyone who just can’t be inspired to fight the crowds, you could do all of your Christmas shopping online while you relax on the beach in Maui timeshare, linger by the pool in a Key West timeshare or perhaps toast your toes by the fireside at your favorite ski resort timeshare destination.

…’tis the season to be jolly. Why not let the great deals in timeshare rentals—many available for around $80 a night—make your Christmas season a little brighter and a lot more fun?

Last week the Associate Press issued over 6 pages of guidelines for retweeting … 6 pages outlining how journalists should write or retweet the 140-character messages that Twitter carries. Had it been a tweet itself, the new AP Guidelines for Retweets would have run over the Twitter character limit by some 13,000 characters!

With the AP’s release, a hailstorm of Twitter-fire immediately ensued.

You see, the Associated Press was not only trying to coach journalists on how to appropriately include their opinions in their Tweets, it was also attempting to rewrite Twitter’s style protocol, saying:

“Retweets, like tweets, should not be written in a way that looks like you’re expressing a personal opinion on the issues of the day. A retweet with no comment of your own can easily be seen as a sign of approval of what you’re relaying.”

The new AP Twitter Guidelines for Retweets recommends that journalists separate the tag “RT” from the name of the account they are retweeting by including their own comments in between the two. The report uses the following example:

Instead of: RT @jonescampaign smith’s policies would destroy our schools

The new AP Guidelines call for: RT Jones campaign now denouncing smith on education:  @jonescampaign smith’s policies would destroy our schools

Critics of the guidelines pointed out that Twitter’s style protocol is Twitter’s to define and is not up to the Associated Press to rewrite or dictate.

The AP report then goes on to say, “Everyone who works for AP must be mindful that opinions he or she expresses may damage the AP’s reputation as an unbiased source of news.”

One can respect what the new AP Guidelines are attempting to do. Yet in a skeptical world, perhaps only the media itself still clings to the ideal of an unbiased media. Others have long ago lost any notion that journalists or the agencies they represent can present content that is free from a reflection of their personal experiences, opinions, and interpretations.

Timeshare and the Tools of Twitter

Search Twitter for “timeshare” or “#timeshare” and it is clear that how the industry and consumers are treating timesharing in the Twitterscape takes many different forms.

Some timeshare companies, including @BluegreenTweets @WelkResorts and @Innseason (to name only a few), do a wonderful job of tweeting a steady stream of event updates at or near Bluegreen timeshare resorts; Welk Resorts, and InnSeason Resorts. Ironically, they rarely if ever include the word “timeshare” in their tweets.

Other notable timeshare tweeters include @marriottvacclub, that mixes Marriott Vacation Club resort news, events, and customer service responses via their Twitter communications and @hiclubvacations that tweets about Holiday Inn Club Vacations, resort news, consumer service, and generally uses their twitter account as a well-rounded social media tool.

As an industry, timeshares and vacation ownership clearly don’t have all the fine points of twitter worked out. Sadly, the twitter stream is awash with spammy tweets about timeshare and promises to rescue, save, salvage, heal, and liberate timeshare owners from their timeshares.

But the timeshare industry, much like the Associated Press, can’t issue an ultimatum saying: “Everyone affiliated with timeshares must be mindful that opinions he or she expresses may damage the reputation of vacation ownership as a great option for memorable family vacations.”

Timeshare Companies are not Helpless; We have Options

As recently spearheaded by ARDA and VacationBetter.org, the reliable, legitimate, and dedicated companies of the timeshare industry have to make Twitter and other social media platforms “awash” with the true and positive message of timesharing. We have to encourage and inspire timeshare owners and renters to communicate their message as happy owners and happy renters.

We have to post the positive statistics of our industry, which have an immensely high owner satisfaction rate. We have to tell how timeshares make a vacation lifestyle possible for millions and share the positive impact our industry has on economies at  many levels.

The real truth of timeshares won’t be unbiased, because those who love it, often do so with great passion, but it will be sincere and it is a message that desperately needs to be told, retold, tweeted, posted, retweeted and shared.

You’ll find our tweets at @vacationhotdeal, @Jasontremblay_ and @renttimeshares

What will you (or did you) do for your 50th birthday?

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have made a commitment to plant 10 million trees worldwide in recognition of the company’s 50th birthday.

According to Kathleen Taylor, Four Seasons president and CEO, trees symbolically represent longevity, growth, and life, all of which are reflected in the iconic Four Seasons logo. She sees the Four Seasons 50th birthday pledge to plant 10 Million Trees worldwide as a commitment that “will have a lasting and positive impact for generations to come.”

Four Seasons Resorts are Global and Distinctive

The types of trees planted as part of the initiative have varied greatly from one Four Seasons resort location to another. For example, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu on Hawaii Island has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods to plant up to 500,000 “legacy” koa trees. These trees will never be harvested and will live and grow on 2700 acres of sustainable forest that was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I.

Employees from the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui planted coconut trees at their resort. At the Regent Singapore, Four seasons employees planted a golden rain tree, while employees at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh planted a tree in the Thumama Desert. So far, over 35,000 Four Seasons employees in 34 countries have participated to help meet this goal.

Why Trees Matter at Our Timeshare Resorts, Fractionals, and in Our Lives

Four Seasons recognizes that beyond their beauty, and services as a home and habitat to birds and wildlife, trees are critical to our environment.

Research from Trees Ontario helps show us how very important trees are:

• Trees act as a “carbon sink,” removing the carbon from our environment, storing it as cellulose in their trunk, branches, leaves and roots, and releasing oxygen back into the air.
• Every year, an acre of trees has the capacity to absorb 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly the same amount that a car produces when driven 26,000 miles.
• Shade from trees reduces air conditioning use by up to 30 percent when trees are planted near homes and buildings.

As co-habitants of Planet Earth, maintaining and restoring our environment is a responsibility we all share. Thank you, Four Seasons Resorts for 10 million trees returned to our environment.

To learn more about Four Seasons 10 Million Trees Initiative, visit: http://livingvalues.fourseasons.com/2011/04/18/10milliontrees/

And to learn more about enjoying great vacations and spa holidays at a Four Seasons Resort or Four Seasons Fractional, visit these links:

• Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara
• Four Seasons Punta Mita Villas
• Four Seasons Residence Club Scottsdale At Troon North
• Four Seasons Residence Club Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Much that is positive, exciting, and invigorating for the timeshare industry has been discussed these last two days at the VOIC Shared Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida, which is hosted by Interval International. And frank talk has gone on about all the challenges of the industry, the economy, and the ways (both good and bad) that the industry has engaged with consumers in the past.

But some of the most interesting insights about timeshare and fractionals comes from a simple look at the numbers. Very often in business, the numbers speak louder than the words.

Here is a look at some recent research about Interval International member/owners:

• US resident members of II own approximately 1.9 weeks of shared ownership vacation time or its equivalent and travel an estimated 22 nights per year solely for leisure purposes.
• They report household income of approximately $121,175 per year.
• Twenty percent expect to buy additional vacation time in the future.
• Timeshare owners are attracted to warm-weather locations (Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, South Carolina timeshares and Caribbean timeshares) and family-style accommodations.
• Most are interested in, or have a preference for, two-bedroom timeshare units. Just under ten percent prefer three-bedroom timeshares.

And this may be the most industry-relevant factor of all: 83 percent of Interval International’s US members say they are satisfied with their timeshare ownership.

As David Gilbert, Interval International, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing, says, “Even in challenging economic times, it is very encouraging to see that the appeal of vacation ownership remains strong among our members.”

Welk Resorts San Diego is opening its doors for you to jog through the resort. On October 15, Welk Resorts timeshare will host the Run 4 Safety 5K Run & 1-Mile Walk Benefitting Deer Springs Fire District.

This is your chance to get an up-close look at the popular Welk Resort, part of the resort company developed by television star and musician, the late, Lawrence Welk. In the process, you will be helping to raise money for the Deer Springs Fire District, which will host its 2nd Annual Safetyfest and Deer Springs Fire District Open House.

The 5K run, (or to make it sound easier, the 3.2 mile run) begins at 7:30 AM and will lead you through the rolling hills of Fountains Golf Course and then throughout the scenic resort property. If you had rather walk not run, there’s a great option for you too. A 1-mile run/walk starts at 8:30 AM and follows the paved roadways within the resort.

At the finish line, enjoy food, folk art, safety demonstrations, children’s activities , a bike safety clinic and more. To find out more or to register to be part of this fun run, go to: Run 4 Safety

Lawrence Welk Timeshare Resorts San Diego

What a great way to spend a Saturday morning, help the local community, and see for yourself all that Welk Resorts and Welk Resorts timeshare resales have to offer. Learn more about the excellent opportunities in Welk Resorts Timeshare Resales at:  Lawrence Welk Villas on the Greens, Lawrence Welk Resort Villas and the Lawrence Welk Resorts Mountain Villas.

You know Disney … they would never settle for just celebrating Halloween one day a year. At the Anaheim, California, Disneyland Resort, the Halloween celebration starts today and runs through October 31.

For California timeshare families vacationing at Disney this time of year means the opportunity for a Halloween that is safe, outrageously fun and that will linger in your children’s memories for a lifetime. Of course, the park is decorated for the occasion with autumn leaves and smiling pumpkins at every turn.

Here’s more about the Disneyland fun and festivities you can expect when you vacation with Mickey during the boo-tiful Halloween season:

• In Disney’s own words, “All systems are GHOST for a spine-tingling journey through a haunted quadrant of the cosmos on Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy!
• The Haunted Mansion has had an “ex-scream” makeover just in time for your Halloween vacation.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is positively dying for you to drop in.
• The Disney characters are out and about for Meet ‘n Greets that include favorite Disney villains.
• And on select nights, and with purchase of an additional event admission ticket, you can be part of the extra special fun at Mickey’s Halloween Party.

California Timeshare Vacations All Year Long

California is a great state for a timeshare vacation whether you vacation in a San Diego timeshare, a San Francisco timeshare or perhaps head for Pebble Beach, the Baja or to ski the slopes in northern California. With California timeshare, you have so many options, that there’s bound to be a choice that is ideal for the way you and your family like to vacation, as well as many great resorts to enjoy during your Halloween holiday at Disneyland.

Happy Labor Day Weekend! The Timeshare Authority blog hopes you are enjoying a “labor-free” Labor Day holiday.

Writing today’s blog post was a bit like writing a back-to-school essay titled, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation,” except, we’d have to call this, “What Everyone Did on Their Vacation.”

Last week we published the new Hot 100 Timeshare Resales report and the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals report.

These reports list for you the top 100 timeshare resales and the top 100 timeshare rentals to receive offers to buy or rent at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services. The lists provide you a true overview of how consumers are allocating their vacation accommodations dollars.

Download these two free reports and study them for yourself. Among the trends and vacations patterns you will observe is this information about the top 20 most in-demand timeshare rentals:

1. Included in the top 20 timeshare rentals are 8 Marriott Vacation Club International resorts: Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club; Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club; Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes; Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club; Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club; and Marriott’s Grande Vista
2. In addition to the three Marriott Hawaii timeshares listed above, two other Hawaii timeshares ranked among the top 20 rental destinations: Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North
3. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village; Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort are the three Orlando timeshares on the hot properties rental list.
4. Three Mexico timeshares made the list of most in-demand timeshare rentals: Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta; Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach and Palace Resorts at Moon Palace Golf and Spa
5. The remaining four timeshare resorts among the top 20 are the Manhattan Club; the Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach and Harborside Resort at Atlantis along Harborside Resort at Atlantis II

Find out more here:

Timeshare Resales http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RESALES-2011.pdf

Timeshare Rentals http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RENTALS-2011.pdf