Author Christopher Elliott had a blog post recently, titled: 12 Things You Shouldn’t Do in 2012. Everything he recommends is a well-placed word to the wise. You might think, here on The Timeshare Authority blog, we wouldn’t be quoting Elliott, who as a consumer advocate has been known to warn his readers about timeshare sales.

But frankly, we agree with many of the points Elliott raises in general and also in his new book, Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. To his credit, he doesn’t echo the often-said, never-correct message that all timeshares are bad, or that consumers are less than smart for buying them. Instead, he tells consumers not to buy timeshares (or anything else) under pressure. He goes so far as to say that in his opinion, buying timeshare can lead to regrets, but he points out there are reasons for these regrets:

• Timeshares come with fees. If you understand before you buy that your timeshare will be subject to an annual fee that will increase over time, and that other, additional fees can be placed on your timeshare over the years you own it, then you are going into your purchase as an educated buyer.
• Timeshares depreciate. You should understand this before you buy your timeshare. Depreciation doesn’t stop you from buying automobiles, electronics, or jewelry, but you won’t be happy if you buy timeshare expecting it to increase in value.
• Timeshares have rules. While Elliott calls these unreasonable rules, these rules probably fall more into the category of many other “unreasonable rules” such as those issued by airlines, hotels, restaurants, and other service industries. The rules are in place to enhance the way the product works for the greatest number of people using it. They won’t always work for everyone. There may be rules you don’t like or rules that don’t work for you. And if you buy timeshare expecting there to be no rules at all, you will be disappointed.

It’s this simple: when you buy a product that you haven’t researched, that you buy under pressure, and without fully understanding what you are buying, you can wind up with regrets. And this is true whether you are purchasing a timeshare, a television, or a toaster; it’s just that in most cases, your expenditure for the timeshare is much greater than it is for a TV and unlike a toaster, if you are truly dissatisfied, you can’t just walk to the trash and throw away your timeshare.

There is no one size fits all. It doesn’t exist in clothing, real estate, or consumer services and it certainly doesn’t apply when it comes to vacations and vacation ownership. When it comes to the truth about timeshares, don’t believe sales hype that isn’t logical and don’t believe negative criticisms that are the result of critics piling on a topic they don’t understand.

As Groucho Marx said, “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” … Do your own research before you buy timeshare. Understand the rules, investigate the fees, ask current and past owners, and take a timeshare rental vacation at the property where you are considering becoming an owner.

Over 80 percent of timeshare owners say they are satisfied with their purchase; many are so happy with one timeshare that they go on to purchase two, three, or more timeshares or timeshare resales. When it comes to timeshares, there really aren’t 12 things you shouldn’t do; there is only one. Don’t be an uneducated, impulsive buyer.

Yes, Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services have always been your best resource for last minute timeshare vacation rental hot deals, but in recent months these deals have gotten easier for you to explore and even hotter than ever before.

Featured on the homepage of www.sellmytimesharenow.com, Amazing Last Minute Deals are timeshare vacation rentals you can book and enjoy even at the very, very last minute. Because these timeshare rentals are listed chronologically, with the closest rental dates first, you can find a great deal—an amazing deal—on a vacation property, and start your holiday as soon as tomorrow, if you like.

AMAZING LAST MINUTE DEALS ARE:

• Easy to book and make vacation and travel planning simpler than ever.
• Offered by owners, resorts, agents, or HOAs that are highly anxious to book this timeshare rental for you.
• Available (typically) for a full 7-day, 6-night vacation but may also be negotiated for a shorter 2, 3 or 4-night vacation. Some may even be available as overnight rentals (you never know until you ask!).
• Offered at rock bottom rental prices yet are at all your favorite or soon-to-be favorite vacation destinations, with spacious accommodations and great amenities.
• Afford you the best deals out there for a luxury vacation at a discount price.
• Ready to rent NOW!

When you wonder how others afford those fabulous vacations you never seem to be able to take; here’s your answer: LAST MINUTE RENTAL DEALS from Sell My Timeshare NOW.

In the midst of double digit unemployment and the most unstable US economy since the great Depression, gainfully employed people are walking away from their jobs.

Alexandra Levit, a former nationally-syndicated business and workplace columnist for The Wall Street Journal and the author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success, writes about this phenomenon in an article titled, “Good Culture Is In, Inflated Salaries Are Out.”

Ms. Levit says, “Employees at all levels—especially women—are stepping away from positions that will pay them the highest salary, and moving into ones that provide them a better quality of life.”

She goes on to explain that satisfaction with one’s life and one’s income really has little correlation by using the following example:  Certain  global surveys have asked people to rank how satisfied they are with their lives on a  scale from 1 to 7 with 1 being “not at all satisfied with my life” and 7 being “completely satisfied with my life”.

American multimillionaires ranked at an average score of 5.8, which doesn’t sound surprising one way or the other until you realize that the Masai people of Kenya, Africa, who live without electricity or water, and spend their lives herding cattle, also score 5.8.

Life is short and our days are precious. The security of a home, job, and savings are important. But so are the gifts we give ourselves in life … time with those we love, sunsets across quiet water and sunrise on the mountain top. You may never own a second home, or even a first. But do everything in your power to step back from your routine, to duck out of the rat race, every now and then.

So what if you can’t buy a cabin in the mountains? Buy a timeshare resale, load up your kids and the dog, and for one week a year be the “owners” of that mountain getaway. Perhaps your demands are so great you cannot take a week away from your job. That’s okay, too. Take a couple of days or a long weekend in a timeshare rental; you won’t even have to pay to eat out. Just get away. Take a holiday. Give yourself a break.

… Because you won’t find happiness in a paycheck or a bankbook. You’ll find it in the moments where you break free and create everlasting memories with those you love most.

As 2011 draws to a close, all of us at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services wish you and your family a safe, peaceful, and joyous New Year’s Eve.

If you have been among the thousands of clients we have been privileged to serve this year, we thank for permitting us to help you. If you are considering finding out more about the opportunities of vacation ownership, or are looking to sell or rent timeshare real estate you currently own, we hope you will consider us.

We will do our very best to provide you the highest level of service in your timeshare or fractional transaction and we will do so with respect and integrity.

Across America and around the world, people will be welcoming in the new year with hope that 2012 brings  unity, prosperity and health to all. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.”

The number of reasons you may be (or should be) shopping for a vacation rental right now are numerous. Perhaps you are traveling for the holidays. Maybe you want to ring in 2012 in a very special place this year. You might simply be in seasonal overload and in search of a getaway. Or this could be the year you’ve decided to give a gift to create memories that last long after other gifts have been unwrapped and set aside.

But you may not realize that you can give (or enjoy) a vacation getaway so affordably by taking advantage of a timeshare rental.

Frankly, those of us in the timeshare industry and vacationers who have discovered the value of timeshare rentals are always amazed that so many smart travelers don’t know about the great deals in renting timeshares.

Timeshare Rentals Save You Money

There is no getting around it. Timeshare rentals are one of the most economical options for vacation accommodations.

Why?

Because current timeshare owners who cannot take advantage of their vacation ownership this year, and don’t plan to bank or exchange their timeshare, are typically thrilled to rent their timeshare unit. And the prices to rent timeshare can be very competitive. Owners recognize that renting their timeshare to you—at even a very low rate—brings in money to them, as opposed to leaving the unit unrented where the owner nets no funds at all.

The money you pay to enjoy someone else’s timeshare as a rental property is money that helps that person offset or even cover his cost of annual ownership fees. Timeshare rental is a win-win for both the owner and the vacationer enjoying the rental.

Timeshare Rentals are a Vacation Accommodations Upgrade

Sure, you and your family can vacation in a standard hotel room. You can sit on the bed and eat takeout food, washing your drinking glasses in the bathroom sink. When the kids want to watch that corny comedy movie for the zillionth time, you can put your pillow over your head and try to ignore it. And if your teenager ever gets out of the shower, you can have your turn in the bathroom you and the family are sharing. …Or you can rent timeshare and spread out and be comfortable.

Timeshares are designed to comfortably accommodate families, sleeping four, six, some even ten or twelve people. Many offer kitchens, dining tables, multiple bedrooms, multiple baths, and even multiple televisions. Often your timeshare unit will include a balcony or patio and many even have washers and dryers.

Why be cramped, why be crowded, and why do without the comforts of home when you can enjoy an affordably priced timeshare rental?

Timeshare Rentals are Easy to Book

Timeshare rentals have always been easy to schedule. You can search for your rental by destination, resort, activities you’d like to enjoy, rental price, or date. You can refine your search to include the number of bedrooms you require, the season, usage type, nearby amenities, even details as specific as whether your timeshare unit has a fireplace or a dishwasher.

Visit our last minute timeshare rentals, and you will be viewing vacation rentals that are available to you to book and enjoy within the next 21 days. Or plan long range by searching timeshare rentals, from an inventory of over 17,000 possibilities.

Timeshare rentals are easy to book, and with so many great destinations and amenities, they are even easier to enjoy. Best of all, you won’t believe how affordable the rates are.

So as you are wrapping up your holiday shopping list, why not add one item that is sure to become either a gift to remember for a lifetime, or the best present you ever gave yourself?

Are you missing NBA basketball? Or just excited for the start of college hoops?

How does the idea of basketball in paradise strike you? That is exactly what’s happening next week as eight of college basketball’s most distinguished teams square off for the Battle 4 Atlantis College Basketball Tournament, at the amazing Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.

If you are a sports fan, you need to be there; the pairing of the Bahamas and basketball is just too good to pass up.

Scheduled for November 23-27, Thanksgiving week, each of the 8 teams will play in 3 games over 3 days, giving you a chance to see your favorite teams in a total of twelve, Division I collegiate battles.

Contested in the 50,000 square foot Imperial Ballroom, (converted for the event), you’ll see the men’s basketball teams for:

• University of Connecticut, the 2011 NCAA Champions
• Harvard
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• College of Charleston
• University of Central Florida
• Florida State University
• University of North Carolina Ashville
• University of Utah

The Harborside Resort Caribbean Timeshare

And when you’re not cheering on your team, you’ll be at one of the most luxurious, and entertainment-packed venues in the world, the famous Atlantis Resort.

Located in Nassau, Bahamas, the Atlantis Resort is renowned for its excellent spa, casino and a 34-acre waterscape complete with eleven pools. Now, and throughout the year, you will find great deals on Atlantis Resort timeshares, including the popular, Harborside Resort.

Imagine a Harborside Resort timeshare rental –already a great price–and sharing the cost of the spacious accommodations with your friends? Or a great deal on a Harborside Resort timeshare resale, so that you can come back year after year?

Now imagine spending Thanksgiving Day on the beach in Nassau, poolside at the resort, and in the stands cheering on your team … that has all the makings of a Thanksgiving to truly be thankful for and we can help you make it happen.

The 2011 Obitz Travel Index revealed some surprising and not-so-surprising travel trends for this year’s holiday season.

Despite the still-tight economy and rising airfares, which are up some 4 percent over last year, people still plan to travel this holiday season. Of those surveyed, 68 percent said they would cut back elsewhere, including on gift buying if necessary to cover the cost of holiday travel.

Where is everybody going?

Well, New York City ranks as the top destination for Thanksgiving travel. Chicago and Orlando ranked as second and third. Other popular destinations include Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For Christmas and New Year’s travel, Orlando ranked number one, New York number two, with Denver ranking third in Christmas travel and Cancun taking the number three spot for New Year’s travel.

But experts advise, book your travel and lock in your plans NOW.

Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com, says, “With the travel demand strong for the holidays, consumers need to lock in their plans. We’re seeing many deals catering to families on a budget, but travelers will miss these great opportunities if travel planning is pushed back as prices are not likely to go down.”

This year, more than ever, at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, we are finding that timeshare rentals are being snapped up fast.

Timeshare Rentals mean:

• Spacious accommodations, where you and your family or friends can spread out, with home away from home comforts
• Great competitive prices, as timeshare owners seek to rent timeshare they cannot use themselves
• Locations near all the fun attractions you want to visit
• In-unit kitchens, making it easier to save money on dining out
• In-unit or on-site washers and dryers meaning, less to pack and fewer “extra bag” fees from airlines
• Great options for accommodating your holiday guests as well as for your own travel

Timeshare rental for your holiday travel … do it NOW.

According to recent research conducted by Ernst & Young, nearly half of all timeshare buyers have rented timeshare first.

This makes sense. What better way to come to understand the timeshare product than to experience it firsthand, in a relaxing vacation environment? When you rent timeshare you don’t have to attend a timeshare sales pitch; you simply enjoy the resort the way you like to vacation.

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA), acknowledges the growing interest in timeshare rentals. ARDA created its VacationBetter.org website to help highlight the fun and the need to vacation regularly, whether you do it as a timeshare owner or a timeshare renter.

ARDA President and CEO, Howard Nusbaum says, “We developed VacationBetter.org as a resource to help consumers learn about the value of taking regular vacations and to share why vacation with timeshare is a better vacation. We encourage people who enjoy vacation, want to get more ‘bang for their buck’ and have the comforts of home to visit the site.”

Enjoying Timeshare Rentals

Timeshare rental vacations are easy to plan and easy to enjoy. They make it affordable for large families, along with anyone seeking the comforts of home, to vacation in spacious accommodations at affordable rates.

Skip the cost of dining out for every vacation meal. Enjoy the equipped kitchens and dining areas in your timeshare unit that make it easy and affordable to eat what you like, when you like, including those midnight raids on the refrigerator.

Pack lighter. Lug less luggage along on your trip and save the money you would have paid for extra baggage on an airline. Simply throw those swimsuits and kids clothes in the in-room (or in some cases on-property) washer and dryer and be ready to go again tomorrow.

Your Best Resources for Timeshare Rentals and Information

Before you commit to another family vacation with everyone cramped in the same room, sharing one bath and one remote control  for the television, you should seriously consider the affordable prices on spacious, well-equipped timeshare  and condo rentals.

Learn more about better vacation options at ARDA’s consumer website at http://www.VacationBetter.org.

And visit Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services for the very best deals on timeshare rentals or to speak with a timeshare rental specialist to help you get started.

To learn more about the Partner Portal, please read today’s media release: Sell My Timeshare NOW Improving Timeshare Resale and Rental Options for Industry.

This week there is been a lot of buzz about the new Sell My Timeshare NOW Partner Portal for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

This new tool provides the first consolidated resource for buying, renting, and selling timeshare inventory. And while it will mean a huge boost for many in the timeshare industry, including resellers, brokers, and HOAs to name only a few, the new Partner Portal will indirectly affect consumers, too.

What the Partner Portal Means for Timeshare Owners

First, the Partner Portal provides one-stop shopping for the consumer within the timeshare industry with the most comprehensive inventory of properties for sale or rent available. Because the Partner Portal Program functions in much the same way as an MLS, prospective buyers and renters can shop online knowing they are seeing the broadest scope of the properties available on the secondary market. But the Partner Portal has value for consumers at other levels too.

The more standardization and unification of the resale industry, the more the consumer benefits.  A regulated and standardized timeshare resales and rental industry is a healthy industry.

As the high-visibility, high-traffic websites of Sell My Timeshare NOW make it easier for timeshare management companies, Home Owner Associations, and even timeshare development and sales companies to move inventory and keep timeshare resorts strong and robust, the product owned by individuals also stays strong and robust.

And to learn more about the Partner Portal program at: www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/partner-portal.pdf or by contacting Jerome Bocquet at 877-884-9577 ext. 307 or Jay Bade at 317-213-2553.

View the Partner Portal login page www.sellmytimesharenow.com/portal.

Whether it’s your personal budget or the US economy, spending less is key to getting a budget under control. Many vacationers have already realized that renting timeshare or buying a timeshare resale affords them a great way to enjoy a budget-friendly vacation.

You can find excellent prices on timeshare rentals because owners who can’t use the unit that year and do not plan to exchange it are often highly negotiable regarding the rental price. If you are buying a timeshare resale at a competitive price, then you are not only locking in the cost of your vacation accommodations for years to come but you are likely realizing a dramatic savings on the purchase price.

But many of the cost saving features of timeshare vacations are less obvious. Here’s a list of more ways your timeshare saves you money on vacationing.

Timeshare Vacation Tips for Saving Money

1. Because many timeshares offer washers and dryers in or near your unit, you can shop for fewer vacation clothes. Just as importantly, with so many airlines charging baggage fees, you can pack lighter.
2. While eating out is part of the fun of vacationing, it is also one of the big costs. With kitchens and dining areas in most timeshare units, meals on your family vacation don’t have to cost any more than you would spend eating at home.
3. Many timeshare resorts are vacation destinations within themselves. With so many amenities and activities on property, your family can have a great vacation without spending a lot on gas, car rentals, and admission pricing for area attractions.
4. When you do visit nearby attractions, always check with your timeshare to see if there is courtesy transportation to these locations. You may also want to inquire whether your resort offers a shuttle to and from the airport.
5. The option to exchange timeshare means you can vacation at a resort destination near your home, have a fully relaxing holiday, and save the time, costs and scheduling considerations of extended travel.

Visit Parenting.com for more money saving vacation ideas.