Should You Invest in a Timeshare, Pros and Cons for Timeshare Owners

In a July 19, 2012 article, titled, “Should You Invest in a Timeshare?” US News and World Report magazine reporter, Daniel Bortz looked at the pros and cons for timeshare owners. (Read the full article here: http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/07/19/should-you-invest-in-a-timeshare)

In the article, the author points out that for many people, one of the most important benefits of being timeshare owners is that it assures their commitment to vacation, year after year. Bortz cites Ed Kinney of Marriott Vacations Worldwide (Marriott timeshare) in making the point that, purchasing a timeshare locks in a vacationing lifestyle, adding, “Our industry accommodates people who like to plan ahead and look forward to a trip each year. People might want to go skiing over the holidays each year, and they can do that without worrying about whether they’ll get in year to year.”

Timeshare Owners Can Benefit from Timeshare Points

For vacationers who don’t want to return to the same destination year after year, the article points to the flexibility of the growing number of resorts and brands that use a timeshare points system. Howard Nusbaum of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) suggests if you think your interest in returning to the same destination each year could change, you might consider a timeshare points system that offers the flexibility to decide, “how and when” you use your vacation ownership.

Taking Time to Interview Timeshare Owners

Overall the article, “Should You Invest in a Timeshare?” affords a better balanced, more accurate picture of vacation ownership than have several other articles published this year by periodicals we all believe we can trust, yet that have chosen to go for titillating headlines and one-sided interviews. US News and World Report not only spoke to financial advisers but took the time to interview several leaders in the timeshare industry, and most importantly several timeshare owners.

Quite accurately, the article points out that becoming timeshare owners is not the right choice for everyone because, although it comes with many advantages, it also comes with commitments, such as paying your annual timeshare maintenance fee. Probably the only areas the article did not fully develop in such a way as to provide a balanced look at all sides of the decision to buy a timeshare would be timeshare exchange and timeshare resale.

A Closer Look at Timeshare Exchange and at Timeshare Resale

Looking at only the fees from one timeshare exchange option, the article failed to look at internal exchange within a timeshare network that often costs much less than does exchanging outside your own timeshare resort brand. Also overlooked were the diversity of smaller but highly effective timeshare exchange companies that may have an exchange network measured in hundreds of resorts, rather than thousands, and have very affordable exchange fees while still offering more options than most owners will ever be able to enjoy in a lifetime.

The scope of timeshare resale also was not well represented. The article did not discuss timeshare brokerage in which you pay no upfront fee to sell your timeshare. Also overlooked as a resale option was true timeshare-for-sale-by-owner advertising, in which you may pay an advertising fee to sell your timeshare, but after that point, timeshare owners pocket all of the proceeds of the timeshare sale.

At SellMyTimeshareNOW.com, we don’t ask you to take our word for it that you can sell your timeshare; we have a webpage dedicated to sharing with you, live, real-time offers being made through our website to rent or buy timeshare. Check for yourself and see that if you choose the right timeshare resale company, there are offers being made 7 days a week, 24 hours a day from future timeshare owners who want to rent or buy your timeshare resale. Yes, you can resale timeshare. Proof: http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/owners/index/content/buyeroffers/