Author: Staff Contributor

In 2007, Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC had a record setting year with offers to buy timeshare or rent timeshare reaching $274,272,859 by year-end. And in our typically enthusiastic approach to business and life in general here at Sell My Timeshare NOW, we set a target to surpass that total in 2008, despite the struggling economy, high gas prices, and other issues that impact the travel and timeshare industries.

Well, we did it … and it didn’t take us a year.

As Sell My Timeshare NOW entered the Labor Day weekend, offers to buy timeshare and to rent timeshare reached $332,701,702 – that’s a 21 percent gain over year-end figures from ’07, and there were still 4 months yet to go.

What an amazing year, taking us from record setting to record breaking.

But it’s not about us … it’s all about you.

Five years ago, when our Internet based company was founded, we did so because we knew timeshares offered an excellent opportunity for people to enjoy vacation ownership and to lock-in the price of accommodations, creating a hedge against vacation inflation. But we didn’t see any truly accessible, affordable, easy-to-use ways for timeshare sellers to interact with timeshare buyers and timeshare renters. Thus Sell My Timeshare NOW was born.

Today our outreach is worldwide. Our marketplace is as vast as cyberspace. Anywhere in the world, any time of the day, you can be buying, renting, or selling timeshare that is advertised on Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals help you and your family continue to enjoy time spent together, days away from the routine grind … the relaxation, recreation, and fun you have earned.

Follow this link to read Sell My Timeshare NOW‘s complete media release.

Here are some updates about hotels and timeshare resorts that may have been affected by Hurricane Ike. The list is not complete and is constantly being updated by officials as more information becomes available in the aftermath of this terrible storm.

Remember that damages from Ike have not been limited to Texas, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast states; this storm has left downed trees, damaged roofs, flooding and power outages in Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and continues its path of devastation across the US, as well as the damage and fatalities the storm wrought nearly a week ago in the Caribbean, Haiti, Cuba, and the Turks and Cacaos.

Update from Sheraton, Westin, and Starwood (information updated as of 3PM Sunday, September 14, 2008):

Update from Marriott Hotels and Marriott Timeshare Resorts (as of Saturday, September 13, 2008)

“Many hotels are open, and efforts are underway to fully restore operations in those affected by the hurricane … Most of the hotels that housed guests through the storm have essential utilities or are using generator power, if needed. Early reports indicate damage to some rooftops and windows, as well as the landscaping …

… Guests with confirmed reservations for an arrival date of Saturday, September 13, and beyond should contact the hotel directly or our toll-free reservations number at (888) 236-2427 …

… Generally, cancellation fees are being waived for guests holding confirmed reservations at the hotels that are or will be affected by the storm. However, hotels reserve the right to make this decision on a case-by-case basis … the Galveston and Houston area hotels are not accepting new reservations until further notice … We are accepting reservations and have rooms available in Dallas and other areas of Texas.”

Marriott will post updates at: www.MarriottNewsroom.com

Update from Hilton Hotels (as of 5 PM Saturday, September 13, 2008)

The Hilton Americas Houston and Hilton Post Oak are open and accepting reservations.

The Doubletree Hotel Houston Downtown has sustained damage to its elevators and has been temporarily closed. The guests staying at the Doubletree were relocated to the Hilton Americas Houston. The Doubletree Hotel Houston Downtown will remain closed until Tuesday, September 16 at the earliest.

Homewood Suites in Clear Lake remains closed in compliance with the directive of the local authorities.

The Hilton Hotel in Clear Lake sustained damages when a large section of the hotel’s front wall fell on a FOX 26 live truck.

Executives for Hilton state that, “Generally, cancellation fees are being waived for guests holding confirmed reservations at the Hilton Family of Hotels that have been affected by the storm. However, hotels reserve the right to make this decision on a case-by-case basis.”

Galveston Timeshare Resorts

No reports on whether the following timeshare resorts survived the winds and water of Hurricane Ike. As of now, no one is being allowed on Galveston Island except rescue workers, who have been unable to reach large portions of the island. Much of Galveston Island is still underwater and city services such as water and electricity are not available.

• Escapes! to the Gulf at Galveston
• Four Seasons on the Gulf
• Inverness by the Sea
• Silverleaf’s Seaside Resort – Galveston, TX

Willis, Texas Timeshares

The Landing at Seven Coves Timeshares is closed due to power outages. No report on damages.

Other Updates on Damage from Hurricane Ike:

Continental Airlines

According to Fox News, “Continental Airlines is currently assessing the impact of Hurricane Ike at its facilities, including its Houston hub at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), its headquarters building in downtown Houston and other Houston facilities such as maintenance and reservations.

Customers scheduled to travel to, from or through the Houston hub are encouraged to postpone or reroute their trip without penalty to avoid possible inconvenience. The fastest and most convenient way to change travel plans is via www.continental.com.”

Other airlines may resume service from Bush Intercontinental Airport starting Monday, September 15.

Grocery stores in Huston are beginning to reopen as of Sunday, September 14, 2008.

The Caribbean and the Turks and Caicos

The Timeshare Authority will keep you updated as further information becomes available regarding the resorts and related conditions following Hurricane Ike. The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Sell My Timeshare NOW are with the millions of people who are directly and indirectly affected by this storm.

Okay, summer is over, and perhaps you failed to use your timeshare once again. If you have a timeshare that you are not enjoying, and you are not interested in using it as a timeshare rental, then you should consider selling it as a timeshare resale.

But do you understand your options for reselling your timeshare?

One choice is to work with a timeshare broker, a real estate professional who will handle your timeshare resale for you. You will be using a licensed real estate broker, and you should expect the broker to charge you a commission when your timeshare sells. Commissions for timeshare resales are typically higher than real estate commissions for selling a home, so expect to pay as much as 15 to 30 percent in sales commission.

For Sell by Owner Timeshare Resales Advertising

Your other realistic option for selling your timeshare is to let Sell My Timeshare NOW advertise your timeshare for you. Using the vast exposure of the internet, your timeshare ad can be seen by interested timeshare buyers all over the world.

The job of a timeshare advertising company is to position your timeshare resales ad so that it draws global visibility in a worldwide marketplace. And nothing does that better than internet advertising does. Where once your daily newspaper or even television was a good way to attract many buyers, today’s tool of choice for maximum exposure advertising is the internet.

This short video can help you learn more about your options to sell timeshare efficiently …

The Sell My Timeshare NOW HOT 100 List gives you an excellent opportunity to compare two outstanding Florida timeshare resorts, back to back. Yesterday, The Timeshare Authority profiled HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 62 – the Vacation Village at Parkway. Today we are looking at HOT 100 List timeshare resort number 61 – the Westgate Town Center.

Both of these two popular timeshare properties are located in Kissimmee, Florida, which is just to the south of Orlando and perfectly situated for visiting all the Orlando theme parks and attractions, while bypassing much of the local Orlando traffic. Getting to the Westgate Town Center is easy. This Florida timeshare resort is less than 25 miles from the Orlando International Airport. Taxi service from the airport ranges from $43 to $60 or from $25 to $44 for shuttle service. (Since the price of gas fluctuates these days, rates can vary. Visit the ground transportation page for the Orlando International Airport for the latest prices and contact information for transportation providers.)

If you are visiting the Westgate Town Center timeshare resort by car, you will find it easy to reach by taking I-4 West to exit 64B, (that’s the US-192 West/Walt Disney World® exit). The timeshare is only one-quarter mile from this exit.

Once you arrive at the Westgate Town Center timeshare, you may never want to leave – not even to enjoy some of the Florida vacation fun you came to experience. This family-friendly Florida timeshare resort has a fitness room, numerous swimming pools, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts, picnic areas, miniature golf, a children’s activity center, and an arcade. While the theme parks are nearby, the resort has so much to offer that it can be a vacation within itself.

Your Westgate Timeshare Villa

The Westgate Town Center offers timeshare villas of all sizes from studios, to 2, 3, and 4-bedroom timeshare units. Most include fully equipped kitchens (kitchenettes in studio units), large-screen TVs, washer and dryers, whirlpool tubs, and balconies or a patio.

According to the floor plans available from Westgate timeshares, your studio unit at Westgate Town Center timeshare includes a queen bed and a sleeper sofa. Two-bedroom timeshare units offer a king bed, 2 double beds, and a queen sleeper sofa. In three-bedroom timeshare units you will have 2 king beds, 2 double beds, and 2 sleeper sofas. And lastly, in the uber-spacious 4-bedroom timeshare units that offer 2522 square feet of living space, you will have 3 king beds, 2 doubles and 3 sleeper sofas – which translates to room enough for 16 people to relax, spread out, and enjoy their holiday time together.

Which Florida Timeshare Resort is Right for You?

The good thing about Florida timeshare is that there are so many of them. But this is also what makes picking one such a challenge. After you look at your needs for space and on-site amenities, you have to consider if you plan to exchange your timeshare unit or visit the same one on a regular basis. Fortunately, the affordable prices of timeshare resales makes it easy for you to buy timeshare or even buy multiple Florida timeshares to enjoy, exchange, or even use as timeshare rentals.

The timeshare resales and timeshare rentals experts at Sell My Timeshare NOW can help you get started today. It is easy to shop the inventory of available Orlando timeshare, Kissimmee timeshare, or timeshares throughout the Sunshine State. The only thing you’ll have to do is pick one!