We didn’t really know what to anticipate.

After all, most of our clients and potential clients at Sell My Timeshare NOW —some 2 million plus each month who come to our website — are looking for great deals on vacation ownership and vacation rentals or they are timeshare owners looking to sell or rent timeshare they no longer use. They come to us because they want to take advantage of by-owner ads on Sell My Timeshare NOW’s high-visibility websites but prefer to manage their timeshare sale or timeshare rental themselves.

Some timeshare owners need or prefer turnkey service for their timeshare sales transactions. For this reason, we added timeshare broker services and licensed real estate agents to provide sellers who go this route, the comprehensive services they seek.

We also recognized that if some people preferred turnkey services for selling timeshare, there might be timeshare owners who wanted turnkey services for using their timeshare as a rental, too. With this in mind, late in 2007 we launched Rental Assist. In 2008, it was a small effort and it wasn’t really until 2009 that the program began to get its legs and take off.

A Highly Successful Timeshare Rental Solution

Sell My Timeshare NOW is proud to report that the brokerage team of trained professionals at Rental Assist completed $2.6 million in timeshare rentals in 2009. Lucas Lanigan, Rental Sales Director, says, “With Rental Assist, our team of experienced timeshare real estate professionals match timeshare owners with timeshare renters, handling every detail of the process—turnkey service for the timeshare owner. In 2009, 1,450 timeshare owners rented their timeshare through this program for an average weekly rental rate of $1,808, which is more than triple the average owner’s maintenance fee.”

Lucas goes on to explain, “1,450 families enjoyed timeshare rental vacations last year because our Rental Assist team was able to get them the destination and price they wanted for their vacation during the dates that matched their schedule. Personalized service for the timeshare renter and worry-free, comprehensive service for the timeshare owner, and we are just getting started. In 2010, we expect to see timeshare Rental Assist soar, as timeshare owners recognize its value.”

The results of Rental Assist are very exciting. Imagine getting a weekly rental rate of $1,808 for your timeshare. This is easily more than enough to pay most owners’ annual fees for maintenance and to even let them put some money in their pocket.

Click this link to read Sell My Timeshare NOW’s most recent timeshare media release about our exciting results at Rental Assist. And contact our timeshare rental specialists to learn how you can take advantage of this new and exciting comprehensive timeshare rental service.

Are you, like much of the US, snowed in or about to be? One of the best ways to deal with cabin fever is planning what you are going to do when you can finally get out of the ‘cabin’ again. A snow day is an excellent time to start building the structure that is missing in your life and that causes you to skip vacations and fail to take the time off you genuinely need and deserve.

Schedule your vacation time. Commit to it with the same discipline you use for other things in life, and then consider doing the one thing that truly makes it easier to stick to your plans — buy a timeshare resale.

Why do timeshares make vacationing easier?

• For starters, you are more likely to take a vacation when you have already made a financial commitment to your vacation accommodations. In other words, when the room is already paid for, why wouldn’t you go?
• Prepaid vacation accommodations also mean that you can take a vacation at times in the future when money might be too tight for you to do so.
• Timeshare vacations give you a starting point. Either you know which resort you will be staying in, or you know in which network of resorts you will be using your vacation property as a timeshare exchange.
• Second only to lack of time to take a vacation, people cite lack of time to plan a vacation as the reason they don’t work in much-needed relaxation days. Buying timeshare means you do the decision-making once and then enjoy a lifetime of easy-to-plan vacations.
• Buying timeshare lets you lock in the price of your vacation accommodations; buying timeshare resale means you do so at a substantial savings.

How to avoid timeshare scam:

• Buy timeshare resale through a timeshare company with an established history of timeshare sales and timeshare rentals. If a company promise’s sound too good to be true, be on guard for timeshare scams.
• Choose a timeshare resale company that can show you testimonials from satisfied customers. (See: Testimonials from SellMyTimeshareNOW)
• Select a timeshare company that has established professional relationships within the industry, such as membership in ARDA, CRDA, and the National Timeshare Owners Association.
• Look for a timeshare company with a noteworthy website that clearly demonstrates its website prominence and industry dominance.
• Don’t let anyone rush you. There are plenty of great deals on timeshare resales, either through a timeshare broker or a by-owner sale. You can find the vacation ownership proposition that is right for you, your vacation style, and your budget.

Wherever you are, it may be blowing snow and generally miserable. Today is a great day to be dreaming about a little beach time in your near future and timeshare resales are an affordable way to turn that daydream into a sand-between-your-toes reality.

Teamwork makes the timeshare industry strong and partnerships like this are great to report: Women in the Industry (WIN), an association that supports the role and the advancement of professional women in the timeshare industry, has announced that The Trades Publishing Company has company has committed to another year of support. The Trades was a charter supporter as WIN launched last year, and has been instrumental in promoting and publicizing WIN to a wide audience.

“We signed up as a corporate benefactor at the very inception of WIN,” says David Kerr, Managing Director of The Trades. “We are pleased to be part of its growth because from the get-go we have believed in its mission.”

Women in the Industry (WIN) is a non-profit organization that advocates, educates and connects women in the vacation (timeshare) industry. It is a dynamic, diverse, non-partisan global organization providing leadership, mentoring, philanthropic and educational opportunities to women and those who support women; connecting members locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Georgi Bohrod Gordon is the Board of Directors Member responsible for WIN communications. Georgi says, “Each month The Trades has consistently been generous in donating ad space and editorial copy to help spread the word about us. Their support has continued to help us grow and we are pleased they have made such a positive commitment to help support the organization in reaching our goals in the upcoming year. We now have two important publications getting the word about WIN to the targeted audience we regard as primary to our goals.”

Thanks to promotion from The Trades and the sponsorship of Marriott Vacation Ownership, Bluegreen Resorts, and CustomerCount©, the first WIN Florida Regional Conference Meeting in Orlando (held at the end of January) was a strong success, with nearly 60 attending. WIN will hold their annual networking event during the 2010 American Resort and Development Association (ARDA) Convention in Las Vegas on March 16.

To find out more contact: Cathy Backus at 858.344.2139 or Lani Kane-Hanan at 407.513.6634.

Previous The Timeshare Authority updates on WIN:

• Timeshare Women In The Industry (WIN) Meeting in Orlando
• WIN – Association for Women in the Timeshare Industry Hosting Special Events at ARDA Convention
• Women Changing the Face of Timeshares and Timesharing (Part I)
• Women Carving Out their Future in the Timeshare Industry (Part II)

Dr. Peter J. Shield, a longtime veteran of the timeshare industry and internationally acclaimed award-winning photojournalist, has written a book titled, “Timeshare- You Bought …..WHAT?”

This downloadable ebook offers a no-frills look at buying timeshare, selling timeshare, and timeshare exchange. Dr. Shield has written the book to help timeshare owners maximize the benefits of their timeshares and understand what they own and how to truly get the most of their timeshare.

Here’s an excerpt from this unique timeshare book that is certain to capture your interest, as Dr. Shield talks about his first timeshare:

“The property was a farm, converted into what I would best describe from looking back, as a ‘dude’ ranch with cabins, stables and a ‘ranch’ house. Quite frankly at the time I thought it was great. If memory serves me, they proposed to sell a week of ownership for six or seven thousand Australian dollars.

This would allow the ‘timeshare’ owner to spend a week with their family, vacationing ‘on the ranch’ every year for 30 years. I was one of the first to sign up.

For about three years my wife, my children and I enjoyed the visits immensely.

I must, however, share the end to this story with you. Sometime during our third year of ownership my wife decided that she needed to travel independently – sitting down! In case my humor didn’t reach you, this meant a second car! At the time my finances wouldn’t allow for the initial outlay. Wives, however being what they are, spotted an advertisement by a Sydney car dealer which said, and I quote, “Need a Car? – WE trade ANYTHING!”