According to ARDA, the American Resort Development Association, diverse segments of the population own timeshares, but currently the majority of timeshare units are owned by baby boomers and empty nesters. Howard Nausbaum, ARDA president, says, “Baby Boomers like the value proposition and agility of ‘sharing’ resources such as vacation condos and homes.”

I’ve pointed out to you before that people born between 1946 and 1964—the boomers—are the fastest growing demographic in our society, so it stands to reason that they will represent the largest group of Americans who buy timeshare or rent timeshare for their vacations. They also, as a group enjoy the highest income earning levels with many of them having not yet even reached their earning potential. In the book Boom, (by Mary Brown and Carol Orsborn) a source you have seen me quote before, boomers are benefiting from inheritances left them by their parents and in-laws, adding to their resources of expendable income.

But boomers are not the only ones who rent timeshare or buy timeshare. And a closer look at Interval International’s most recent profile of timeshare buyers bears this out.

Profile of Vacationers Who Buy Timeshare

Research done by the timeshare exchange company, Interval International, (as reported in Hotel Interactive) revealed that, “leisure travelers interested in vacation ownership have a strong commitment to their values, personal needs, and lifestyles.”

The study goes on to identify that 36 percent of the people who buy timeshare are between the ages of 42 and 60. But here’s where I think, the research gets particularly interesting; 33 percent of the people who buy timeshare are between the ages of 28 and 41, with another 12 percent being under the age of 27.

The math’s not difficult here. People over the age of 42, do in fact, make up the largest percentage of timeshare owners, but it has clearly become a pretty tight race. People between the ages of 21 and 41 are purchasing an amazing 45 percent of all timeshares!

Proof once again, that timeshare ownership today is no longer a concept struggling to define itself and find ways to create flexibility and options. Nowadays, if you want to buy timeshare, your choices are flexible and packed with enough options to suit almost everyone’s vacation style and budget, especially when you look at the opportunities to buy timeshare on the resale market.

Timeshare Resale and By-Owner Timeshare

Timeshare resales and by-owner timeshare have taken down the price barriers and made timeshare ownership available to an enormous segment of the population. People who want to sell timeshare have often used and enjoyed their vacation ownership for many years; when they sell, they may be ready to simply relieve themselves of the commitments of timeshare ownership and move on to something else in their lives. Lifestyle changes, job transfers, health issues, marriages, divorces, and income changes are all reasons that some timeshare owners are willing to resell timeshare at very competitive prices. And if you’ve never looked at just how competitive the prices for timeshare resale and timeshare rental can be, I can think of no better place for you to start looking than at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

I can’t think of a better day of the year to write about Boston timeshare resorts and timeshares in the area around Salem, Massachusetts.

In case you have forgotten that page in American history, witch-hunting hysteria reached its peak in the US in 1692, in the city of Salem, MA. About 20 people—men as well as women—living in the area around Salem were either hanged or stoned as witches, while hundreds of others were imprisoned, suspected of witchcraft.

I presume the only witches you will run into today in that charming corner of New England will be wearing costumes and face paint and thrusting out open bags or plastic pumpkins, demanding treats. The fact is, any day of the year is a fun time to visit Salem; the city has done an excellent job turning it’s illustrious past into tourism dollars. But if you ever have the chance to spend Halloween (or any time in October) in Salem, you are in for a special treat.

From candlelight ghost tours to nightly cemetery visits, the city of Salem pulls out all the stops to celebrate a haunted Halloween.

And for taking advantage of one of the best Halloween celebrations in the country, a Boston timeshare is the perfect unhaunted place to relax.

Continuing with our updates from last week on California timeshare resorts and hotels, I’d like to share the following items with you.

SeaWorld San Diego and Legoland, both of which closed last week, reopened on Friday. Hotels and timeshare resorts in the central part of San Diego (near the Convention Center) were never in danger from the fires. Carol Wallace president and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corp., was quoted in Travel Weekly as saying, “We are open for business despite the challenges posed by these devastating fires.”

Likewise, it was not necessary to close the world-famous San Diego Zoo, and the animals were never threatened by the fires. The Wild Animal Park in San Pasqual Valley did not fare as well, losing some 600 acres of their big game grazing area in the Witch Creek fire, but the animals remained safe, as many had been relocated in a precautionary measure.

Based on their locations, Carlsbad timeshares and Solana Beach timeshares should have escaped the fires, however they have no doubt had to deal with smoke and ash fallout. If you own timeshare at Grand Pacific Palisades Timeshare Resort, Carlsbad Inn Beach Timeshare Resort, Tamarack Beach Timeshare Resort, or Carlsbad Seapointe Timeshare Resort, these properties have reported that they are undamaged. The Welk Resort in San Diego was evacuated, but was scheduled to reopen for business by Saturday, Oct. 27. Their online booking system remains down.

For specific information about any California timeshare resorts, you should call to check their status. While most have escaped the fires, some resorts have been closed because they are in a mandatory evacuation area, or because they currently lack electricity or water service. Other timeshare resorts are being used as housing areas for evacuees or emergency personnel. Contact your timeshare resort directly, or call 877-477-7368 for general information about hotel and resorts in the San Diego area.

Two websites, in addition to those we published on Friday, may also be helpful:

The San Diego County Emergency Website and Inform San Diego

Before I close, I want to also remind you of the same message I sent following Hurricane Katrina. Loss of property is painful and heartbreaking, but loss of income devastates individuals and families in even more destructive ways. Millions of people in California earn their livelihoods at businesses that rely heavily on tourist dollars. One of the best ways to help in the post-fire recovery, is to move forward with plans you have for a California trip or vacation. The state of California is, in fact, still open for business; let’s not leave them high and dry at a time when they need us most.

For general information about California timeshare resales or San Diego timeshare resales or timeshare rentals, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

• Grand Pacific Palisades Timeshare Resort
• Carlsbad Inn Beach Timeshare Resort
• Tamarack Beach Timeshare Resort
• Carlsbad Seapointe Timeshare Resort

Last week, Timeshare Perspective Magazine won the Innovative Marketing Award at OTE. Awarded during the European Timeshare Business Forum 2007, the voting process included some four hundred representatives of the European Timeshare Industry.

Great job Timeshare Perspective! Your magazine is barely 2 years old yet you have already carved out your spot in the world of timesharing with your fabulous layout, timely news, and reliable content.

Timeshare Perspective Magazine has grown from 300 subscribers in 2005, to more than 5,000 subscribers today, with thousands more people reading the magazine online. But according to Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO of Perspective International Ltd., “This is only the beginning…”

Sharon Mattimoe, co-creator of the magazine and chief operations officer says, “We know our regular advertisers like what we do, but to have a large proportion of the European Industry also vote for us, lets us know that we are on the right track for the future and delivering what we set out to deliver-a credible independently global B2B industry magazine.”

Congratulations from all of us at Sell My Timeshare NOW and the Timeshare Owners Blog.