Towns across America are weighing their options, and their decision determines whether the new style of resort will be built in their areas. What’s the deciding factor? It pretty much comes down to the taxes.

In an October 16 meeting with town council members at Snowmass Village, Colorado, Hyatt Vacation Ownership vice president Larry Shulman and fractional developer Pat Smith explained Hyatt’s intent behind their recent application for a land use permit.

Hyatt Vacation Ownership is seeking to develop vacation properties to fill a new niche market. According to John Burlingame, a Hyatt Vacation Club vice president who had previously spoken before the Snowmass Planning Commission, more families are traveling together as a group. There is also a trend among extended families to buy shared vacation property. Hyatt referred to the concept as “togethering.”

To meet this specific need, Hyatt wants to offer fractional ownership of 51 residences, seven of which will be five-bedroom units; 25 will be four-bedroom units, with the others offering either one, two, or three bedrooms.

While council members were concerned about maintaining high occupancy of these larger units, Shulman reminded the group that timeshare owners typically either trade their week or rent it directly to another vacationer. Any Hyatt timeshare units that are not rented are listed in the global Hyatt reservation system as part of the Gold program, making them available to roughly one half million potential renters.

Hyatt estimates that if construction stays on schedule the properties will be available for occupancy in late 2009. By that date, Hyatt estimates that the active membership of the Hyatt Vacation Club will number somewhere around 40,000 members.

How does this impact the tax issue? Occupancy rate is the crux of the matter. Can a Colorado timeshare or fractional resort with a higher occupancy rate generate more tax money for the town via individual owners than a hotel with a lower occupancy rate but the added benefit of sales tax on top of property tax? Snowmass Village will be letting Hyatt and the rest of us know what they think.

Tell us about your experiences with “togethering!” How does it work for your family? Do you stay near home, or go somewhere in between Cousin Louie in Louisiana and Aunt Elma in Washington state? What timeshare company or fractional resort has been most accomodating for your large gathering?

Presentations take forever. Or at least it feels that way, if what you’re primarily doing is waiting for the freebies to kick in. And you can get some very good ones from attending a timeshare presentation — a weekend stay, dinner, tickets to a local attraction, car rental. But I once heard about a couple who spent 5 hours being hammered by sales people and dragged (well, not literally) around a resort they weren’t interested in because they had been promised a boat in exchange for their attendance. What type of boat was it? Turned out to be a blow-up rubber dinghy, with leaks. And then there’s the guy in New Zealand who just didn’t like being pressured to spend about what he would on a car without having a chance to read the fine print. Caveat emptor.

While I recommend going to presentations in order to research a particular resort, you can most definitely buy or rent a fabulous timeshare easily, from the comfort of your own home.

How? Buy resale timeshare online!

Resale by-owner timeshares are available at dramatically lower prices than timeshares bought through a resort or developer, and you’ll save far more by buying resale. Dinner, tickets or a boat won’t come close to making up the difference. Well, depending on the boat. Trying to deal with a large resort and their highpressure salespeople can be quite a hassle. But when you buy timeshare resale by-owner, you work directly with the person who owns the timeshare, which is much easier.

Look over the short, easy-to-understand contracts at your own pace. There’s no pressure: make your buying decision on the schedule that is comfortable for you. And, although it’s not necessary, you have the time and flexibility to run things by your lawyer or financial advisor.

It’s about doing what works for you.

Where? Check out our website www.SellMyTimeshareNOW.com for thousands of listings. New ones come in every day and they’re updated regularly.

Bobby Cole, the PGA Tour player we at SellMyTimeshareNOW sponsor, finished T-4 in the Florida State Senior Open. Hosted at the championship course of the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club, the event is sponsored by the South Florida PGA of America. In a field of 191 players, Bobby opened with a round of 67, followed by rounds of 71 and 69.

This was the 30th year for the tournament, but only Bobby’s second time to play there. In 2005, he shot 70-68 in a rain-shortened two-round tournament, to finish one stroke off the lead and alone in second place.

PGA Tour veteran Roger Kennedy won the championship with course record low rounds of 63-64, followed by a final round score of 71. Steve Waugh turned in rounds of 71-67-and 63 to claim second place.

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is a landmark resort located in an area of beachside luxury hotels, Florida timeshares, and vacation homes. The original property, The Naples Hotel, was constructed in the late 1880’s. In 1930, the heir to the Jergens hand lotion fortune married Allen Joslin, who built the area’s first 18-hole golf course and purchased beachfront land adjacent to the hotel, where he built The Naples Beach Club. In 1946, Henry Watkins Sr., a retired toy manufacturer, bought the original hotel and later The Beach Club and golf course, combining the properties to create the historic Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club.

Naples is the heart of the region known as Florida’s Paradise Coast, and is always a great place to spend the day on the golf course. Congratulations to Bobby and all the golfers who play in this year’s Florida State Senior Open.

WorldMark, The Club, (owned by Trendwest Resorts, Inc.) has purchased Oakwood Mission Valley in San Diego, California. WorldMark will convert the apartment complex into San Diego timeshares.

The Mission Valley resort is less than five miles away from the current WorldMark San Diego Resort and is a 10-minute drive to Sea World San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, and other popular area attractions. It is located north of downtown San Diego and conveniently close to shops, restaurants, and a large mall.

Scheduled renovations call for the space to be converted into 58 one-bedroom timeshare units and 112 two-bedroom timeshare units, which are scheduled to reopen in 2008. Amenities will include an exercise facility, outdoor pool, spa, sauna, and a recreation center. Parking for the resort will include an underground, secured lot for guest use.

The 170-unit apartment complex is currently utilized as long and short-term rental apartments and corporate housing. The purchase price for the property was just under $33 million.