Timeshare Resales

Recent article on timesharing packed with valuable information on the benefits of timesharing.

A colleague recently brought to my attention a great article on timeshares that appeared in the May issue of Family Circle magazine. Peg Rosen, author of “The Truth About Timeshares,” looked at the topic from several angles. In her article, Rosen suggests, “buying from a developer isn’t your only (or smartest) option.”

Hel-lo!

Haven’t we always told you the same thing here on the Timeshare Owners Blog and on our company’s website www.sellmytimesharenow.com?

As the article goes on to explain, when looking into a timeshare company, with their sales and marketing pitch that is often extravagant, interested timeshare buyers should, “investigate the resale market, where the inventory is enormous and many owners are eager to unload their timeshares.”

Here are some of the reasons Rosen suggests for the fact that timeshare sales have double in the past decade:

• Government regulation has provided better consumer protection.
• Trusted big name brands like Disney, Marriott and Hyatt have entered the market.
• Points programs provide more flexibility than ever before.
• And the growing number of urban timeshares now offers locations in the heart of some of the world’s greatest and most interesting cities.

Starwood Resorts reports an extremely positive first quarter.

When Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc., released their first-quarter profit numbers for 2007, the numbers were impressive. And when Starwood hotels and Starwood timeshares are enjoying good business, that’s also good news for people who have Starwood, Sheraton and Westin timeshare resales and Starwood or Westin rentals.

Starwood Resorts owns the brands St. Regis, Westin, and Sheraton, as well as other famous hotel and resort properties, along with all of the Starwood Vacation Ownership timeshare resorts. Starwood Resorts’ first quarter financial reports for 2007 showed a net income of $122 million, a substantial increase over the same quarter in 2006.

A number of factors individually and collectively contributed to the gain, including the sale of the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel for a one-time gain of $18.3 million. Reuters (http://www.reuters.com) and other major news sources have quoted Bear Stearns financial analyst Joe Greff as attributing the earnings increase in part to timeshare gains, along with higher management and franchise fees.

Starwood Vacation Ownership has 18 timeshare resorts, with the greatest concentration of them being Florida, Colorado, the Caribbean and Hawaii timeshares. As long as demand is high for Starwood timeshares as new properties, you can count on there being a good market for Starwood, Westin, and Sheraton timeshare resales and timeshare rentals. If you are looking to buy a Starwood, Westin or Sheraton timeshare vacation property, you can expect good service and good accommodations. The Starwood timeshare company will be putting money back into their timeshares in the form of renovations and updates, recognizing that this is a valuable segment of their market.

When you purchase a Starwood timeshare resale, be sure you understand all of the terms of your purchase. Resale timeshare transactions vary greatly. You may or may not receive full (or any) use of Starwood timeshare points. Some owners of Starwood timeshare resales have reported that in cases where they own Starwood timeshare resale weeks, but did not have access to the Starwood points, they were able to negotiate points (StarOptions, StarPoints, and Elite Status) for their resale timeshare by purchasing new Starwood timeshare and making the sale contingent upon their resale timeshare receiving points status as well.

Let me reiterate that I am passing along unconfirmed information here. Have I done this with a Starwood, Sheraton, or Westin timeshare? NO. Has anyone with the Starwood timeshare company told me this is an option or even a possibility? NO. Do I personally know of anyone who has done this? Also, NO. But I have heard of people who owned timeshare resales, and reportedly have been able to accomplish this negotiation.

The key piece of information here, is to remember that timeshare, whether purchased as new or resales property, is almost always a highly negotiable purchase. If you have specific needs or requests, you have nothing to lose by bringing them to the table. And although the best value in buying a timeshare is always to purchase it as a resale, owners of timeshare property who want to sell—whether it is new timeshare or a timeshare resale—want to sell. You never know what kind of timeshare deal you can make, unless you try.

As you make a plan to honor the special moms in your life, think about the possibilities that timeshare resales have to offer.

With Mother’s Day tomorrow, all of us find ourselves with someone to honor. It may be your mother, your wife, your sister, your dear friend, or even yourself—but every single one of us knows a special, hardworking “Mom” who deserves to be recognized and appreciated.

By the very definition of the job, motherhood calls for being on-duty twenty-four hours a day with a job description that practically knows no limitations. In a world where so many mothers combine professional careers with all of their responsibilities as a mom, finding time for themselves is a rare treasure.

Timeshare vacations are just right for every mom. They are the easiest holidays to plan, and can be customized to fit the preferences of moms who are old, young, adventurous, or would just love a chance to relax and put their feet up. Moms who take timeshare vacations never have to hassle with finding hotel rooms or risk sharing their vacation resort with noisy convention-goers or business people with their ringing cell phones.

Timeshares offer luxurious accommodations with excellent places to relax, retreat, and enjoy much-needed down time. Because so many timeshare resorts include supervised activities for children, as well as kiddie pools, playgrounds and lots of things to keep children safely, happily occupied, timeshares mean that moms on vacation, can truly be, “on-vacation”.

You may never be able to give your mom (or your wife) a mountain chalet or seaside cottage, but a timeshare resale offers an affordable way to give her a lifetime of vacations she will never forget. And if you’re the mom in the family, and nobody’s thought about the value of a timeshare resale before, then use this as your chance to do something especially nice for yourself—that the rest of the family will think you did just for them.

Think about the most relaxing destination you can imagine, and then search the great buys in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at Sell My Timeshare NOW for timeshare deals that perfectly fit both your dreams and your budget. And enjoy a Happy Mother’s Day!

A timeshare in Kentucky or maybe southern Indiana would be a perfect way to explore thoroughbred country.

I hope the sun is shining in Louisville, Kentucky today, and the odds are good that it is. The weather forecasters were calling for a few clouds with only a slight chance of rain.

In case you’ve forgotten, today’s the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby, an event that has justifiably earned the distinction of being known as, “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.

The Kentucky Derby itself is just a part of the festivities that begin two weeks before the famous Run for the Roses, and actually start in the planning stages months and sometimes years in advance. There’s the Great Balloon Race, the Great Steamboat Race, and even the Great Bed Race, that are all part of the fun leading up to the Derby. There are marathons, parades, cook-offs, a Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament, and a particularly fun event where local restaurant workers race an obstacle course while carrying filled wine glasses on serving trays. Appropriately, it is called the Run for the Rosé.

Of course, there are also the famous parties. The black-tie celebrations leading up to the Kentucky Derby are some of the most lavish and spectacular private galas in the world. Décor, entertainment, and menus can easily top six or seven-figures at a Kentucky Derby party, with each host and hostess striving to make their event more memorable than all the other parties of the season.

You may never receive an invitation to such a Derby gathering; you might not even manage tickets to the Derby itself. But if you possibly can, try to vacation in the Kentucky bluegrass at least once in your life. Visit the educational Kentucky Horse Park located in Lexington, tour the scenic horse farms, and take in the races at Churchill Downs and Keeneland.

And all you need to make it easy to plan and easy to enjoy a vacation at your own personal, “Old Kentucky Home” is a great timeshare resale in Kentucky, or nearby southern Indiana.