Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Benefits Of Buying A Timeshare Over A Vacation Home-By Guest Blogger Carmen Guzlas

The Benefits of Buying a Timeshare Over a Vacation Home

There are a number of benefits to buying a timeshare, including having a place to call your own when you travel so you can opt out of paying for expensive hotels, being able to build equity, and being able to claim special tax advantages. You can get many of those benefits from owning a vacation home, as well. However, there are many benefits you can get from owning a timeshare that you can't get from owning a vacation home.

Here are a few benefits that buying a timeshare has over buying a vacation home:

Timeshares are More Affordable

A condominium in South Beach or a nice cottage in Martha's Vineyard would make awesome vacation homes, but they'll also cost you an arm and a leg. Vacation homes are often way out of most people's budgets. However, a timeshare can give you the chance to own a piece of that dream vacation home.

Most timeshares are much more affordable than buying the vacation home by yourself. You can enjoy that luxury vacation home without having to pay full price for it.

You Pay for What You Use

When you buy a vacation home, you are responsible for the mortgage, taxes and upkeep all year long. However, you may only end up staying in the home a few weeks out of the year (at most). You may not want to rent it out in order to keep it available for when you like it. The house could go unused for the majority of the year.

With a timeshare, you only pay for what you use. You pay a portion of the ownership costs, and you get access to the property for a corresponding amount of time.

You Share Responsibility

Caring for a second home is a big responsibility -- especially when you don't live in it. You can have to pay for and manage the upkeep, including cleaning, repairs, utilities, and so on. It can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor.

When you own a timeshare, you share that responsibility with the others who own the house. You only care for the house as long as you are staying in it, significantly reducing your burden for responsibility.

You Can Trade It

If you own a timeshare in the Outer Banks but you decide you're tired of spending your vacation there every year, you can trade your timeshare for the chance to stay somewhere else. You can use a timeshare network to trade with another timeshare owner to stay in a more exotic location.

If you own a vacation home, you are tied to that location. House swaps are possible, but they are not as easy to arrange as timeshare trades.

Owning a vacation home is a luxury that many people dream of but that few are able to afford. Timeshares are more affordable and offer owners a number of other benefits over vacation homes.

What do you think are the best benefits of owning a timeshare instead of a vacation home? Share your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author:

Carmen Guzlas is a writer and manager for Movoto, where she has recently been researching Real Estate in San Jose. Her main hobbies are making soup (daily!) and hiking with her dog.

Yet Another Lawsuit In Timeshareland

The bad news doesn't seem to end for Wyndham, does it?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/finn-law-group-requests-ftc-134400376.html

In addition to claiming "unfair and deceptive practices in the sale of vacation ownerships",  there's mentiion of the fact that the timeshares in question had little or no resale value.

This is a very important lawsuit with huge implications for the entire industry.

More and more lawsuits are being filed every day.  More and more owners are getting takken advantage of.  More and more non-owners are being turned off to the entire idea of timeshare.

When will it end?  Does the entire industry need to be torn down and built from the bottom up?

Yet Another Timeshare Scheme...This Time Targetting Wyndham Owners

Just received word of another scheme targetting unknowing and gullible timeshare owners.  This one involves Wyndham timeshare owners...as if these guys don't have enough problems.

Here's the information being sent:


Wyndham Resort's Give Back Program


NO Fees, NO Hassles, NO Worries


Resort Giveback helps Wyndham Owners get out of their unwanted Wyndham timeshare and eliminate maintenance fees and taxes forever. There are no fees for our service and the process is quick and simple! If you want to participate in the Giveback Program call us today or click on the link below to fill out the qualification form.


Obvioiusly, I'm not going to share the link, the website or the phone number...these guys don't need any more free publicity...but I will be looking into this myself.

Let me be direct here:  THERE IIS NO LEGITIMATE GIVE BACK PROGRAM.  PERIOD,

Any, let me repeat, any timeshare owner that is contacted byy any timeshare related company first (meaning that you didn't contact them first) can not and should not be trusted. 

It also bears repeating that all timeshare owners had better start both asking some questions of their resort regarding who has access to the owner database and all timeshare owners had better have their timeshare documentation carefully reviewed by a timeshare savvy law firm.  You never know what is in your paperwork unless you know what to look out for.

If any readers have fallen prey to this particulaar scheme, we want to hear from you.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

More Name Changes...What Exactly Is Going On Here?

Really, there is MUCH to report on in timeshare land...recap of the recent ARDA conference, update on International Timeshare Appreciation Day 2013, the launch of a new timeshare MLS site that's free for consumers and has lots of things that are missing from the current services available, more pending "Five and Almost 10 With..." interviews, recapping the brilliant Five Year Plan from TATOC...and yet, this week, I'm drawn yet again to the ongoing escapdes with Festiva/Patton Hospitality.

If you are new to this blog...welcome and before you continue, I urge you to read the previous posts and comments regarding the former Celebration World Resort, Festiva Hospitality and RCI.  Big, important issues there.

I was made aware of a letter than some owners of the former Celebration World Resort recently received with the subject being "Important information regarding your vacation week".  Here's the letter in full:

We are excited to announce that Festiva Management Group is now Patton Hospitality Management.  With the ever changing world of vacation ownership, we are changing as well to offer you programs that create value and benefits through all stages of your vacation ownership. From owner rental programs to new exchange benefits to new vacationing opportunities, Patton Hospitality Management gives you reasons to ‘Expect More’ than ever before from your management company.

We would like to introduce you to www.VacationCondos.com. This professionally managed rental portal designed as a resource for timeshare owners to market their timeshare to millions of online vacationers searching for vacationing opportunities in your property’s destination. VacationCondos.com has a proven rental track record with more than $30 million in rental revenues for timeshare owners since 2010!

In addition to a core database of more than 100,000 renters to the desinations where your property is located,
VacationCondos.com works with an extensive network of online global distribution systems to market your property though as well as many additional online travel partners. Once in our program, our revenue management team will consider all factors of demand, market conditions and competition to maximize the occupancy and revenues you can achieve.

Plus, it's easy to get started.
The entire process to list your unit with VacationCondos.com can be done online in only 5 minutes and costs $5* when you enroll by April 30th and use promotion code VC1.

This is just one of the many new and exciting programs offered by
Patton Hospitality Management. We look forward to working with you on this and other valuable programs in the months and years to come.

Sincerely,


Patton Hospitality Management


Huh?  What?  Festiva is now Patton?  Why?  And why are they assuming that timeshare owners want to rent out their week?  And why bother charging the $5.00?  Did this letter go to all Festiva owners or just owners at the Orlando resort?  Is Festiva/Patton changing their business model?  What are the implications for current owners?

There's a ton more question that I and owners have.  We all know that Festiva is monitoring this blog...so I'm reaching out to them for answers.  If any owners have opinions...and I know you do...we want to hear from you as well.

Friday, April 5, 2013

The First Shot Has Been Fired In The Timeshare Wars

Timeshare owners and prospective timeshare owners everywhere had better start paying attention NOW.

As I've previously reported; entities within the timeshare industry are doing things right now to make it harder, if not impossible for timeshare owners to sell their timeshare.

These efforts are being undertaken as "benefitting the consumer"...when I have yet to see how the consumer is benefitting.

Read this story...if you're not sickened enough to join me and do something about it...well then, you're probably not reading this blog.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/05/56403.htm