New Members - Please Introduce Yourself!

[Hopes Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hopes]

New to the forum

Hello,
My name is Melissa, my husband and I are researching buying a timeshare week at Club Cascadas de Baja in Cabo San Lucas. We are having a hard time finding resale weeks for this resort.

They are also talking about "Legacy" timeshares that start in 2018 and go until 2052! They are selling those weeks NOW with very little inventory.

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

Melissa

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Welcome Melissa.

I see you have posted a separate thread on your question. There should be responses to it and hopefully they will be helpful.

Sounds like you have the fever, the timeshare fever to buy!

[Hopes Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hopes]

Thank you Mike!

I just hope the fever doesn't cause us to make any mistakes. Any advice would be greatly appreciated by this newbie.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Take your time. I've even found that it's not that hard to find what you want in time. With an RTU ending in 2018 and no residual value, the prices will continue to fall.

[puppymommo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close puppymommo]

Hi! I'm Susan from St. Louis, just discovered this forum today. I am a member of the Fairfield/Wyndham and Silverleaf yahoo groups. We own Fairfield points (77k El Cid RTU and 168k EOY Ocean Walk Daytona), which works out to 161k annually. Our Silverleaf property is a Presidential unit week 29 at Ozark Mt. Resort in Branson.

Our first encounter with the timesharing industry was in 1999. We naively bought a membership in one of those notorious "travel clubs" that promised to be "better than timeshare." After realizing that it was worthless too late, we went to yet another presentation several years later with an opportunity to "upgrade" to "timeshare privileges". Yeah. We actually signed that but rescinded in time. In the end our "club" was sued but we didn't get into the class action lawsuit in time.

After buying outselves out of that nightmare, several years later we visited the then brand-new Vintage Landing in Lake of the Ozarks, MO, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from where we live and began learning about the Fairfield point system. We bought a Discovery package but quickly realized we were not yet ready for a timesharing commitment.

So we rescinded again and I began researching timeshare and watching the auctions on Ebay.

First I bought 77k at El Cid in Mexico which is Right to Use (RTU) until 2021. It was cheap (about $1000 including all transfer fees) and within six months we used it for a wonderful vacation the week between Christmas and New Years at Fairfield Mountain Vista in a beautiful 2 bedroom unit. I was ecstatic! Finally I had gotten this timeshare business right.

Next I bought a red summer week at Silverleaf's Fox River resort in Illinois, about 70 miles SW of Chicago. It, too, cost me about $1000. This is a 2 bedroom lodge unit. I chose it because it was somewhere we can drive to from St. Louis and it is the closest timeshare to Chicago, a city I love.

The first year we could use was last summer, and we had a wonderful week at Fox River. We thought we would drive into Chicago at least once, but we ended up staying at the resort and surroundings the whole time!

As an owner of both Silverleaf and Fairfield/Wyndham (some folks on the yahoo owners group are now calling it Wynfield) I am quite happy as there are things I really like about both systems. Generally the Wynfield resorts are more "upscale" and more activities, while the Silverleaf are more homey/folksy (except for the Presidential units). It is often easier for us to get away for less than a week at a time and M-Th usually works better for us than weekends, so we get a good deal for our points with FF and make great use of the Silverleaf bonus time. We have the "old" Endless Escape program that allows 1-6 nights free at any Silverleaf property based on availibility up to 14 days in advance. Last year we stayed a total of 21 free nights of bonus time at 4 different Silverleaf resorts, all within a 5 hour drive of our home.

This year we spent 11 days in FL, 4 in Daytona at FF Ocean Walk (awesome!) and 7 at FF Cypress Palms in Orlando. Friday we check into Silverleaf's Holiday Hills in Branson for 4 nights. In November we're going back to Branson at FF Mt. Vista for Veteran's day weekend. My husband is a veteran (retired US Marine) and for many years has wanted to spend Veteran's Day in Branson. We have a 12 year old daughter.

I'm sure I will learn alot from all of your experience and will be happy to share what I know.

[shirl58 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shirl58]

HI ALL....NEW MEMBERS JOHN AND ANNE RYAN
WE ARE TIMESHARE OWNERS FROM MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA..
WE HAVE OWNED FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS AND RECENTLY BOUGHT A SECOND WEEK..HOPE TO SHARE SOME WONDERFUL STORIES WITH OTHER OWNERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

[BigPapa Member Find all posts View Profile Close BigPapa]

Hello there

My name is Darin, I am brand new to timeshares. I am single and 28 years old. I love to travel so I thought it would be a good idea to get into timesharing. I bought a week 27 unit at the Orange Lake Resort North Village in Orlando.

I have done some research, but know very little about the world of timesharing. I am excited to get started. I can't start using my unit until 2008. I can't wait!

Big Papa

[kapish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close kapish]

Welcome!!

My name is Darin, I am brand new to timeshares. I am single and 28 years old. I love to travel so I thought it would be a good idea to get into timesharing. I bought a week 27 unit at the Orange Lake Resort North Village in Orlando.

I have done some research, but know very little about the world of timesharing. I am excited to get started. I can't start using my unit until 2008. I can't wait!

Big Papa

Welcome Darin! You have come to the right place!! There are so many knowledgeable people at this site, so you can learn a lot!

One of the things you can appreciate about timeshares is the ability to rent units at a lot of destinations. Since you already have a timeshare, you probably would be joining one of the several exchange companies. A lot of those companies would have excess weeks they sell at discount. Using those you can definitely stay at some neat places.

Another thing ... you could deposit your 2008 week with an exchange company and find an exchange for later this year or next year!!

Again, Welcome!!!

[Kimynguyen Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kimynguyen]

What is the benefits of owning a timeshare

We just went to Mexico last month and came back with 1 week timeshare directly from the developer of Peublo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatland UNTENTIONALLY. Now after having time thinking about it and hearing all troubles that other TS owners have gone through when exchange theirs, I hate myself for making this decision. What's bother me is that we pay $10K for the week, plus yearly HOA, then membership to RCI or other exchange companies, then when we want to exchange, we have to pay again; sometime we can't even get what we want. Does anyone actually sit down and calculate how it comes out at the end, please share it with me. Based on my understanding and calculation, this is a lose lose situation, unless there are something that I missed since there are lots of people own more than 1 timeshares. I'd appreciate to hear about the actual benefits of owning a timeshare so I don't have to hate myself for the rest of myself. Also, if you have any tips, suggestions or advices for a new member like me, please share them with me. Thank you so much.

About TimeshareForums.com

I just registered this domain over the weekend 10-Apr-2005 and I am going to be working to get everything started over the next couple days. This website is being setup as a timeshare community website where visitors will be able to talk about their timeshares and vacations as well as discussions about how to buy and sell a timeshare. We hope that over time that this can become a place for timeshare reviews, evaluations, as well as a resource to allow OWNERS AND SELLERS to directly buy, sell or trade their timeshare or a weeks vacation.

About the webmaster:

My father got us into timeshares back in the 1980s and his first was purchased through the sales pitch. It is a great unit and my father has used the unit every year since that time and has gone to many resorts BUT it was expensive! My father learned his lesson and purchased a second week from an owner that just wanted out and it was very obvious that this second hand timeshare had the same tradability and usefulness as his (Est $18,000) timeshare he bought in the mid 1980s but he paid a more modest $3K for the second week.

When I was younger and still in college as well as after I had graduated I had used my Father's units for a few vacations and attended a few sales pitches over the years. I know VERY WELL how tempting those sales pitches are and let's be honest that the sales people that are working at you attend lots of classes and their income is dependent on them being able to get you to buy a unit they are selling!

When I started a family of my own I knew we wanted to get into timeshares ourselves and we own two units now. We own one week in Killington Vermont in February, which is our annual ski vacation, plus we purchased a second week in the Pocono’s for an end of the summer vacation. Both of these units were purchased from individuals even though our second week was found through a realtor. We paid $5500 for the Killington week, which was an exceptional deal, and about $3500 for the Pocono’s week. These are deeded properties with fixed weeks and they have adequate room and facilities for our family and with three kids we would never want to have to stay a week in a motel somewhere!

In my honest opinion, timeshares are a great way to vacation but there is obviously a right way and right reasons for wanting a timeshare and then there are wrong ways to get into timeshares!

So who are you and how did you get into timeshares?

Can you post a review of your unit or where you have stayed?

[Kimynguyen Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kimynguyen]

Hi, my name is Kimy
We just went to Mexico last month and came back with 1 week timeshare directly from the developer of Peublo Bonito Emerald Bay in Mazatland UNTENTIONALLY. Now after having time thinking about it and hearing all troubles that other TS owners have gone through when exchange theirs, I hate myself for making this decision. What's bother me is that we pay $10K for the week, plus yearly HOA, then membership to RCI or other exchange companies, then when we want to exchange, we have to pay again; sometime we can't even get what we want. Does anyone actually sit down and calculate how it comes out at the end, please share it with me. Based on my understanding and calculation, this is a lose lose situation, unless there are something that I missed since there are lots of people own more than 1 timeshares. I'd appreciate to hear about the actual benefits of owning a timeshare so I don't have to hate myself for the rest of myself. Also, if you have any tips, suggestions or advices for a new member like me, please share them with me. Thank you so much.

About TimeshareForums.com

I just registered this domain over the weekend 10-Apr-2005 and I am going to be working to get everything started over the next couple days. This website is being setup as a timeshare community website where visitors will be able to talk about their timeshares and vacations as well as discussions about how to buy and sell a timeshare. We hope that over time that this can become a place for timeshare reviews, evaluations, as well as a resource to allow OWNERS AND SELLERS to directly buy, sell or trade their timeshare or a weeks vacation.

About the webmaster:

My father got us into timeshares back in the 1980s and his first was purchased through the sales pitch. It is a great unit and my father has used the unit every year since that time and has gone to many resorts BUT it was expensive! My father learned his lesson and purchased a second week from an owner that just wanted out and it was very obvious that this second hand timeshare had the same tradability and usefulness as his (Est $18,000) timeshare he bought in the mid 1980s but he paid a more modest $3K for the second week.

When I was younger and still in college as well as after I had graduated I had used my Father's units for a few vacations and attended a few sales pitches over the years. I know VERY WELL how tempting those sales pitches are and let's be honest that the sales people that are working at you attend lots of classes and their income is dependent on them being able to get you to buy a unit they are selling!

When I started a family of my own I knew we wanted to get into timeshares ourselves and we own two units now. We own one week in Killington Vermont in February, which is our annual ski vacation, plus we purchased a second week in the Pocono’s for an end of the summer vacation. Both of these units were purchased from individuals even though our second week was found through a realtor. We paid $5500 for the Killington week, which was an exceptional deal, and about $3500 for the Pocono’s week. These are deeded properties with fixed weeks and they have adequate room and facilities for our family and with three kids we would never want to have to stay a week in a motel somewhere!

In my honest opinion, timeshares are a great way to vacation but there is obviously a right way and right reasons for wanting a timeshare and then there are wrong ways to get into timeshares!

So who are you and how did you get into timeshares?

Can you post a review of your unit or where you have stayed?

[reloader Member Find all posts View Profile Close reloader]

Hello we're trying to learn as much as we can before taking the plunge into TS.

[Hounddog01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hounddog01]

I'm Brad and my Wife is Cyndi. We have 3 daughters and soon to have a Grandson!!! I just bought my first one on a resale and thinking about buying more.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

One of the problems with timeshare is that they are so easy to buy and you never seem to know when enough is reached, so most end up buying way more than they need.

[Arline Member Find all posts View Profile Close Arline]

I just bought #13, so we would be in the category of owning too many . But we plan to return to our home resorts most of the time and bring family and friends with us. We will always have enough units so we no longer have to rely on trading companies to get the weeks we need. All but our first were bought resale, and most of them on eBay.

[annalytical Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close annalytical]

We bought our 1st timeshare resale also. Now that we've see how many bargins there are, we have to resist the urge to get another. We finally decided to wait at least 18 months to see i we actually need an more.

- Allie