New Members - Please Introduce Yourself!

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

Seeking information...

Hi,

Just joined up to try and learn more about selling/donating/ my timeshare at Vacation Village at Parkway. It is paid off, but I don't really use it and don't want it anymore...so it is pointless to keep paying a fee every year for a luxury I don't take advantage of.

There are just so many scams out there. While I tried to sell it on a few auction sites as well as contacted Vacation Village for some sort of solution (they offered none), I've yet to find an acceptable option.

I am hoping that Timeshare Forums will help point me in the right direction.

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

cjs, we have a classified section here and a freebie forum. VV at Parkway has always been tough to sell and market values for it have been rather low. Depending on the week/season owned, you might be able to sell it.

[Phil&Kim Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Phil&Kim]

Hi everyone,

We're new to the timeshare world as of November '09 and I had some worries so signed up to post. I probably pissed off everyone though by asking the most common questions around I imagine .

Our story is we bought at the Grand View Vegas after we went on our first real vacation together. We're a younger couple so figured we would get easily 30+ years out of the timeshare. We started very small at 1 week every 2 years though to ensure it did not end up being a disappointment. It is hard going in positively when everything about timeshares is a big pressure tactic but hopefully it will turn into a good life long experience

Anyways, happy to be here and find a good source of information, support and options for the community.

Phil and Kim

[Dave55 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dave55]

New to forum

Hi, I am Dave, live in PA. Have a lock off unit at Powhatan, Williamsburg VA. Fixed week. Been their twice, once rented a unit from an owner, then purchased a unit. Very pleased with the resort, have had no problems, except they did not send me my MF bill. Had to call to find out how to pay it. We just last night agreed to transfer to points, can still back out for two days. Any advice on fixed vs points is truly welcomed.

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

*._.*hello I am newbie here*._.*

Hello Everybody. Myself is camelia 23 years old from U.S.A. I am a newbie in forum
and I wants to say hello to everybody. I am feeling very pleasure to join forum work.
__________________
Pain is inevitable...suffering is optional

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

New to timeshare

Hello all,

I am new this forum and as well to the timeshare world, recently i have taken trip to Orlando with family and was impressed by taking a tour from windham . I didn’t sign anything yet but want to do my research before I buy any timeshare or points . The questions I am asking today may be very basic so please pardon me.

1. where to start my research ?
2. what is the diff between points and buying?
3. we love to travel all over the world but primarily eastern US as I live in Raleigh NC.
4. Due to the economic situation are there any deals that we can get.

Thanks for all the help.

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

New to timeshare

Hello all,

I am new this forum and as well to the timeshare world, recently i have taken trip to Orlando with family and was impressed by taking a tour from windham . I didn’t sign anything yet but want to do my research before I buy any timeshare or points . The questions I am asking today may be very basic so please pardon me.

1. where to start my research ?
2. what is the diff between points and buying?
3. we love to travel all over the world but primarily eastern US as I live in Raleigh NC.
4. Due to the economic situation are there any deals that we can get.

Thanks for all the help.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

Hello all,

I am new this forum and as well to the timeshare world, recently i have taken trip to Orlando with family and was impressed by taking a tour from windham . I didn’t sign anything yet but want to do my research before I buy any timeshare or points . The questions I am asking today may be very basic so please pardon me.

1. where to start my research ?
2. what is the diff between points and buying?
3. we love to travel all over the world but primarily eastern US as I live in Raleigh NC.
4. Due to the economic situation are there any deals that we can get.

Thanks for all the help.

Welcome. You can goto either RCI site (www.rci.com) or II site (Interval International | Resort Directory Home) and start looking at the area you can reach easily or most likely want to go a lot of time with no problem afford all the travel cost.

Than, you can find a few resorts around there. You can use this site's resort review, or look at tripadvisor's review see if you are O.K. with these resort, and pick some you like.

You can pick the one that belong to a resort group, so you can do internal exchange. Most of timeshare resort group has their own site, or subforum here.

When you find the group that can cover most your vacation need, you can post your own question or study them.

At this moment, there is a lot of bargin, so it may help to to get into high end resort. But the high end usually means the Maintainence will cost more. So you need to look at your affordable range.

There are a lot of point system. Most can be found in eBay.

Good luck on your search.

Jya-Ning

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

1. where to start my research ?

This is a good place. TUG (Timeshare User's Group) has some general articles that might be helpful as well.

2. what is the diff between points and buying?

Most timeshares are based on weeks - if you like to vacation just for the weekend or for a few days - or a few days more than a week - points systems are the better bet. I own with Bluegreen, a points system, so that's the only one I can speak about with any authority.

The advantage with points is the ease of use and flexibility, in my opinion - I can use my points for any Bluegreen resort and have the same availability as the average user (premiere owners can get on a waitlist before other owners but as a rule this only matters for some holiday weeks and at the "associate" resorts where Bluegreen only owns a few units). Once I've paid my MF and yearly dues with Bluegreen, I can trade within the system without any extra cost (a few resorts charge under five dollars a day for parking or some other amenity, but I think it's three resorts out of about fifty).

With Bluegreen, there's a particular week (or partial week) and unit behind your points - if you want, you can lay claim to that unit and week a year out, before the points are put into the "common pool," and use it as you would any other timeshare. This is not true of all points systems. With Bluegreen, you can also make a reservation and trade it through RCI or II (or any other trading group that'll accept them - RCI only accepts certain units and weeks, ditto II). This is also not true of all points systems - some points systems you cannot reserve the week of your choice to trade, some you can only trade within certain organizations. So if you want to trade, be aware of that.

If you own a Timeshare week, rather than points, then if you don't want that week at that resort that year, you'll probably want to deposit with RCI or some other trading company. Depositing doesn't cost (at least with RCI), but when you reserve your trade there'll be a fee. It can take a fair bit of research to figure out which resorts trade best for the most reasonable fees. I would recommend you research resorts that are in areas you would like to visit yourself - buy where you would like to stay, in other words.

Some weeks ownerships come with "perks" like extra weeks at the resort off season, and some weeks ownerships are "floating", which can give more flexibility.

Be aware that many points systems offer special deals to initial buyers that Do Not Transfer when the points are resold. Bluegreen, for example, offers initial buyers the opportunity to rent available units by the day on short notice for Motel 6 prices ("Bonus Time") - this perk is one of a number that do not transfer unless you buy from an "authorized reseller."

3. we love to travel all over the world but primarily eastern US as I live in Raleigh NC.

In terms of points systems, Bluegreen has a lot of resorts east of the Mississippi, as does Wyndham (however I hear more gripes from Wyndham owners than Bluegreen) and, I think, Diamond. Shell has more in the western half of the US and so might not be your best choice.

4. Due to the economic situation are there any deals that we can get.

Many! There are listings here that are quite reasonable, and TUG has a "Bargain basement" section you might check out. I would recommend you track down a reputable Realtor to use, since there are definitely pitfalls to buying resale, but there are people who do their research and buy off e-bay with no problems. I'd rather play it safe, myself. I'll recommend a guy who posts here as "Boca Bum" should you go Bluegreen (he does other TS but I don't know what); he was highly recommended when we were first looking and I've done business with him myself and been quite satisfied. We pulled him in after finding a buyer and he expedited the paperwork for us. He's also an authorized reseller for Bluegreen, so he can get you all the perks the first owner had for much less money.

If you own Bluegreen, you get RCI whether you want it or not - this is true of some weeks ownerships as well, I believe. You have to be an RCI member before you can deposit, so with RCI weeks memberships you pay a yearly fee and then another fee when you put in a reservation. Remember that your yearly and ongoing fees will end up being the largest part of your purchase - a better deal up front can be more costly in the long run.

The terminology can vary, but basically in terms of ongoing costs you'll have maintenance fees, membership fees (for the "vacation club" with points or for the owner's group with weeks), and if you want to trade with a weeks ownership you'll probably need to join a trading organization (some of the smaller ones are free) and then pay a fee for getting your trade. I think some people also have to keep track of their own taxes; for others that's part of the MF. Some points systems also charge separate fees for making a reservation and whatnot; with others that's part of the yearly fee.

Be aware that Timeshares tend to cluster - Bluegreen may own more than 50 resorts, but that doesn't mean 50 different cities. There are two Bluegreen resorts in Orlando and four in the area of Myrtle Beach, for example. If you like to vacation in the midst of big cities, timeshare may not work for you. Personally, I'd rather have a nice place with a full kitchen that's a bit of a longer drive than a smaller place without a kitchen right where I want to be. Look at the maps for RCI, Diamond, Wyndham, Bluegreen and Shell resorts at their respective websites to get an idea of where resorts tend to be.

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

Welcome. You can goto either RCI site (www.rci.com) or II site (Interval International | Resort Directory Home) and start looking at the area you can reach easily or most likely want to go a lot of time with no problem afford all the travel cost.

Than, you can find a few resorts around there. You can use this site's resort review, or look at tripadvisor's review see if you are O.K. with these resort, and pick some you like.

You can pick the one that belong to a resort group, so you can do internal exchange. Most of timeshare resort group has their own site, or subforum here.

When you find the group that can cover most your vacation need, you can post your own question or study them.

At this moment, there is a lot of bargin, so it may help to to get into high end resort. But the high end usually means the Maintainence will cost more. So you need to look at your affordable range.

There are a lot of point system. Most can be found in eBay.

Good luck on your search.

Jya-Ning

Thanks for all the information you have shared.

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

This is a good place. TUG (Timeshare User's Group) has some general articles that might be helpful as well.



Most timeshares are based on weeks - if you like to vacation just for the weekend or for a few days - or a few days more than a week - points systems are the better bet. I own with Bluegreen, a points system, so that's the only one I can speak about with any authority.

The advantage with points is the ease of use and flexibility, in my opinion - I can use my points for any Bluegreen resort and have the same availability as the average user (premiere owners can get on a waitlist before other owners but as a rule this only matters for some holiday weeks and at the "associate" resorts where Bluegreen only owns a few units). Once I've paid my MF and yearly dues with Bluegreen, I can trade within the system without any extra cost (a few resorts charge under five dollars a day for parking or some other amenity, but I think it's three resorts out of about fifty).

With Bluegreen, there's a particular week (or partial week) and unit behind your points - if you want, you can lay claim to that unit and week a year out, before the points are put into the "common pool," and use it as you would any other timeshare. This is not true of all points systems. With Bluegreen, you can also make a reservation and trade it through RCI or II (or any other trading group that'll accept them - RCI only accepts certain units and weeks, ditto II). This is also not true of all points systems - some points systems you cannot reserve the week of your choice to trade, some you can only trade within certain organizations. So if you want to trade, be aware of that.

If you own a Timeshare week, rather than points, then if you don't want that week at that resort that year, you'll probably want to deposit with RCI or some other trading company. Depositing doesn't cost (at least with RCI), but when you reserve your trade there'll be a fee. It can take a fair bit of research to figure out which resorts trade best for the most reasonable fees. I would recommend you research resorts that are in areas you would like to visit yourself - buy where you would like to stay, in other words.

Some weeks ownerships come with "perks" like extra weeks at the resort off season, and some weeks ownerships are "floating", which can give more flexibility.

Be aware that many points systems offer special deals to initial buyers that Do Not Transfer when the points are resold. Bluegreen, for example, offers initial buyers the opportunity to rent available units by the day on short notice for Motel 6 prices ("Bonus Time") - this perk is one of a number that do not transfer unless you buy from an "authorized reseller."



In terms of points systems, Bluegreen has a lot of resorts east of the Mississippi, as does Wyndham (however I hear more gripes from Wyndham owners than Bluegreen) and, I think, Diamond. Shell has more in the western half of the US and so might not be your best choice.



Many! There are listings here that are quite reasonable, and TUG has a "Bargain basement" section you might check out. I would recommend you track down a reputable Realtor to use, since there are definitely pitfalls to buying resale, but there are people who do their research and buy off e-bay with no problems. I'd rather play it safe, myself. I'll recommend a guy who posts here as "Boca Bum" should you go Bluegreen (he does other TS but I don't know what); he was highly recommended when we were first looking and I've done business with him myself and been quite satisfied. We pulled him in after finding a buyer and he expedited the paperwork for us. He's also an authorized reseller for Bluegreen, so he can get you all the perks the first owner had for much less money.

If you own Bluegreen, you get RCI whether you want it or not - this is true of some weeks ownerships as well, I believe. You have to be an RCI member before you can deposit, so with RCI weeks memberships you pay a yearly fee and then another fee when you put in a reservation. Remember that your yearly and ongoing fees will end up being the largest part of your purchase - a better deal up front can be more costly in the long run.

The terminology can vary, but basically in terms of ongoing costs you'll have maintenance fees, membership fees (for the "vacation club" with points or for the owner's group with weeks), and if you want to trade with a weeks ownership you'll probably need to join a trading organization (some of the smaller ones are free) and then pay a fee for getting your trade. I think some people also have to keep track of their own taxes; for others that's part of the MF. Some points systems also charge separate fees for making a reservation and whatnot; with others that's part of the yearly fee.

Be aware that Timeshares tend to cluster - Bluegreen may own more than 50 resorts, but that doesn't mean 50 different cities. There are two Bluegreen resorts in Orlando and four in the area of Myrtle Beach, for example. If you like to vacation in the midst of big cities, timeshare may not work for you. Personally, I'd rather have a nice place with a full kitchen that's a bit of a longer drive than a smaller place without a kitchen right where I want to be. Look at the maps for RCI, Diamond, Wyndham, Bluegreen and Shell resorts at their respective websites to get an idea of where resorts tend to be.

Thanks Hobbitess for such a detailed response. Thank you so much

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

I hope I'm doing this right. This is my first time on something like this. My son thought it would be nice for my wife and I to network with other timeshare owners. I'm just giving it a try. I heard on the news these things can get pretty mean sometimes so we are hoping we picked a good one. I read some of the comments from others, and I don't understand all the abbreviations but I figure I'll learn as I go.

Anyways hello I'm Leo.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I hope I'm doing this right. This is my first time on something like this. My son thought it would be nice for my wife and I to network with other timeshare owners. I'm just giving it a try. I heard on the news these things can get pretty mean sometimes so we are hoping we picked a good one. I read some of the comments from others, and I don't understand all the abbreviations but I figure I'll learn as I go.

Anyways hello I'm Leo.

Welcome Leo.

I'm assuming by "these things get pretty mean sometimes" that you mean the forums themselves? If so, you are in for a pleasant surprise here. We are a good bunch and you will find most are more than willing to share our adventures and knowledge.

Your son is right. There are lots of benefits to networking in a timeshare community.

Jump right in the water's fine.

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

We have a good supply of moderators and supermods to keep things in line.

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

We have a good supply of moderators and supermods to keep things in line.

Oh Yeah!