Suggestions from a Retired Couple

[cathyb Member Find all posts View Profile Close cathyb]

Back in 1985 we bought our first timeshare, Carlsbad Inn. We lived an hour from this beach town and it served its purpose for two hard-working people to use as a get-away. Three months later we bought Tamarack Beach Resort just across the street from CI. Kept Tamarack for 18 years and sold it for almost what we paid for it because we moved to Carlsbad, CA.

Now we own two weeks in Maui, one week in Kauai, two weeks in nearby Palm Desert, one week in Newport Beach, CA, Worldmark credits and Carlsbad Inn. All along our logic was to buy where eventually we could travel easily when we are old.

Well, at ages 75 and 70 we now can drive to four of those owned and fly easily to the rest. Boy are we glad four are close too. Remember airlines can go on strike or keep raising prices or timeshares have natural disasters on their islands. What will you do then? It happened to us in Kauai in 1992 with Iniki. Just a few things to think about while you build your timeshare estate.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

Thanks for the tip Cathy.

So I should hold off on buying that timeshare at OLCC that the salesman was telling us was perfect for our biannual holiday all the way from Australia with, then, four kids in tow?

[barndweller Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close barndweller]

We have done the same thing, Cathy. We own 1 week in Hawaii, 2 weeks central Ca. Coast, 1 week in Palm Desert, 1 week in Mesquite, 3 weeks in Sedona, 1 week Cave Creek, Az & 1 week in Scottsdale. For now we can do some exchanging & get more Hawaii time. But down the road when flying finally becomes such a gigantic headache that we refuse to go through the hassle anymore (which might be next week at the rate it is going) we will simply drive. When gas hits $5 a gallon we'll drag out the ol' bicycles. We just need to get the Fed to complete that Interstate from Calif. to Hawaii.

[hope54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hope54]

Sydney, your baby is growing so fast! I'm so glad you put up his picture - I had been wondering how you all are doing with five! What a beautiful little guy.

Hope

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

Thanks for the tip. I live in Calgary and I have recently purchased three western Canada timeshares so that getting there will always be easy.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

I agree with you Cathy. We also like owning timeshares close to home and one is very close but it still feels like a vacation to us because it is on the ocean and that is quite different even if you live very close to the beach already. You don't have the view of the ocean and sound of the waves at home so you still feel like you are far away.

If you can have day use too, you can enjoy it many other days too and certainly if there is a nice pool and other amenities too at some resorts. Day use is a wonderful perk to have if it is close to home.

We also owned in the desert which was only 113 miles away from home but a complete different landscape again so it felt like we were on vacation far away too.

If you need to fly to your destination, it would be better to own more than one week or the equivalent in the area so you can stay there for a while. Flying for one week only gives you only five full days at your destination and is hardly worth the trouble. JMHO.

We own three weeks in Maui and two weeks in the PV/NV area and that's not even enough because we always hate going home so soon. It would be better going less often but staying longer once you are there.

[Sydney Contributor - Bronze Find all posts View Profile Close Sydney]

Sydney, your baby is growing so fast! I'm so glad you put up his picture - I had been wondering how you all are doing with five! What a beautiful little guy.

Hope

Thanks Hope. He's doing very well and growing so fast. He's up to the laughing stage so is a delight for the whole family.

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

We are doing just the opposite. We have been timeshare owners for 20 years. I am now retired and we are selling our timeshares as they no longer suit our travel preferences. Both of our timeshares are pretty close to home.

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

I'm looking for a couple of weeks to buy in the next few years. I figure much of our travel when we retire can be done via inexpensive RCI rentals. I would like to own at the location where we visit just about every year.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

We, like John, are finding that timesharing no longer suits our travel needs. We've never found a place we wanted to keep going back to (but we did buy a second home that we love, so I guess we've found one), and we now seem to be more interested in city vacations. I converted some timeshares to RCI points thinking that would make it easier to use them, but it hasn't made much difference. I will probably be selling.

[elena Member Find all posts View Profile Close elena]

Two of our timeshares are close to home. One in lake Tahoe and one in Pacific Grove. Our others we use for trading.