Buying timeshares

• Timesharing today
  The process of timesharing or owning a timeshare is precisely the same today in 2012 as it was almost four decades ago- You might find some disagreement with this statement , but here is a different take on what I mean -the evolution in the timeshare industry is similar to the evolving automobile industry ...more
  
  
• Understanding points in the timeshare world
  There are numerous vacation clubs throughout the world that offer packages of points. The points and denominations are typically distinct from resort to resort and often keep one guessing as to how they convert through RCI points. ...more
  
  
• Thinking about buying a Timeshare?
  We congratulate you for taking the time to explore the market of time shares for sale by owner. For decades now, millions of travelers have enjoyed the use of their timeshare ownership around the world. Because we promote timeshares as a vacation vehicle designed to enhance your vacation lifestyle, we highly recommend considering your travel needs in order to select the right program the first time around. So..., why would you buy a timeshare and how would it work for you? ...more
  
  
• Match your Vacation Lifestyle with the right timeshare
  The following types of vacationer are described to help make it more relevant to individual travel needs in relation to the timeshares for sale presented. Should you relate to any of the types of vacationers below but do not understand how the related timeshare product could work for you, please call upon our vacation counselors for a presentation of timeshare programs that may better suit your travel needs. ...more
  
  
• Resort Condominium International (RCI)
  The mechanics of timeshare exchange
  Because RCI is the world’s leader in timeshare exchange with a member base of nearly 4 million members, we mostly based our overview of how timeshare exchange works on RCI trading guidelines are reviewed. ...more
  
  
  • The Trading Power of Timeshare Weeks
    If you are considering buying a timeshare basically for trading to other destinations around the world, we would recommend you take into consideration the Trading Power of your Timeshare Week.  Factors such as RCI Resort Classifications, the Size of your timeshare Unit, Traveling Seasons, and Deposit time. ...more
    
    
• RCI Last Calls: A great deal of savings!
  ...for many savvy timeshare travelers, an RCI membership also means great savings! To pick up a week in a 1 or 2 bedroom villa in Spain, Greece, Florida or Canada for as little as 300$cdn for a full week  ...more
  
  
• From RCI Weeks to RCI Points
  Evolution of the timeshare trading system  --  From traditional week trading, RCI has successfully enhanced members’ vacation ownership with greater flexibility and added benefits by introducing its point membership in 2000, thus becoming the world’s largest point-based vacation travel club.  ...more
  
  
• Chart on the features of Week vs Point memberships
  we have tabled the list of features found in the RCI Exchange systems under week resorts, points resorts, points partners and last call vacation offers ...more
  
  
• RCI Points for weeks - Did you know? ...
  If you are a multiple timeshare weeks owner, you may want to find out more about an RCI points membership.  ...more
  
  
• RCI TV - Take a virtual tour of RCI resorts
  RCI, the world’s leader in vacation ownership exchange, has made it easy not only to its 3.8 million members but to non-members as well to take a closer look at timeshare resorts ...more
  
  
• Timeshares with Country Club Benefits
  Where should I buy a timeshare?
  ...based on our understanding of the timeshare experience, we have come to realize that a ‘backyard’ timeshare seems to hold greater value to its owners than those purchased as an option to travel the world   ...more
  
  
• Timeshare / Should I or Should I Not?
  This has been a long asked question by many travelers for years. The idea of owning a timeshare comes with many unanswered questions. Where should I purchase, what are the fees associated with my purchase, am I paying too much, and what is the likelihood that it will work the way I need it to ...more

The process of timesharing or owning a timeshare is precisely the same today in 2012 as it was almost four decades ago- You might find some disagreement with this statement , but here is a different take on what I mean -the evolution in the timeshare industry is similar to the evolving automobile industry. Although the automobile industry has produced spectacular cars with innovative features that indeed make our lives easier and glorify the driver experience, including smoother rides, better fuel economy and even “green” electric hybrid cars…, the fact is that it is still simply a car. A car that has both purpose and priority.., to get us from point A to point B- This example rings true with timeshares. Although timeshares have evolved from a standard week one might purchase to a myriad of points allotments and floating weeks or split weeks and being able to bank your points, then save them up for years, and ultimately use them to rent a car or hotel room, or even book a cruise!- The bottom line is the concept of timesharing is still just about a vacation-or an ownership simple enough to say I am “going to use my timeshare this week” and it’s concept has not changed over the years.

To fully appreciate how a timeshare works, one just needs to think about prepaying the accommodation portion upfront for a set price- Similar to a home you might buy there is the purchase price to pay and then yearly maintenance including utilities, lawn care, snow removal for example- Once the home is paid in it’s entirety you just need to keep up the annual maintenance of the home but continue to use and appreciate it’s benefits of living space with home comfort. The timeshare is the same but with one significant difference. After purchasing a timeshare in an area you might really like to visit, i.e. Florida- you can travel back to the place you purchased and depending on the program you bought, once or twice per year and have a fully appointed and furnished condominium or villa waiting for your arrival! The beauty of condo style accommodations is simply more room, better amenities, and cost saving features such as fully decked out kitchens. Avoiding restaurants in touristic areas can save hundred of dollars on each vacation. Feels just like your own vacation home in Florida but for a fraction of the price! And housekeeping is part of maintenance fees so you do not have to clean the villa when you leave!

Now, here’s the neat thing. Unlike a home you might purchase, the timeshare you bought in Florida might have lost its appeal in your life since the kids have grown. The Disney experience is not too important anymore- Well just remember, your timeshare has wings and wheels so to speak- Simply deposit your timeshare interval into a easy to use trading bank and you can extract another interval in an area that has become more desirable to you- Have you ever considered an Arizona golf vacation, maybe a trip to the sunny Bahamas, or even a cultural experience in France?  
This is the true benefit and investment in this wonderful method of travel…and it’s found within the timeshare or interval ownership model.

 When globetrotting once every couple of years, you will soon discover or realize the value in your ownership- At some point visiting relatives or family travel is once again enjoyable, because of flexibility, and you have the ability to “invite people to your condo” making more sense than a standard hotel room- We just don’t invite people to our hotel rooms to spend time together or socialize in the hotel room environment now do we?
Spacious condos located in desirable areas or destinations in over 100 countries offer us the ability to travel and experience the cultures and traditions that we expect while on vacation. All this comfort in your very own and sensible ownership known as timeshare.

There are numerous vacation clubs throughout the world that offer packages of points. The points and denominations are typically distinct from resort to resort and often keep one guessing as to how they convert through RCI points. Resorts use various points scales- these scales will vary from one resort to the next- Their points are designed to express or represent their “currency” within the point’s world. A good example of this is Club Intrawest which uses a scale in the tens. Ex. 120 points or 160 points- whereas Wyndham Vacation Club uses hundreds of thousands numbers to represent “their currency”. How long you can stay in their resorts with your total points is most often found in your owner’s kit that you received when you joined your club. Typically, points are spent just like currency and factors that affect week timeshares, often are similar to point’s resorts and clubs- Lower season use lesser points and bigger accommodations at Christmas time require more points- more currency.

So what is the big deal or differences? Well, as a general rule you can use less points in lower season and not waste or consume a whole high season week for a trade of lesser value. As most vacation clubs typically afford you the luxury of “carrying over” any or all of your unused points…They can be used in the next travel year and coupled with the next year allotment. This way you have points left over for some additional travel through the year or add to the next year’s allotment which would allow for a longer vacation or larger unit at your favorite resort.

An additional consumer benefit to the points for the timeshare traveler is that you can book vacations less or more than the standard 7 night vacation with set check in dates other than the weekend days. This often can help save on airfares by checking in on a Tuesday and booking stays for more than 10 days, for example.

You could check with your resort customer service department to get the exact equation as to how many RCI points you will receive for your “club” points. However, most vacation clubs with multiple locations have a factor that will proportionately give members the equivalence of your ownership within the RCI conversion. To help you plan your next RCI vacation with ease and accuracy, your Club’s member services or your RCI representative will remain the best people to talk with, to plan your points exchange accurately.

Another question we are often asked is, can RCI point values change over time? The answer is yes! If a resort was a standard resort for years and now qualifies as a gold crown resort through integral improvements or a “resort with higher trading power” for a location that’s more in demand, then the points required to travel to this location will increase to reflect its new valuation.

Not only can points be saved in your RCI points account but you can also extend their usage over a three year period. So, you own an allotment of points at a travel club and your allotment has been converted into RCI points- then you would be able to extend the shelf life for another length of time through RCI without fear of losing them (please check with your club member services if this type of banking is available as rules may differ from club to club)

A great opportunity for travelers wanting to explore the world of timeshares is to consider memberships in the RCI points system. The RCI Point Membership allow nightly travel, hotel stays, cruises and last minute travels only using approximately 9000 points for a whole week (subject to change). Overall, in the last 7 years or so, more and more resorts world-wide have been converting their “weeks” timeshare model into the easy to use RCI points with RCI enhancements making life a breeze for the thrill seeking traveler. With all these newly discovered benefits of timeshare travel using points, and lower maintenance or usage fees- give an RCI points membership a try! You will be impressed by all the new travel opportunities this membership will bring in the upcoming years. 

Need more information on RCI point resorts and point partners?
click here  http://www.rci.com/RCI/prelogin/rciPoints.do

December 10th 2008                         

  “This has been a long asked question by many travelers for years. The idea of owning a timeshare comes with many unanswered questions. Where should I purchase, what are the fees associated with my purchase, am I paying too much, and what is the likelihood that it will work the way I need it to.

With the current state of the economy there are several options available for travelers. Yes the economy appears to be in a terrible state, but people will still take vacations. With added anxiety and pressure hitting the very centre of our lives, what better a time to take a vacation and attempt to relax?  They key issue is now more than ever to obtain the best value for our hard earned dollars. With this said the re-sale market has become an even more popular place for travelers to search out terrific deals.

One such company is timesharingstyle.com, a very reputable company based out of Quebec.  I have found these people to be very professional at researching the best options available for their customers.  With a wide variety of weeks available they can assist you in achieving exceptional vacations at a greatly reduced cost, over developer weeks that are offered through resorts around the world.

When considering a timeshare, it is always best to attempt to locate a resale that is close to your place of residence. This will enable you to have local resort privileges, such as possibly golfing or skiing at your local resort. Many resorts offer these types of privileges to their owners so as to have them continually visiting the resort. 

The friendly staff will assist you in all areas including budgeting concerns, the cost of the week and any ongoing fees associated

with your ownership. It may be prudent to have the option of Deed and Title, while others prefer a right to use program for the remainder of their vacation lifestyle only. 

I have been involved in the timeshare market now for 15 years and have noticed a huge increase in the resale market, and as such have spent the past 2 years in investigating the value of these weeks to potential owners. For the wise customer there are various opportunities to purchase exceptional deals through this ever increasing market.

So if your desire is to continue to travel, and you are feeling the crunch, look for options that secure value and explore the timeshare resale market - and with companies like timesharingstyle this avenue has become the travelers’ best friend”.

Happy trails

Christopher Robins
The Robins Group- Industry Training Consultants

The mechanics of timeshare exchange

Sometimes timeshare owners will say "Oh, yeah.  I own with RCI.”  What they usually mean is that they own a week (or more) at a private resort that is affiliated with RCI for exchange purposes. In order to be a member of an exchange network such as RCI, you must own a timeshare or vacation ownership package that is affiliated with RCI.

For most timeshare owners, RCI is an exchange network to trade in their occupancy time or interval for another destination around the world, while, for others, RCI is a great pool of last minute destinations that offers great savings.

If you are considering buying a timeshare to use basically for trading to other destinations around the world, we would recommend that you take into consideration the Trading Power of your timeshare week.

Most resorts in the timeshare industry are affiliated with an exchange network to allow their owners the alternative of exchanging their week to another property instead of returning to the same place, same time year after year.

What that means to owners is by depositing their week in the pool of that particular exchange network, they may in return request another destination, at another time of the year, in another size of accommodation than what they own.

Let’s take a closer look to better understand how trading takes place in the traditional RCI timeshare week exchange system which may help you select an appropriate vacation ownership or interval in the resale market.

RCI Resort Classifications

Each resort in the RCI system receives a classification according to the facilities they offer, the onsite amenities they provide and the level of hospitality comfort you receive which will place them into categories such as: from the highest level, as a Gold Crown Resort, followed by a Silver Crown rating; then, as Resorts of International Distinction, and lastly, Resorts of Standard Accommodation. Sometimes, resorts may be upgraded or downgraded according to the members’ commentary reviews and/or amenities they have added or lost onto their resorts.

In terms of exchange, your trade will respect the level of classification trading down from what you own, i.e. if you own gold crown resort, you will be able to trade to all other resorts in the system... however, if you own a standard accommodation, your access will be more restricted to the lower level standard in the network, and, by the same token, you may experience some difficulties trading in what you own.

Size of your timeshare Unit

The sizes of accommodation in timeshare resorts vary from studios (basically a hotel suite with mini-kitchen facilities, for 2 to 4 people) to up to 1, 2 or 3 bedroom condos with full kitchen facilities, accommodating up to 10-12 people. The same trading principle applies here too. If you own a 2 bedroom, you will be able to access 2 bedroom accommodation or smaller unit sizes. However, at times of low demand, you may be able to access a larger accommodation to trade in your studio, for example. Even though, not a written rules... RCI agents are kind enough to trade up the size of accommodation to first come, first served members when availability is plentiful.

Traveling Seasons

Another factor to consider is the travelling season, i.e. from high demand to low demand traveling seasons of the region where your resort is located, will also affect your trading power. If you own a week in high season (in RCI network, high season is qualified as red, then white and blue as the lowest season) you will be able to request within this ‘red time’ period, taking into consideration the above points regarding your resort and the size of your unit. Amazingly, however, we have seen more than once that for some owners of a ‘blue time’ studio in standard accommodation, the RCI trading system has really privileged them since they usually travel in low seasons when availability is greater.

The above unwritten rule seems to work marvels for them and they often end up in gold crown resorts, in red time (Florida is red time all year round) in a beautiful 2 bedroom condo...and only pay low yearly or biennially maintenance fees. Well done!

Deposit time

Another important factor that would affect your timeshare trading power is how early you deposit your week in the system: the sooner, the better.  Basically, if you intend to trade your week for a high demand destination resort in high season, you want to be amongst the few ones to trade in as high demand usually means lower availability. 

Trading may be more difficult in high season, basically because there is little availability in return as most owners tend to enjoy the benefits of their occupancy time and, as a result, very few weeks are being deposited. Therefore, if you deposit your high power week too late in the season, chances are, someone with a lower quality trading week may get it simply because his week was available for trading before yours.

Register for seminars by calling us toll free or registering on our customer service page.

As we have already covered, in order to obtain an RCI Membership, you must own a timeshare or vacation ownership package that is affiliated with RCI either through your purchase directly from the developer or from a secondary resale company. For most of timeshare owners, RCI is an exchange network that provides timeshare exchange, however, for many savvy timeshare travelers, an RCI membership also means great savings! To pick up a week in a 1 or 2 bedroom villa in Spain, Greece, Florida or Canada for as little as 300$cdn for a full week... in all kinds of destinations, represents a nice perk to being a timeshare owner. And why such bargains?

What would you say is the most expensive hotel room in the world?

Ok, that’s a tricky question... you may want to say NY City, Dubai, etc.
In fact, the most expensive hotel room is the ‘empty one’. Hotel rooms start off empty and as rooms get rented out and demand becomes more than supply, the prices increase. For resorts, it’s the opposite. The rooms start full and as more members deposit their time into RCI, the units become more available closer to the travelling dates and thus increasing the supply.

As occupancy dates get closer and closer, timeshare condos or villas that have not been traded are made available short notice to owners from around the world at ridiculously low rates to avoid having empty units... or resorts.
Every week, RCI frees about 8,000 weeks which have not traded and all of those are offered to timeshare owners as last minute destinations or Last Call Vacations. So if you’re flexible and able to plan a vacation 45 days or less, you may want to take a look at the RCI Last Calls, or what we like to call “RCI Bonus Weeks”. Then all you do is book, pay and discover great places you might not even have thought about going... and brace yourself to be delightfully surprised to impromptu vacation at most economical value!

You can purchase as many bonus weeks as you’d like as well as to buy them for friends and families. The cost of joining RCI is about 100$cdn per year, and weekly condos vary from 265 to 325cdn, depending on the condo size!

If you are considering buying a timeshare to use basically for trading to other destinations around the world, we would recommend that you take into consideration the Trading Power of your timeshare week.

An evolution in the timeshare trading system

With 35 years of experience with more than 4500 affiliated resorts worldwide and nearly 4 million members, RCI continues to be the global leader in vacation exchange.  From traditional week trading, RCI has successfully enhanced members’ vacation ownership with greater flexibility and added benefits by introducing its point membership in 2000, thus becoming the world’s largest point-based vacation travel club. 

RCI Points membership allows members to use their points for short or nightly stays, or stays up to 21 nights at the same resort at numerous participating affiliated point resorts.  Points can also be used towards discounts on a wide range of travel products such as hotel stays, cruise vacations, car rentals, airline tickets, and even entertainment events and amusement park passes. 

The biggest advantage to an RCI Point membership is that to trade your timeshare it only requires...  Points!
So if you were reading our previous article about the mechanics of trading traditional weeks...and that sounded complicated to you?  Then, the point system maybe for you!  Forget all about the trading guidelines, the resort status, the condo size, the season and so on...RCI simplified to its bare minimum of understanding... Points! 

In order to access destinations, you will require points which vary according to the condo size, the season and the classification of the resort you want to go to. The point system has made timeshares much more flexible, with the added benefits of numerous RCI Point Partners.  Points can also be bought, borrowed from future years use and accumulated from one year to another with a certain lifespan.

Even though the Point trading system seems to present all advantages, we certainly do not discard the fact that week trading still has its advantages too!  To help you understand both types of RCI membership, we have tabled the list of features found in the RCI Exchange systems under week resorts, points resorts, points partners and last call vacation offers.

Applicable or Provided

Not applicable or not provided

Although not all of the RCI affiliated resorts are joining the RCI Points system, there is an increasing number of upscale resorts that are converting to Points mainly because it allows them to better manage occupancy with the use of daily check-in/out times. 

If you are a multiple timeshare weeks owner, you may want to find out more about an RCI points membership.  Indeed, if you own a Points Membership and you also own weeks at traditional week resorts, RCI can convert your week into additional RCI points.  Call your RCI vacation counselor or call us... we’ll be glad to give you more information about converting weeks to RCI points.

To know more about how RCI can work in your favor, register for seminars by calling us toll free or register here
For more information about RCI, visit www.rci.com

A nice way to familiarize yourself with the timeshare world and whether or not you would like to belong to RCI, is to visit RCI TV. RCI, the world’s leader in vacation ownership exchange has made it easy not only to its 3.8 million members but to non-members as well in taking virtual tours of various destinations and resorts such the Manhattan Club in New York City. RCI TV showcases numerous types of destinations from South Africa, Spain, Mexico, Hawaii and continues to add to its repertoire.

Multiple social networking partnerships over the coming year will further expand the reach of RCI TV, educating and entertaining travelers seeking dream vacations. Through its unique “Resort Showcase” channel, millions of prospective viewers and timeshare buyers will be exposed to not only the developers’ resorts, but also linked back to the developers’ websites for more information about their products.

Bon voyage!

Where should I buy a timeshare?

Similar timeshare related questions are often asked in as many ways as it varies from one individual to the next, and based on our understanding of the timeshare experience, we have come to realize that a ‘backyard’ timeshare seems to hold greater value to its owners than those purchased as an option to travel the world.  The most motivating factor of owning a timeshare will undoubtedly remain the flexibility it offers in accessing favorite destinations around the world while vacationing in the comfort of a home away from home.  However, as developers market within a radius distance of 500km of their projects as destination vacation resort to their guests who, upon joining, will be able to spend quality family time at their home-based resort usually located within a couple of hours drive of their residence.  This helps promote a sense of ownership, provides members with access to amenities outside the occupancy time and benefits members/owners with a Private Country Club Membership.  This idea is deemed to make great travel sense for at least a few good reasons.

1) It offers day resort activities for families with facilities such as pools, spas, exercise room; and other amenities such as golf, lake access beaches, boating, hiking and biking trails, and, in the winter, cross-country ski, snowshoeing or snowmobiling trails, and ski centres offering substantial discounts to members/owners.

2) Its location is typically close in proximity to where its members reside permanently; therefore a short commute which makes it very manageable for day trips and promotes relaxation of a stress-free destination.

3) The timeshare members or owners can often bring family and friends along to utilize their” country club” benefits often bringing a sense of wellness, privileged status and pride of ownership.

4) Owners of timeshares of a resort located in their “backyard” appreciate affordable vacations when overseas or out of the country vacations do not appear timely or making financial sense for them and their family that particular year.

Based on my timeshare experience of meeting thousands of owners every year, people who have purchased a backyard timeshare’ have expressed greater satisfaction through their emotional attachment and pride of ownership close to home. My personal experience also tells me that owners of a backyard timeshare have enjoyed a vacation ownership quality comparable to those of owning a vacation home at a fraction of the price. For those so many owners, their backyard timeshare holds greater value than the monetary value and are now being passed on from fathers to sons as a family tradition.

In most instances, the backyard timeshare concept for a seasonal week, is often seen as a viable and affordable vacation option. Experience the exhilaration of a health and wellness afternoon in the spa or a round of discounted golf at your country club, all located in close proximity to your home... that will feel right in your backyard.

See some example of timeshares:
Calabogie Peaks, Calabogie (ottawa region)

GeoHoliday Membership which includes Haliburton Heights, North of Toronto, and Auberge du Lac Morency, just North of Montreal in Québec. Both offers similar access to their properties for great day trip fun!.

Carriage Ridge, Horseshoe Valley

Georgian Manor, Collingwood