You will be asking yourself that question when you get ready to sell your timeshare. Why? Because the answer to that question may determine whether or not you will sell your timeshare or keep it. The only "official" guidance that has been offered came from the American Resort Developers Association who said that timeshares will usually sell for 50% to 75% of a retail price. But, with averages being just that, averages, that may not help you much.

Stroman Realty, Inc, has published a report that draws data from thousands of timeshares sold on the secondary market. Even though the rule of averages still applies, the following graph from that report gives timeshare owners a good indication that the resales value of their timeshare is going up quickly. The chart below shows that from 2003 to 2007 the average resales price of a two bedroom high season timeshare grew from $7,505 to $11,031. That's great news for anyone contemplating selling their timeshare. So, if you've been thinking about it, right now is a great time to sell!

This incredibly beautiful resort in the Bahamas has had to make cuts due to decreased occupancy rates and sales. The Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas features over 3,000 rooms (imagine the housekeeping staff!). This is one of the best selling timeshare resorts of all time on the secondary or timeshare resales market. The demand for these is astounding with people paying tens of thousands for a one week stay each year.

The reporter said that these layoffs at Atlantis - Bahamas accounted for about 10% of their staff. So, 8,000 people on their staff? I guess that's what they said.

That does reflect a huge amount of attention to each visitor to the resort. If the place was 100% occupied (and of course it is not) you'd have 2 or 3 staff people seeing to each room. That may account for the high owner satisfaction grades this resort receives. Owners rave about the service, attention to detail, and quality of their experience.

Hopefully, as things return to normal, those 800 workers will be back at work helping to make your stay at the Atlantis one you'll never forget.

Harbourside Resort Atlantis, Bahamas

Southern California has long been an area ripe for timeshare development. But because of limits placed by local governing authorities and the price of land, timeshares have been slower to develop than Las Vegas, Orlando, or other areas. After two years of construction Wyndham has opened their WorldMark Anaheim 14 story timeshare resort. They will offer studio, one, and two bedroom units. The tower also boasts two-, three- and four-bedroom luxurious “Presidential” units for a total of 241 timeshare units.

There are a few other timeshares in Southern California worth mentioning. Located between Oceanside and San Diego is Four Seasons Resort Aviara. This has been one of the very best timeshares on the resales market for this region. Four Seasons Aviara offers the very best amenities and luxury vacationing. Nearby is the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort. More affordable than Four Seasons, it is set on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This ideal location puts an entire realm of oceanfront activities at your doorstep. The Coronado Beach Resort, located between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is well known as an upscale vacation destination.

Also, be sure to check out Riviera Beach and Spa Resort, San Clemente Cove Resort, and another top seller Marriott's Newport Coast Villas.

Marriott's Newport Coast Villas timeshare in Southern California

I often visit the www.cnn.com/travel website to see their ideas about travel, exciting vacations, and new deals being offered for the budget minded traveler. A very recent article there "Where the Travel Deals Are" highlighted places like Iceland, London, South Africa, and Hawaii. Their Hawaii section captured my attention the most when they described how generous and affordable they are making hotels and airfare.

Apparently the Hawaii tourism market has dropped 9% this year so they have taken drastic price reduction measures to attract more people. Now would be a great time to rent a timeshare, find a discount airfare and Go To Hawaii!

For example, you can find a five star resort with magnificent amenities, two bedrooms, totally furnished and with a brand name like Marriott or Westin for less than $1,000 a week.  That's less than $150 a day for a condo - lots of room and loaded with quality and luxury. Some of the top timeshare resorts we have rented out in Hawaii include Marriott's Maui Ocean Club, Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk, Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, and more.

I'd say, go ahead and take the plunge: Go to Hawaii, rent a timeshare, save a lot of money, and have the vacation of your life.

Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Maui Hawaii Timeshare

Last year, Texans outspent 46 other states on snow-sports equipment, apparel and accessories, with more than $106 million in retail sales," said Kelly Davis, research manager for SnowSports Industries America, a nonprofit industry trade group." (source)

"It’s not a surprise to see Texans are among the leading contributors to ski related retail sales.  The many great ski areas in Colorado and other states provide Texans with a vast amount of options.  There are many different resort areas to choose from and the airfare to Denver is usually quite reasonable compared to other vacation destinations.  I’m sure the very hot summers in Texas are a contributing factor to Texans paying extra on cold weather garments to stay bundled up while vacationing in these cold areas."

Another great way spend money on your next ski trip is your lodging. BUT, I'd say, rent a timeshare for your skiing trip. You'll get great locations, large rooms, kitchens, laundry, lots of extras. And you'll save a bundle. Check it out.

Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge Timeshare, Breckenridge Colorado

From The First Post in the UK comes this news about Donald Trump's Scotland project: "plans to create a £1bn golf resort in Aberdeenshire has finally paid off. The Scottish Government today gave the project the green light." I have been following this story for quite a while, and at one point it seemed dead. Most of the local authorities had nixed his quest to build the world's best golf resort.

By all accounts, this will be the most ambitious golf resort project ever. Plans will include a five star hotel, 950 timeshare condos and two championship golf courses designed by Tom Fazio. Other types of residential properties will be included in the project. The economic impact is speculated to be $60 million a year to the Scottish economy and 6,000 jobs. Scotland has a rich heritage in the history of golf and this golf resort, including timeshares, would add to its international appeal.

Timeshares have always had an international appeal, but when a US developer like Donald Trump plans to spend nearly $1 billion to develop a golf and timeshare resort overseas, it gets a lot of attention.

Hilton Craigendarroch Timeshare Resort, Deeside Scotland

 

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The initial cost of your timeshare should not be driven by the pressurized sales force at the resort. That's why buying a timeshare resale is the best way to go. Usually, you can purchase a timeshare from an owner who would be willing to make you a deal anywhere from 25% to 50% off the retail price. So if you can save thousands why do thousands of people buy timeshares at the resort every year?  It is a combination of good sales practices, seizing the emotional moment while you are there at their timeshare resort, and being sold on the idea that you are getting a great deal.

Nonetheless, the best deal would be if you buy it through a timeshare resales broker, like those at www.rpmls.com.  The have a huge selection of timeshare resales properties to select from, an educational and informational approach to helping you find the right timeshare resale deal, and a professional timeshare resales staff to get the deal closed - making everyone happy.

If you are ready to buy a timeshare on the resale market, check out these best deals.

If you are thinking of selling your timeshare on the resales market, check out what they can do for you.

This is a great place to do your research on the whole process of timeshare resales.

Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club Timeshare

Todays news on www.forbes.com describes what many timeshare owners already know: timeshare loans are increasingly getting behind and defaulting. The Fitch ratings say that "total timeshare delinquencies increased 4.1 percent in September, compared with 3.1 percent for the same period in 2007."

Now may be the time to go ahead and sell your timeshare. If you are not using your timeshare it will quickly become an unused luxury you'd be better off without.  Having said that, if you want to keep your timeshare but are falling behind on the loan payments, try to work with the lending institution that made you the loan. Your loan is one that is considered "secured" with the timeshare deed - and is worth salvaging from the loan writers' perspective.

The only people genuinely worried about increasing foreclosures are those who buy these loans in large groups and bundle them together to sell them as a different type of security. Not exactly a warm and fuzzy feeling for the timeshare owner? No.

Before you get into danger of foreclosure contact a timeshare sales specialist who can guide you through the process. Be flexible on your asking price, and stop the loss before it gets too big.

Just my 2 cents....

Palm Beach Shores Resort Timeshare Florida

Central Florida Investments, Inc, parent company of Westgate Resorts, Inc, has closed their Houston sales office and laid off 106 employees. (source)  This office has been doing "off-site" sales of timeshares for their network of Westgate Resorts.  Their office, located on Richmond Ave, featured a full sized model of one of their timeshare units to present to their buyers. They called this their preview gallery. The reason they gave the Texas Workforce Commission for the layoffs was that they "experienced an unforeseen business emergency brought on by the collapse of the credit markets." They were not able to sell their notes to their usual buyers, and the cash flow stopped. So far that all sounds like a normal by product of a severely tight credit market.

The reason this story caught my attention was because of the sales tactic of "off site" sales. I know that Westgate would not have kept the office open for the last 4 years if it were not successful. But, how hard must it be to sell a timeshare (at a top retail price) that may be actually sitting hundreds or thousands of miles away? Richmond Ave in Houston is nice, but it is not as popular destination as Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii, or others. So what kind of confidence can the consumer have when buying a timeshare in Vegas without going there? And how hard must it be for a sales person to close a deal when the buyer is not able to enjoy all the benefits and excitement of the terrific destination? Then, I'd wonder how high is their rate of cancellation compared to on site timeshare sales?  You'd think it would be harder to hold a buyer in this kind of deal.

I'd love to hear from any of you who used to work there or who have done "off-site" sales for timeshare developers!

Take a look at how we sell timeshares with no hassle, no pressure, and always "off-site".

Polo Towers Timeshare in Las Vegas

In today's BBC news, they reported that the European Parliament has passed a law mandating a 14 day right of withdrawal for timeshare purchases. Also known as the "right of recission (rescission)" in the US, this practice has been unevenly regulated for many years in the European timeshare market. Estimates are that there are 1.5 million timeshare owners in Europe. And, until now, a timeshare buyer had a difficult time changing their mind if they bought a timeshare.

This, along with several other unsavory sales practices, has left a very negative impression on the general public when it comes to timeshares in Europe. You don't have to look far to find hundreds of examples of European timeshare owners who have had bad experiences.

In the United States a timeshare buyers' right of rescission may vary from seven to 15 days. The length of time will be determined by either the laws of the state the timeshare is located in, or by the timeshare developer.  If you find yourself wanting to back out of buying a timeshare from the resort, you have to act fast and in accordance with the method they require. When you closed the deal on buying your timeshare, you were most likely given a checklist saying that they explained your right to cancel. It should also explain exactly what you must do to cancel. Usually, you have to exercise your right of recission by sending it in writing. Just make sure you go through the wickets they require.

Sheraton's Vistana Villages Orlando Florida timeshare

PS: Is it "rescission" or "recission" ? - I found it in the dictionary both ways......