Are Timeshares For You?
If you would like a vacation property but hesitate over the cost, a timeshare lets you share the use and costs of a property with other owners. Many timeshares are condominiums or cooperatives, although timeshares can also apply to motor homes, houseboats, yachts, campgrounds, cruises, and private jets.
Although timeshares are very popular right now, they actually date back to the 1960s. That’s when a ski resort developer started marketing his resort in the French Alps by suggesting that guests buy the property rather than simply rent a room. When the idea caught on, businesses worldwide began using the same tool.
Today, timeshares allow a company to buy a property — such as a condominium, vacation home, or even a jet — and sell small time slices of it to others. With today’s point systems, buyers can rent out their own usage, give their own usage as a gift, use their usage time, exchange their time with others, and so forth. Plus, with very flexible point systems, owners can even exchange their usage time for hotels, travel packages, amusement park tickets, cruises, and much more. Very flexible plans allow owners to move points from one year to another, sell unused points to other people, or use part of their usage time and sell the points to others.
Exchange agencies make timeshares more flexible, allowing owners to exchange usage or points with others. Some timeshare owners decide to exchange directly with other timeshare owners. Many people swap online, or simply find other timeshare owners through mutual friends.
Timeshare is very widely popular. Some timeshares consist of one week of ownership, while others simply offer points with no set times. The points can be exchanged for a week of ownership, or for car rentals, hotel stays, and other perks.
Deciding whether timeshares are right for you depends on your lifestyle and how you like to travel. If you always prefer to travel to a new destination, you may wish to get timeshares with a large network of resorts and flexible plan, so that you can exchange points or unused usage for a stay at hotels worldwide. If however, you find that you return to the same vacation spot year after year, having a timeshare can be great option. For example, if you always travel to Florida on one specific week of the year, a timeshare can help you stay free of hotel bills and can guarantee that you always have a place to stay when you travel. In general, you are a good candidate for timeshares if you travel each year and tend to travel at the same times and to the same places. If you are a globetrotter or like to leave year-round, you may find timeshares too restrictive, unless you find a very flexible option. You may find timeshares are right for you if you want more amenities for less cost and if you want more space than the average hotel can offer. Most timeshares offer fully stocked kitchens, living areas, dining areas, and bedrooms. This makes them much larger than most hotel rooms.
Filed Under Timeshares