Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is 'Timeshare?'

Timeshare, also known as Vacation Interval Ownership Plans, means a guaranteed annual vacation, as well as a chance to use exchange privileges with other owners around the world. It is a way to 'own' your vacation home rather than paying outrageous amounts to rent a hotel room for your vacation. Timeshare is an investment in your future vacations, as well as those of your loved ones. In certain instances, timeshare can be deeded to your heirs so they, too, can enjoy a guaranteed vacation for the rest of their lives.

Why should I buy timeshare?

Everyone who purchases a timeshare week at a particular resort has his or her own personal reason for purchasing a certain week. With the stresses that come with both husbands and wives working today, a lot of people purchase with the idea of keeping their family together and having at least one week a year when everybody can get together and have fun! It's all about the memories!!!!

What is the difference between timeshare and a hotel or motel stay?

When you stay in any hotel or motel, you are renting property that belongs to someone else. In important matters, like cleanliness, not all hotels and motels could even receive a two-star rating, although you may not discover this until you have already checked in. By owning a timeshare with membership in either Resort Condominiums International (RCI) or Interval International (II), you can now rent unused timeshare accommodations around the world, in most cases for far less than the cost of hotels and motels. If that's not enough for you, by staying in timeshare units, you will have anywhere from one- to three-bedroom fully-furnished condominiums at 4 and 5 star rated resorts! By being a timeshare owner, and by virtue of being a member of RCI or II, you can now stay in accommodations once considered only available to the rich and famous!

What types of occasions, events or activities can timeshare resorts accommodate?

Most timeshare is perfect for:

snowmobiling;

weddings;

anniversaries;

opening fishing or hunting weekends;

family reunions;

and all the many different holidays!

Timeshare salespeople seem to be talking about rainbows sometimes, 'red weeks,' 'green weeks,' 'white weeks.' What is the difference?

Consider RED weeks at both RCI and II as high demand weeks at those particular resorts. Think about it this way - red weeks are when the resorts are having their highest cash flow and when it can be hard to try to purchase a week at that resort. In the northern part of the United States, red time is when school is out and families are vacationing. In some of the resorts, snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing are popular and weeks may be hard to come by. Most of the resorts in the southern part of the United States are high demand almost year round. Florida, for example, is a high demand area of the country almost year round, as are Mexico, Hawaii, California, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Texas.

YELLOW weeks in the Interval International System are considered medium-demand weeks, and GREEN weeks are considered low-demand weeks.

In the RCI system, RED is high-demand, WHITE is considered medium-demand and BLUE is low-demand.

What difference does it make which week of the year I purchase? I can always trade later, can't I?

Certain weeks will always be good weeks to buy and sell. Those popular weeks are determined by seasonal changes, the surrounding countryside, and what the local attractions are. In most timeshare properties, the most popular weeks are called "red" weeks and can usually be traded for any other week during the year. Imagine a week at a property in or near Vail, Colorado at the height of ski season, or a week near Disneyland for the Fourth of July. Other popular time periods include, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Christmas, New Year's, and Thanksgiving. In other words, if you buy a 'red' week, you can (almost) always trade to a different week as many people will be interested in your time slot. If, on the other hand, you purchase a week in Arizona in the middle of the summer, you may have more difficulty trying to trade your week later on. Unless, of course, you can find someone who really enjoys beating the crowds! Some people purchase timeshare strictly with the intention of being able to trade their weeks and travel to other timeshares, particularly if they can use their own resort facilities any other time of the year at reduced rates, or even for free!

Where should I buy my timeshare?

Today there are many different places, companies, and vendors from which to purchase timeshare. In the past 30 years, timeshare has grown by leaps and bounds and the major hotel chains are now the biggest sellers of timeshare. As far as location is concerned, you should visit a resort close to where you live if you intend to use the resort facilities often and want to have special privileges once you make a purchase. Many people also purchase in states at great distances from where they live. Usually that type of purchase is made with an intent to use that week at that particular resort. Or, people purchase timeshare at great distances from where they live with the idea that they would like to trade their week at that resort for another resort somewhere else in the country, or around the world! If you can have special privileges at a resort within a couple hours of where you live, and you can see yourself and your family using those resort facilities at various times! during the year, you should consider purchasing timeshare close to home. This option also gives you the option of having more personal access to the ownership base if you have purchased a timeshare which has a local board of directors consisting of timeshare owners who have made a purchase at that resort.

What types of timeshare are there?

Deeded Ownership Timeshares
Deeded weeks give the owner the same ownership rights he or she has as an owner of a home.

But is it deeded for life, and can I pass it on through my estate?
Most resorts in the United States are timeshare weeks offering deeded warranty weeks. These are weeks you own like your own. However, there are some resorts in the United States that are now limiting their timeshare owners to a certain number of years of ownership. These can be deeded weeks but may be limited by the number of years they are owned.

Right to Use Timeshare Ownership

Right to use means exactly that - you have purchased the right to use your timeshare. Right to use timeshare concentrates more on the number of weeks of vacation your purchase rather than ensuring your one week of vacation year after year. Sometimes, buying timeshare in such places as Mexico and the Caribbean or other foreign countries can be limited to a certain number of years. For example, you purchase 40 weeks of vacation time at a resort but the resort from which you purchase requires you to use those weeks within 25 years. You have the right to use your vacation weeks but only within a limited amount of time. Check with your timeshare salesperson to determine whether or not your right-to-use ownership weeks can be deeded.

What are maintenance fees?

Every resort charges a maintenance fee for every week it sells. You are in charge of paying the (usually annual) fee which is used to cover the cost of maintaining the buildings and accommodations so they are kept in good shape for your next visit!

Who controls the maintenance fee and what is charged?

The maintenance fees are usually initially established by the developer and thereafter are adjusted by the developer and the timeshare owners association. Some resorts choose a board of directors from the timeshare owners association and then meet once a month and/or annually. In essence, you have a voice in deciding how much your maintenance fee will be. The fees are used to cover the cost of maintaining the buildings and accommodations so they are kept in good shape.

Who should consider buying timeshare?

If you can look at purchasing timeshare as a vacation ownership concept, you are a great candidate for timeshare. Imagine how much you are going to spend on your vacations if you stay in hotels or motels for week vacations every year for the next ten years. Experts say that if you plan to spend a certain amount of money over 7-10 years for hotels and motels, not to mention all the dinners you will eat out on your vacation, you should consider timeshare. Don't forget, most timeshare weeks can be deeded to your heirs. You could think of it as investing in your children's future vacations!

Who should not consider buying timeshare?

Do not consider purchasing timeshare if your intention is to double your money on your investment. Instead, consider it a vacation ownership plan with which you can enjoy far better accommodations than typical cabins or motels for the rest of your life. (Not to mention being able to deed your vacation to your heirs!) Do not consider timeshare if you are a bargain hunter looking to compare timeshare vacations to a hotel or motel stay. The time spent in a cramped hotel room cannot be compared on an even scale to timeshare properties.

Can I use my timeshare facilities at other times of the year besides the weeks I have purchased?

Depending on the resort at which you purchase your timeshare, you may be allowed access to the facilities (golf courses, boat launches, etc.) at other times during the year. This works especially well if you own timeshare near your own home. You may also have the option, once you are a timeshare member, to be able to rent unused spaces for quick get-a-way weekends, much like a hotel.

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