The Good, The Bad, & The Budget:

The Problem With Timeshares And Vacation Rentals 

It looks like timeshares are becoming obsolete.  As more people want to get away to exotic locations around the world, the demand for timeshares purchases and rentals have gone up.  As a result of this, prices have also skyrocketed.  It is not uncommon to see timeshares going for over $10,000.  This high front end cost, along with all the hidden fees such as an annual maintenance fee which can range from several hundred to several thousands, and that can really do damage to your wallet.

Furthermore, there are several reasons why a timeshare is a bad investment.  Not only is there a huge cost, but the value depreciates as well.  And unless you have a timeshare in a very desirable, exotic location, you can never get the money back that was needed to invest in the first place. 

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So, many other vacationers decide that perhaps renting is the better choice. And when it comes down to price, and we definitely agree.  The challenge however is due to high demands, it is darn near impossible to get your specific resort, in the location that you prefer.  A lot of timeshare owners, trying to recover their initial fees, will charge high rental prices.  Needless to say this has been very discouraging for a lot of travelers, as they try to find the best deal for the time that they desire. If you take a quick glance at the various wanted ads online you will find that there are a ton of owners who are posting many months ahead of when they need the resort because this predicament is so frustrating.

We live in a day and age where people are looking for convenience at low cost.  The days of someone paying high fee's and staying at a sub-par resort are gone. There definitely has to be a balance between cost and quality.

Unfortunately, there has not been an alternative to all of this for the most part. Throughout the years, a variety of clubs and membership programs have permeated the market, trying to snag the customers who are not willing to fork out ridiculous sums of money for a vacation week.

Vacation clubs are essentially a twist on the timeshare theme: programs that offer vacation stays in participating accommodations. Similar to timeshares, you buy into the program for an initial price which can range from  $5000 to as much as $1 million; once you join, you get to select the resorts where you want to stay and then pay for each occupancy. There is also a chance you would have to pay extra annual “maintenance” or “membership” fees.

They can be a really great alternative if you happen to find the right one.

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So looking for the perfect vacation can be very difficult, especially when you are on a budget.  Travel agents can be very helpful in locating a resort at a decent price, but you still have to pay for their commission.  Unfortunately, there are those out there who will take advantage of a customer, if they see that you are less likely to object to high prices. 

At the end of the day, there are a few businesses that allow people to not just travel for less, but to travel for less at high quality resorts. These travel programs are like a diamonds in the rough, wonderful gems that almost no one has noticed.  As these alternative choices for travel grow in popularity, the purchasing of timeshares as well as the need for travel agents will go down at the same time. So when wholesale prices are available for all aspects of travel, why would you spend thousands of dollars to pay out the profit and commissions?

For the most part, it just takes awhile for you to find the best resource, but once you find it, it is well worth it.

- RMT