Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Timesharing, But Were Afraid to Attend a Sales Presentation to Ask

Part Six: Lifestyles and Lifecycles: The Evolving Vacation Experience

Once upon a time, timesharing came in one flavor: vanilla. But just as Baskin & Robins offers over thirty-wonderful flavors to cater to anyone’s taste, timeshare developers have created a wide-range of timeshare products to fit everyone’s lifestyle in every stage of life.

The knowledge you have acquired in the first five parts on how to evaluate a timeshare to determine its trading power has given you an open invitation to the world. But the world is changing. And timeshare is changing right along with it.

Now we’ll take a look at how timesharing is evolving to meet the vacation lifestyle of today. And while everything you’ve learned thus far is still valid in today’s market, there are some exciting new trends that may offer you a better value and a more flexible vacation experience.

The Public’s Changing Vacation Needs

From 1969, when timeshare first came to America, until about 2002, timeshares were sold in weekly increments. The average timeshare buyer was a young family, and they bought one week’s worth of time.

But over the years, many of us have become too busy at work to take a full week of vacation. Even if the parents can take a week off, the kids’ schedules are booked solid with sports, music lessons, achievement classes, and more.

Plus there have been more changes. The aftermath of 9/11 brought a new emphasis on drive-to timeshare resorts and the ever-tightening belt on the economy gave renewed interest in a Club Med-type all-in-one-price resort.  Added to these changes is the fact that there no longer is a typical buyer. Buyers range from singles to married with kids to empty nesters.

Fractionals: Too much of a good thing?

Fractional ownerships first appeared in the mid-1990s. Unlike traditional timeshare resorts offering a weekly membership, fractional ownerships (also known as private residence clubs) are sold as multi-week blocks of time. These fractions of a 52-week year are offered at a private residence featuring designer decors and posh club amenities. Purchases typically range from a 1/21 (two-week) to a 1/4 (three-month) interest in a residence, though even larger fractions are not uncommon.

Fractionals represent the fastest-growing and most lucrative segment of the timeshare market today, with thousands of units available. But wait. Do you really want to spend all your vacation time in the same place? Rather than a wave of the future, fractional may be an expensive trend (high-end fractionals go for about $50,000 a week) that, like the vacation home sitting vacant most of the year, hold more empty promises than precious memories.
Vacation Clubs–What Are They?

Members can choose between any one of several resorts owned by the vacation club.

Advantages: More vacationing options than with owning at just one resort.

Disadvantages: Usage rules can be complicated. Enrollment with some clubs is quite high, which may limit availability during peak seasons.

Bottom Line: Many vacation clubs operate on a floating points system, so the same advantages and disadvantages that apply to floating week ownerships and can also apply to these. Other clubs offer different levels of membership, with those purchasing the highest priced memberships receiving the most benefits. While most vacation clubs are right-to-use, some offer deeded ownerships. Disney, Marriott, Fairfield, and Sunterra are a few of the more popular vacation clubs.

Points Programs–What Are They?

Members receive a certain number of points, or credits, which are then used to purchase vacation time at participating resorts. Maintenance fees and reservation fees still apply. While Fairfield, Marriott, and Disney offer their own points program, the largest program is offered by RCI (see below).

Advantages: More flexible than fixed weeks. Many points programs allow for stays of less than one week and allow you to change your level of accommodation with every stay from a studio to a three-bedroom unit. Plus, if you don’t mind vacationing during off-peak seasons or less popular weeks, you can stretch your purchasing power, since fewer points are required during these times.

Disadvantages: You may not have enough points to get the week, resort, or unit type you want. As with floating week memberships, it may be difficult to reserve a unit at a popular resort in high season.

Bottom Line: Points are like money. The more you have, the more you can do. As a rule, the more popular the location, resort, or week, and the larger the unit, the more points you’ll be charged. Make sure your membership comes with enough points to allow for the kind of vacation you expect. Otherwise, you’ll need to either settle for what you can afford, or purchase more points. There are dozens of points programs available, and no two are the same. Depending on your needs, some programs will prove to be a better fit than others.

RCI Points
RCI Points is a vacation points program offered by the exchange company Resort Condominiums International.

Advantages: Total flexibility in scheduling vacation time (from one night to a several week stay) at over 3500 resorts worldwide. Plus, as RCI tends to accept only the more popular and well-managed resorts into their points inventory system, you are assured of a pleasant vacation experience. In addition, RCI Points are accepted like cash by hundreds of travel partners around the globe and can be used to purchase admission to theme parks, car rentals, airline tickets, helicopter sightseeing rides, cruises, and more.

Disadvantages: RCI Points tend to be pricier than other points programs when purchased at the retail rate. Hint: if you can find RCI Points on the reseller market, buy them up!

Bottom Line: The number of points you initially receive is based on RCI’s valuation of your resort. Owners of more highly rated resorts tend to receive more points. You may purchase more points if you wish, but you’ll start with no more points than what RCI considers your resort to be worth. If the relative value or popularity of your home resort increases, RCI will increase your point total to reflect the change.

All-Inclusive Programs

One price pays for everything. This concept has been around since the 1950s when Gerard Blitz founded Club Med. A recent study revealed 60% of vacationers now look for all-inclusive packages when shopping for a vacation resort. Expect more resorts to follow this trend in the near future.

Advantages: Eliminates wallet-dipping. Can be cost-effective if you’re on a strict budget, are taking the whole family, or like the idea of having everything right at hand.

Disadvantages: It discourages off-site travel, which means you don’t get to discover the true experience of the region. Also, an all-inclusive resort may not be cost-effective for those who don’t eat or drink much, or for those who prefer relaxing by the pool or playing tennis to more expensive activities such as water sports or golf (for which the cost has already been included in the price of membership).

Bottom Line: If you and your traveling partners are content to enjoy a leisurely vacation within the confines of the resort, then go for it. As you’ve already paid upfront for your drinks and meals, it’s a very cost-effective vacation as long as you eat your meals on-site.

Before purchasing, be sure to determine what the all-inclusive fee covers. For example, while food, beverages, and tips are usually covered, alcoholic drinks, sightseeing tours, and use of water sports equipment off-site probably are not covered. Some resorts are mandatory all-inclusive, others offer optional programs. The rule: ask before you buy!

Your Timeshare IQ: Are you content to spend the majority  of your vacation right on the resort property or would you rather use the resort as a base camp to return to after taking in the sights and activities of the surrounding area?

Coming Up in Part Seven next week, learn how to go bargain hunting for luxury timeshares.

–Gillian Armstrong

When the Numbers Just Don’t Add Up

Lately, I’ve been getting e-mails from consumers about offers that seem too good to be true, and of course they are.

The offers come directly from the developer, and state that for a limited amount of time, they are running a special. Existing owners will be able to upgrade their ownership and lower their annual maintenance fees and taxes at the same time.

Wow! What a great deal. Or is it?

Of course, it’s not a good deal.

What the resorts are offering is not quite what it seems to be. Here’s several versions of what is behind these offers:

-The resort is offering to pay your annual dues this year (or take it off the “top” of the new price) if you purchase more of what they are offering you . . . except you get hit with much larger annual dues the following year.

-The resort is claiming to reduce your annual dues by “taking back” what you own, only to see you own the same thing on an every-other-year basis . . . leaving you with half of your ownership.

-The resort is claiming to give you the equity you already have in your property and “change it” in some way to some “better” system . . . only you find out that the price of the “better” system has been vastly inflated and you, again, own less than you originally did.

Let me be clear here: If the maintenance fees are going down, you own less of the property, pure and simple. If you have a quote from a painter to paint your house for $1,200 and he calls back and tells you that the price has gone down to $600, he’s either talking about inferior paint, or has reduced the number of surfaces he’s going to paint.

What sounds on the surface to be a great deal often isn’t when it comes to the games that some timeshare developers play with unsuspecting owners. Beware!

Destination Maui: Two cheap places to eat in Lahaina, Maui

Lahaina, Maui, on the northwest side of the glorious island, is a great oceanfront spot for strolling and people watching. Along Front Street of this former whaling town, there are tons of little boutiques, souvenir T-shirt shops, restaurants and bars.

Maui, in general, can be a pricey place to vacation, and the restaurants in Lahaina, and chain eateries like Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and the Hard Rock Cafe, are no exception. However, there are two ultra-casual, “freshly made fast food” restaurants that are fabulous places to dine if you’re on a budget.

Kahuna Kabobs
Serving Mediterranean-influenced plates, like fish, chicken, steak and shrimp kabobs, as well as pupus, wraps, burgers and soups, Kahuna Kabobs is fresh, fast, filling – and relatively cheap. The menu is written out in colorful chalk on several blackboards, and you order from a take-out window. Plenty of patio chairs and tables are available for al fresco, picnic-style dining.

Entrees like Blackened Fish Kabobs (fish of the day with sweet Molokai mashed potatoes, asparagus in coconut curry sauce topped with wasabi cream sauce) and Dr. J’s Island Curry (roasted eggplant, bell pepper, celery, onions, pineapple, tofu, garbanzo beans in “secret yellow curry sauce” over brown rice) cost about $10 to $15. Burgers and wraps are less expensive. Portions here are super filling.

Kahuna Kabobs is in a little pedestrian area/alley off of Front Street between Lahainaluna and Dickenson streets.

Maui Tacos
Maui Tacos is a chain restaurant found throughout the Hawaiian Islands as well as the continental U.S. But it’s not your typical Mexican fast-food joint. Instead, the “Mexican Surf Grill” fuses the “flavors of Mexico with the flavors of Aloha to do a hula on your tongue.” (Kinda clever, no?)

Menu items include soups, salads, burritos, enchiladas, tacos and more. Hands down, the best item–and likely the most popular–is the signature Maui Taco, which you can get with charbroiled chicken, charbroiled steak, grilled marinated shrimp or grilled, fresh island fish. Other yummy Mexican items with a Hawaiian twist are Chicken Mango Salad and the Hana Burrito with slow-cooked Hawaiian BBQ pork. You can easily fill up at Maui Tacos for about $10.

Maui Tacos is a block off of Front Street, at 840 Wainee Street.

Save your money for souvenirs by eating lunch or dinner at either of these great locals’ spots!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Timesharing, But Were Afraid to Attend a Sales Presentation to Ask

Part Five: Life’s More than a Beach with Trading Power

Now that you’ve learned how to comparison shop timeshares based on their hard factors (location/unit size/amenities) and their soft usage factors (annual or biennial/floating or fixed/high, mid, or low-season week) it’s time to capitalize on your knowledge to give you the edge on timeshare’s golden opportunity: trading power.

Trading Power–The Holy Grail of Timesharing
For many timeshare owners, the primary benefit of owning a timeshare is the flexibility to make exchanges to vacation at other resorts. In fact, surveys suggest that exchanging is the greatest single contributor to timeshare use and enjoyment.

While some folks are content to return to their home resort year after year, industry statistics show that 58% of timeshare owners will chose new and evermore exciting places to vacation.

Your Timeshare IQ: What about you? Do you want to visit the same resort every year or prefer to experience new resorts each year?

Even if you answered “travel to the same resort every year,” will that always be your preference? If, at some point in the future, you decide that trading within the exchange system is important, then this lesson is important.

Trading power, or exchange value, is simply a function of supply vs. demand. Resorts that enjoy the greatest trading power are those where demand most exceeds supply (supply referring to the number of timeshare units available in a given resort or area).

There are five key factors affecting demand:

1. Location
Here is that mantra again: location, location, location. This key factor in determining trading power is driven by two criteria: climate (the more tropical the better, such as Hawaii, Mexico, Florida, Southern California); and proximity to popular attractions (Orlando, Las Vegas, Branson) or popular activities (downhill skiing, trophy fishing, gambling).

2. Season
The higher, the better. A season is considered high when more owners prefer to visit that resort or area during that time of the year. The ratio of potential users to available units is what creates (or suppresses) demand.

3. Rating and Amenities
While RCI and II ratings are not necessarily indicative of demand, the rule of thumb is that for two resorts in the same high-demand area (such as Hawaii), the resort that is rated will likely be more popular than the unrated one. RCI’s best rating is Gold Crown, followed by its Resort of International Distinction. In addition to ratings, resorts that have more on-site amenities enjoy a more favorable trading status.

4. Name Recognition
This is the power of branding, and it works just as well with selling resorts as it does with selling designer jeans, fragrances or sunglasses. Whether it’s Disney, Marriott, Trendwest, or Hilton, these instantly recognizable icons elevate the trading power of any timeshare, especially when combined with a popular destination.

5. Unit Type
The more room, the better. And the greater the unit’s features (full kitchen, fireplace, private balcony, etc.) the higher your trading power. Just as important, keep the rule “like for like” in mind. If you own a spacious two-bedroom unit at a popular resort, it will typically (though not always) exchange for a two-bedroom unit at another popular resort.

Join us next week for Part Six, when we’ll talk about the difference between deeded and right-to-use timeshares, and gain an understanding of maintenance fees.

–Gillian Armstrong

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Timesharing, But Were Afraid to Attend a Sales Presentation to Ask

Part 4: Confessions of an Ex-Timeshare Salesperson

Timesharing involves both hard and soft factors. While Lesson Three showed you how to evaluate the hard factors of unit type, resort location and amenities/activities, Lesson Four makes you an expert in how to look at the soft factors that determine your membership’s timeshare usage.

While many of you are familiar with the seasonal factor, there are two other considerations that can dramatically affect the cost of your timeshare purchase. Let’s start with those.

Annual or Biennial Membership
While most salespeople giving a timeshare presentation won’t even mention this option, it is a factor than can basically cut the cost of your timeshare in half. And it’s called the biennial membership, which means your membership entitles you to use the resort every other year, as opposed to an annual membership that gives you access to the resort every year.

Biennial membership gives either even-year ownership (timeshare use is allowed during years ending in an even number) or odd-year ownership (years ending in an odd number).

Timeshare IQ: What’s your preference, annual or biennial?

Fixed or Floating Week
While the membership factor gives you two choices, annual or biennial, the weekly factor gives you 52 choices! But first, you need to decide if you want a floating week or a fixed week. What’s this all about?

A fixed week gives you the right to occupy a unit at your resort during a specific numbered week (1 to 52) each year. A floating week gives you the right to occupy a unit at your resort anytime during the whole year or within a specific season.

With a fixed week, planning vacations is easy because your week is the same each year. A disadvantage of a fixed week is its inflexibility with regards to vacationing at your home resort. However, please note that space banking your week gives you the opportunity to choose a different week number at the exchange resort. Also, fixed weeks are easier to deposit with RCI or II than floating weeks, as covered below.

Floating weeks offer you greater flexibility to vacation at different times every year. One disadvantage of floating weeks, though, can be finding availability at the resort. As floating weeks are reserved on a space-available basis, owners need to make reservations as far ahead as the resort allows. Another disadvantage is that in order to space bank a floating week, owners must first call their resort and turn it into a specific week before depositing. This second step creates a bit more hassle than with fixed weeks.

The bottom line? Fixed weeks are ideal for owners who have a pre-determined vacation schedule, as with families who need to abide by their children’s school schedules. Floating weeks are a good choice for people who have more flexibility with their vacation plans. A best case scenario in terms of usage and space banking, however, is a fixed use option during a popular week at a highly rated resort in a desirable location.

Timeshare IQ: What’s your preference, fixed or floating?

All About Season
Just as with many hotels, the cost of a timeshare week at a resort fluctuates with the season. The more popular the season, the higher the cost. A high demand week at one resort (the second week in January at Vail, for example) can be a low demand week at another resort (the same week in Atlantic City). Some destination resorts, such as those in Las Vegas or Hawaii may be in high demand year-round.

Season is an important consideration when purchasing a timeshare in regards to your own personal schedule and to your trading power. The higher the season owned, the more trading power you will enjoy when space banking a week with either RCI or II.

RCI and II use color-coded designations in their exchange catalogs to indicate High-, Mid-, and Low-Season. While RCI and II both use Red to indicate High-Season weeks, RCI uses White for Mid-Season weeks (II uses Yellow), and Blue for Low-Season weeks (II used Green for Low-Season).

Timeshare IQ: What time of year you will want to use your timeshare (winter/spring/summer/fall)?

Next week, in Part Five, you’ll learn the five factors that determine a timeshare’s trading power to give you premium exchange opportunities worldwide.

–Gillian Armstrong

Destination Vancouver: Gearing Up for Olympics 2010

Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, Canada, has so much to offer. It’s not only a wonderfully cosmopolitan city, with an amazing array of restaurants, nightclubs and hip hotels, but its location in the southwest corner of the province, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains, gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy all sorts of outdoor pursuits–from mountain biking and hiking to kayaking and boat tours. With shopping and spas, fine dining and sidewalk cafes, golf courses and pretty city parks, Vancouver is an inviting spot to visit, whether you’re traveling with just the guys, on a girls’ getaway, or have the whole family in tow.

Soon, Vancouver will be thrust into the world spotlight as the host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In less than two years, thousands of athletes, fans, supporters and media will descend upon Vancouver and its neighbor, the mountain resort town of Whistler, to take part in what promises to be a fabulous event, February 12 to 28, 2010.

Here’s a sneak peek at some interesting facts about this Olympic city, and ways that Vancouver will stand out among previous hosts of the Games, from the folks at Tourism Vancouver:

*With a population of over 560,000 and a metropolitan area of 2.1 million, Vancouver is one of the largest cities ever to host the Winter Olympic Games.

*Vancouver was recently ranked one of the top restaurant cities in the world by Food & Wine magazine, which should also make it the tastiest Games ever.

*Vancouver has one of Canada’s mildest climates and the warmest average temperatures of any Winter Olympic host. Winters are wet, but it rarely snows, except, of course, on the ski hills. In February, Vancouver has an average temperature of 42.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

*The Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be held at BC Place Stadium in downtown Vancouver. This marks the first time in Olympic Games history that these ceremonies will be held in a closed-roof stadium and the first time that the Olympic flame will be lit indoors. Besides offering protection from the elements, an indoor stadium expands the possibilities for lighting, projection, sound and special effects technology.

*The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games mark the first time in history that Indigenous peoples have been recognized as official partners in hosting the Olympic Games. The Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, known collectively as the Four Host First Nations (FHFN), will join the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees as hosts of the 2010 Winter Games.

*Vancouver, the birthplace of Greenpeace, has long been a leader in environmentalism. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games continue that tradition, setting a gold standard for environmental sustainability. The 2010 Winter Games will, for example, be the first Olympic Games to use a rigorous set of criteria called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in any new venues built by the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee (VANOC). LEED buildings are designed to minimize waste, emissions, toxic materials, energy consumption and water use. In addition, Vancouver, together with VANOC, Whistler and several surrounding communities, has adopted a zero waste policy — aiming to minimize and divert as much waste as possible from landfills before, during and after the Games.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Timesharing, But Were Afraid to Attend a Sales Presentation to Ask

Part Three: Applying Your Timeshare IQ

In Part Two, you determined your Timeshare IQ to learn what is most important to you in a timeshare with regard to unit type, location, on-site amenities and nearby activities, plus the season of usage. You also took a reality check for budget considerations, did some soul searching to recall your most favorite vacation, and looked at upcoming events in your personal life that may have an effect of your timeshare purchase.

Congratulations! You are now more prepared to make an informed timeshare decision than the majority of people who buy timeshares. And we have lots more information to share!

We’re now going to delve deeper into the physical attributes of the resort with a fact sheet that will make you a smart shopper.

Thanks to an RCI survey of its 3,500 affiliated resorts, you have the facts at hand to determine just how well any given resort stacks up to the norm.

* Over 85% offer one-bedroom units
* Over 70% offer two-bedroom units
* Over 85% have either partial- or full-kitchen units
* Over 25% offer in-unit washers and dryers
* Over 25% feature fireplaces in some or all of their units
* Over 85% have on-site swimming pools
* Over 45% have a whirlpool or hot tub on site
* Over 40% have a sauna on site

Unit Type
Unit type is determined by the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the size of the kitchen, and whether or not the unit is a lock-off.

Occupancy
The number of bedrooms and bathrooms determines the occupancy allowance. All resorts affiliated with either RCI or II divide occupancy into two categories:

Private Occupancy refers to the number of people the unit will accommodate, allowing for two adults per sleeping area with private access to a bathroom.

Maximum Occupancy refers to the total number of people the unit will accommodate allowing for two adults per sleeping area without regard to privacy considerations.

Listed below are standard resort occupancy allowances based on unit size. This is only a guideline, as numbers can vary.

Studio: Privacy 2 Maximum 2
1 Bedroom: Privacy 2 Maximum 4
2 Bedroom: Privacy 4 Maximum 6
3 Bedroom: Privacy 6 Maximum 8

A Note About Lock-offs
Most lock-off units (available on 2-and 3-bedroom units) consist of one larger unit and one smaller unit separated by a locking door. This allows you to use both units at the same time, use each at different times, or use one and space bank the other. A lock-off will increase your maintenance fees, but increase your usage options. If your lock-off happens to be at a popular resort, it may also increase your trading power.

Based on your Timeshare IQ, your:

Privacy occupancy is ______
Maximum occupancy is _______

Resort Location
In real estate, the mantra is location, location, location. In timesharing, too, location is the most significant factor with regard to trading power. The more likely you are to bank your weeks in order to visit other resorts, the more important your home resort location becomes.  In fact, it’s possible to purchase at a beautiful, amenity-filled resort located in an unpopular area and enjoy less trading power than if you had purchased at an aging, seen-better-days resort in a high-demand location. On the other hand, maybe you want to vacation at that nice little resort in Podunckville every year.

Your Preferred Destinations:

Drive to: _____________
Fly to:   _____________

Resort Amenities and Nearby Activities
Many resorts offer outstanding amenities for exceptional vacation value. Of course, the more thrills and frills a resort offers, the higher the maintenance fee could be, which may not be very thrilling.

With regard to upping your trading power, while amenities won’t necessarily create demand, they can add to the popularity of a resort that is already in demand for other reasons. Also keep in mind that smaller resorts offering few on-site amenities are sometimes located only a short distance from popular attractions and activities, and this can greatly increase their trading power.

Which On-Site amenities are most important to you?

The most important “nearby” activities are?

Next week, Part Four is where we’ll discuss important usage considerations affecting the price of your timeshare.

– Gillian Armstrong

February 2009 Q & A

Q: Greetings. I was wondering whether I should purchase a deeded timeshare or a non-deeded timeshare. I went to a presentation that was selling deeded timeshares and they said that’s the way to go. What are the differences between the two kinds and which you recommend? Thank you. –Greg in Charlotte

Greg, great question. While I hesitate to make blanket endorsements prior to knowing my clients’ individual needs and wants, I would say that deeded is the way to go for most people out there. Deeded timeshare is more often than not, deeded in perpetuity, meaning you own it forever and have a full “bundle of rights” with that timeshare. What that means is that you can sell it, rent it and will it, in much the same way you can with any deeded property. Of course the downside to the deeded type is the same thing–the forever part as it pertains to annual fees. In general though, I prefer deeded, as a non-deeded timeshare is nothing more than a long-term rental. Happy travels!

Q: We have friends who own at an “all inclusive” timeshare in Mexico and say they love it, but I’ve read that all inclusive is not always the ideal choice. Your thoughts? –M. in Oregon

M, all-inclusive timeshares can be great for some people. It really all depends on what you and your family want in a vacation and the costs involved. If you are going to use your all-inclusive timeshare most of the time, as opposed to exchanging or trading, it may be worth the extra money. However, the costs of an all-inclusive timeshare can be prohibitive and they often increase far more dramatically than the costs of other, non-all-inclusive properties. Check to see what the history of the all-inclusive fees has been over the past 5 years and then track your expenses over the same period to see if the property would make sense for you financially. Have terrific vacations!

Q: We’ve been looking into buying a timeshare, but need to “test drive” a few first to see how we like it. What’s the best and cheapest way to try out a timeshare without having to buy one first? –Sherri in Texas

Sherri, I would venture to say that you would enjoy staying in timeshares as opposed to hotels. The biggest thing to test drive is how easy it would be to actually use the timeshare, not stay there. That presents a problem because until you own a timeshare, you can’t know how easy or difficult it would be to use. By use, I mean make reservations, search for exchanges, make exchanges, etc.

Many resorts offer what are called “trial programs,” after you say no to the salesperson and sales managers at presentations. However, the cost of most of those programs is almost equal to what you can pick up a great timeshare for through Holiday. Drop me an e-mail and I’ll be happy to offer you a 50% discount on MODULE 2, which is designed to find the best type of timeshare for you. Armed with that information, you can then call Holiday and get a great deal. Looking forward to assisting!

Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader is the author of Surviving A Timeshare Presentation, and Timeshare Vacations For Dummies, and blogs for Holiday Group.

Do you have a timeshare-related question for Lisa, “The Timeshare Crusader”? Click here to send your question.