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

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