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Re: Exchanging rights when buying a resale (by Lance C.):

Also, buying for the sake of exchanging is rarely a good idea. If you want to go to different places each year, then I would recommend just renting from existing owners. That way, you do not have to pay exchange fees (anywhere from $100-$250 depending on the exchange company). The "big two" in the exchange field (RCI & II) also charge an annual membership fee.

Then figure in the other travel-related expenses. You say you have three small children. For one thing, you are probably restricted to school schedules for travel. Secondly, would you want to buy a place that is within a day's driving distance from home? With a family of five, airfare is going to be costly.

If you do decide to buy something, remember that there are cheap resales all over the place. Some owners are listing their units for free and even offering to pay the following year's maintenance fees. The flip side, of course, is that it will be equally difficult to give away once you have had enough of it or if you find that the maintenance fees are getting out of hand.

Anyway, do lots of research and soul-searching about your travel needs now and 5, 10 years down the road before jumping at any timeshare deal.