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Re: We are thinking about a Timeshare Purchase, whats your honest opinion???

[Q=robertr558] Timeshares are no longer a good deal. It is the only product that is worth practically nothing the instant you buy it. Only purchase if you have money to burn. You can usually rent for less and not be stuck with ever increasing maintenance fees.[/Q] I respectfully disagree, at least in part. It is certainly true that any and every [b]developer-direct[/b] timeshare purchase is obscenely overpriced and that some (Westgate comes immediately to mind) are literally worthless in the resale market the moment after being purchased from the developer. On the other hand, quality weeks in high demand areas and seasons (particularly at independent resorts that have no "chain" affiliation) can be found at low cost in the secondary market, with patient searching. This is exactly what we choose to own and we would never be able to find such prime weeks offered for rent in those high demand areas for anything less than 150% (or as much as 250%) of what we pay for maintenance fees. Moreover, we could easily sell those high demand weeks at any time for at least what we paid for them --- probably a bit more. Off season "dog weeks" at a dumpy little place in East Timbuktu would of course be a different matter entirely. In short, there are far too many variables for any "one size fits all" statement or conclusion about timeshares to be universally true and accurate for [b]all[/b] timeshare situations.