Lowest maintenance= Best value

More than any other factor the value (cost-per-night) is determine by the annual maintenance. This is where the resorts are making all their money. The problem is that even if you buy a resale, the seller does not control the annual fees. So you assume this annual big liability, probably the main reason the seller wants to sell! The avarge annual manitenance for a 2 bedrooms suite at a Gold Crown or 5 stars resort in U.S. or Mexico is $800-$2000. That means a cost-per-night $114-$285. That's not such a great deal, is it? What's the solution? I buy timeshare resale in Africa with annual fees of only $350! That means that my cost-per-night is only $50 and I enjoy the same Gold Crown resorts that others are paying 5 times more. That's what happiness is.

Resorts are not "making money" on maintenance fees; that's just nonsense. Owner maintenance fees pay for property taxes, utilities, insurance, facility upkeep, facility staff, infrastructure upgrades --- with a little bit left over for "reserves" (in a well run facility, anyhow). NO ONE is actually "making money" on those fees. If you haven't noticed, the cost of everything goes up, whether it's goods, taxes, or insurance. I can't say that I know (or care) whether that's equally true in AFRICA...

With due respect, it's ludicrous to compare African timeshares and /or their maintenance and /or their fees to U.S. timeshares and/ or their maintenance and/or fees. That's comparing apples with oranges. As far as "trading" goes, exchanging is just a crap shoot these days anyhow, no matter what your "trader" might be.

Oooops. I forgot to mention the price. I bought 5 weeks at less than $10k each, with $350 annual fees. The price at local resorts with same "trading power" is $50k-$70k. Although you can buy resale for much less, I believe I saved at least $50k upfront, and locked in my future costs at $350 per week (less than the cost of one night for 6 people in a 5 star hotel). So you can enjoy 7 nights for the cost of one, every year for life! And I did'nt have to go to Africa to do it. I have done it from my office in California.

It's not as ludricus as it may sound. After all its not WHERE you own, but the vacations you get!

Who really wants to vacation every year and for the rest of his life the same place? Let's say you want to enjoy vacation only once a year for the next 30 years (or 30 vacations). How many times will you vacation in the same place? two? four? You will probably vacation more than 26 times at other resorts...

Therefore, does'nt it make more sense to consider what you pay and what(vacations) you get, rather than where your home resort is?

Trading timeshares is not as "crap shoot" as it might look. The "trading value" is decided by the supply and demand of your home resort- which is created by the local population. I have traded my South African timeshares to The Hilton Grand Vacation Club in Hawaii, Sheraton Vistana in Orlando, Florida, The Grandview in Las Vegas, The Grand Mayan, Mexico, The Palace resorts, Pueblo Bonito, and other resorts in Israel, Greece, Austria, Costa Rica & Canada. If it worked for me it can work for anybody who wants the best value for timeshare VACATIONS.

Having been a timeshare owner of multiple weeks for over 25 years now, I think I'm reasonably well familiar with the concepts and details of ownership, usage, maintenance fees, exchanging, trading power, etc.

While I admire your unbridled enthusiasm for the value of your South African timeshare for exchanging, I'd love to see and hear how you fare in the future (...the past is now all in the past). The "exchange game" is currently experiencing radical changes as former "exchange" companies (most notably RCI) now increasingly just rent out prime deposits directly to the general public. RCI has even acquired two separate companies (SnapTravel, Leisure Link) for the sole purpose of RENTALS, both acquisitions having been completed during the past 14 months. In published press releases, RCI has even recently described itself as a "RENTAL and exchange company" (note RENTAL being listed first, when EXCHANGE was once their ONLY business).

In short (and I am assuming that you are not just subtly "peddling" purchases of SA timeshares), I believe that you're going to discover in the future that both the "trading value" of South African timeshare(s) and the available inventory from which to acquire quality "exchanges" (particularly from RCI) is now an entirely, completely different picture from that of "yesteryear". South African timeshare owners are already openly grousing and complaining about their own experiences encountering this fact of "exchanging changing" on other timeshare sites.

In the words of an old Chad & Jeremy song refrain: "But that was yesterday....and yesterday's GONE." Nonetheless, I wish you health, happiness and success in acquiring and enjoying future vacations.

lazarescu wrote:

Oooops. I forgot to mention the price. I bought 5 weeks at less than $10k each, with $350 annual fees. The price at local resorts with same "trading power" is $50k-$70k. Although you can buy resale for much less, I believe I saved at least $50k upfront, and locked in my future costs at $350 per week (less than the cost of one night for 6 people in a 5 star hotel). So you can enjoy 7 nights for the cost of one, every year for life! And I did'nt have to go to Africa to do it. I have done it from my office in California.

I would say in this economy that a good buy would be closer to less than $100, not $10,000 with all the nice weeks on Ebay for $1?

And yes, in your first post you failed to mention the initial cost you paid into the equation per night. Plus you have to count exchange company yearly dues and exchange fees everytime you make an exchange and you forgot special assessments .... you were merely going by yearly maintenance fees.

Many people make the same mistake you made by not counting the initial cost, but merely the maintenance fees. I have to chuckle when I see such.

No one can predict the future. But, I rather pay $350 maintenance instead off $800-$2000 every year to get the same vacations.

In the same way that a smart shopper will not buy a house just bacause it has zero down, ignoring the annual payments, a smart shopper will not accept even a FREE timeshare, if it comes with a very high annual costs. This is a liabilty for life.

If one wants to vacation at different places, the "trading power" is the key. Sure, one can buy for less, but long term it will be much more. Most cheap timeshares will not get you where you want to go. When I vacation at the Hilton, where I know that people paid $60k upfront and $1600 every year and I paid $10k and $350, I'm twice as happy.

lazarescu wrote:

Sure, one can buy for less, but long term it will be much more. Most cheap timeshares will not get you where you want to go. When I vacation at the Hilton, where I know that people paid $60k upfront and $1600 every year and I paid $10k and $350, I'm twice as happy.

So you're saying that Hilton maintenance fees are $350 or less?

Exactly what do you own at $350 maintenance fees with superb trading power. I didn't think there was any such animal.

jayjay asked in part: >> So you're saying that Hilton maintenance fees are $350 or less?<< ============================================

I think that the OP is actually stating that (in the dearly departed exchange world of yesteryear), he was able to stay in a Hilton facility by having used his South African timeshare (with its $350 maintenance fee) as his "deposit currency for exchange".

As I've stated in some detail already, it's my own (and many others') belief that this (...and future) years' accounts of exchanging success will be very, very different indeed. The exchanging success stories of yesteryear are really no longer applicable or relevant in the new reality of today. The game has just changed so much that yesterdays' news is just exactly that --- interesting success stories from yesteryear.

Since the writer feels that maintenance price is a good value, he would love my two units

ken1193 wrote:

jayjay asked in part: >> So you're saying that Hilton maintenance fees are $350 or less?<< ============================================

I think that the OP is actually stating that (in the dearly departed exchange world of yesteryear), he was able to stay in a Hilton facility by having used his South African timeshare (with its $350 maintenance fee) as his "deposit currency for exchange".

As I've stated in some detail already, it's my own (and many others') belief that this (...and future) years' accounts of exchanging success will be very, very different indeed. The exchanging success stories of yesteryear are really no longer applicable or relevant in the new reality of today. The game has just changed so much that yesterdays' news is just exactly that --- interesting success stories from yesteryear.

Also, from what I gather on Tug, South African timeshares do not have the trade power they used to have, period .... I don't know firsthand, I never got caught up in the S. African timeshare frenzy of a few years back.

Hi! I see that both of us have "jay" in our ID's?

I have a pair of 2br HIGH season units with fees of $350 at Hillcrest Lake Villas in Abita Springs, LA. With my permanent back disablity, I need to sell these two units, and probably my 2br RED High Season week 26 over Canada Day at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort.

Are you aware of any buyers? Other than TUG II, would RedWeek and Craigs List be thebest places to place ads? I understand that eBay is no longer a very viable medium to sell timeshares?

jaya32 states / asks in part: >>Other than TUG II, would RedWeek and Craigs List be the best places to place ads? I understand that eBay is no longer a very viable medium to sell timeshares?<< =============================================

The above inqiry / semi-ad should have been posted as a new thread of its own instead of being inserted into the topic already under discussion, but I'll respond anyhow:

I don't know why you conclude that "eBay is no longer a viable medium to sell timeshares". However, it is certainly true that there are nearly 2,000 timeshares listed there right now (an all time high). Many are avaialable for a dollar (and many of those still won't get sold, even for a dollar). If your weeks have value (and I don't know your resorts or the value, if any, of your weeks) then eBay will certainly provide lots of exposure. However, you will be joining nearly 2,000 other listings.

Consider listing on Bidshares (free), RedWeek and MyResortNetwork (although the latter two sites involve advertising fees). If your weeks have any value and your pricing is both realistic and competitive, it is my opinion that those three really are the best advertising sites for timeshare sales. Craigslist is free --- but it is also so massive and broad in scope (and its' organization and search features so obtuse and jumbled) that it's easy for timeshare ads to just become completely buried and therefore virtually invisible there (in my personal opinion). In any case, Good luck.

jaya32 wrote:

Are you aware of any buyers? Other than TUG II, would RedWeek and Craigs List be thebest places to place ads? I understand that eBay is no longer a very viable medium to sell timeshares?

I don't know why you say Ebay is not a viable medium for selling timeshares. If I was looking for a reasonably priced timeshare, Ebay is the first place I would look as you can get some really good deals there.

True, many of those weeks listed on Ebay are from postcard companies, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a week from Ebay if I was looking for a certain week and the price was reasonable (many $1).

That doesn't mean I necessarily condone the way postcard companies do business, but many people would do anything to rid themselves of yearly rising maintenance fees including paying a postcard 3K plus to take it off their hands. You have to remember, once you buy a timeshare it's yours for life and all the fees associated with it.

If you just want to get rid of your week then list it on Ebay for $1 including you paying the closing costs. You'll come out better in the long run.

I agree with the basic concept here. Low maintenance fees coupled with high trading value can result in good value. Whether trading becomes harder and harder in the future, who really knows, but for my purposes, doesn't really matter right now. I own in Florida w/ low maintenance fees and good (not great) trading power. I'm not in a position to fly down every year but often enjoy somewhere w/i driving distance in NE US...NH, ME, Cape Cod etc. All cheaper than renting hotel. In short, I picked up up TS for a song so up to this point, it has worked out well. One random thought....those who threaten to default on their maintenance fees here are often warned about the hit to their credit record. Defaulting on a property in South Africa.....I know in this electronic age it's a smaller world, but do they have the ability to register a big hit to credit rating from that distance?

daves250 wrote:

One random thought....those who threaten to default on their maintenance fees here are often warned about the hit to their credit record. Defaulting on a property in South Africa.....I know in this electronic age it's a smaller world, but do they have the ability to register a big hit to credit rating from that distance?

Exactly, or for anyone owning a timeshare anywhere in the world that decides to default ..... we're part of a global economy and instant communication.

daves250 wrote:

I own in Florida w/ low maintenance fees and good (not great) trading power. I'm not in a position to fly down every year but often enjoy somewhere w/i driving distance in NE US...NH, ME, Cape Cod etc. All cheaper than renting hotel. In short, I picked up up TS for a song so up to this point, it has worked out well.

I agree as long as you're not particular about what you trade into ..... your system works for you. That's the way it should be. But don't expect to buy at a mediocre resort with low mainteance fees and be able to trade into a Marriott, Hyatt, 4 Seasons, Hilton and other high end timeshares in red seasons.

I'm the "other" Jay ID...What I see on eBay are lots of weeks for sale with an opening bid of $1, but no bidders at all. Just getting the basic listing on eBay costs around $40 for the limited time on the listing...plus, then a fee for the sale on top of that.

Are there any tips from those who have sold TS this year on eBay? Two years ago, I was able to rent out my one week on eBay, and swap a week with someone on TUG II, but it appears the buyers who want to continue to have that obligation for annual fees are not there any more?

jaya32 states / asks in part: >>Are there any tips from those who have sold TS this year on eBay? Two years ago, I was able to rent out my one week on eBay, and swap a week with someone on TUG II, but it appears the buyers who want to continue to have that obligation for annual fees are not there any more?<<

1. It's a very different overall economic picture today than it was even just two years ago. Ours is now an economy officially in recession, perhaps even bordering dangerously close to being a depression. Some of the largest corporations in the country (e.g., General Motors) are now involved in daily conversations which increasingly and routinely include the word "bankruptcy". It's a different world today and people struggling with daily living expenses don't exactly have vacation travel or purchases foremost in their thoughts. Timeshare ownership and/or vacation travel is a luxury --- certainly not a necessity. Active renters on TUG consistently report their timeshare rentals being way down for this year (...and into next).

2. "Prime" timeshares are very rarely found on eBay, at least in my opinion. eBay has almost become the unofficial "dumping ground" for off-season weeks, obscure locations, ancient facilities, etc. As this is written, there are between 1,900--2,000 timeshares listed on eBay. Many won't sell, even for a dollar.

3. Craigslist is free to use. If all you're looking to do is "bail out" of ownership, you can advertise there without spending a dime. Where to advertise should be, in large measure, determined by the realistic market value of the individual product. You should also consider in advance who will pay closing costs and any applicable transfer fee --- donor or recipient? Either way, "free" isn't really "free". Good luck.

jayjay wrote:

lazarescu wrote:

Sure, one can buy for less, but long term it will be much more. Most cheap timeshares will not get you where you want to go. When I vacation at the Hilton, where I know that people paid $60k upfront and $1600 every year and I paid $10k and $350, I'm twice as happy.

So you're saying that Hilton maintenance fees are $350 or less?

Exactly what do you own at $350 maintenance fees with superb trading power. I didn't think there was any such animal.