Comments on: Timeshare Buyer or Victim? http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/ Join me on my journey to achieve financial independence through dividends, passive income and investments Sat, 15 May 2010 01:48:25 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/comment-page-1/#comment-458 Anonymous Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:31:00 +0000 http://www.livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/#comment-458 Timeshares are the worst of the worst. You can say there's no investment value, and that's absolutely true, but there's also no enjoyment for 90% of TS owners, either. It's never what the sellers say they are, facilities and locations are awful, maintenance doesn't happen despite all those maintenance fees, and you're still paying local taxes for something you can't even use much of the time because your week is unavailable. I know all this because I once sold timeshares -- I know, it's horrible, and I'm saying all this right now to try to absolve myself. A lot of timeshare owners get so sick of it that they try to sell it and can't, they have to pay TimeShare Relief to take it off their hands, which is better even than donating it because if you donate one you're still responsible for all the fees.<br /><br />So I hope that was a joke about starting up a TS in Nicaragua. You could probably do it and rake in the cash, but you probably won't be able to sleep at night, either. Timeshares are the worst of the worst. You can say there’s no investment value, and that’s absolutely true, but there’s also no enjoyment for 90% of TS owners, either. It’s never what the sellers say they are, facilities and locations are awful, maintenance doesn’t happen despite all those maintenance fees, and you’re still paying local taxes for something you can’t even use much of the time because your week is unavailable. I know all this because I once sold timeshares — I know, it’s horrible, and I’m saying all this right now to try to absolve myself. A lot of timeshare owners get so sick of it that they try to sell it and can’t, they have to pay TimeShare Relief to take it off their hands, which is better even than donating it because if you donate one you’re still responsible for all the fees.

So I hope that was a joke about starting up a TS in Nicaragua. You could probably do it and rake in the cash, but you probably won’t be able to sleep at night, either.

]]> By: Lazy Man and Money http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Lazy Man and Money Sat, 25 Nov 2006 02:20:00 +0000 http://www.livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/#comment-435 I still contend it's not always a bad deal. If you are justifying it as an "investment" as Jose says, then yes it's bad. However, I buy food and clothing and they are not investments either. When I go on vacation, it's not about the investment.<br /><br />However, if it saves money that would have been spent elsewhere (and that's debatable) that's valuable to consumers. Since it's a deedable property, it has the POTENTIAL for appreciation as well. If you were to go spend money on a hotel room, it doesn't have that potential.<br /><br />That said if you are looking for a timeshare, look into the resale market. I think you can usually get something at 60-80% of the price of the chains' price. Another idea is look at RedWeek.com where you can pick up other people's timeshares on the cheap. I still contend it’s not always a bad deal. If you are justifying it as an “investment” as Jose says, then yes it’s bad. However, I buy food and clothing and they are not investments either. When I go on vacation, it’s not about the investment.

However, if it saves money that would have been spent elsewhere (and that’s debatable) that’s valuable to consumers. Since it’s a deedable property, it has the POTENTIAL for appreciation as well. If you were to go spend money on a hotel room, it doesn’t have that potential.

That said if you are looking for a timeshare, look into the resale market. I think you can usually get something at 60-80% of the price of the chains’ price. Another idea is look at RedWeek.com where you can pick up other people’s timeshares on the cheap.

]]> By: Jose http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Jose Fri, 24 Nov 2006 11:22:00 +0000 http://www.livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/#comment-433 funny post. I have had a few friends who make these mistakes. <br /><br />People should learn that investment is something you expect to get money from. Anything else is just an expenditure.<br /><br />(Nothing against expenditures, just we have to label and understand them correctly). funny post. I have had a few friends who make these mistakes.

People should learn that investment is something you expect to get money from. Anything else is just an expenditure.

(Nothing against expenditures, just we have to label and understand them correctly).

]]> By: moneyliving http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/comment-page-1/#comment-423 moneyliving Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:22:00 +0000 http://www.livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/#comment-423 I absolutely hate timeshares, they are the worst investment. I absolutely hate timeshares, they are the worst investment.

]]> By: mOOm http://livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/comment-page-1/#comment-418 mOOm Sat, 11 Nov 2006 18:48:00 +0000 http://www.livingoffdividends.com/2006/11/10/timeshare-buyer-or-victim/#comment-418 So who maintains the property, deals with Nicaraguan bureaucracy etc? We have a PhD student here who wants to do research on the trend for expatriates to invest in Nicaraguan property. Her husband is Nicaraguan and she spent much of the last two years there. I think she doesn't approve of the trend though :) So who maintains the property, deals with Nicaraguan bureaucracy etc? We have a PhD student here who wants to do research on the trend for expatriates to invest in Nicaraguan property. Her husband is Nicaraguan and she spent much of the last two years there. I think she doesn’t approve of the trend though :)

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