of Issue #130 - TimeSharing Today

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$4.50
Issue #130
Jul/Aug,2013
POWER STRUGGLE
Magens Point Resort vs. WAPA
At Magens Point Resort on St.
Thomas, USVI, grief arrives monthly in
an envelope from the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA).
Electricity rates on St. Thomas are
soaring as WAPA passes through to its
customers the escalating cost of fuel,
which comprises 76 percent of the utility’s budget. Today a kilowatt hour on
St. Thomas costs 56 cents, more than six
times what a typical residential customer
in south Florida would pay. By the end of
2013, the price of a WAPA kilowatt hour
could rise to 70 cents, reports Michael
Shelby, Magens Point’s president.
WAPA is “the largest threat to our
wellbeing,” Shelby wrote to owners in a
February 2013 newsletter. “We ran into
a perfect storm consisting of the reces-
sion, a high member fee delinquency
rate, the tightening of the financial markets, the unwillingness of local banks to
make short term business loans, rapidly
increasing operating and utility costs,
frivolous lawsuits, and the exhaustion of
developer cash reserves.”
The resort declared bankruptcy on
September 27, 2012, primarily to delay
payment of its utility debt while Shelby
explores “going green” with technology
that will substantially reduce its dependence on WAPA.
Solar and Wind
“In looking for ways to cut down
expenses,” Shelby wrote, “we had hoped
to reduce power cost 20 percent by installing more efficient pumps, energy ef-
ficient a/c units, compact fluorescent and
LED [light emitting diode] lights, solar
water heaters and the like—only to have
WAPA increase the power bill 20 percent
by the time that we finished.”
Now he is considering installation
of photovoltaic solar panels on all of the
resort’s roofs and in other suitable locations to provide an alternative source of
electricity. Three companies have submitted proposals, all within a 12 percent
range. One company offers a lease-purchase arrangement with $100,000 down
and another $700,000 over nine years,
after which the resort will own the system. It has a 25-year life expectancy and
will provide about 220 kilowatts of electric power.
(Continued on page 7)
TimeSharing Today
Page 2
Jul/Aug, 2013
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Page 3
Jul/Aug, 2013
I Love My Timeshares and Exchange Opportunities
By Fran Korwek, CPA
(Fran Korwek is an avid reader of TimeSharing Today, a long time member of the National
Timeshare Owners Association and member/speaker of the Timeshare Board Members Association.)
Most of the news lately seems to be about timeshare owners unhappy with resale values,
trade opportunities, discourteous staff, and everything else including the weather. I am an exception. I am very happy with my timeshares and I love my timeshare vacations.
I own 10 timeshare weeks in seven resorts and I spend eight weeks a year vacationing in
timeshares. What’s not to like. Even a modest one-bedroom unit provides a much better experience than a hotel room. Instead of keeping your spouse awake, you can leave the bedroom and
watch TV in the living room. Instead of spending $25 to $30 each morning for breakfast, you
buy a box of Cheerios and some milk or perhaps a dozen eggs.
So what if the check-in person is less than courteous. You have seven days to enjoy your
vacation. The check-in clerk won’t change the weather. Yes, there is a difference between the
Emerald Coast of Florida check-in process and the extraordinary check-in provided at a Disney
resort, but the clerk on the Emerald Coast won’t keep the sun from shining and the clerk at Disney won’t make the parks more special for your children.
I have booked over 60 exchange vacations, 40 plus for me and the rest for relatives and
friends. I have exchanged into Disney resorts seven times, Marriott resorts numerous times, and
several other name-brand resorts. I have exchanged through RCI, Interval International, Platinum Interchange, and Dial an Exchange.
Keys to Successful Exchanges
I understand that you can’t call or go to the Web sites and get exactly what you want right
away, but you can do an ongoing search with any of the exchange companies and generally find
what you want. What are the keys to successful exchanges?
1. Be realistic.
Exchanging for a summer week in a one-season destination such as Ocean City, MD; Virginia Beach, VA; or Brigantine, NJ, is very difficult. So is exchanging into Orlando for Christmas or New Years, because a deposit is needed for an exchange. Very few owners who pay the
premium to obtain these weeks will exchange them.
For example, I own weeks 31 and 32 in a three-bedroom oceanfront unit in Ocean City. Annual fees are about $825, while the units can be rented for $2,100 per week. The current market
value of these weeks is about $15,000. If you move to week 36, the rental value drops to about
$1,000 and the market value drops to about $5,000.
2. Be flexible.
In Ocean City, for example, weeks 25 to 33 are extremely difficult to obtain, but once the
kids go back to school around week 34, availability opens up. The beach is still very good,
water temperatures are very swimmable, all of the attractions are still open, and the town is less
crowded. In Orlando, weeks 51 and 52 are difficult exchanges, but weeks 49 and 50 are easy.
The parks are decorated for the holidays, and the lines are much shorter.
3. Plan in advance.
I want to go to Aruba in January 2015 and I want to stay in a great beachfront unit. I have
already put in a request with both RCI and Interval International. I paid the extra $20 with both
companies and used a vacation counselor, because they can be worth it. They will tell you if
your plans are feasible. If not, then expand your criteria until your chances of an exchange are
good.
4. Take advantage of excess inventory programs.
If you have no deposits available for exchange, you can often find great vacation values at
great resorts through Extra Vacations at RCI, Bonus Weeks at Interval International and Dial an
Exchange, and Hot Weeks at Platinum Interchange.
One of my friends recently had a large influx of in-laws coming to visit. He obtained two
two-bedroom units at Massanutten Resort in Virginia to host the get-together, at a cost of less
than $600. I have traveled to Virginia Beach in late April on an Interval International Bonus
Week, and spent a late April week on the Strip in Las Vegas on a Platinum International two-forone exchange. Read your mail to see the opportunities offered.
Overall, my timeshare experience has been great. Perhaps if you look at the overall opportunities of timeshare vacations, you will see opportunities to enjoy your vacations more.
TimeSharing Today
Page 4
Jul/Aug, 2013
Letters to the Editor
Oooops !!!
I tried several times to use the email
address indicated at the end of the last paragraph in the article “Spotlight on Scams,
Anti-Fraud Guidance from California RealEstate Officials.” It does not work.
Marshall Gish
(Our apologies. Your problem was the
hyphen after FraudWarning, an artifact
of typesetting in the printed magazine that
wasn’t in my manuscript. Try it again without
the hyphen: http://www.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/
ca/2012/ConsumerAlert_Fraud
WarningTimeshareResaleFraud.pdf .)
More on Farmers’ Markets
The article on local farmers’ markets
(May/June, p. 33) is great article and the Web
site mentioned (http://search.ams.usda.gov/
farmersmarkets/Default.aspx) is well worth
visiting as it is new to me. We have visited
farmers’ markets on many of our timeshare
journeys and here at home. There is nothing
like fresh, and—in many areas—learning
about something new in vegetables or fruit
from different cultures.
We visited farmers markets in Vail, CO,
last year which had fresh fall local vegetables
and fruits, and lots of crafts and foods to
enjoy. Two years ago we were on the island
of Gran Canaria, where the local markets
include fish and meat as well as places to eat
and buy local crafts.
Depending on the locality and day of the
week when the farmers’ markets are open,
you will find them to be worth the trip to
enhance your cooking experience. We are
always on the lookout for locally grown and
made products.
I went to theWeb site and bookmarked
it for future use.
John Beyer, Long Beach CA
Are TSToday Advertisers Legit?
Are there any legitimate time share
resales companies at all? A few are advertised in TimeSharing Today magazine. Can
I assume they are legitimate?
Meta Seltzer
Reply: The majority of the licensed
timeshare resale brokers you see advertised
in TimeSharing Today have done so for many
years. You should research them to learn
about their services and fees. Look at their
display and classified ads. In addition you
can find other licensed brokers by contacting the Licensed Timeshare Resale Brokers
Association (www.ltrba.com).
Kudos
Have been receiving TimeSharing
Today sooooo long that I can’t remember!
Love the mag so won’t ever stop until/if I
never have timeshares.
Joyce Fay
More Kudos
We picked up an issue when we were
at the timeshare in West Virginia, Land of
Caanan. I only wish we had seen or known
about all your help sooner. We are a heartbroken elderly couple.
Elaine Bleiler
Writers Guidelines
FEATURED RESORT: San Diego Country Estates, page 16
We encourage readers to write for TimeSharing Today. Articles should be 750-1,500
words long. Letters to the Editor should be
no more than 500 words long. Use normal
punctuation – NO ALL CAPS. Send articles
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acceptable. No faxes, please. For TSToday
Anywhere, please send with the photo a caption stating who is in the picture, his/her/their
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or resort, location, title. Consumer readers
please provide your home town, and (if relevant) the timeshare resort(s) where you are
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We reserve the right to edit articles and letters submitted for publication. Email: staff@
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TimeSharing Today, 140 County Rd., Suite
114, Tenafly NJ 07670.
TimeSharing Today
Page 5
Around the Industry
Wyndham, Buffet
Launch St. Thomas
Timeshare
Wyndham Vacation Ownership
(WVO) and singer-entrepreneur Jimmy
Buffett plan to collaborate on a new Margaritaville Vacation Club by Wyndham,
beginning with a resort on St. Thomas,
U.S.V.I.
Located on the island’s northeast
side at Point Pleasant on Smith Bay, Margaritaville will occupy the long-shuttered
Renaissance Grand Beach Resort, a 25acre tract with 1,000 feet of beachfront.
Buffett and Fritz Hanning, WVO
president, said construction will begin in
July, 2013, and the first units will open
18 months later. Conversion of all 290
existing Renaissance hotel rooms into
262 condominium-style timeshare units
will take about three years and cost $51
million. After that inventory is sold,
additional timeshare units will be built
on the hillside above the existing resort.
The resort will sell points, which
owners can use at any Wyndham timeshare property.
connect with his fans, who call themselves parrot heads.
“We sell escapism,” he told Aldeth
Lewis, a Virgin Islands Daily News staff
writer. “They’ve been escaping through
our music for so long, this is a real place
on the beach, Margaritaville. It’s about
appealing to the people who’ve been fans
for so long.”
A Checkered History
The property which will become
Margaritaville has had a checkered past.
Empty since 2004, it was previously operated by various chains including Palace
Resorts, Renaissance, and Stouffers.
The St. Thomas Source reported that
Pineapple Palm Resorts LLC purchased
the property for $17.5 million in 2006
to make it a Crowne Plaza Resort, but
instead Wyndham bought it in 2007 for
$31 million—just in time for the recession to stymie development plans. In the
interim, Wyndham and Buffett formed
their partnership.
Jul/Aug, 2013
An Overwhelming
Response
In conjunction with our annual
overview of exchange companies (see
pages 40-41), we emailed a survey to
gauge the importance of exchange to
our readers.
We expected perhaps a few dozen
responses. We received close to 400—
about five percent of the 8,000 recipients. Political pollsters and consumer
marketers would kill for such a return.
In surveyland, a one- or two-percent
return is considered good.
Tabulating and analyzing all those
responses before the deadline for our
June/July 2013 issue wasn’t feasible.
Rather than delay the entire issue, we
opted to explain our problem, take
our time, and share the results in a
later issue.
Thanks for your understanding.
Shep Altshuler, publisher
George Leposky, editor
‘Ultimate Vacation Escape’
Buffett’s leisurely, laid-back Margaritaville concept originated in Key
West, where he opened a T-shirt shop in
the 1980s that evolved into a bar and restaurant. Now his Margaritaville Hospitality Group encompasses 16 restaurants in
the United States; hotels in Pensacola,
FL, and soon to open in Louisiana; casinos in Biloxi, MS, and Las Vegas, NV;
and six bars and restaurants on several
Caribbean islands.
The St. Thomas resort will be
family-oriented and won’t have a casino.
“There’s no lifestyle brand in the
world that better represents what happens on vacation than Jimmy Buffett’s
Margaritaville,” said Hanning. “We’re
excited to partner with Jimmy in creating
an experience like no other, in a place that
offers the perfect setting for the ultimate
vacation escape.”
Buffett said the brand is a way to
TimeSharing Today
Page 6
Jul/Aug, 2013
Avoid Heat-related
Health Problems
A summer vacation in hot
weather can lead to heat-related
health problems. To avoid them,
stay safe by adjusting your schedule and activity level, and give
yourself ample water, rest, and
shade.
Especially if you’re traveling
somewhere that is much warmer
than your home community, acclimate yourself slowly to your
resort’s summer temperatures. In
warmer weather, increase exposure
gradually and schedule activities
that require a lot of energy and exertion at cooler times of day. Plan
your active outdoor recreation in
the early morning, late afternoon,
and into the evening. During the
heat of the day, read a book, go to
a movie, enjoy other indoor activities, or take a siesta.
Drink about six fluid ounces of
water every 15 minutes—but not
more than 12 quarts of fluid (384
fluid ounces) in 24 hours. Drinking
too much fluid can deplete the
body’s sodium and electrolyte
levels, creating other serious health
issues.
Monitor Your Body
The first signs of a health-relat-
ed heat problem may be a heat rash
(also called prickly heat), consisting of red pimples or small blisters;
and/or heat cramps (muscle pains).
Both result from heavy perspiration and are warnings of worse to
come.
Other early warning signs include heat edema (swelling) in the
legs and hands, heat tetany (hyperventilation and heat stress), and
heat syncope (fainting).
The next stage is heat exhaustion. Its symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness,
irritability, confusion, thirst, and
heavy sweating.
If heat exhaustion isn’t treated quickly, it can turn into heat
stroke—the most serious heat-re-
lated health problem. It’s a failure
of the body’s temperature-regulating system. Symptoms may include confusion, seizures, and loss
of consciousness. Heat exhaustion
and heat stroke require prompt
medical attention.
While this litany of progressively escalating symptoms isn’t something you really want to think about
while on vacation, awareness sure
beats having to call an ambulance.
If nothing else, read (or review, if
you’ve seen it before) this helpful EverydayHealth.com article
on Heat-Related Illnesses Causes,
Symptoms and Treatment (http://
www.everydayhealth.com/healthcenter/heat-related-illnesses.aspx)
at the start of your vacation.
TimeSharing Today
(Continued from front page.)
“Combined with an aggressive program to replace high energy consuming
equipment such as air conditioners and
hot water heaters, energy costs can be cut
approximately in half,” Shelby wrote.
“Over the term of the lease, the estimated
utility savings are $1,840,535 at the current utility rate.”
Shelby also has explored wind power, but he is worried about the noise the
turning blades would make, and about
grid connection and net-metering issues.
“A Colorado company invested
$600,000 in two 90-kilowatt generators
on towers above a mall,” he recounts.
“The company managed to hook to the
grid, producing usable power, but WAPA
fought with it for four years over the
effect of the wind power on the grid.
Meanwhile, the generators sat so long
without working that they froze. They
have to turn to lubricate themselves.”
Paying the Bills
Once a solar-system vendor is selected, installation should take four to six
months. Meanwhile, all pre-bankruptcy
bills are on hold but current WAPA bills
and other operating expenses must be
paid. A court-appointed trustee will
oversee this process, assuming money
is available. If not, the resort could be
closed and its assets liquidated.
To carry Magens Point through this
period, Shelby levied a special assessment of $590 per membership week. By
mid-May, about 30 percent of the total
assessment had been paid. “We’re working on the other 70 percent, to see how
we can collect it, if we can collect it,”
he says.
He is also selling new memberships
“here and there” but hesitates to launch
a vigorous sales program. “There seems
to be a consensus that the slump in timeshares is going away,” he says, “but the
smaller you are, the less deep your pockets are, and a sales program can eat your
money big-time—especially if you’ve
misjudged the market.”
Right to Use
Magens Point Resort is a right-touse club on a 7.68-acre site overlooking
Magens Bay Beach on the north shore of
Page 7
St. Thomas. It has three components:
• Megans Interval Resort, Inc., owner of the 22-unit Magens Bay Villas Club
at Megans Point Resort;
• Tropic Leisure Corp., owner of the
30-unit Tropic Leisure Club at Magens
Point Resort;
• Magens Point, Inc., a hotel operating entity that manages the property’s
housekeeping, maintenance, and reservations.
Shelby is president and chief excutive officer of all three. The resort opened
in 1967 as a hotel, which Magens Point,
Inc., acquired in 1976. “I came aboard
in 1982, and helped to finance and build
the Magens Bay Villas complex,” Shelby
says. “Two units are original condos that
I didn’t purchase. I converted the rest
from hotel rooms into studio suites by
adding kitchenettes in 1993.” All units
have a private lanai, ceiling fans, air
conditioning, tiled floors, cable TV, telephones, and computer and Wi-Fi access.
About 1,700 of a possible 2,700
membership weeks are owned. “Some
people have multiple weeks and/or multiple units,” Shelby says. The initial memberships in the 1980s were 30-year contracts; the Tropic Leisure Club contract
was for 60 years or 60 weeks, whichever
occurs first. Members can “accelerate”
their usage on a space-available basis by
paying additional maintenance fees to
spend more weeks in one unit in a given
year, or to bring a group and simultaneously occupy multiple units.
A Scenic Location
Glance at a map of St. Thomas and
you’ll quickly appreciate Magens Point
Resort’s strategic location. The resort is
Jul/Aug, 2013
just a half-mile from a sugar-sand beach
that forms the landward margin of Magens Bay, which is sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by a long, craggy peninsula
jutting westward from the north shore of
the island.
Magens Point is the only resort adjacent to Mahogany Run Golf Course,
the island’s only golf links. “We’re 100
yards from the 11th fairway and a mile
from the clubhouse,” Shelby says.
Recreational facilities at the resort
include a large freshwater pool, two
lighted tennis courts, two hot tubs, the
Health and Wellness Therapeutic Spa,
and a video lottery gaming room that offers blackjack, poker, and keno.
Two Restaurants
The resort has two restaurants. Magens Point Bar and Grill, which operates
from 9 AM to 11 PM, has sublet part
of its space to Simply Italian (“the best
Italian restaurant on the island,” Shelby
says), which serves dinner from 5:30 PM
to 10:30 PM. Also present are a gift shop
and convenience store, a coffee shop,
and a deli.
The resort nestles on the north slope
of mountains that form the island’s
spine. A mere 10-minute drive across
those mountains stands the Virgin Islands’ capital, Charlotte Amalie, on the
south shore, This historic city, founded
in 1666, attracts visitors with duty-free
shopping and Danish colonial architecture. Fort Christian, built from 1672 to
1680 and now a museum, is the oldest
standing structure in the Virgin Islands.
Other landmarks include the oldest Lutheran church and second-oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.
Enter the Family Timesharing Vacation Contest
Have you enjoyed a wonderful timeshare vacation with family or
friends? Tell us about it by entering our Family Timesharing Vacation
Contest. Send us an article about the vacation, the resort, its location, the
destination, and what made it especially enjoyable. If you’re the winner,
you will receive $500 toward your next maintenance-fee bill. Your article
should be 1,000-1,500 words long. Email it as a Word.doc attachment to
[email protected]. Subject: Family timeshare vacation. TimeSharing
Today’s publisher and editor will select the winner. We must receive your
article no later than December 31, 2013. If you have high-resolution jpeg
photos, please email a maximum of three as attachments.
TimeSharing Today
Page 8
Jul/Aug, 2013
Divi Little Bay
Beach Resort Review
—Part 3
By Jeff Bellin
[Editor’s note: This is the third of a
three-part series describing the author’s
exchange visit to Divi Little Bay Beach
Resort. The first installment focused on
the resort’s surroundings, amenities, and
on-premises dining options. The second
installment dealt with a variety of service
issues the author encountered.]
St. Maarten/St. Martin is one Caribbean island shared by two nations. Half
is Dutch, the other half French. We had a
great vacation there, but the island is very
commercial and touristy.
Many people come to St. Maarten/
St. Martin for the duty-free shopping—
high-end jewelry, high-end name-brand
clothing, cameras or watches—but you
won’t find boutiques filled with local
artisans and crafts. Beyond the name
brands you see on Fifth Avenue in New
York City, you’ll find imports from Ecuador, Peru, and Africa that are typical of
street fairs during Hallowe’en in Salem,
Massachusetts, where I live. The shops
in Philipsburg, St. Maarten’s capital, sell
either big brand names or cheap imports.
Carnivale in Philipsburg
We went to the carnivale at Grande
Place in Philipsburg. Grande Place is
known for restaurants. This weekly Tuesday night street fair in winter and spring
also attracts street food and merchandise
vendors, and a Mardi Gras parade with
colorful costumes and a street band that
played for about five minutes.
The carnivale was very crowded and
spread over three or four blocks. We had
mediocre barbeque ribs. Aside from a
couple of artisans, the goods were typical
imports (which you also see in the lowend stores in Philipsburg).
A few individual musicians played
or sang along the closed-off portion of the
street, every one of them backed by synthesized tracks, performing things like a
Reggae-ized version of “Margaritaville.”
The street band was the only example of
multiple musicians playing spontaneous
music together.
Exploring the French Side
The next morning, we took a group
trip from the resort to Marigot, the
main town on the French side of the island. Marigot holds an open market on
Wednesday mornings. We found good
croissants at Sarafina’s, but otherwise
the market featured the exact same imported goods we saw at the street fair in
Grande Place, and the high-end shopping
in Marigot features the same shops and
brands you see in Philipsburg. In Marigot
the shops don’t take U.S. dollars, or exchange them at a disadvantaged rate, so
you’re better off shopping in Philipsburg
where the U.S. dollar predominates.
(Continued on page 10.)
TimeSharing Today
Page 9
Jul/Aug, 2013
TimeSharing Today
A highlight of Marigot is Fort Saint
Louis, built in 1767. It’s high up on a
hill, but easily worth the steps to the top,
where we found a cooling breeze and a
breathtaking view. The other highlight
was lunch at the Tropicana on the Marigot
Lagoon. We split duck confit and an unusual summer salad. Both were superb.
We also took a dinner/sunset cruise
to the Marigot lagoon, the same day we
went to the street fair in the morning. The
cruise left from nearby Simpson Bay, a
$12 taxi ride from the resort. The cruise
was so relaxing. We had dinner at Le Petit Auberge, another café by the lagoon.
Dining Dos and Don’ts
The bad part of eating on this island
is any prix fixe meal included in a cruise/
dinner package. A typical prix fixe is a
three-course meal with choices at one
price that looks attractive, but the restaurants don’t put their best foot forward.
I ordered filet mignon in a sauce that
resembled béarnaise. Since the other two
choices (mahi mahi was one) seemed ordinary, I decided to go with the filet. My
wife ordered the fish. My filet should
3 offers
Page 10
have been medium rare, but it was gray
and chewy. It had to have been way overcooked. I showed it to the waitress and
she brought another order, which also
looked gray but was more tender and
juicy. Still, I know what a medium-rare
beef filet mignon should look like—juicy
pink, with a bit of red in the center. This
turned out to be pork, something we in
the U.S. call pork tenderloin. In France,
it’s filet mignon of pork, but it wasn’t
listed that way. The lesson is to order off
the prix fixe menu.
Some restaurants elsewhere offer
prix fixe menus for quality control rather
than cost control, but that’s not the case
on St. Maarten/St. Martin, where restaurants offer simple, relatively inexpensive prix fixe meals, not examples of the
chef’s creativity.
On the recommendation of a Divi
owner, we went to Antoine’s in Philipsburg. He loves the steaks and the lobster
thermidore (lobster in a cream sauce,
a traditional French dish). The view of
Great Bay from the restaurant is terrific,
and it’s one of the oldest restaurants on
the island. It serves old-school French
cuisine, sauces and all.
Jul/Aug, 2013
We had been warned that it was expensive, but the prices were surprisingly
reasonable compared to similar haute
cuisine back home. Yes, steaks and lobster thermidore were in the upper $30s to
mid-$40s, but most of Antoine’s signature
dishes were in the low-to-mid-$20s. Antoine’s also has a prix fixe dinner option,
but the options—chicken, mahi mahi, and
pasta—won’t show off what the chef can
do.
FreesoTimeshare
My wife and I split everything
we
A+
could try as much as possible. We started
with a special appetizer of escargot (snails)
in a Chablis-mushroom sauce. We expected a light sauce because of the Chablis, but
it was dark, rich, and terrific. We then split
a bowl of vichyssoise, a cold potato-leek
soup. It was $10, not cheap, but THE best
vichyssoise I have ever had, with many
layers of flavor and a velvety feel on the
tongue. Then came a delicious Caesar salad, with the dressing made on the premises with fresh eggs and anchovies. Our
main course, roast duck in a cherry-brandy
sauce, was beautifully done. The duck was
quite juicy, and the sauce was lovely, not
too sweet, caramelized.
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TimeSharing Today
The only disappointment was a
Grand Marnier dessert soufflé. Made to
order (with 30 minutes advance notice)
it should have a popover-like outside and
a custard-like inside because of all the
eggs, but it seemed underdone. The inside was runny, and really hadn’t gelled.
In spite of that, Antoine’s and Tropicana
were by far the best meals we had on the
island dining out.
One great place to have lunch in
Philipsburg is Saveur’s of France on Old
Street, a combination French grocer and
bistro with THE best French bread we had
on the island. We split two sandwiches—
duck pate and mustard, and goat cheese
with tomatoes and herbs. We also shared
a fresh squeezed orange juice (though
wine and other drinks are served).
Great Caribbean cuisine was hard to
find. Next time, we’ll look outside of the
touristy areas.
Butterflies and Bathing
We rented a car one day to visit the
Butterfly Farm and Orient Beach. The
butterflies are all imported, but we enjoyed visiting the sanctuary and speaking
Page 11
with a butterfly expert. One admission
fee gets you into the place the entire
time you’re on the island.
Many claim Orient Beach is the
island’s most beautiful beach. Half of
it is clothing-optional; the other half is
not. That didn’t stop people from walking from one from one side to the other,
regardless of how much or little clothing they wore. On the clothing-optional
side is a clothing-optional resort, which
controls all of the lounge chairs and umbrellas. Only resort guests can use them.
On the clothed side are little restaurant shacks where for $7 a day you can
use a lounge chair and umbrella and enjoy a rum or non-alcoholic punch. One
restaurant on the clothing-optional side
offers a similar deal.
We opted for the clothing-optional
side. At first my wife was a bit reluctant,
but it took her only a minute to come
out of her figurative shell and disrobe
entirely. After a few minutes of being
self-conscious, you realize no one cares.
I suppose it helps that you’re someplace where no one knows you. Practically everyone is unclothed, and it was
among the most unattractive collection
Jul/Aug, 2013
of bodies I have ever seen. You lose any
prurient interest very quickly, though curiosity remains. On the other hand, feeling the trade winds blowing over your
entire body and feeling the warm water
over every part of your body is a wonderful, intoxicating experience.
The first time we went into the water,
we were approached and surrounded by
some curious sergeant major fish. Later, I
was told that they love bread and expect
to be fed.
On our next-to-last morning, we
decided to walk into Philipsburg and go
shopping. It’s only a 15-minute walk, up
a steep hill on the sidewalk next to the
road, but from there it’s all downhill. We
had planned to take a taxi back, but we
walked instead.
We also found a gallery/museum in
Philipsburg where Nick Maley, one of the
creators of Yoda in Star Wars and now
known as That Yoda Guy, has opened up
shop. He gave up Hollywood to settle in
St. Maarten. He likes to talk about his
gallery and the museum, which contains
samples of physical special effects by artists from famous films.
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TimeSharing Today
Page 12
TSToday Anywhere
Jul/Aug, 2013
Timothy Jan always enjoys sharing his TimeSharing Today magazine with fellow travelers and
friends, including with this beautiful giraffe at The
Animal Kingdom Lodge savannah in Walt Disney
World, Orlando, Florida.
TimeSharing Today heads out to sea in this photo
sent by Carol Dormann. Carol noted that Dolores
Smith was joined by five friends at The Flamingo
Resort in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. All aboard were
Dolores, Terry, Alice, Pauline, and Carol. Carol has
introduced TimeSharing Today to friends through gift
subscriptions. They shared their company during a
lovely lunch while sailing to a deserted cove to swim
and enjoy the afternoon.
Jack and Sandra Gaskill enjoying the foliage and Timesharing Today while at the Grand Timber Lodge, Breckenridge, CO. “We used an I.I. Bonus Week.”
Subscriber Pat Sindoni (right), her sister Marianne Scinta, and their
spouses enjoyed a “most pleasant time” on their exchange to the
Scottsdale Links, Scottsdale, AZ. Pat feels that, “All timeshare owners should read Timesharing Today.”
Longtime readers Graham & Esther Glover escaped
the winter cold with their copy of TimeSharing Today from
Jamesport, NY to enjoy their favorite resort – Divi Heritage,
Barbados. They have been happy owners there for over 20
years. Graham said, “Fellow owners and the Divi Heritage
staff are all great folk.”
Ed and Linda Tokarchuk enjoyed their annual family vacation with grandchildren Liam and Jaime Campbell at the
Brewster Green Resort on Cape Cod, MA
TimeSharing Today
Page 13
Jul/Aug, 2013
Cliff McDonald at the
Lakeside Villas Timeshare
Resort, Lake Taupo, New
Zealand. “I enjoy the news
and articles by other owners
published in Timesharing
Today.”
Priscilla Eadler (left) and sister-in-law Karen Schmeltz reading
Timesharing Today while at the Tiki Beach Resort, Cayman Islands.
Priscilla noted that she always looks forward to each new issue.
George Bowen commented, “My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed
an exchange to the Coldenhove Resort, Eerbek, The Netherlands. We
wouldn’t go anywhere without our Timesharing Today!”
Terry Rowe enjoys the sun and Timesharing Today while at Marriot’s Grand Vista Resort, Orlando, FL.
Lou Bier and his wife brought TimeSharing Today along during
an off-season vacation at the Water’s Edge Resort in Westbrook, CT.
Guess what time of the year it was.
TimeSharing Today
Page 14
Jul/Aug, 2013
The Complex History of
Rue Esplanade
Part 1
Editor’s Note: Dr. Mike Hynes
and his wife own 18 timeshare weeks,
of which 10 are in the Rue Esplanade
at 627 and 633 Esplanade Ave. in New
Orleans’ French Quarter. This text summarizes his research into the property’s
three tumultuous decades as a timeshare
resort. Part 2 will appear in the next issue.
Development of the property that
became the Rue Esplanade timeshare resort was first recorded in 1854. In 1982,
it was converted into a condominium
timeshare by Esplanade Vacations, Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Crescent
Federal Savings Bank. The Rue Esplanade Unit Owners Association, Inc.
(REUOA) was formed in 1983 to operate the property. The developer sold 14
units by the week to create 728 unitweeks, the first of which sold for about
$5,300 each during construction in 1982
and for $8,500 in early 1983.
The project encountered financial
problems in mid-1984 and Crescent
Federal Savings Bank stopped funding
the project. In June 1986, the bank failed
and the federal government—the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC), the Asset Management
Group, and The Resolution Trust Corporation—assumed control of Rue Esplanade, its unsold unit-weeks, and any
mortgages the bank still held. A “special assessment” was made to the government against 98 unsold unit-weeks,
and REUOA received $9,800 from the
failed bank’s conservator. Thereafter, no
government agency paid annual fees to
REUOA for these unit-weeks. By September 1989, the REUOA was claiming
over $205,000 in non-paid fees.
In May 1990, the government gave
REUOA title to 107 unit-weeks in lieu
of the unpaid annual fees. Later REUOA
learned that 40 of these unit-weeks had
been previously sold by Crescent Federal Savings Bank but not properly recorded, so REUOA may have gained only 67
owned unit-weeks. The REUOA elected
to honor the claimed ownership of these
40 unit-weeks.
To add to the legal confusion, the
bank financed some of the unit-week
sales. Many of these mortgages later
went into foreclosure as the buyers became discouraged and stopped making
payments. Improper foreclosure actions
on some of these units compounded the
legal problems and ownership questions.
How many unit-weeks were sold from
1984 to about 1994 isn’t clear. Some
sales were not properly recorded. Perhaps some unit-weeks were sold more
than once to different parties. Some of
the selling documentation and REUOA
records indicate that the buyers received
title insurance. Depending on which records would be considered accurate, the
number of units in government control
may have been 160 unit-weeks or 236 or
as high as 296.
The federal agencies responsible for
the properties and bank assets elected to
ignore the question of who had clear title
to these unit-weeks, leaving this legal
problem to be resolved later.
In late 1990 and early 1991, several
Realtors advertised the REUOA-owned
unit-weeks for $8,900 to $12,900 per
unit-week. Actual sales prices started
at $8,500. After selling costs and other
fees, REUOA received $1,500 per unitweek from these sales. At the same
time, REUOA directly sold unit-weeks
to existing owners in good standing for
$1,500 plus payment of an annual fee of
$350, a special assessment of $207.21,
and other closing costs, for a total of
$2,332.21.
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TimeSharing Today
In 1982 the REUOA hired a property manager, and renewed her contract in
1998 and 1992. The government agencies in control of the resort authorized
the manager and her staff to continue the
properties’ day-to-day management and
operation, which included cash income
and payment for expenses
In 1984-1985 the original unit-week
annual fees were $225. The budget was
based on income from 728 unit-weeks,
but with only about 525 unit-weeks sold,
the annual income was about 72 percent
of what was needed. By 1991, the unitweek annual fees increased to $350.
The operating costs for that year were
$362,917. Even if all 728 unit-weeks
were providing income to REUOA, the
annual fees should have been $498 per
unit-week.
To address part of this shortfall,
in March 1991 a special assessment of
$350 per unit-week was imposed. A report at the April 11, 1992, annual meeting indicated only 432 current unit-week
owners, which would require an annual
fee of $840 per unit-week. During the
Page 15
1992 annual meeting the $207.21 special assessment was approved, so the
combined annual fees for 1992 were
$557.21, still far below the required
amount. By June 1992, 223 of the 432
current unit-week owners did not pay
the special assessment and 38 did not
pay either the normal annual fees or the
special assessment, creating an income
shortfall of $67,382.
REUOA acknowledged this and allowed the manager to advance her personal funds—a total over time of about
$125,000—to operate the resort. In exchange, the REUOA gave her unlimited
control over funds and business practices
at the resort, including unit-week sales.
She may have sold unit-weeks lacking
clear titles, selling the same unit-week to
more than one person, renting units on
a daily and weekly basis, selling some
unit furnishings, and keeping some of
the money for her personal use.
In October 1991, the manager sold
a unit-week for $1,250 to a buyer who
claimed to be a former banker. He discovered six months later that he could
Jul/Aug, 2013
not get a proper title because his unitweek had been sold previously to another party. He was upset, launched a
two-year investigation into the resort’s
finances, and brought his findings of the
manager’s improper conduct to local
authorities and the Louisiana Attorney
General’s office. Through his efforts,
the manager was charged with improper
business practices. She pleaded guilty to
some of the charges in 1994 and went
to prison.
Her replacement, an employee of
the previous manager for four years,
did a good job. However, some owners
suspected that the replacement manager
may have engaged in some of the same
improper practices, so she was removed
in 1996. In her place, the former banker
won election to the REUOA board of
directors. He never disclosed that he
didn’t really “own” a unit-week and no
one else knew that at the time. He became president and chief executive officer of REUOA and later assumed the
title of managing director and agent of
record. After 1996, no further elections
were held.
TimeSharing Today
Page 16
All the Right
Ingredients
Jul/Aug, 2013
FEATURED RESORT
By Therese Grybow
Timeshare has not been immune to
the general economic turmoil. What is
necessary to sustain a successful timeshare resort in light of all the challenges
and obstacles? An appealing resort, a
dedicated board of directors, informed
respectful owners, and professional management equals resort success, providing
owners with memorable vacation experiences. Here are details of this equation:
The Resort
The resort must be a professional
operation, well maintained, and with desirable onsite and offsite amenities.
An example is San Diego Country
Estates Timeshare (SDCE), a “treasure
amongst the hills” near Ramona, CA, in
the rolling foothills of San Diego County.
The resort was developed in 1977 by Ray
Watt, a timeshare pioneer also known for
his innovations in condominiums, strip
shopping centers, and planned residential communities throughout southern
California.
SDCE provides a perfect atidote to
a busy urban lifestyle. It’s a scenic place
to relax and enjoy swimming, a game of
golf, a hike through the trees, or just sitting in the rose gardens listening to birds
sing. The resort offers spectacular views
of the mountains and the nearby Cleveland National Forest. Abundant wildlife
in the area includes a population of wild
turkeys. Ramona was famed for its turkeys in the 1930s and the resort displays
numerous black-and-white photos from
this era.
SDCE includes eight two-story
buildings with a total of 64 cozy one- and
two-bedroom suites with full kitchen,
fireplace, washer/dryer, and barbecue
on the patio or balcony. Spacious lawns,
trees, and flower gardens surround the
buildings.
For recreation, the 18-hole course at
the San Vicente Golf Course is available
to SDCE owners and guests. The resort
also has 17 tennis courts, a weight room,
saunas, and a wellness spa offering many
relaxing services.
Ramona and SDCE are replete
with history. The town was named after
a young Indian woman whose life was
made famous in Ramona, a book by
Helen Hunt Jackson. An outdoor drama
based upon her life is performed regularly in Hemet, about 75 miles to the north.
Other side-trip opportunities include
Julian, a historic gold-mining town; San
Diego; the San Diego Zoo and Safari
Park; Sea World; and numerous nearby
wineries.
The Board
The board of a successful timeshare
resort must be educated in timeshare and
resort-specific matters; compatible, able
to communicate, negotiate, and execute;
and diligent in their fiduciary role, always regarding the resort owners as their
priority.
Eileen Castberg, who has been president for eight years, heads the SDCE
board of directors. It meets quarterly and
stays informed of all resort and industry
activity, so it can make wise and professional financial decisions. Owners are
encouraged to attend the quarterly board
meetings and the annual owners’ meeting.
The Owners
A succesful timeshare resort has
owners who are value-oriented, informed, and participate in their resort’s
TimeSharing Today
operation. They must take pride in their
resort and the value their families derive
from it. They are attentive to communications about the resort from the board
and management, and they are involved,
recommending ways to improve the
property and the timesharing experience.
SDCE values its owners’ recommendations and has implemented many
new features they suggested, including
wi-fi in all suites and additions to the
amenity package.
The Management
A successful timeshare resort has a
dedicated team of managers, supervisors,
and staff, committed to the resort’s success in all aspects of operations. Management’s high degree of professional-
Page 17
Jul/Aug, 2013
ism and continuous onsite supervision,
training, and communication keeps employees efficient, diligent, and courteous
while providing the full range of services
a resort requires.
Some resorts employ their managers
directly; others seek support from a management company. SDCE has engaged
Tricom Management, Inc., an Employee
Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company
in which each employee owns stock and
has a vested interest in the resorts’ success. Many team members at Tricommanaged resorts have been with the company for over 20 years.
At SDCE, management involves the
department supervisors in monitoring
their monthly spending to keep financials
in line with the budget. This reflects their
pride in their department, the association, and the jobs they perform.
Therese Grybow is the resort manager at San Diego Country Estates
Timeshare. For additional information,
please contact her at 760-789-3826 or
[email protected]. Please
visit San Diego Country Estates: sdthe
goodlife.com/
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With more than 30 years experience, we can offer
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one to fit your resort’s needs. Complete financial
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the services offered to our resorts.
For your free confidential evaluation, contact Frank Baker
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TimeSharing Today
Page 18
Jul/Aug, 2013
Timeshare 2013 – The Present
By Scott Riddle
I have been involved in timeshare
for over 32 years as an owner, developer,
project manager, sales manager and board
member. These positions have expanded
my understanding of this vacation-ownership alternative and allowed me to experience additional aspects that might not be
available to everyone. My direct involvement with thousands of owners just like
you has given me additional insight into the
amazing story of the growth and development of timeshare.
This is the second of three articles
in which I hope to share with you my impressions of the past, present and future of
timeshare. In a perfect world, each of you
will respond and share your thoughts with
all of us who own an interval. You are essential to the future of your resort and to
timesharing. If you totally disagree with
me, or we see everything exactly the same,
or somewhere in between, please let me
hear from you.
The world of timesharing changed
drastically in 2007-2008, not necessarily
because of the recession but because of
internal industry elements that have been
brewing for many years.
First consider the deed. While most
buildings have an economic life (40-50
years), most timeshares sold were deeded
in perpetuity (forever). Those time frames
don’t match. Early timeshare sales competed with second-home sales and the pitch
was to be an owner, not a renter. The deed
allowed owners to pass their ownership
down to their families, or the ability to sell
it outright. Many of the original buyers
are now in their 70s, 80s, and 90s. When
a timeshare owner’s ability to use his/her
timeshare ends, the ownership doesn’t.
Although many owners’ children enjoyed
their years of timesharing, few are excited
to take over the ownership, expenses, and
related issues. This has contributed to the
oversupply of timeshares on the resale
market today.
In the beginning, maintenance fees
were artificially low. When everything at
the resort was new, few maintenance issues
occurred. Also, the developer was involved
and paid the fees due on unsold units,
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so 100 percent of the units paid the fees.
Moreover, as a marketing tool to sell the
remaining inventory, the developer often
paid extra maintenance fees, had a maintenance staff, and paid for repairs. All of this
helped to keep the maintenance fees very
low for new owners. That staff also kept
the resort looking great until it was turned
over to the Homeowners’ Association.
Why Maintenance Fees Rose
When the developer relinquished
ownership to the HOA, no one paid the
maintenance fees on the unsold inventory,
so every current owner’s maintenance fee
went up—and when sales ceased, the developer stopped paying for the repairs and
the maintenance staff, so the maintenance
fee went up again.
The elected HOA board members
faced steep learning curves in dealing with
all of the maintenance issues. At some resorts, HOA members were not totally honest, made expensive errors, hired friends or
relatives, or allowed minor repairs to become major problems. Again, the maintenance fees increased.
Meanwhile the resort owner base declined due to owners passing away, getting
divorced, and reaching a point where they
could no longer travel or afford to vacation.
Fewer paid their maintenance fees. What
else could the HOA board do except continue to raise the maintenance fee? Then
the “great recession” hit, further increasing the number of owners who could not
pay their maintenance fees. For the past six
years, many resorts have postponed needed
minor repairs that will only become major
repairs in the future. That trend continues
today.
In the beginning, the average maintenance fee was in the $175 to $300 range.
Now the average is in the $500 to $800
range, and some owners are being billed
$1,200 or more for each week of ownership.
In addition, some resorts have been
forced to use special assessments to deal
with unique maintenance issues. As owners
who have received such a bill know firsthand, a special assessment often runs into
the thousands of dollars.
While maintenance fees increased,
the U.S. median income has been falling.
The resulting higher fee/reduced income
dilemma has led even more owners to stop
paying their maintenance fees and/or as-
TimeSharing Today
sessments. With each non-payment, the
current owners must pay more to cover
the uncollected funds. The end result is an
ever-increasing maintenance fee spiral.
Behind the Learning Curve
The timeshare concept is now well
over 30 years old. The initial HOA board
members at many resorts are no longer
with us, and those still on the job are more
than three decades older.
Many technological advances have
occurred during the past three decades,
but few are as important to timeshare communication as increasing use of computers
and the Internet. Unfortunately, many resorts have not made effective use of these
advances, in part because older HOA board
members and staff feel challenged by the
new technologies.
Doing everything at the resort “the
way it was always done” worked well for
so long that many resorts did not adapt.
Now they find themselves behind the curve
in understanding and implementation.
HOA board members routinely are unpaid
volunteers who may not have time or money to attend classes on how to improve the
resort’s financial condition.
Page 19
Every HOA board needs younger
people to bring new skills and expertise
to the decision table, but fewer timeshare
resales results in fewer young people considering HOA board membership. The time
required to be an HOA board member has
gone up over the years, while the spare
time that young people have to donate has
declined.
Rise of the Scammers
In the early years of timeshare, no
scammers, Viking ships, or postcard companies approached owners with their enticing offers to “stop paying your maintenance
fees.” Slowly at first, and more rapidly in
recent days, the companies making these
offers have become the growth industry
that timesharing itself was in the past.
Today, timeshare owners are more
likely to receive a communication with an
offer from one of these companies than to
hear from their home resort. Due to staffing
problems, a lack of communication infrastructure, or sound advice, resorts often do
not return phone calls or reply to emails.
In stark contrast, if you respond to an offer made via postcard, the person on the
other end of the communication replies
Jul/Aug, 2013
promptly, courteously, and with a very attentive attitude. That person will try to become your best friend and help you get out
of your timeshare obligation. He/she might
even offer to pay your maintenance fee. All
you have to do is pay this person several
thousand dollars to “make your timeshare
go away.”
All of the above circumstances are
legitimate reasons for us to be concerned
about the future of timeshare. In my next
article, I will share my thoughts about the
future. There is good news, and I plan to
tell you about it.
Scott Riddle is the owner of Trading
Time (www.tradingtime.net), the chief
executive officer and board chairman of
1800MyCondo (www.1800mycondo.com),
and the president of Resort Synergy, Inc.
(www.resortsynergy.com). He has been
involved in the timeshare industry since
1981 and has experience in timeshare sales,
development, marketing, and operation.
He works with both international and U.S.
resorts, and serves on the HOA board at
two resorts. To contact him, call 877-TTI1000, or email [email protected]. To
comment on this article email: editor@
tstoday.com
Leader in Timeshare Property Management
@
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homeowners’ associations. Our years of experience and dedicated team members help us bring value, accountability
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TimeSharing Today
Page 20
Jul/Aug, 2013
Discover Hidden Gems
Beyond the brand-name universe, hundreds of smaller resorts vie for attention. Without huge marketing budgets, they receive exchanges by virtue of their location and through word of mouth. To aid in that process, we asked some of the exchange companies to tell
us about resorts that may be below the radar but worth a visit. Here are their “hidden gems:”
Lake Tansi Village
Lake Tansi Village is in Tennessee’s famed Cumberland Plateau region, an area rich
in heritage and southern charm. Also known as The Golf Capital of Tennessee, this region
houses 10 championship golf courses catering to golfers of all skill levels. The community’s
wealth of activities includes winery tours, museums, Davy Crockett’s hunting grounds, Ruby
Falls, Mark Twain’s spring, and the world’s largest treehouse.
The resort offers condominiums ranging in size from one to three bedrooms, all with full
kitchens and outdoor space. On site, guests have access to four lakes, marina, boat rentals,
bait and tackle shop, beach area, picnic areas, and playground.
Fishermen will find success as bass, crappie, catfish, and pan fish are plentiful in the surrounding lakes. The recreation center houses a health and fitness center, weight training and
cardio equipment, racquetball courts, sauna, hot tub, tanning bed, arcade room with games
and pool tables, miniature golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor pools.
Cannon’s Restaurant and the 19th Hole Restaurant and Lounge are great places for onsite dining, and additional dining and shopping are just minutes away in nearby Crossville.
Top area attractions include Cumberland Mountain State Park, Craighead Taverns, and Cumberland County Playhouse. Nearby
sightseeing cities include Nashville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.
The resort staff at Lake Tansi Village treats everyone with the finest southern hospitality. Whether you want to golf the week away,
tour local attractions, or simply relax, Lake Tansi Village is a vacation destination that will leave you and your family with unforgettable memories. For more information, contact Crown Vacation Exchange, 1-877-26CROWN (262-7696), [email protected].
David Walley’s Resort and Hot Springs
Trading Places International can get you to Genoa—but before you start thinking of
expensive airfare to Europe, be aware that we’re talking about Genoa, NV. The Nevada version of Genoa was named after the Italian version, but that’s the extent of their resemblance.
A mile south of Genoa is David Walley’s Resort and Hot Springs, a famous natural hot
springs and spa, first built in 1862 and known as Walley’s Hot Springs. Trading Places International manages David Walley’s and gets an abundance of exchange inventory all year.
It is popular with our exchangers who want to visit the Lake Tahoe area and receives rave
reviews. With local activities such as skiing, freshwater fish and game, gambling, golfing,
and hiking, David Walley’s Resort and Hot Springs is a four-season destination with something for everyone.
Genoa was first settled by Mormon pioneers. Orson Hyde changed the name of the community to Genoa, after Genoa, Italy. It was in Utah Territory before the Nevada Territory was
created in 1861.
$275
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Page 21
Genoa was the home of Nevada’s first hotel and court. Nevada’s first newspaper, the
Territorial Enterprise, was founded in Genoa in 1858. Another first for the state, the Genoa Bar, billed as “Nevada’s oldest thirst parlor,” was patronized by Mark Twain, Teddy
Roosevelt, and Johnny Cash.
Scenes from the 1973 movie Charley Varrick were filmed in town, and the village
was the set for the 1990 movie Misery, starring Kathy Bates. For Misery, Genoa doubled
in size with buildings added for the filming, which were removed afterwards.
For more information, contact Trading Places International, 800-365-7617, http://
www.tradingplaces.com/.
Lawai Beach Resort
The Hawaiian Islands are everyone’s personal slice of heaven. Less than 100 miles
from the hustle and bustle of Oahu’s city life
is the beautiful island of Kauai, The Garden
Isle, famed for its tropical North Shore, the
magnificent cliffs of Napali Coast, and the
sunny south shore of Poipu.
Lawai Beach Resort, in beautiful Poipu,
is perfectly situated with amazing ocean views
and stunning sunsets. One- and two-bedroom
fully furnished condos with lanais (balconies)
face the wondrous sounds and sights of the
Pacific Ocean. The resort has three pools and
Jacuzzis, tennis court, miniature golf, gym and a full-service concierge desk to plan any
adventurous Kauai activity. On-site activities include yoga classes, lei making, hula
lessons, watercolor painting classes, scuba demos, and a Keiki hula show and craft fair.
At Lawai Beach Resort, a feeling of ohana (family) is present throughout the property. Exchanges and daily or weekly rentals are available. For more information, contact
Hawaii Time Share Exchange, 866-860-4873 toll free, email [email protected], www.htse.
net or the resort’s Web site, www.lawaibeach.org.
Lagonita Lodge
Surrounded by towering pines, Lagonita
Lodge sits on the tranquil south shore of Big
Bear Lake in southern California. This quintessential mountain lodge boasts spacious oneand two-bedroom suites with gorgeous views
of the lake, warm cottage décor, full kitchens,
gas fireplaces, environmentally friendly bathroom amenities, and satellite television.
The charming village of Big Bear Lake,
less than two miles away, is bursting with
eclectic shops, boutiques, and incredible fine
dining. Whether you’re skiing, snow-tubing,
hiking, zip-lining, or relaxing with a day of
fishing and boating, this area is a perfect place to enjoy a summer or winter vacation.
Close by are Magic Mountain Recreation Area and two of southern California’s finest skiing destinations, Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. After a day on the slopes, Lagonita Lodge offers ski storage, a cheerful fire in the lobby, and coffee ready and waiting.
If you prefer simply to take in the area’s beauty, Lagonita Lodge’s patio offers serene views of the lake and an outdoor spa—or you can rent a bicycle and take a leisurely
ride to the village or along the lake shore. Relax in the spa or heated pool, work out in the
fitness center, or play billiards or ping-pong in the recreation room. The resort also has
barbecues located next to most of the units, and a children’s swing set.
For more information, contact Dial An Exchange, 800-468-1799, http://www.dialanexchange.com.
Jul/Aug, 2013
TimeSharing Today
Page 22
Jul/Aug, 2013
Driving the Baja
By Maureen S. Corser, Bridgeport, MI
My husband and I love to travel. For
the past eight years we have been driving
from Michigan across the U.S.A. to Mexico and then 1,000 miles down the Baja
Peninsula to Los Cabos, Mexico. We are
retired and take our time, taking various
routes to our destination, stopping at national parks and historic sites on our way.
In 2013 we exchanged for a week at
the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale,
AZ, on the way down and Club de Soliel
in Las Vegas, NV, on the way home. We
normally stop about every two hours for
gas, coffee and snacks, lunch, or sightseeing. Our philosophy is that we are on vacation as soon as we leave our driveway.
We stop at new places and old favorites on
the way south, enjoying the winter desert,
mountains, and ocean sights along the way.
Every year the roads have improved.
Although the highway between Ensenada
and La Paz is only two-lane, the road from
La Paz through Todos los Santos to Cabo
San Lucas and San José del Cabo is a fourlane divided highway that rivals the U.S.
interstates.
As usual, the beaches were pristine,
the resorts beautiful, the days sunny, the
food scrumptious, and friendships renewed. Too soon the winter was over and it
was time to begin our trip north.
We checked out of our pied-a-terre
(sounds more elegant than timeshare) after
breakfast on Thursday morning. My husband had made a reservation at the Hotel
Serenidad in Mulegé for Thursday night.
It would be an easy drive to get there by
dinnertime.
On a clear dry road, on a bright sunny
day, slowing on a straight downhill stretch
of highway, our car lurched to the right.
My husband corrected to the left, but the
car careened hard left across the highway
and directly into a hill on the opposite side
of the highway—luckily for us, because
the dropoff on the right was more than 20
feet. The airbags deployed. The car swirled
around 180 degrees. The rear lifted and
slammed down hard enough to break the
right rear wheel off the axle. We ended up
on the opposite lane headed back toward the
direction from which we had come.
By the time we smushed the airbags,
checked each other for injury, and exited
the car, neighbors with walkie-talkies were
there to ask if we were OK. Happily we had
not been injured. The front of the car was
crumpled, the right front tire was hanging
from the wheel, and the right rear wheel
was farther up the highway. A half dozen
young men appeared to manhandle our car
off the road. They took care of the problem
and disappeared before I could even thank
them.
Emergency Response Team
The year before, this neighborhood
had had a fire and lost several houses. The
neighbors had gotten together and were developing an emergency response team. We
were their first opportunity to check out
the walkie-talkies, and their connections to
the local police and fire departments. They
were working to provide the community
with its own outfitted ambulance and fire
truck.
Patsi checked me over and warned me
that even though I was feeling fine now, I’d
likely be sore later.
The group contacted the local police
and ordered a tow truck. Don suggested
that we take our property out of the car because we likely wouldn’t see our car again
after the tow truck hauled it away. He left
and returned with his pickup and loaded
all of our stuff—bags, souvenirs, maps,
car stuff, computers, and all the junk we’d
accumulated in three months of travel. It
filled his truck bed. He advised us to keep
passports and medications with us. We
gathered a few items. Then he told us he’d
take it all and store it behind his house until
we could retrieve it.
After a while the police arrived. We
understand a little more Spanish than we
speak. The police officer could understand
us a little. I wave my arms around a lot, so
we finally figured out that he was saying
we must go to Santa Rosalia immediately,
where the nearest patrol office is located,
to submit our official report. He told us that
it is illegal to have an accident in Mexico,
that we would be responsible for cleaning
up the roadway, and that possibly there
would be a fine. Our car would be towed to
Santa Rosalia also.
The tow truck came, but the driver
had not been informed that he would need
a flatbed to haul the car, so he left to get
the correct towing equipment.
The police officer offered to take us
to Santa Rosalia. My husband asked if we
TimeSharing Today
Page 23
could stop at the resort in Mulegé to let
the owners know that we would be there
eventually, but would be checking in late.
The resort was only about 15 miles from
the accident site on our way, and he drove
in.
While we waited for my husband
to check in, the police officer called my
insurance company for me—on his cell
phone. Because he spoke Spanish, he
completed the insurance claim for me and
arranged for the insurance company to assess the damage. The insurance company
had another claim in the area, so they arranged for the car to be towed to Mulegé
instead of Santa Rosalia.
The officer then told me that he
would take care of the paperwork in Santa
Rosalia and call us the next day. He said
that we could just stay at the resort and
that my husband’s driver’s license would
be returned later . By the time my husband
came back, we had unloaded our stuff.
be no fine or charges and that she would
look at the car in the morning.
Friday I began to search for a rental car. The nearest airport was Loreto.
My husband reminded me that our stuff
wouldn’t fit into a small car, but no cars
were available. Maybe Sunday. Maybe
later. The hotel let us make all of these
calls. In fact, they searched for possible
rental places for us. We called our son
who was working in Los Angeles to let
him know where we were. He volunteered
to pick us up.
The insurance company called from
La Paz and said that I must pay the tow
from the accident site to Mulegé, but the
insurance company would reimburse me.
The insurance company would pay the
tow from Mulegé to La Paz. My charge
for towing would be 7000 pesos (about
$580 US) and the invoice given to the
driver who would be taking the car to La
Paz.
Helpful and Accommodating
The staff at the resort could not have
been more helpful and accommodating.
They assigned us a lovely room. By this
time it was dark and we were ready to call
it a day. As we arranged with them to let
us know when the calls came in from the
insurance company, the tow truck driver,
and the police, Don and Nancy appeared.
They had driven up with all of our possessions.
They unloaded and carried everything to our room. Even though I tried to
pay them for this extraordinary help, they
refused. I convinced them that I would
like to make a donation to their Emergency First Responders group. If you must
have an accident, be sure it is at the Bahía
de Concepción. The people there are marvelous.
At about 9:30 PM, there was a knock
on our door. Alexandria, the insurance
claims adjuster, had come to the resort. I
collected all my paperwork and we headed to the bar. I couldn’t believe that the
insurance company had sent someone this
quickly.
Alexandria was so sweet. She could
speak English well enough so that we
could understand each other. She took all
the information and filled out the claims
forms. I signed them—even though they
were in Spanish. She took pictures of our
paperwork and returned my husband’s
driver’s license. She said that there would
Weekend Festivities
Many things are worse than being
stranded at a lovely resort in Mulegé. Hotel Serenidad has a small airstrip where
doctors and other health professionals
Jul/Aug, 2013
who fly emergency medical evacuations
arrived on Friday. Fourteen planes flew
in for the weekend. The resort has a Saturday night pig roast. People come from
all over the area for the food, music, and
dancing.
This resort has been a favorite of
movie stars since the 1950s. I don’t know
if we stayed in the same room that John
Wayne did, but that’s my story and I’m
sticking to it.
Our son arrived in time for the pig
roast. We left early Sunday morning and
arrived safely in Los Angeles, where
bought a car and headed for Las Vegas
only one day late. We had a wonderful
stay in Las Vegas—but that’s another
story.
We were treated with such kindness
and competence during this whole ordeal.
Mexico gets a lot of bad press. Our experience was just the opposite. What could
have been a horrible tragedy was made
so much easier because of the wonderful
people who immediately came to our aid.
What could have been a horrible experience is now just one of our adventures.
We are truly blessed, and looking forward
to next year. Drive carefully.
TimeSharing Today
Page 24
Jul/Aug, 2013
FOCUS ON: Mountainside at SilverCreek
By Linda and Wayne Sanders II, Akron
OH
In April 2012, when the summer
plans my wife and I so carefully made fell
through, we turned to a company periodically reviewed in TimeSharing Today, Hawaii Time Share Exchange. We requested
any timeshare available in the American
West.
In less than a month we were offered
a one-bedroom unit at Mountainside at
SilverCreek in SilverCreek CO for late
June. Knowing nothing of the resort, we
went to the atlas and then online. Searching “SilverCreek, Colorado” yielded little,
but searching “Granby, Colorado,” a town
of about 1,700 people a mile or so up the
road, gave us the information we wanted.
We discovered that Mountainside
is just about half an hour’s drive from
the western entrance to Rocky Mountain
National Park (RMNP). With this good
news, we confirmed our reservation and
booked our flight.
Getting There
Because we would be flying into
Denver International Airport, we knew we
would need a car. When pricing cars several months before our flight, we discovered rental agencies at the airport wanted
us to pay upwards of $1,000 per week for
an SUV. A friend clued us in to a Doubletree Hotel on Quebec Street in Denver
with an in-house Avis office, which gave
us an SUV for $650 for the full 16 days
we would require the car. We took the
Doubletree shuttle for the 30-minute ride
from the airport to the hotel. Luckily, too,
the hotel is in the same direction we needed to travel to reach our timeshare.
The paperwork that came with our
confirmation stated that Granby is “just
85 miles from Denver and 90 minutes to
get there.” Don’t believe it. The drive was
more like two and a half hours because
once you leave I-70 West onto Highway
40 East, the road becomes steep and twisting, so your speed drops dramatically. It
was a scenic drive, though. Watch your
speed on Highway 40 after you go over
the peaks. We saw the police pull over
four drivers in a 30-minute span.
In the near dark before sunset, we had
some trouble finding Mountainside. If you
reach the town of Granby, you’ve gone
too far. Look for the McDonald’s Restau-
JUSTDEEDS.COM
rant on the left just before you go over the
bridge and enter Granby. The street taking
you to the resort, Village Road, is across
Highway 40 from McDonald’s.
We knew we would be checking in
around 9 PM, so we called the resort to
inform them of our late arrival. They said
someone would be there to check us in.
Instead, our room key and information
were in an envelope in a drop box at the
resort office. That was sufficient.
Accommodations and Amenities
Mountainside at SilverCreek sits
several miles off the main road high on a
hillside affording a view of a small valley. It has six three-story buildings, each
containing 20 units; an outdoor summeronly pool; and tennis courts. Next door is
a lift for the 406-acre Ski Granby Ranch
(formerly SolVista Basin Ski Resort),
which provides ski in/ski out access. A
golf course is also very near.
Our one-bedroom/sleeps five unit
was spacious and attractive. The furniture
seemed fairly new, and new lamps and
artwork were installed the week we were
there. The bedroom had a queen-sized
bed, with a closet and a flat-screen TV.
The bathroom was average size but with
ample counter space. Off the bedroom
was a room containing a full-sized Jacuzzi with a balcony beyond the tub. The
kitchen and dining rooms, essentially one
room, were large with a full-sized refrigerator and stove, as well as a microwave
and dishwasher. Another full bathroom
was off the kitchen at the entrance to the
condo. The step-down living room had
a gas fireplace and flat-screen TV with
DVD player. The outside wall of the living room was all glass, which gives the
occupants a great view of the valley and
the sunset. Off the living room was access
TimeSharing Today
to the balcony with chairs and a small
table.
The windows could be opened to
catch the evening breeze. One of the
couches folded out into a bed. The lights
over the dining room table were bright;
the lamps elsewhere had just enough light
by which to read. We also had our own
small washer and dryer.
We were pleased to see recycling
bins prominently placed in each parking
lot at Mountainside to collect aluminum,
steel cans, plastic, and newspapers.
In Town
We could not get cell phone reception, nor, I believe, was Wi-Fi available.
In Granby, though, is a beautiful, modern
public library with computers that we
used to check our email and print directions to other places we would visit on our
trip.
The unit had the usual guest directory listing services, useful phone numbers, safety tips, places of worship, points
of interest, and maps. The book was not
as extensive as many I’ve seen, perhaps
because Granby is such a small town. For
example, only five restaurants were listed
in the “Dining Out” section. For quick
meals, we ate at Subway or McDonald’s,
and one evening we ate at a Chinese restaurant in Granby that was frequented
mostly by locals. Another restaurant in
Granby was closed whenever we went by.
Behind McDonald’s on Highway 40
is the City Market, which received much
of our business. It is a full supermarket
with all ingredients necessary to do your
own cooking, but it also has an extensive
deli with prepared meals. It might be the
only such business in the area, and it also
has a gas station, which was very convenient.
In the Park
The main reason we traded into
Mountainside was to hike in RMNP.
On our first full day at the resort, after a
late start, we drove about 30 minutes to
the Kawuneeche Visitor Center on the
west side of the park. There we obtained
maps and hiking information and discovered that we may have made a mistake in
choosing a condo on this side of RMNP.
Most of the attractions that draw visitors
to RMNP are on or more easily accessible from the east side. To get there from
Page 25
the west requires several hours of driving
Trail Ridge Road, with its miles of twisting, turning, sheer drop-offs, and elevation of 12,000 feet. Since we would be
visiting many national parks on this trip,
we each bought an annual pass ($40).
Because we had started so late, we
left RMNP near its entrance to the town
of Grand Valley and its beautiful Grand
Lake. After a late lunch at a park overlooking the lake, we drove to the edge of
town at the East Inlet Trailhead and hiked
three tenths of a mile to the unique Adams
Falls. The trail continues to Lone Pine
Lake, but we didn’t feel we had enough
time to hike the entire distance, so we
hiked an hour further and then returned
near dusk.
We tried to keep our daily hikes between four and eight miles in length.
Being flatlanders from Ohio, we always
considered the elevation (about 8,000 ft.
in Granby, higher in RMNP) when we
chose what hikes to take. The weather
also was a consideration. When we were
there, the midday temperatures were in
the 90s F., but at the Alpine Visitor Center
at the top of Trail Ridge Road, a steady
Jul/Aug, 2013
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TimeSharing Today
40 mph wind dropped the wind chill into
the 30s F., requiring winter coats and hats.
We always dressed in layers and peeled
off or put on as needed. Remember to take
plenty of water to drink, even in the winter
months.
On day two, with an earlier start,
we drove back into RMNP and drove the
Trail Ridge Road most of its length, stopping at each of its dozen overlooks. Get
the Trail Ridge Road Guide at a visitor
center so you can appreciate what you’re
seeing. Remember, too, the only place to
get food in RMNP away from the east side
is at the Alpine Visitor Center, so plan accordingly.
From the overlooks, besides the
amazing views, we saw elk herds, huge
male elk, marmots, and lots of chipmunks.
Knowing we had a long drive back to
Granby, we left Trail Ridge Road at the
Alluvial Fan (damage from a flood not so
long ago), and returned to the Alpine Visitor Center on the one-way, dirt Old Fall
River Road. The road presented some different and interesting views without many
other tourists as distractions.
Page 26
In the Forest
On day three, we went to the Arapaho
National Forest Visitor Center in Granby
for more hiking information. We learned
of a four-mile loop trail to Monarch Lake,
which we took and enjoyed. Then, after
some time eating and relaxing back at the
condo, we drove back into the national
park about 7 PM to watch for wildlife.
One advantage of staying on the west
side of RMNP is the eight-mile stretch of
road in the Kawuneeche Valley between
Timber Creek and the Visitor Center. This
section is largely flat and well-watered, a
great place to view moose and elk. Every
night we were in that area near dusk, we
slowly drove that road and were always
rewarded with wildlife: moose and their
babies, a moose with twins, herds of elk,
male elk with huge racks, and turkeys, all
seen from the convenience and safety of
our car. It was a great end to each busy
day.
Hikes and More Hikes
On day four, we drove Trail Ridge
Road to the east side of RMNP, but this
time we skipped most of the overlooks we
Jul/Aug, 2013
had already seen. We hiked the 4.6-mile
Cub Lake Trail, with an elevation gain
of 540 feet. Not a bad trail, but we didn’t
finish until about 6 PM. We then went to
the most popular area of RMNP near Bear
Lake. This close to dusk, the usually overcrowded area was pleasantly uncrowded.
We took a leisurely stroll around the picturesque lake, and enjoyed cooler temperatures. Because we didn’t want to drive
for three hours back over the mountains
to Granby, we spent the night in a small
motel in Estes Park, the gateway city to
the east side of RMNP. We had a relaxing
dinner at a Mexican restaurant outdoors
next to a river and watched a big elk walk
the streets downtown.
Anticipating large crowds, we arose
early on day five and drove straight to the
Bear Lake area, where the parking lot is
often full and closed by 11 AM. We hiked
to four lakes aligned as stepping stones up
into the mountains—Bear Lake, Nymph
Lake, Dream Lake, and finally Emerald
Lake. The distance for this hike is not
quite two miles, but every step is uphill,
with a total elevation gain of 605 feet.
The lakes, and the trails between, are gor-
TimeSharing Today
geous and not very difficult if you take
your time. This was late June, and yet we
found snow at almost every turn of the
trail. Carry a lunch and eat at one of the
lakes. No bathrooms or water are available along the trail, so take care of those
needs in the well-maintained comfort area
at the parking lot.
After lunch, and with half a day’s
light remaining, we drove back along
Trail Ridge Road just past the Alpine Visitor Center to the Milner Pass parking lot.
There we left our car and begged a ride
from a willing tourist and his wife back up
to the visitor center where we began the
4.1-mile Ute Trail. The plan was to hike
the trail downhill back to our car instead
of a difficult uphill-all-the-way trek to the
visitor center. This trail starts above the
tree line in the tundra for several miles,
then through a mile or so of scrub trees,
snow melt ponds and large elk, and finishes with the last mile in thick trees, rocks,
and snow. After finishing the trail at our
car, we returned to our condo in Granby.
On day six, our last full day in Granby and RMNP, we hiked on the west side
a trail of almost eight miles (roundtrip) to
Page 27
Lulu City, an obscure 200-person settlement near the source of the Colorado
River that existed for five years in the late
1800s. The trail is mostly uphill with a
gain of 350 feet until you drop down to
the partial remaining log cabin and river.
We waded across the mighty Colorado
River (10 feet wide here) to have lunch
in the shade on dry gravel on its opposite
bank. What a beautiful spot—majestic
mountains in all directions, cool breezes,
and tranquil river sounds. We could have
stayed there all day! On the way back we
saw our first bighorn sheep high in the
rocks, and a huge male elk lying in the
Jul/Aug, 2013
grass near the trail.
We very much enjoyed our week in
Granby and RMNP. The condo was beautiful and the area has much to offer. I still
think it’s a mistake, however, to spend an
entire week on the Park’s west side if your
main reason for coming to Granby is to
see RMNP. I suppose there is a week’s
worth of hiking, biking, fishing, and boating on the west side if you aren’t interested
in seeing all that RNMP has to offer. But
with so much to see on the east side and
such a long drive across, you may want to
consider focusing on one side of RMNP at
a time, and staying on that side.
Committed to
your Success!
“Trading Places facilitated Lindo Mar’s
purchasing of the developer’s interest in
the resort and acquiring deeded title to
the building and property. They helped us
establish a reserve account and become
financially solvent. Since TPI has managed
Lindo Mar, we’ve received RCI’s Gold
Crown Award for nine consecutive years.”
- John Gilbert, Vice President,
Lindo Mar Resort
Delivering results since 1973
Contact Marcus Wood, Executive Vice President
800-365-1048 | [email protected]
TimeSharing Today
Page 28
Jul/Aug, 2013
TimeSharing Today
Page 29
Jul/Aug, 2013
TimeSharing Today
Page 30
Spotlight on Scams
A Frightening New Scam
By Tom Tubbs
When you’ve been around the timeshare industry for almost 26 years like we
have, you think you’ve seen it all. But those
clever scam artists are always thinking of
new schemes—and this new one is not only
clever, but dangerous.
Three times in the past two weeks
we’ve had folks call our office asking for
advice on whether an “offer” to buy their
timeshare was legit. Here’s how the scam
unfolds. First, the normal phone call comes
to you saying the (let’s just pick a name) BS
Company has a buyer for your timeshare.
That’s the first clue. No legitimate company
calls you out of the blue and tells you they
have a buyer for your timeshare. It’s a scam.
No Money Up-Front
Second, they assure you that you’ll pay
absolutely no money up-front. That gets you
to continue listening to BS Company (let’s
just call them BS for short—it’s more accurate). So, you’re listening to BS. BS tells
you that the offer is for, say, $20,000. You
know that your timeshare is not worth anywhere near that. (That might be your second
clue). You listen to BS some more. They tell
you that they will earn a seven percent commission after the sale has been completed
and after you receive your check.
They tell you they’ll be happy to send
you the contract detailing everything. We
have copies of these contracts. They’re slick
and someone without a complete knowledge of what to look for could very easily
be fooled.
The contracts look professional (although they’re completely illegal, but you
don’t realize that). They’re saying all the
right things about the sale price and about
the commission and that BS gets paid their
commission only after the sale. If the buyer
backs out, the buyer loses his/her deposit.
That’s normal. If the seller fails to complete
the sale, the seller owes the full commission
to the BS Company. That’s also normal.
One of the contracts we looked at was
for a Mexican timeshare and another for a
U.S. timeshare. The Mexican timeshare
contract says, “Mexican Law states that
tax obligations are by paid (sic) by residents abroad prior to receiving funds from
the buyer, unless they possess full time
residence status in Mexico, insuring taxes
are paid to the government. BS Company
guarantees the process for the tax amount of
$3568 USD incurred during the transaction
of the sales process be paid to the Mexican
Government, upon receipt of the payment to
the escrow account.”
The U.S. contract says, “In the cases
where owner(s) are required to cover any
interest, encumbrances, taxes, insurance,
transfer fees or other requirements for closing, all such fees or charges will be reimbursed by the purchaser at closing.”
Send Check to Escrow Agent
What’s going on here? So you the
seller sign the contract and addendums and
send it back to BS. They take a few days
to “process” the paperwork for you and all
seems well. No one asked you for money
up-front and all seems legit—and then BS
contacts you again.
For a Mexican timeshare: “Mr. Jones, I
just wanted to let you know that everything
is proceeding smoothly and we should be
able to wrap this up for you shortly. The
buyer has put the entire $20,000 into our
escrow account. As you know, the Mexican
Government requires their taxes be paid
to them now so you’ll need to send to our
escrow agent the check for the taxes in the
amount of $3,568. You’ll be reimbursed as
soon as the sale is completed.”
For a U.S. timeshare: “As you know,
the transfer fees and taxes to the state of
(whatever state you’re not living in) are required to be paid so that we can complete
the transfer. You’ll need to send to our es-
Jul/Aug, 2013
crow agent a check for that totaling $3,263.
You’ll be reimbursed as soon as the sale is
completed.”
One of two things now happens, and
this is where the scam takes a new twist. If
you send the money, that’s the end of the
game. You never hear from them again.
But what happens if you balk at sending
the money? First, they’re going to try to
talk you into it and assure you it’s safe and
that you’ll be reimbursed as soon as the sale
is completed. But what if you stand your
ground and say, “Forget about it.”?
Then, here comes the heavyweight
on the phone. You are told in no uncertain
terms that you agreed to this sale and BS has
gone through a lot of work to get this done
for you. “If you don’t send in the money immediately, I refer you to Paragraph 6 of your
contract which states that if you back out of
the contract you owe us our seven percent
commission. We demand our seven percent
commission and if we don’t have it within
10 days we shall sue you in a court of law
not only for the commission but also for
damages and attorney fees.”
Don’t Pay Out of Fear
Folks, this is not something to take
lightly. Not because they can actually sue
you because they can’t. Everything they’ve
done is fraudulent and the last thing they
want to see is the inside of a courtroom, but
you don’t know that. You are intimidated
and scared. (All three of the people who
called our office were definitely scared, one
almost to tears). The older you are, the more
easily you can possibly be intimidated. You
pay out of fear.
There’s a very special corner of Hell
that’s reserved for SOBs like this and I hope
they check in soon. In the meantime, take
the same advice we’ve always given you
through the years: If you’re solicited unexpectedly on the phone by someone saying
they’ve got your timeshare sold, hang up
the phone. Don’t talk to them. Don’t listen.
You’re dealing with professional con men
and they’re much better at this game than
you are. If they call you just remember these
words, “It’s BS.”
Tom Tubbs is a real-estate broker
with Island Consulting Realty in Sarasota,
FL, www.TimeSharesToGo.com. Tubbs is
a Senior Licensed Real Estate Specialist,
a co-founder of the Licensed Timeshare
Resale Brokers Association, and a member
of the Florida Timeshare Owners Group.
He can be reached at 800-809-6020 or 941922-3808. To comment on this article email:
[email protected]
TimeSharing Today
Page 31
Jul/Aug, 2013
ADVERTISING FORM Mail to: Ads, TimeSharing Today, 140 County Road, Suite 114. Tenafly, NJ 07670
Please Type or Print Neatly!!
Photocopy form for additional ads.
Fax to: 201/871-4305
Name: ________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: _______________
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FOLLOW EACH INSTRUCTION carefully and completely to avoid delays in your ad being run!
1. Where is resort located? ________________________ (State, Island or Country. For resorts in
Mexico, include city. For resorts in Florida, specify if in Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, Keys or Orlando area.)
2. Check ONE category only: _____AVAILABLE FOR SALE
or
_____AVAILABLE FOR RENT
or
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or
_____PRODUCTS & SERVICES
3. Resort name and/or city/location should appear in the ad.
4. A phone number, e-mail and/or street address must be in your ad so people can contact you.
5. Avoid obscure abbreviations.
All ads in the magazine
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6. Three (3) line minimum. Two line ads are NOT accepted.
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Ads are typeset with proportional spacing; your actual ad may be less than the number of lines used in this form. TST reserves
the right to edit ad copy to conform to standard style and abbreviations used in TST. Rates are subject to change.
Ad rate starts at $10 per line and is discounted for multiple runs.
Using form below, select number of times ad is to run. Insert number of lines in parenthesis, multiply
number of lines by rate and enter amount due. (Note: We do not send tear sheets or copies of ads.)
One issue:
# of lines (
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Two issues: # of lines (
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TimeSharing Today
Page 32
Jul/Aug, 2013
THE RESORT REPORT CARD
Please complete this Report Card after your visit to a resort OTHER THAN YOUR OWN. Reports must
be received within 6 months of your visit. You will receive a one-issue extension of your subscription (up
to two per year) for each completed Report Card.
Mail the completed report to :
Report Card Editor, TimeSharing Today, 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670.
Name of resort: _________________________________________________________________
Location: _____________________________________ Date visited:(Month, Year)____________
Exchange Company Affiliation: _____________________________________________________
What amenities and activities at resort?: ______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Amenities and activities nearby?: ___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PLEASE RATE, USING ONLY THIS RATING GUIDE: (Circle appropriate number ONLY.)
Excellent- 10-9; Above Average- 8-7; Average- 6-5; Below average- 4-3; Bad- 2-1; Not available - NA
Cleanliness: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Unit furnishings: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Maintenance: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Quality of construction: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Amenities and activities at resort: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Nearby: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Suitable for young children: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For pre-teens: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For teenagers: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For seniors: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For handicapped: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Resort restaurant: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 NA (Not a gourmet rating, but value, service, cleanliness,
decor) Convenience store: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 NA
Resort grounds and maintenance: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Security: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Staff: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
General hospitality: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
OVERALL RATING OF RESORT: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Comments: ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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I certify that I am not an owner at this resort. Please extend my subscription by one issue.
Name and full address of subscriber (Please print):
TimeSharing Today
By Frank Debar, Group Coordinator
The next meeting of the Florida
Timeshare Owners Group will be at 1
PM on Sunday afternoon, November
17, 2013, in the Champs Room of the
Palm Aire Country Club, Sarasota, FL.
Non-members may attend by contacting me in advance at fdebar433@gmail.
com or 941-351-1384 to reserve a seat.
Featured guest speakers will include Woody Cary, Scott MacGregor,
and Suzanne Harris.
Cary has 47 years of experience in
the timeshare industry, having served
as president of Tricom Management
Inc. and as a consultant to timeshare
By Ed Hastry, President
We had another successful
meeting in Baltimore on April 21,
2013. Over 150 members attended,
including some from as far away as
Arizona and California.
Our speakers included Shep
Altshuler, publisher of TimeSharing Today magazine; Rich Muller,
Sr., vice president resort operations for Vacation Resorts International; Susan Friedline of Dial
An Exchange-USA; Fran Korwek,
board president, Home Owners Associations; Dave Heine, a partner
in Close My Timeshare Now; and
Judi Kozlowski P.A., of Re/Max
Properties SW, Inc. They covered
all of our members’ issues and
Page 33
resort owners’ associations throughout the country. He is a mentor for the
Timeshare Board Members Association
(TBMA), and is a partner in the Asset
& Property Management Group in Las
Vegas, NV. He will offer his insights on
the timeshare industry’s future trends.
MacGregor is also a partner in the
Asset & Property Management Group
and a TBMA mentor. He has spent more
than 27 years in the timeshare industry,
including stints as chief financial officer of InnSeason Vacation Club and as
a regional manager for Interval International. He serves on many American
Resort Development Association committees, and provides advisory services
concerns, and gave us some great
handouts.
We received a lot of suggestions for the next meeting which
members felt would stimulate even
more interest. Members felt that
the more timeshare owners we
have joining NTOA, the more clout
they will have in getting results on
issues. To start an owners’ group in
your area, please contact us at 410536-0064.
Remember, membership in
NTOA costs just $75 for TimeSharing Today subscribers. To learn
more about all the benefits, visit
us at www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com, e-mail: hastry@aol.
com, or call 410-536-0064. We
look forward to hearing from you.
Jul/Aug, 2013
directly to timeshare management. He
will discuss the expected changes in the
timeshare vacation experience, and the
direct impact of these changes on all
current timeshare owners.
Harris is the founder and president
of Timeshare Advisor (www.TimeshareAdvisor.com), a free Web site that
provides reviews of timeshare resorts
throughout the world, and a former vice
president of Travelocity, an online travel
agency. She will present the benefits and
services that Timeshare Advisor now offers all timeshare owners.
A question and answer session will
follow each speaker. In addition, representatives of various timeshare exchange companies will attend to present
their programs and answer questions.
FTOG does not conduct or allow
any timeshare sales presentations during our meetings. Our primary purposes, since 2004, are to provide essential
information to our membership and to
share vacation experiences among the
members.
For more information on membership, visit our Web site, www.tsownersgroup.com.
Board Members
Onsite Managers
RSVP Now
TBMA - Las Vegas
October 28-30, 2013
TBMA is planning an updated agenda
on the key issues and opportunities for
your resort and your owners.
No resort should operate
in a vacuum
Meet other TBMA members and industry experts. Participate in interactive
panel discussions and network with
your peers. Get up-to-date information, share your bright ideas, experiences and goals. To RSVP, Email your
name, title, resort name, resort city/
state, phone number & email address
to [email protected].
Questions? Contact
Shep Altshuler - President
201-924-7435
The success of TBMA
depends on your participation.
TimeSharing Today
Page 34
®
RESORT REPORT CARDS
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Jul/Aug, 2013
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
COCONUT PALMS BEACH RESORT
New Smyrna Beach, FL
8.3
SOUTHCAPE RESORT & CLUB
Mashpee, MA
8.0
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, beach, daily
activities, barbeque facilities, casino cruise, bingo, laundry,
maid service, elevator.
Amenities and activities at resort: In/outdoor pools,
fitness, sauna, tennis, BBQ’s, kid’s playground, laundry,
shuffleboard, Wine & cheese reception, bingo. .
Amenities and activities nearby: Restaurants, shopping,
close to Daytona International Speedway, marina, fishing, Nat’l Seashore Park, sailing, tennis, Cape Canaveral,
scooter rentals, playground, biking, racetrack.
Amenities and activities nearby: Beach, horseback riding, boating, dining, golf, museums, historical sights, biking,
hiking at Cape Cod Nat’l Seashore.
Unit: Furnishings: 7.8
Cleanliness: 9.0
Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.0
Maintenance: 8.8
Construction quality: 8.8
Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.3
Nearby: 8.5
Suitable for: Young children: 8.4
Pre-teens: 7.3
Seniors: 8.8
Teenagers: 7.4
Handicapped: 7.0
Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.0
Convenience store: NA
Grounds and maintenance: 8.0
Security: 7.2
Staff: 9.2
General hospitality: 9.0
Exchange affiliation: I.I., RCI
Cleanliness: 7.8
Maintenance: 8.2
Nearby: 9.2
Pre-teens: 7.3
Seniors: 7.7
Teenagers: 7.3
Handicapped: 5.5
Resort: Restaurant facilities: N/A
Convenience store: 10.0
Security: 7.0
Staff: 7.8
Exchange affiliation: I.I., RCI
Comments: Great location, right on beach. Recently
refurbished older resort. Not luxurious, well maintained.
Friendly staff.
Comments: Great location for sightseeing, activities,
shops. Older 2 story spacious units, some need updating,
bathrooms up steep stairs to loft, helpful staff, need car to
get around.
WYNDHAM NASHVILLE
Nashville, TN
9.3
SILVER LAKES RESORT
Kissimmee, FL
8.9.
Amenities and activities at resort: Entertainment, 3 pools
dancing lessons, tours daily, hot tub, concierge, fitness
room, washer/dryer, daily activities, elevators, wi-fi, BBQ’s.
Amenities and activities at resort: Heated outdoor pools,
tennis, basketball, movie theatre, kids playground, fitness
center, sauna, game rm, arts/ crafts, computer room.
Amenities and activities nearby: Opryland, shopping,
Country Music Hall of Fame, hiking, museums, dinner
cruises, dinner shows, historic homes, golf, battlefields.
Amenities and activities nearby: Walt Disney World, Sea
World, supermarket, restaurants, golf, shopping, entertainment, mini-golf, boating, water skiing, Universal Studios.
Cleanliness: 9.6
Maintenance: 9.4 Construction quality: 8.9
Nearby: 9.8
Pre-teens: 8.4
Seniors: 9.5
Teenagers: 8.9
Handicapped: 8.8
Convenience store: N/A
Security: 8.8
Staff: 9.3
Exchange affiliation: RCI
Cleanliness: 8.9
Maintenance: 8.3
Nearby: 10.0
Pre-teens: 8.1
Seniors: 8.1
Teenagers: 8.0
Handicapped: 6.6
Security: 8.9
Staff: 9.2
Exchange affiliation: RCI
Comments: Beautiful units, friendly staff, quiet location, bus
tours pick up at resort, 15 min.drive to downtown Nashville,
parking is expensive, persistent sales staff. Car is a must.
Comments: Very friendly knowledgeable staff. Wonderful
for families. Large units, Uncomfortable sofa mattresses
Beautiful grounds, kids loved the pools. No elevators.
TimeSharing Today
Page 35
®
RESORT REPORT CARDS
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best.
Jul/Aug, 2013
Report Card ratings for each resort are
averages based on a significant number
of reports received from readers.
PALACE VIEW BY SPINNAKER
Branson, MO
9.1
MARRIOTT’S KAUAI BEACH CLUB
Lihue,Kauai, HI
9.0.
Amenities and activities at resort: In/Outdoor pools,
sauna, fitness/games rms, water aerobics, playground, kids
activities, washer/dryer in unit, concierge, business center,
Amenities and activities at resort: Large pool, on beach,
hot tub/spa, water sports, volleyball, golf, fitness center,
restaurants, valet, maid service, wi-fi, concierge.
Amenities and activities nearby: Live theatre, museums,
boating, hiking, fishing, IMAX, restaurants, theme parks,
outlet shopping, Silver Dollar City, golf, vintage railroad trips.
Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, shopping, hiking,
shopping, zip-lining, tubing, water sports, river rafting,
beaches, Grand Canyon of Kauai.
Cleanliness: 9.2
Maintenance: 9.3
Nearby: 9.8
Pre-teens: 8.1
Seniors: 9.4
Teenagers: 8.2
Handicapped: 8.1
Security: 8.5
Staff: 9.4
Exchange affiliation: I.I.,RCI
Cleanliness: 10.0
Maintenance: 9.8
Nearby: 9.5
Pre-teens: 8.5
Seniors: 9.2
Teenagers: 8.4
Handicapped: 8.5
Security: 9.3
Staff: 10.0
Exchange affiliation: I.I.
Comments: Affordably priced family oriented alternative
to Las Vegas. A+ on shows!. Easy to get around. Well
maintained, spacious units, helpful/friendly staff, elevator.
Comments: Nicely furnished, amazing pool & spa, beautiful grounds, large beach area, good access to restaurants,
excellent restaurant on property, breathtaking views!.
MARRIOTT’S ARUBA SURF CLUB, ARUBA
Aruba, NA
9.5
VARSITY CLUBS OF AMERICA
Tucson, AZ
8.5
Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, beach, lazy river,
water sports, fitness classes, gym, game room, computer
room, adult/kids programs, Friday night barbecue, dancing
lessons, tennis clinic, aerobics, casino, car rental.
Amenities and activities at resort: Pool, jacuzzi, fitness
center, wi-fi, laundry facility, putting green, BBQ, billiards,
gift shop, safe in room.
Amenities and activities nearby: Shops, dining, beaches,
many water sports including kayaking, horses, tours, casinos, golf, entertainment.
Cleanliness: 9.5
Maintenance: 9.5
Nearby: 9.5
Pre-teens: 9.7
Seniors: 9.7
Teenagers: 9.7
Handicapped: 9.3
Security: 9.3
Staff: 9.2
Comments: Excellent resort, beautiful grounds and beach
area, updated units/excellent amenities, walk to restaurants
and shops. Pool can get very crowded.
Amenities and activities nearby: Interesting variety of
museums, art galleries, parks, canyon, hiking, horseback
riding, casino, golf, theatres,
Cleanliness: 9.3
Maintenance: 9.3
Nearby: 9.4
Pre-teens: 7.0
Seniors: 9.0
Teenagers: 6.4
Handicapped: 8.6
Security: 9.4
Staff: 9.4
Comments: Central location for all sightseeing, near Univ.
of Arizona, helpful staff, small kitchen, complimentary van
service to some local attractions, washer/dryer on each
floor, sports oriented resort.
TimeSharing Today
Page 36
Jul/Aug, 2013
Registry Strives to Tame the Unburdening Beasts
By George Leposky, Editor
A company contacted me a year ago
with an intriguing offer to extricate me from
ownership of my timeshare unit-week. The
company would take title to my week and
assume responsibility for annual maintenance fees, property taxes, and any special
assessments the homeowners’ association
board might impose.
The nice lady with whom I spoke said
all I had to do was give her firm a power of
attorney. The firm would handle all details
and cover all transfer fees and closing costs,
including escrow; title search; estoppel
verification; preparation, overnight delivery, and tracking of closing documents; title
examination of the executed documents;
county deed recording; and notification of
the resort.
It seemed like a good deal—until she
told me this unburdening service would
cost me close to 90 percent of what I paid
to buy the week three decades ago. Put
another way, it was equal to seven years
of my 2013 maintenance fees and taxes.
I listened in disbelief. I wasn’t even
sure I wanted to be extricated, and this
high-cost escape route wasn’t appealing.
I politely declined. Then, out of curiosity,
I asked the nice lady what would happen
to my week if I accepted her offer. She
replied that the week would become part of
a bulk transfer. “We will pay a third-party
timeshare acceptance corporation three to
eight times the amount of your maintenance
fee. They will use it for rental and corporate
travel,” she said.
A Black Hole
That explanation sounded fishy to me.
The cash seemed to flow in the wrong direction. Later I realized that this unburdening
company may not have intended to put my
week to any worthwhile use or to pay its
annual fees and taxes.
Although some participants in the
unburdening business may resell certain
highly desirable timeshares, other inventory for which little or no demand exists
tends to fall into a black hole. Titles to such
timeshares are typically transferred to shell
corporations with no assets, or to individuals with limited financial capability.
Unburdening grew out of an earlier
scheme that surfaced more than a decade
ago, when scammers began contacting
owners by postcard or phone to say, “We
have a buyer for your timeshare,” and asked
for an upfront marketing or brokerage fee.
Trusting owners wrote checks and awaited
the sale proceeds, which never arrived.
Unburdening first appeared in 2007
and 2008, when the Great Recession
pinched the cash flow of many timeshare
owners. Resorts couldn’t immediately tell
what was happening, because unburdeners
accept only timeshares on which all current
fees and taxes are paid. That gives them up
to a year before a resort sends a new bill to
the new bogus owner, who doesn’t reply.
When the new bill becomes overdue, it goes
through in-house collection, and then to an
outside collection agency, which returns it
three to six months later after the collection
agency can’t contact the new owner.
HOA boards victimized by this scheme
eventually discover that the new nonpaying owners can’t be located to collect
the delinquent funds. Then the boards must
SnapShotAd
2010 07upon
11.pdf
spend money
to foreclose
and 7/11/2010
regain
SM RT PEOPLE
BUY
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RESALE
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©
800-808-5651
www.HTR4TimeShare.com
Marriott, Hyatt, Four Seasons,
Hilton, Westin and other Premium
Timeshare Resale Specialists
3:11
TimeSharing Today
title to these unit-weeks. Meanwhile, to
sustain the resort, the remaining legitimate
owners pay higher fees.
Focus on Estoppel
Among the first resorts to discover
unburdening’s impact on their bottom line
were several clients of Grant Wolf, Inc., a
shared-ownership consulting firm based in
Stateline, NV. Founded in 1985 by Peter
W. Grant, president, and Richard S. Wolf,
executive vice president, Grant Wolf has
developed its own properties in North Lake
Tahoe and Squaw Valley, CA, and through
the years has provided communications
management, inventory recovery, property
renewal and other sustainability services to
some 300 independent resorts and management companies.
Grant and Wolf began looking for
ways to counteract the unburdeners. They
focused initially on the estoppel aspect of
timeshare transfer. “In the past,” Grant explains, “a typical escrow company would
contact the resort and request an estoppel
certificate, a statement of current status.
The escrow company asks the HOA ‘Do
you have a lien against this unit-week or
are its payments up to date?’”
Page 37
“Unburdening is clearly an intent
to defraud these associations from their
maintenance fees,” Wolf says. “These unburdening businesses take full advantage of
the association by mimicking the practices
of legitimate escrow agencies. Companies
send the resort a blank estoppel request.
They say, ‘Fill it out and send it back. We’ll
notify you of the new transferee at some
future date.’ At the bottom of the form is
disclaimer language stating that you agree
to accept the name of the future transferee
without restriction.
“The HOAs never had a practice in
place to deal with this. Resorts would issue
estoppel certification without knowing who
was going to be the new owner. They didn’t
have good estoppel practices and procedures because they didn’t need them, and
now all this suspect activity is going on.”
Helping HOAs Adapt
Wolf created a Best Estoppel Procedures and Practices Manual that resorts
can use or modify for their resort’s unique
circumstances to require basic information before issuing estoppel certificates. It
includes language to implement a strong
estoppel procedure through a resort’s rules
Jul/Aug, 2013
and regulations or as board policy, and
model forms and letters. Wolf recommends
that associations require a pre-recording
review of all conveyance documents to
avoid common recording errors that can
compromise the chain of title.
Resorts following the manual’s guidance will apply its recommendations in a
uniform and non-discriminatory manner,
requiring escrow companies and everyone
else to fill out an internal transfer form, a
simple membership application that applies even to intra-family transfers (such
as a grandmother giving a unit-week to her
grandson). The standard form asks:
• Who is the transferee?
• What is the transferee’s physical
address? (A post office box, private mail
drop, or vacant lot isn’t acceptable because
the resort can’t execute legal service there
if the new owner doesn’t pay.)
• Does the transferee have a bank account, and does that account contain cash?
“We worked with Bruce P. Grego, a
former South Lake Tahoe city councilman
with 35 years of experience as a timeshare
association attorney,” Grant says. “He’s
incensed by the damage these unburdening
companies have caused. He says HOAs
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You are our business.
We excel at timeshare management, sales and rental. But long
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are fiduciaries; they have a right, in fact, a
responsibility, to maintain the resort’s roster
with people they believe will pay the dues.”
A beta test began in the spring of 2012
when five resorts implemented these estoppel practices and procedures, resulting in a
volley of attorney letters from the unburdeners, and a return volley from attorney
Grego. “In a year and a half,” Grant says,
“these HOAs have not issued an estoppel
certificate to anyone who has not properly
completed the paperwork.”
Checking the Data
When an escrow company did provide
a name and information, what could the
resorts do with it? No timeshare-specific
search function existed. The resorts consulted Google, Yahoo, and other public
search engines; and specialized services
such as LexisNexis, which are expensive.
This research yielded a maze of information, not necessarily relevant.
Wolf developed a targeted and crossreferenced search capability. “It’s not just
data, it’s relevant information. Now we
can find a transferee’s timeshare activity,
how many intervals they’ve taken title to—
whether they’ve purchased two or three,
Page 38
or if they have 20 or more, have owned
them for a while, and have been reported
by other subscribers as being delinquent,”
Wolf says.
“We can prepare a report stating what
we know about them, and perhaps classify
them as suspect. HOAs can paper their
files with these reports to show they’ve
done due diligence, and they can ask the
escrow company to explain why a transferee owns 47 timeshare intervals, to have
them demonstrate financial capability to
pay their assessments. In most cases the
escrow companies cease communication.”
The search capability and results
database comprise the Timeshare Transfer
Registry. To subscribe to it, HOAs pay
$47.50 a month. When a search is ordered,
if someone already searched the entity in
question, a copy of the existing report costs
$1.45. A new search and report costs $9.50.
The unburdeners are a moving target, with
new entities constantly appearing, so the
registry’s database continues to grow and
already contains nearly 1,000 original
entries.
“The subscription pays for itself exponentially,” Grant says. “The unburdeners are saying, ‘Don’t take a week from
Jul/Aug, 2013
certain resorts. These guys will give you
grief.’ The transfer activity at subscribing
resorts has slowed down, and the number
of maintenance fees we’re preserving or
protecting is quantifiable.”
In recent months, the unburdeners began recording transfers without an estoppel
certificate. County recorders accept such
requests when the paperwork includes a
deed and power of attorney. To combat this
practice, attorney Grego filed a lawsuit on
behalf of two California resorts, Americana
Vacation Club and Stardust Vacation Club,
seeking to enjoin 85 defendants (including
about 20 of the most active unburdeners
in the industry) from recording deeds in
El Dorado County, CA, that don’t comply
with the resorts’ transfer policies.
Collaboration with ARDA-ROC
One of the registry’s beta testers was
a resort managed by Defender Resorts,
Inc. Based in Myrtle Beach, SC, Defender
manages 23 timeshare resorts along the
U.S. eastern seaboard and in the Cayman
Islands, St. Maarten, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Its chairman and chief executive
officer, Ken McKelvey, also chairs the
American Resort Development Association
TimeSharing Today
Resort Owners’ Coalition (ARDA-ROC),
an ARDA spinoff that is now a separate
non-profit service corporation with its own
board of directors.
McKelvey has strong feelings about
the unburdeners. “Every time one of these
transfers takes effect, it’s a whammy on
every owner,” he says. “Any resort management entity should be deeply vested in
trying to stem this tide. We see what we’re
doing to build cases against these people
and stop this terrible practice as part of
our job.”
As reported in the June/July 2012 issue of TimeSharing Today, ARDA-ROC
formed a transfer company task force to
deal with the problem. One of its first projects was to be a database of unburdening
entities. Then the task force realized that
Grant Wolf already had such a database.
Discussions were held. In March 2013,
ARDA-ROC abandoned its own project,
issued a strong statement of support for
the Timeshare Transfer Registry, and contributed funds it had allocated for database
development to help Grant Wolf create the
registry’s Web site, www.ttregistry.com.
Each registry member is encouraged to
upload its existing suspect member information to the registry’s central database.
The registry gave ARDA-ROC member
HOAs a discounted subscription price,
$37.50 a month. By mid-May, five weeks
after its launch, registry membership had
grown 600 percent, from five to 30 resorts.
ARDA-ROC has lobbied the Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, and South
Carolina legislatures to pass laws circumscribing the unburdeners’ practices. “These
are the four states with the most legacy
resorts that these entities are attacking,”
McKelvey explains.
“The legislation is our attempt to say
that no one should be a party to a transaction the result of which is the placement of
the timeshare interest in an entity that has
no intention of paying the maintenance fees
or honoring the obligations of ownership.
The language in each state is a bit different,
but all of them seek to cause these folks to
stop their unfair and deceptive trade practices. I intend to build cases against some
of these guys, show them the laws on the
books, and encourage the regulators to help
me stop these people.”
At this writing, the Colorado law
passed, the Florida bill awaited the governor’s signature, the South Carolina law
was pending in the Senate, and the Massachusetts law was in conference committee.
Page 39
The Deedback Alternative
In part, the unburdeners thrive due to
a lack of alternative timeshare transfer opportunities. One way to address this issue
is for HOAs to adopt policies to accept
direct deedbacks from owners who no longer want their timeshares. In so doing, the
HOAs regain control without foreclosure
expense, and can rent or resell the units to
generate future revenues.
Defender Resorts has had a formal
deedback program since 2008. Each
resort’s board sets its own deedback fee,
ranging from estimated closing costs
to a year or two of maintenance fees.
“The program requires the owner to be
involved,” McKelvey says. “He needs to
demonstrate to us that he has tried to sell it
by advertising it or putting it on eBay, and
that he has also tried to give it to someone.”
“We’re trying to encourage resorts
to adopt their own policy for deedbacks,”
Grant says. “To be silent is not a policy.
Many resorts are afraid to state publicly
that they will take deedbacks for fear of
creating an influx of deedback inventory.”
“We’ve not seen the influx,” McKelvey
says.
Jul/Aug, 2013
Membership is Free.
CROWN VACATION
EXCHANGE
HAWAII TIMESHARE
EXCHANGE
Free membership; Gold
None required.
Advantage premium membership upgrade available.
DIAL AN
EXCHANGE
Since 1979, exchange and rental
co. with online exchange and rental
booking, exchange or deposit requests.
Ask for a.way list, daily inventory.
Best service and value. Other services
offered: Tricom Managment, resort
management company. and owner rental
Travel agency offers members below
market rates on car rentals and cruises.
Online services include exchange,
Getaways for additional weeks and
full-service travel. Golf program. Interval
Visa card provides benefits.
6262 Sunset Drive
Miami, FL 33143
800/622-1861
305/666-1861
P.O. Box 1077
Koloa, HI 96756
866/860-4873
Not released.
12 offices worldwide; the U.S.
office manages the entire
Americas region with awardwinning customer service and
a wide variety of international
inventory
7250 N.16th St., Ste. 402
Phoenix, AZ 85020
800/468-1799
602/516-7680
Not available.
Affordable week for week
exchanges. All exchanges
are confirmed on a first come
first serve basis. Deposited
inventory does not limit
requested inventory. No annual,
membership or joining fees.
P.O.Box 1680
Ocean Springs, MS 39566
877-26CROWN
www.crownvacationexchange.com
[email protected]
LOCATION
PHONE
INTERNET
COMMENTS
EXCHANGES MADE
www.daelive.com
Not provided.
952,834 in 2012
Exchange, rental and travel
company specializing in Hawaii.
Receive a bonus week when
depositing a future Hawaii week.
No charge for season
upgrades; fee to upgrade
number of bedrooms.
Online directory with available
resort inventory profiled. Print
directory with worldwide destination highlights, featured
resort profiles and listings.
Upgrades for season and unit
size based on availability. No
upgrade fees.
Online directory at
www.crownvacationexchange.com.
Directory includes links to
resort websites, resort contact
information and pictures.
UPGRADES
(Season or unit)
DIRECTORY
Bank and save a week for a
three-year deposit credit, or
bank at the same time you
make the exchange.
Vacation one year before or
after the start date of your
week. Extended week options
to avoid expiring weeks.
Request or deposit first.
BANKING OPTIONS
www.htse.net
[email protected]
Not provided.
www.intervalworld.com
No restrictions apply to
exchanges under 60 days,
subject to availability.
Website at www.htse.net list Annual directory with member
resorts with weekly updates. resorts that includes amenities
Members can go online to
and photos. Available in print,
check availability for exchang- online and through mobile
es and rentals.
app.
$175 for unit size
upgrade.
$49 for one yr, $125 for 3 yrs $89/1 yr; 3 yrs is $227;
Interval Gold is $59/yr;
and $199 for 5 yrs.
Interval Platinum is $129/yr.
Search first option or deRequest first, or deposit first,
posit week up to two years in Flexchange and Short Stay
advance.
exchanges (for upgraded
memberships) offer a variety
of options.
4025 East La Palma Ave.,
Suite 101
Anaheim, CA 92807
800/854-2324 - 714/779-7900
[email protected]
www.platinuminterchange.com
300+ most popular resorts in
color directory with amenities
and photos. Online directory
with available weeks, rental
deals and discounts.
Upgrade fees apply, subject
to availability.
Request first, deposit last. No fees
until confirmed, or bank week &
request exchange within 2 years
after date of deposit. Last minute
deposits accepted.
None.
None required
$129 - domestic
$149 - international
1300+ worldwide resorts not
under contract, subject to approval. Emphasis on quality.
None
$49 - guest certificate.
Fees $20 more when booked
through service center
$164 - Domestic and
international online
Approximately 2,800 resorts
in more than 75 countries.
ANNUAL DUES
No charge for guest certificates
$79- internal
$99- external
$109- international
U.S. mainland and international destinations.
No membership fees.
PLATINUM
INTERCHANGE`
$99- Domestic and external. $135- Domestic &
Fee payable upon confirma- International
tion of exchange. No fees for
Fee payable upon confirmaguest certificates.
tion of exchange. No fee for
guest certificates.
able for exchange.
Included with purchase from
developer of member resort.
Eligible owners may self enroll at renewal-fee rate.
INTERVAL
INTERNATIONAL
EXCHANGE FEES
Internal- home
resort
External- other
resort
able for exchange.
RESORTS AVAILABLE Any resort deposited is avail- Any resort deposited is avail- Resorts throughout Hawaii,
INITIAL
MEMBERSHIP
FEE
NAME OF COMPANY
COMPARISON CHART OF EXCHANGE COMPANIES
None
Domestic & international
Approx. 1.9 million annually
RCI pioneered vacation exchange
in 1974 and has continued to
enhance the member experience
ever since with first-to-market
innovations. Today, the global
leader offers quality, flexibility and
variety to 3.7 million members.
14 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054
800/338-7777 (Weeks)
877/968-7476 (Points)
www.rci.com
None at this time.
Not available.
Started in 1985 until 2002, then a
joint venture until 2009 and back
as DVU Club program until June
13, 2011.
2845 Nimitz Blvd., Suite E
San Diego, CA 92106
619/226-2391 or (855) donita1
www.donita.com
[email protected]
DIRECTORY
EXCHANGES
COMMENTS
LOCATION
PHONE
INTERNET
Subject to availability, based
on trading power (Weeks) or
Points. Free with Platinum.
RCI Weeks/Points directories
highlight resorts, benefits,
maps, cruises, services, other
vacation options. Available in
hard copy, online or as app.
No upgrade fees or size or
season.
UPGRADES
(Season or unit)
BANKING OPTIONS
ANNUAL DUES
Free memberships
available.
SFX PREFERRED
RESORTS
None
TRADING PLACES
INTERNATIONAL
None
TRADING PLACES
MAUI
Upgrade fees apply, subject
to availability.
1900 North Loop Road
Alameda, CA 94502
510/749-3700
800/739-9969
www.sfx-resorts.com
[email protected]
Specializing in the highest
rated resorts in the U.S., Mexico,
Canada, Caribbean, and Western
Europe. Must own a Gold Crown
or Five Star resort to qualify for
membership.
Not released.
Over 35 years providing consumers and developers exchange,
travel, rental, resale and resort/
association management services. Timeshare owner insurance
available for exchange reservations. Online exchange option.
23807 Aliso Creek Road,
Laguna Niguel, CA 92656
800/365-1048
800/448-5150
[email protected]
Not provided.
Specializes in Hawaii and West
Coast. Website has current availability, rental specials, reward
weeks, car rentals. Travel insurance available. Independently
owned. Not affiliated with Trading
Places International.
362 Huku Lii Places,
Suite #207
Kihei, Maui, HI 97653
800/345-7301
www.tpmaui.com
[email protected]
Not provided.
Online directory is available at 100s of popular resorts. Color Online directory at
directory, or online at www.
www.tpmaui.com.
www.sfx-resorts.com
tradingplaces.com/exchange. Annual printed directory
mailed with every deposit
and upon request.
1-for-1 exchange. No trade
Fees and availability
depend on membership level. power/season restrictions
$149 - $169
$149 - Internal
$159 - External
No fee for guest certificates. $169 - International
$179 - Reward Week
Fee payable upon confirma- $119- $139 for VEC members $109 - Extension fee
tion of exchange.
Payable when confirmed. No
charge for guest certificates.
None required.
None.
Gold membership is free.
Platinum memberships start VEC optional membership$99 to join, $79/year renewal.
at $199.
Search availability before
Two year credit on deposits.
Can deposit or request first
deposit. Request exchange at Search first option; extension
depending on membership
time of deposit or exchange program for expiring weeks.
status.
Reward Program for HI
Deposits are valid for up to 3 up to two years later;
extensions available.
weeks booked year ahead.
years.
$149 -$189 - domestic or
international, based on
membership level.
More than 4,000 affiliated 1200+ resorts, most are Gold Hundreds of resorts available. Kraus-Anderson resorts in
resorts in approximately 100 Crown/Five Star.
Maui, Kauai,Colorado. All recountries.
sorts deposited are available.
Usually included with purchase.
RCI
Weeks: Call Center- $209
Weeks Internet- $199
Points: Call Center
$49 to $169
Points Internet $39 to $159
Weeks-$89,
$25
Points-$124,
Platinum- $55.
Deposit first, travel 1 year
Request/Exchange and bank before or 2 yrs after start
or bank for later use, good for date of deposited Week.
up to 3 years after start date. No banking with RCI Points;
ceding applies.
EXCHANGE FEES $125 - U.S. and Canada
$150 - international
Internal- home
resort
External- other
exchange
RESORTS AVAILABLE Weeks deposited are for
INITIAL
MEMBERSHIP
FEE
NAME OF COMPANY DONITA’S VACATIONS
UNLIMITED
COMPARISON CHART OF EXCHANGE COMPANIES
-
TimeSharing Today
Page 43
TimeShare Classified
International
TWO-YEAR CALENDAR
2013
Wk #
2014
Starts on
Starts on
1
2
3
4
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
5
12
19
26
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
4
11
18
25
5
6
7
8
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
2
9
16
23
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
1
8
15
22
9
10
11
12
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
2
9
16
23
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
1
8
15
22
13
14
15
16
Mar.
Apr.
Apr.
Apr.
30
6
13
20
Mar.
Apr.
Apr.
Apr.
29
5
12
19
17
18
19
20
Apr.
May
May
May
27
4
11
18
Apr.
May
May
May
26
3
10
17
21
22
23
24
May
Jun.
Jun.
Jun.
25
1
8
15
May
Jun.
Jun.
Jun.
24
31
7
14
25
26
27
28
Jun.
Jun.
Jul.
Jul.
22
29
6
13
Jun.
Jun.
Jul.
Jul.
21
28
5
12
29
30
31
32
Jul.
Jul.
Aug.
Aug.
20
27
3
10
Jul.
Jul.
Aug.
Aug.
19
26
2
9
33
34
35
36
Aug.
Aug.
Sep.
Sep.
17
24
31
7
Aug.
Aug.
Aug.
Sep.
16
23
30
6
37
38
39
40
Sep.
Sep.
Sep.
Oct.
14
21
28
5
Sep.
Sep.
Sep.
Oct.
13
20
27
4
41
42
43
44
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Nov.
12
19
26
2
Oct.
Oct.
Oct.
Nov.
11
18
25
1
45
46
47
48
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Dec.
9
16
23
30
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
8
15
22
29
49
50
51
52
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
7
14
21
28
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
6
13
20
27
RCI and Interval International both start week
#1 on the first Saturday of the year in 2013
and 2014.
Some resorts start weeks on a Friday or
Sunday. Check with the resort to confirm
check-in dates.
Jul/Aug, 2013
THE MARKETPLACE FOR TIMESHARES
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
ARIZONA
****************************
SEDONA-Red Rock Country!. Best Buys!
Specializing in the Gold Crown Arroyo
Roble. Voted one of AZ’s highest rated
resorts! Call Rod Goebel, Broker Sedona
Timeshare Resales. 800/344-3763
www.sedonatimeshareresales.com
------------------------------------------------------LOS ABRIGADOS RESORT & SPA, Sedona, 1BR slps 6, all yr float 2014, $1000,
603/669-5506, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------FOUR SEASONS Residence Club
Scottsdale at Troon North.
2 BR lockoff
Deeded Platinum, Gold, or
Silver available.
Starting at $1000
Contact Betty at TRIWEST
800/423-6377
www.ResidenceClubResaleBroker.com
------------------------------------------------------DIAMOND RESORTS, SCOTTSDALE
VILLA MIRAGE, 2BR, 2ba floating, deeded, $3700, John 360/402-9311
------------------------------------------------------SCOTTSDALE CAMELBACK RESORT,
$700, B46, wk 48, 602/320-2811, aaron@
GetArizonaRealEstate.com
------------------------------------------------------LONDON BRIDGE RESORT: Lakefront
resort on Lake Havasu. Prime floating
1 and 2 bedroom deeded units. Annual
Use $1995+. Contact Tony for details:
(714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.
------------------------------------------------------PREMIER VACATION CLUB, ROUNDHOUSE RESORT, Pinetop, 1BR, float wk,
Ski Country, $500 OBO 623/566-6034
------------------------------------------------------SCOTTSDALE SHERATON DESERT
OASIS, 2BR, lockoff deeded, can be used
as a 2–1BR, prime floating, $1000, fee pd,
[email protected].
-------------------------------------------------------
Keep your susbscription active.
Stay Informed!
CORRECTIONS
If there is an error or change in your ad,
do not telephone us. Please email staff@
tstoday.com, write or send a fax Include
both the old and the new wording. Contact:
Ad Editor, TimeSharing Today
140 County Rd, Ste 114, Tenafly NJ 07670
Fax: 201-871-4305
****************************
CALIFORNIA
****************************
Save 40 to 70% off Hilton Grand Vacation Club units. I am an Accredited Buyers Representative. and will be happy to
represent you in the purchase of a Hilton
unit. No Buyer’s fee. If you would like to
be put on my Best Buy list send an email
to [email protected]. You may call me at
1-800-541-5666 ext 622 or my cell at 407921-0000. My website is www.JudiKoz.com
------------------------------------------------------LAWRENCE WELK LWR Escondido, San
Diego, 5 Star Red 6 & 7 wk deeded, 2BR,
2ba, 10K ea 727/817-1302.
--------------------------------------------------------HEAVENLY VALLEY TOWNHOUSES, truly
one of a kind, 1700 sq ft across the street
from Heavenly Ski Resort, 3BR, 3ba, W/D,
wood burning fireplaces, jacuzzi, sauna,
pool (Summer) 530/541-4755, www.heavenlyvalleytownhouses.com
-----------------------------------------------------CARLSBAD INN, Wk 46, big & comfy 1BR
unit, #109, $1850, 626/791-5147, reedie_
[email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------LAGONITA LODGE RESORT: Lakefront
resort on Big Bear Lake. Prime Season
Annual use WINTER/SUMMER 2 bedroom, 3 bath deeded “LAKEFRONT” unit
$9995. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
--------------------------------------------NOB HILL INN: In the prestigious Nob
Hill area of San Francisco. Prime floating 2 bedroom deeded unit. Annual Use
$5995. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------RIVIERA OAKS, Ramona, 1BR, every other
year, red time, $750 Association Fees Pd,
------------------------------------------------------WELK RESORT, VILLAS ON THE GREEN,
Escondido, large 1BR, 1ba, float all yr, $400
OBO, 480/951-9051
Avoid Scams
Ignore telemarketers and
email solicititors looking
for upfront fees and
personal information.
Have your attorney
review all documents
before you sign. Fees
should be held in escrow.
Ad deadline - 8/10/13
Add Color To Your Ad
Select the color option
on the advertising order form.
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
CALIFORNIA
****************************
PINE ACRES LODGE, Pacific Grove, walk
to Pebble Bch/Asilomar. Float week, villa
unit, lg king br + 2 qns, sleep 6, $1899 incl
2013 fees paid, 713/206-8931, passbear@
aol.com.
------------------------------------------------------SAN FRANCISCO Suites at Fisherman’s
Wharf, Shell Vacation Club, Western Club
Points at California locations, 12,000 pts
Asking $2,000. Contact Dave at
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------SAN CLEMENTE, San Clemente Inn, 2 red
weeks, 1 br, 1 ba, Maint. Fee $698. July
reservations. Asking $500 each or $750
for both weeks. Contact Dave at
[email protected].
------------------------------------------------------FOUR SEASONS Residence Club Aviara,
Carlsbad.
1 BR Standalone or 2 BR lockoff
Deeded Platinum or Gold available.
Every other year starting at $1500
Contact Betty at TRIWEST 800/423-6377
www.ResidenceClubResaleBroker.com
------------------------------------------------------HARBORTOWN POINT Marina Resort
and Club, Ventura.
Mariner-Studio / Voyager-1BR / Islander1BR lockoff
Deeded Prime or High available.
Starting at $199
Contact Viccie at TRIWEST 800/423-6377
www.HarbortownPreferredBroker.com
------------------------------------------------------WINNERS CIRCLE BEACH & TENNIS
RESORT, Solana Beach, wk 10, 1BR, all
fees current. Make Offer, need to sell due
to health & age, contact
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WINNERS CIRCLE BEACH & TENNIS
RESORT, Solana Beach Lowest Price
ever offered FSBO, 1BR, $700, 2BR, $900,
------------------------------------------------------CARLSBAD SEAPOINTE RESORT, 2BR,
2ba, oceanfront, wk #10 &
wk #11deeded, biennial, $1000 for both,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM OCEANSIDE PIER RESORT, Oceanside, $41185, 225/715-4653,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------There are a lot of changes taking place
in the timeshare industry. If you know
others who have an interest in vacation
ownership, tell them about
TimeSharing Today.
Page 44
****************************
CALIFORNIA
****************************
MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS
VILLAS I
2Bdrm 2Bath Units/Lockout
Seasons: RED - $8,000
WHITE - $4,500
See us at www.htr4timeshare.com
Hotel Timeshare Resales
800 – 808 – 5651
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS
VILLAS II
Seasons: RED - $7,500
WHITE - $3,500
800 – 808 – 5651
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT NEWPORT COAST VILLAS
PLATINUM 2/2
Weeks 23-5 $9,500
GOLD 2/2 - Weeks 1-22 $6,000
800 – 808 – 5651
------------------------------------------------------WESTIN MISSION HILLS
Seasons: GOLD $3,000
Platinum - $8,000
800 – 808 – 5651
***************************
COLORADO
****************************
WYNDHAM DURANGO, 1BR, slps 4,
154,000 pts, indoor ppol, hot tub, gym, near
ski, shops, restaurants, fitness ctr, airport.
Deeded. $2000. Fred @ 727/787-8580.
------------------------------------------------------RAMS HORN VILLAGE, ESTES PARK,
2BR, 2ba deeded, float wk, slps 6, Gold
Crown, abuts Rocky Mtn Nat’l Pk, $4000,
------------------------------------------------------GOLDENWOODS AT POWERDERHORN,
ski resort, 2BR, deeded red float wk with
resort extras $1000, 2013 fees $422,
970/434-4380.
------------------------------------------------------HYATT MAIN STREET STATION, Breckenridge, $52000, platinum week # 50, 2BR
2ba, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------RAMS HORN, Estes Park, red wk beginning 2014, maintenance pd, $10,000,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------THE WREN, Vail, $1500,
303/467-0706,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------Place a classified ad today at
www.tstoday.com
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Atlantic Coast
------------------------------------------------------JENSEN BEACH &
BOCA RATON RESORTS
One offers over 2000 sq. feet, two and
three bedrooms, plus atrium in the unit.
Great amenities include pools and tennis
courts. No developer hassles. Forclosure
opportunity on prime red weeks.
Defender Realty 1-800-799-0798
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------DEERFIELD BEACH. Emerald Seas. 1
BR, 1 ba, full kit. Wk 51. Oceanfront resort, beautiful beach, convenient location.
$1100. [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------FT LAUDERDALE BEACH RESORT,
Wk 39, Unit 803, 1BR, slps 6-8, $4500,
------------------------------------------------------AMERICANO BEACH LODGE RESORT,
Daytona Bch, end unit on 9th flr, views
directly on beach. Race wk for Coke
Zero 400 @ Daytona Speedway. Own for
assuming yrly maint fee. Adam 239/8989194.
------------------------------------------------------DAYTONA BEACH-Perennial Vacation
Club, red week, 1 br, Maint fee. $594, Asking $500. Contact Dave at [email protected].
DAYTONA BEACH-Perennial Vacation
Club, red week, 1 br, Maint fee. $594, Asking $500. Contact Dave at [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------HUTCHINSON ISLAND-Hilton Plantation
Beach Club at Indian River Plantation, 2
br, Maint. Fee $1092, asking $2500 or bo.
Contact Dave at [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------HUTCHINSON ISLAND-Hilton Plantation
Beach Club at Indian River Plantation, 2
br, Maint. Fee $1092, asking $2500 or bo.
------------------------------------------------------NATIVE SUN, Pompano Beach, ocean
view, 1BR, slps 4, wks 28 & 29, $2200
a week or both for $4000. Call collect
843/681-4783
------------------------------------------------------RON JOHN CAPE CARIBE (Oceanside
odd) wk 49 + FREE-SILVERLEAF (wk 42
red) both 2BR, 2ba, slps 8, $9000, rents
well, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------DISCOVERY BEACH RESORT, Cocoa
Beach, $3500,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------PALM BEACH SHORES RESORT & VAC
VILLAS, Palm Beach Shores, wk 35, 1BR,
1ba, $1500OBO, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Gulf Coast
------------------------------------------------------WHITE SANDS, Longboat Key, Wk 17,
2BR, 2ba twnhouse, slps 6, 2 pools, adj
to Sarasota/Bradenton, $5000 OBO,
[email protected].
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Gulf Coast
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT CRYSTAL SHORES, Marco
Island, 3BR, 3ba Penthouse Units-only 2
on property. PRES. WK & WK 13, 317/8730555, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CHARTER CLUB OF NAPLES, 2BR, 2ba,
deeded week 26 (July 4th), $6450 OBO,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MARCO ISLAND-MARCO RESORT &
CLUB, 1BR, 1ba, LOW LOW Annual Dues
($450). Great for RCI exchanges. Deeded
weeks. Multiple units available. $600/unit,
[email protected].
------------------------------------------------------THE SURF CLUB, Marco Island, Great
2BR, 2ba, deeded Week # 35, $3495,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------UMBRELLA BEACH, Anna Maria Isl.,2BR,
deeded, floats 1-52, 1 or 2 wks, $4000
OBO, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------HGVC EAGLES NEST 5* Resort, Marco
Island, newly renovated, 2BR villa, bch &
pool view, wk 18, $12,000, 732/267-8258,
or [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------EAGLES NEST BEACH RESORT, Marco
Island, wk 49 & 50, $3500 ea 2BR, 2ba,
slps 6, new kit appl.,w/d,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT CRYSTAL SHORES AT
MARCO ISLAND
Platinum 2Bdrm 2Bath $32,000
(3 Weeks Avail.)
800 – 808 – 5651
------------------------------------------------------PLANTATION BAY VILLA at SOUTH SEAS
ISLAND RESORT, Captiva, 3BR, wk 21,
$15000, 828/659-2341, lmcnamee@
hughes.net
-------------------------------------------------------
Keys
------------------------------------------------------KEY WEST:
The Banyan Resort
Luxury and charm
In the heart of Old Town.
Resales starting at only $4000.
Large inventory available.
Call: Amy Lachat Lynch, Banyan Realty.
305/296-1230
Email: [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KEY LARGO. Anchorage Resort. Week 7
(President’s week). One BR, slps 4. Resort
has own marina. Great fishing and scuba
diving/snorkeling. Deeded RCI. Must sell.
$16,500. 201/768-7124
-------------------------------------------------------
Page 45
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Orlando Area
------------------------------------------------------DISNEY VACATION CLUB resales, all
resort locations typically available. Significant savings! Call DVC By Resale toll
free 1-800-844-4099 or visit www.DVCbyResale.com for current listings. Shontell C
Crawford, Lic. Real Estate Broker email:
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------NEAR DISNEY. Florida Vacation Villas,
Presidents Week 7. 2BR, Sleeps 6, Pool,
tennis, playground, W/D in unit. Asking
$4500. Email to [email protected] or
call 201-362-8151.
------------------------------------------------------Save 40 to 70% off Hilton Grand Vacation Club units. I am an Accredited Buyers Representative. and will be happy to
represent you in the purchase o+f a Hilton
------------------------------------------------------Westgate Resort. 2 bedroom unit for prime
week # 5 priced at just $99! Ninety-nine
bucks! Licensed Broker. A+ Rating with
the BBB. 1 year Satisfaction Guarantee
with each purchase! 800-809-6020 or
[email protected]
www.TimeSharesToGo.com
------------------------------------------------------GRAND BEACH, 3BR, 3ba, patio, LR, full
kit, W/D, 4 TV’s, ihomes, $4000, floating
wk, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CALYPSO CAY, 2BR, w/lockout, even yrs,
deeded, near Disney, float, slps 6, $5000,
402/895-1518, 402/660-2660, katlb@cox.
net
------------------------------------------------------ORLANDO-Vacation Village at Parkway,
74000 RCI points/year, Maint. Fee $768,
asking $500. Contact Dave at
[email protected].
------------------------------------------------------MYSTIC DUNES RESORT, bi-annual wk
19, even $1000 OBO. Call 480/720-0442,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------FLORIDA VACATION VILLAGE, near
Disney, 3BR incl. 1BR lockout, great for
families, playground, tennis, pools, $2200,
’13 mt fees pd, 913/631-4414, jashby3@
gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT GRAND VISTA, 3BR with
lockout. Great value $14,000. GOLD, 276233-8613, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CYPRESS POINTE GRAND VILLAS,
Prime Quality Resort, 3BR condo (lock
off with 2 kitchens). Minutes from Disney.
Motivated sellers will pay on closing costs.
Must sell ASAP, [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------MYSTIC DUNES RESORT & GOLF CLUB,
near Disney, 3BR w/lockout, Sleeps 12, Wk
6, even years, $5000, email s-f-robinson@
comcast.net
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Orlando Area
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT ORLANDO WORLD CENTER, 2BR VAC OWNERSHIP, 2 weeks #
51 Christmas, deeded in perpetuity, 25K,
407/344-3571
------------------------------------------------------LIKI TIKI VILLAGE, 3BR lock-off, close to
Disney, $2000 OBO,
Call 925/785-9611
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT LAKESHORE RESERVE,
Platinum, slps 10, $27000, (52)55
56168569, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------ORBIT ONE, 2BR, 2ba, wk 32, $3995,
VACATION VILLAS 2BR, 2ba, wk 50, $995,
------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA RESORT, $$5000,
------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA, $3000, red wk
45, 2BR, 2ba, slps 8, 773/230-4651, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE VACATION VILLAS, $9000,
518/529-4150,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE LAKES RESORT & SPA,
$15000, 262/639-8254,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Florida- Central &
Other Locations
------------------------------------------------------MAJESTIC SUN DESTIN, points 154,000,
deeded $16500 offers #BR’s ba’s vary,
email [email protected]
****************************
GEORGIA
****************************
PETIT CREST VILLAS at Big Canoe –
North Georgia’s best kept secret – your
own Mountainside Villa for the week or
weekend! Great rates on rentals; even
better deals on sales! 706-268-3600
www.petitcrestvillas.com.
****************************
HAWAII
****************************
PANIOLO GREENS, 2BR, floating year
round, on golf course, 5 mins to ocean,
some units handicapped, $3,000, gary_
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------IMPERIAL WAIKIKI-Koa Unit, 1BR, 2ba,
slps 4, annual float, great loc. Selling 2 wks,
1 for $2800, both for $5000, 805/710-0484.
------------------------------------------------------Put us in touch.
Are your resort manager and HOA
Board Members subscribing to
TimeSharing Today? Send us their
contact information:
[email protected]
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
HAWAII
****************************
MARRIOTT’S MAUI -ALL PHASES- 1 &
2 BR units. Starting @ $ 3,500. Contact
Syed Sarmad, Hawaii Broker. Specialist
in all HI properties & name brand resorts.
www.advantagevacation.com, www.hoteltimeshares.com 800/775-4493
----------------------------------------------------WESTIN KA’ANAPALI BOTH PHASES- 1
& 2 BR units. Starting @ $ 4,500. Contact
Syed Sarmad, Hawaii Broker. Specialist in
all HI properties & all name brand resorts.
www.advantagevacation.com,
www.hoteltimeshares.com
800/775-4493
------------------------------------------------------Save 40 to 70% off Hilton Grand Vacation Club units. I am an Accredited Buyers Representative. and will be happy to
------------------------------------------------------PAHIO at BALI HAI, north shore of Kauai,
Princeville, 2BR condo, 2 wks/yr, 417/6268646, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KAHANA BEACH VACATION CLUB:
Oceanfront resort on MAUI. Prime floating 1 bedroom, 2 bath deeded OCEANFRONT units. $3800. Contact Tony:
(714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
----------------------------------------------------SANDS OF KAHANA: Oceanfront resort
on MAUI. Prime floating 1 bedroom
deeded unit. Annual Use $3800. Contact
Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
----------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MAUI OCEAN CLUB:
Oceanfront resort in Kaanapali on
MAUI. Prime floating 1 bedroom, 2 bath
OCEANFRONT SUITE PLATINUM
ANNUAL deeded unit. $14,000. Contact
Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------HONO KOA RESORT, Lahaina, Maui,
deeded, even yrs, float, 2BR, 2ba, slps 6,
$2000 closing/trans fee, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST II, 1BR, 2ba, float wk, golf,
ocean view, maint. fees pd 1st qtr. $4000,
call 207/799-2860 or 207/831-4620.
------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST II, 1BR, 2ba, slps 4,
float week $3500 OBO, 757/603-6229,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------These ads are read. Place your ad at
www.tstoday.com
Page 46
****************************
HAWAII
****************************
PAHIO (now Wyndham) at BALI HAI, north
shore of Kauai, Princeville, 1BR, 1week/
year, $2500, 562/427-1098, allezmike@
me.com
------------------------------------------------------PAHIO (now Wyndham) MAKAI CLUB,
Princeville, Kauai, newly renovated,
1BR, 1wk/EOY, $1500, 562/427-1098,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST I & II, 1BR, 1 wk each/year,
golf, ocean views, $3500 each, 562/4271098, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MAUI SCHOONER - Assn. & owner resales. 1 to 3 bedroom; some every other
year. [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------HAWAIIAN PRINCESS AT MAKAHA
Limited number of assn. & owner resales.
Call Penny Dumont 808-497-3052 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KAHANA FALLS RESORT
Limited number of assn. & owner resales.
Floor plans to match your family’s needs
- great pricing! Call Penny Dumont 808497-3052 or [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MAUNA LOA VILLAGE BY THE SEA,
Kailua-Kona, $1, 1BR. 1ba, floating,
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT WAIOHAI BEACHCLUB,
Kauai, 2BR, 2ba, platinum season, even
yrs, Poipu Beach, island view, $4900,
------------------------------------------------------ONE NAPILI WAY, Maui, 3BR, 2ba float,
2 wks available, $10,000 each, fees paid
2013, [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------ONE NAPILI WAY, lovely 3BR, 2ba, 2 min
walk to beach, in Kapalua area. Every yr
except wks 51/52, $13,000, 402/802-3898
or [email protected]
***************************
IDAHO
***************************
ISLAND PARK VILLAGE RESORT, Island
Pk, deeded 1BR, 1ba, slps 4, red wk # 27.
Golf, swimming, wading pool, exercise
room onsite. Sq dancing, fishing & Yellowstone Nat’l Park within 20 mi., groceries & restaurant nearby. $539 maint fee
pd for 2013. Make Offer, 209/383-6918,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------PEND OREILLE SHORES RESORT,
Hope, $3995, wk #34 waterfront, 1BR,
360/629-1729, groundhogdw@yahoo.
com.
------------------------------------------------------Tell someone you know about
TimeSharing Today
Your referrals are important.
Request our pass along cards to help
spread the word.
Jul/Aug, 2013
***************************
LOUISIANA
***************************
New Orleans-Wyndham Avenue Plaza,
studio red week, use year begins 2013,
Maint. Fee $515. Asking $200, Contact
Dave at [email protected].
***************************
MAINE
***************************
RANGELEY LAKE RESORT, Rangeley,
$18,500, wk 32, 3BR, 2ba, 603/529-0841,
[email protected]
.
***************************
MARYLAND
***************************
OCEAN CITY, MD
Club Ocean Villas II, Boardwalk One,
Ocean High and The Quarters.
We have it all from fixed flex, quartershare
to RCI Points. Studio to Two bedroom
refurbished resorts. Own one week and
vacation up to 39 nights each year. Call for
incredible resale prices and no hassles.
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM VACATION RESORTS at
NATIONAL HARBOR, Ft Washington,
$25990, 202/421-3366, thefirstman@
peoplepc.com
****************************
MASSACHUSETTS
****************************
OAK & SPRUCE, Presidential 2BR, wk 33,
Tanglewood wk, 6 day bonus tm $7500,
------------------------------------------------------COVE at YARMOUTH, Timeshare wk 27
(7/6-13, 2014), 1BR, 2ba, slps 4, $3500,
------------------------------------------------------OAK/SPRUCE, 2BR, wk 27, Tanglewood
wk, 6 day bonus, $10,500, rent for $$ income, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------VAC VILLAGE BERKSHIRES, wk 34, red
2BR, 2ba, lockout unit 1300sf $11,000,
maint fee pd, newar Tanglewood, Clark
****************************
MISSOURI
****************************
WESTGATE Branson Woods, 2BR, 2BA
Lock off, Annual Floating Wks 1-52, Jacuzzi Tub, Full Kitchen, $500.00.
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------GRAND REGENCY RESORT, Branson,
red wk # 50, 3BR, lockout, $23,500,
------------------------------------------------------FRENCH QUARTER, Branson, 3BR, 4ba
(2 ea side) lockout, redweek, July, $9900,
Mary Jane 479/366-3038
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
MONTANA
****************************
GLACIER WILDNERNESS RESORT,
West Glacier, red week 51, Xmas wk, 2BR,
$1500, [email protected]
-****************************
NEVADA
****************************
------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS SUITES, Las Vegas,
2BR, 2ba w/lock off. Wk #42 deeded float.
MF $1050. Bonus 2012 Wk $2500 OBO +
trsfr fees II trader, 425/697-6999, sarinae@
gmail.com
------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS: On the Strip in Las
Vegas. ALL Towers 1,2,& 3 at the Polo
Towers. Prime floating and fixed, 1 and
2 bedroom deeded VILLAS and SUITES
with “LOCK-OFF” feature. $1995+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LAS VEGAS, Suites at Polo Towers, Super
Vegas location, 1 BR, 1 ba, eoy odd years,
float 1-52, maint fee $918, $500 or best
offer, Dave at [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------SUMMER BAY DESERT RESORT, 2BR.
Selling for $18,000. (Paid $24,000),
------------------------------------------------------GRANDVIEW LAS VEGAS, 1BR, Wk 18.
Best Offer, Must Sell!
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
The Jockey Club Resort. 1 bedroom
super prime guaranteed week # 52 (New
Years!) and week 53 priced at only $2995!
Licensed Broker. A+ Rating with the BBB.
1 year Satisfaction Guarantee with each
purchase! 800-809-6020 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------The Cliffs at Peace Canyon. Gold Crown
rated 1 bedroom unit for prime week
8 comes with 35,000 RCI Points and
priced at just $99! NINTY-NINE BUCKS!
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Page 47
-****************************
NEVADA
****************************
MARRIOTT GRAND CHATEAU, Las
Vegas, 2BR lockoff, Platinum $11,500,
------------------------------------------------------PLANET HW/ELARA HILTON VEGAS,
floating, 1BR Grand Villa-all new. Sleeps
4, jacuzzi tub, W/D, full kitchen, 42”
TV, $4,000. Deeded. Motivated to sell,
617/997-9886, [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------GRANDVIEW, Las Vegas, 2BR lock-in
unit, ie two identical 1BR suites, Wk 46,
$17,000. Please contact
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LAS VEGAS, Suites at Polo Towers, Super
Vegas location, 1 BR, 1 ba, eoy odd years,
float 1-52, maint fee $918, $500 or best
offer, Dave at [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------RIDGE CREST, Lake Tahoe, 1BR, float
wk, slps 4, full kit, skiing, amenities, $0
FREE, 541/403-1623
------------------------------------------------------JOCKEY CLUB, 1BR, 1ba deeded, float,
maint fee ONLY $456, 3 wks, $2500 ea,
------------------------------------------------------JOCKEY CLUB, 2BR, 2ba, wk 3 & 22,
Vegas strip Bellagio show view, $4100 ea
OBO, 305/446-4834, [email protected]
*************************
NEW JERSEY
****************************
FLAGSHIP, Atlantic City, 1BR, 1.5ba, slps
4, many amenities $9500 OBO, Email:
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LA RENAISSANCE, LAR, Atlantic City
Boardwalk, Red, deeded wk 24 & 25, 1BR,
oceanfront, 5K studio 3K, 727/817-1302.
****************************
NEW YORK
****************************
------------------------------------------------------THE MANHATTAN CLUB, NYC, Executive
Suite, NEW YEAR’S WEEK!!!, $24,500,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------Put us in touch.
Are your resort manager and HOA
Board Members subscribing to
TimeSharing Today? Send us their
contact information:
[email protected]
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
NORTH CAROLINA
****************************
OUTER BANKS, NC- All resorts and homeowner assn resales. 1, 2, 3, & 4 BR condos.
Deeded wks. 252/441-2134
www.outerbanksresorts.com
------------------------------------------------------FAIRWAY FOREST @ SAPPHIRE VALLEY, 2BR, 2ba townhse, slps 6, wks
32 & 33. Deeded, 3 pools, lake, tennis,
golf, horses, gym, low maint, $2000 ea,
727/787-8580.
***************************
OREGON
****************************
THE INN at OTTER CREST. Unit 112113 Bldg A, Otter Rock. 2BR, lg living
rm, tv rm, 2 full ba, full kit & dining area.
W/D in unit, Heated pool with easy beach
access. Panoramic oceanview-close to
Newport & Lincoln City. 4 full wks per year,
$29,900.00, www.innatottercrest.com,
[email protected].
------------------------------------------------------NEWPORT, Schooner Landing, 2 br, 2 ba,
red week, maint fee $728, $500 or best offer, Contact Dave at [email protected]
****************************
RHODE ISLAND
****************************
WYNDHAM INN ON LONG WHARF, wk
36 Labor Day Week 1BR, 1ba, $5000,
[email protected]
****************************
SOUTH CAROLINA
****************************
MYRTLE BEACH
Maritime Beach Club, The Links, The
Beach House, Windy Shores II, Ocean
Forest Colony, Montego Beach Club and
Ataylaya Towers. We offer fixed, floating,
flex and RCI Points from studio to three
bedrooms. Oceanfront to golf course.
Vacation up to 35 nights each year and it
works! Low RCI Points conversion price.
Call for information at
[email protected]
----------------------------------------------------RIPTIDE CLUB II, Myrtle Beach, 1BR
Suite, white wk 9-14 or 44-47, 2014. Deeded: 1 wk $1200 or 2 wk $1000 each. Bill
804/272-1915 email [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------MYRTLE BEACH, Sheraton Broadway
Plantation, 2 BR, 2ba, float week 9-43, 47 ,
maint fee $924, Asking $500 or bo, contact
Dave, [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------THE LINKS, NMB, 2BR, 2BA, SLPS 6, WK
25 with or w/o RCI pts, $4995,
www.defenderresorts.com
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MONARCH, Hilton Head,
2BR, Wk 6 $2800, Wk 7 $5900. Both for
------------------------------------------------------PORT O’ CALL @ Hilton Head, 3BR, 3ba,
cottage, pool, BBQ, wk 11, $8000, 860/5686709, [email protected]
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
TENNESSEE
****************************
WYNDHAM FFG, Wk 13 lockout, slps
8, 5 golf courses, 11 lakes. 126000 Pts.
$1900 OBO 502-895-5350, glendamron@
bellsouth.net.
------------------------------------------------------TREE TOPS, Gatlinburg, wk 34, 2BR, 2ba,
47K RCI PTS, deeded, $3000 + closing,
------------------------------------------------------MOUNTAIN LOFT, Gatlinburg, 1BR, 1ba,
deluxe unit, annual red fixed week 18, great
mtn view, $300,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE SMOKY MOUNTAINS, Gatlinburg 2BR, wks 46 & 52, $17,900, 516/4251494, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CROWN PARK RESORT, Gatlinburg, Peak
1BR, 1ba, 107000pts, $10000, 734/7177004, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LAUREL POINT RESORT, Gatlinburg,
$5000, wk 35, red, 2BR, 2ba, 205/6654687, [email protected]
****************************
TEXAS
****************************
INVERNESS BY THE SEA, Galveston, wk
48, 1BR, deeded, $3500 OBO, 760/4645584, [email protected]
****************************
UTAH
****************************
MARRIOTT MOUNTAINSIDE, Park City,
Gold (24-38), 2BR, 2ba, lock-off, $4900,
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT SUMMIT WATCH, Park City,
$49000, wk 52 + Plat, 2BR, 2ba, 213/4887345, [email protected]
****************************
VERMONT
****************************
TRAPP FAMILY RESORT, Stowe, 2BR,
2ba, May, $4300. Motivated Seller,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CEDARBROOK at KILLINGTON, unit
101/102 lockout, wk 34. Bank one or both
units! All reasonable offers considered.
Principals only.
[email protected].
-------------------------------------------------------
New reader?
Stay informed!
Become a subscribing member.
See the order form page 55
or visit
www.tstoday.com
Page 48
****************************
VIRGINIA
****************************
HISTORIC POWHATAN RESORT, Colonial Williamsburg, 3BR, Wk 44, deeded,
motivated seller, $100 OBO, free closing
costs & transfer, Call 910/692-1777
------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM WILLIAMSBURG KINGSGATE, WYNDHAM OCEAN BLVD, Myrtle
Beach & WYNDHAM SAPPHIRE VALLEY,
NC. Total Wyndham points – 511,000.
Total price $15,000. Will sell separately
for $5,000 each. Call Bob at 904/874-6549
or email [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------POWHATAN PLANTATION, Williamsburg
$1, red season, wk 40, unit 34, 3BR,
2ba, slps 8, 804/272-7635, melgomes@
verizon.net
------------------------------------------------------BEACH QUARTERS at the CLARION
RESORT, Virginia Beach, $6500, 301-9165910, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------BEACH QUARTERS at the CLARION
RESORT, Virginia Beach, $8500, 973/8003014, [email protected]
****************************
WASHINGTON
****************************
LAKE CHELAN PETERSON’S WATERFRONT. Wks 41 & 42, 2BR, 2ba, Gold
Crown Resort. Each $750, 425/235-0260
------------------------------------------------------WINDJAMMER RESORT OCEAN
SHORES, 1BR, 1ba, casita red week,
Priced at $600, deeded, 360/864-6688.
.
-****************************
WISCONSIN
****************************
THE RUSHES. Gold Crown Resort. On
Kangaroo Lake. 1,000 ft of shore, plus
100 acre nature preserve. In the heart of
scenic Door County. Very limited number
of resale weeks available. Contact:
Tom Moeller, Starr Realty. 800/661-8555
------------------------------------------------------EAGLE RIVER. Lake Forest Resort
& Club. Where woods & water meet!
Attractive prices, many amenities. II
Resort. Deeded fixed weeks. All 2 BR,
2 bath, sleeps 6. On 28 lake chain, rec.
area w/golf, fitness center w/pool, boat,
fish, hike, bike, snowmobile or X-C ski.
4 forests nearby. Wi Travel Green Certified, Call Sue: 715.479.2455 x205 or
email to [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Avoid Scams
Ignore telemarketers and email
solicititors looking for
upfront fees and
personal information.
Have your attorney
handle the transaction
on your behalf.
Jul/Aug, 2013
***************************
AUSTRIA
****************************
JADON PLACE, $1, weeks 23-33, unit 2,
ground floor,
[email protected]
*****************************
BAHAMAS
****************************
HARBORSIDE at ATLANTIS, Paradise
Island, 3BR, deeded prop., includes all
Starwood Properties, timeshares and
hotels worldwide, GREAT BUY!, $20,000,
631/828-1948.
-------------------------------------------------------Paradise Island Beach Club. Super prime
floating weeks 24-38 in a 2 bedroom unit
priced at just $1995! A 12 minute walk to
Atlantis and 50% off Atlantis’ water park!
[email protected]
***************************
CANADA
****************************
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESORT, Banff, Wk
3, 1BR, slps 4, Prime ski season, $1500,
Dennis 301/514-6924, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------GM-CONDO 125 (RCI #2799) COLLINGWOOD, deeded weeks from $1 to $1500
per. Email: [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WHISKI JACK at the FITZSIMMONS,
Whistler, BC, 2BR, 2ba, wk 24 or float time
avail in June, Sept, Oct, $5000, 805/2300040, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CLUB INTRAWEST, Whistler, BC, 210
pts for only $14700, buyer pays closing,
transfer fee & mt fees, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------BARRIE, Carriage Hills Resort, Year round
red float week, 2br, 2ba, maint.fee. $933,
Asking $500 or best offer. Dave at trrff@
aol.com.
****************************
CARIBBEAN
****************************
Aruba
------------------------------------------------------LA QUINTA BEACH RESORT, 2BR, sleeps
4, Wk 39, $2000, 2 pools, walk to beach,
bus stop, restaurants, casino 603/5951954.
------------------------------------------------------CPV RESORT, 4 weeks for sale by owner,
1BR, 2ba Apt $1000yr, 2-2BR apt $750 odd
or even yr wks 15-60 float 856/906-9007.
------------------------------------------------------LA QUINTA BEACH RESORT, Wk 42,
1BR, slps 4, w/kitchen, balcony, 2 pools
on Eagle Beach, $3000 low maint, rnork@
comcast.net.
------------------------------------------------------The values are in here!
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
CARIBBEAN
****************************
Aruba
-----------------------------------------------------CASA DEL MAR RESORT, Wks 2 & 3,
1BR, kit, slps 4, across from beach, casino,
shopping. $10,000 per wk, 561/432-4027,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT ARUBA SURF CLUB, 2BR,
2ba $10,500, slps 8, can be traded (May
2-Dec 23), [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------COSTA LINDA BEACH RESORT, 2BR,
2ba, week 13, $15,600, 757/784-1025,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------COSTA LINDA BEACH RESORT, $35000,
3BR, jacuzzi, gas grill, renovated!,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Cayman Islands
------------------------------------------------------GRAND CAYMAN ISLAND, Morritt’s Tortuga Club, 1 BR,1ba, floating wks 1-52,
maintenance fees $785, asking $500.
--------------------------------------------------------
St. Kitts
------------------------------------------------------Marriott’s St. Kitts Beach Club. Premier
rated 3 bedroom oceanside unit for floating weeks 36-44 priced at just $3895
and a FREE maintenance fee for 2013!
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
St. Lucia
------------------------------------------------------BEAUTIFUL ST LUCIA! 2 RESORTS,
both 1BR units, 1 week Oasis Marigot flt,
1 Windjammer Landing (April). Priced to
sell, email for info [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------Oasis Marigot, 1 BR, 1 ba, secluded access
by boat to units, 5 weeks/year, 2 prime
weeks, can rent through management co.,
maint fee $2420/5 weeks, Asking $1000,
Dave at [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------
St. Maarten
------------------------------------------------------FLAMINGO BEACH RESORT, Beachfront weeks 5, #7416, Wk 6, #7236, Wk
7, #7516, SIMPSON BAY RESORT WK
5, M309, Wk 6, #C13B. Make an offer,
[email protected].
------------------------------------------------------OCEAN CLUB, Wks 1, 2, 3, studio, slps 4,
corner unit with views of ocean & lagoon.
All fees paid. Each week $3000, all three
for $7500. Right on Cupecoy Beach,
[email protected].
Page 49
****************************
CARIBBEAN
****************************
St. Maarten
------------------------------------------------------FLAMINGO BEACH, Oceanview Wk 12,
Unit 3203, 2BR, view Saba Island $500.
Call 413/464-2688, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LA VISTA, rare cottage, slps 4, alternate
even years wk 14-50, $3150.
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------FLAMINGO BEACH, $5000, Wk 33, Unit
#7120, 1st floor studio, sleeps 4,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------FLAMINGO/DIAMOND BEACH RESORT,
Wk 16, Room 7210, on the beach, $3800,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Virgin Islands
------------------------------------------------------BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE, St Thomas, wk
27 July 4th, $1499 incl. maint fee closing
costs, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WESTIN ST JOHN VILLAS, St John, wk
15 asking $15,000, Jeff Spaeks 631/8073217, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE, St Thomas
“Make Offer” grd flr studio, slps 4, overlooks
Charlotte Amalia Harbour, pool restaurant
on site. Absolutely beautiful! 419/992-4534,
[email protected]
****************************
FRANCE
****************************
MARRIOT DISNEYLAND PARIS, float,
Gold, 2BR, 2.5ba, $20,000,
[email protected]
****************************
MEXICO
****************************
Cabo San Lucas
------------------------------------------------------Prime units at all PUEBLO BONITO
RESORTS and VILLA DEL ARCO and
VILLA DEL PALMAR and ALL UVC/
VILLA GROUP RESORTS. Studio, 1,
2, and 3 bedroom prime floating & fixed
units during ALL Seasons starting at
$995+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------I specialize in ALL PUEBLO BONITO
RESORTS in Cabo San Lucas. I have
an extensive inventory of Prime units/
weeks in all unit sizes with prices starting
at $900+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541
or [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO SUNSET BEACH, Exec
Suite, 1BER, 2ba, slps 4, $5000 OBO,
------------------------------------------------------MONTECRISTO VILLA #18, 3BR, 3.5ba,
slps 10, $10000, 2 weeks Nov 1-16, fees
paid to 2014, [email protected]
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
MEXICO
****************************
Cabo San Lucas
------------------------------------------------------VILLA del PALMAR, or vacation in various MEXICAN RESORTS! Flt, 2BR,
2ba, $32000. 307/754-8032, jfnorberg@
hotmail.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Cancun
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN, Wk 25, OV, PV,
$8000 OBO, rent $1000, 2BR, 2ba, slps
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL ISLANDER, Wk 24, OV, PV, $8500
OBO, rent $1000, 2BR, 2ba, slps 6
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL ISLANDER, Wk 44, 7th floor, 2BR,
2ba w/lockout. Pool/ocean view, $8000.
Call 916/435-2912, gwtamblin@yahoo.
com
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SANDS, OV PV Wk 10, $18000,
Rent $1200, 40/788-4461, raystoos@
yahoo.com
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SANDS RESORT, beachfront,
villa, slps 6-8 full kit, wks 42 & 43, $48,000,
951/634-5217, rongabledog@reagan.
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN, wks 44 & 45, 2BR
Villa/lockout, slps 6, waterview, 9th & 10th
floors, $9000 ea or $15,000 for both/OBO,
772/283-8638
------------------------------------------------------Royal Sands Resort. 2 bedroom super
prime week # 6 with lockout feature priced
at just $11,995! Licensed Broker. A+
Rating with the BBB. 1 year Satisfaction
Guarantee with each purchase! 800-8096020 or [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Mazatlan
------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SUNSET, slps 4 RCI Gold, floating wk $1, 2013 wk avail, 908/581-9514,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Nuevo Vallarta
------------------------------------------------------PARADISE VILLAGE 6240 Pts with 2720
pts banked membership to 2033, $4270
OBO [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS:
Prime floating Studio, 1 and 2 bedroom
WINTER and SUMMER weeks. Annual
Use $1495+. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR SALE
****************************
MEXICO
****************************
Puerto Vallarta
-------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR: Prime floating and
fixed WINTER and SUMMER Studio, 1,
& 2 bedroom units. Annual Use $1495+.
Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@
TimeShareTony.com
------------------------------------------------------UNIVERSAL VACATION CLUB (UVC) with
Resorts at all Villa Del Parmar locations,
WINTER FLOATING WEEKS OCT-MAY,
2BR, slps 6, GOLD MEMBERSHIP. Make
offer for sale or rental, contact Howard,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------LINDO MAR RESORT… Resales – We
Have Motivated Sellers! Perpetuity membership in Gold Crown® Resort. 1 & 2
bedrooms. All units ocean front.
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------UNIVERSAL VACATION CLUB at VILLA
del PALMAR, $99, 415/563-3416, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Mexico-Multiple Locations
-----------------------------------------------------THE GRAND BLISS, RARE 1BR Suite.
(In Nuevo Vallarta & Playa del Carmen)
Incl. Sea Pack & Sun Pack options for
add’l vacation time. MF $809 payable only
when you use a week. Valued @ $28K, sell
for $19K OBO. Barb 320/864-4497, tort@
wildbluecoop.com
****************************
SPAIN
****************************
MARRIOTT MARBELLA BEACH RESORT,
Spain, $1, 2BR, 2ba, float, 360/765-0921,
[email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MARBELLA BEACH RESORT,
Spain, $11750, Gold Holiday Week, +44
****************************
THAILAND
****************************
MARRIOTT PHUKET BEACH CLUB,
5 STAR, $9500, 2BR, 2ba, full kit,
+66818266243, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------
Next ad deadline
8/10/13
See the discount offer on page 54
Page 50
****************************
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
****************************
------------------------------------------------------ALL WELK RESORTS
including LWRV, VOG, Welk Platinum Point
Packages, Cabo, Branson & Desert Oasis. HUGE INVENTORY with Low Prices!
Platinum points start at $1500. Fix summer
weeks start at $2500. CALResale.
Lic RE Broker Escondido
800/860-6529,
http://www.calresale.com.
------------------------------------------------------GRAND REGENCY at 1000 Hills, Branson,
MO, 3BR (split & use as 2 & 1BR) odd yr
float. NICOLET SHORES, Phelps, WI, float
2BR, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------VACATION INTERNATIONALE, MultiDestinations, $1, floating, Membership is
1BR, 1ba, points can be used for any unit,
------------------------------------------------------200,000 CLUB WYNDHAM, access vacation points for $300. More points may be
purchased, 480/951-9051
TIMESHARES
FOR RENT
****************************
ARIZONA
****************************
LONDON BRIDGE RESORT, LAKE
HAVASU: Prime 1 and 2 bedroom
Lakeview suites. $100+ per day. Contact
Tony for details at (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
****************************
CALIFORNIA
****************************
TAMARACK BEACH RESORT, Carlsbad,
$2495, Jul 26-Aug 2, front oceanview, Rm
# 331, 2BR, 2ba, 760/746-2884, 760/5229889 or [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------BIG BEAR LAKE: Prime 1 and 2 bedroom units at LAGONITA LODGE and
SNOW LAKE LODGE. $100+ per day.
Contact Tony for details at (714)841------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS II, 2
consecutive weeks 2BR, 3/1/14 & 3/8/14,
$2800 for both or $1500 for 1, 631/2780109, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
CALIFORNIA
****************************
FOUR SEASONS Residence Club Aviara,
Carlsbad.
1 BR Standalone or 2 BR lockoff
Platinum or Gold Reservations
available/requestable.
Seven nights Starting from $1495 - $3995
Contact Viccie at TRIWEST 800/423-6377
www.ResidenceClubRentalBroker.com
------------------------------------------------------Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas, Newport
California Coast … 2 BR
Rental Inventory available/requestable
Gold/Platinum Use
Contact TRIWEST at 800/423-6377
www.triwest-timeshare.com
------------------------------------------------------HARBORTOWN POINT Marina Resort
and Club, Ventura.
Mariner-Studio / Voyager-1BR / Islander1BR lockoff
Prime or High Reservations available/
requestable.
Contact TRIWEST at 800/423-6377
www.HarbortownPreferredBroker.com
------------------------------------------------------HILTON GRAND VACATIONS CLUB at
South Beach, Miami Beach, 2BR, 2ba,
floating, $1500, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CRESCENT RESORT on SOUTH BEACH,
Miami Beach 2BR, 2.5ba, slps 8, $1200,
------------------------------------------------------HILTON GRAND VACATIONS CLUB at
South Beach, Miami Beach, 386/428-9934,
[email protected]
****************************
COLORADO
****************************
CHRISTIE LODGE, Avon, Feb 2-9 flexible, ski Beaver Creek, Vail, 3BR, 3a, slps
9 $1200 rent, $2000 sell, call for details,
[email protected]
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Atlantic Coast
------------------------------------------------------COCOA BEACH SEAGULL BCH CLUB,
1 & 2 BR Oc, pool, Dec-Apr $500-$700/
wk, fully furn. 586/757-5156, buchholtz1@
att.net
------------------------------------------------------
Gulf Coast
-----------------------------------------------------MARINA BAY RESORT. Ft. Walton Beach.
1 BR 2BA Sleeps 5-6. WKS 1-52 $499
- $615 + tax.. Destin 6 miles - Great fishing, Beaches, Golf, Restaurants, Outlet
Shopping. 850-244-5132
------------------------------------------------------THE CHARTER CLUB OF MARCO
BEACH, Marco Island, $1800, 978/4232854, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR RENT
****************************
FLORIDA
****************************
Gulf Coast
------------------------------------------------------CHARTER CLUB RESOT on Naples Bay,
Naples, 2BR, 2ba, wk 43 (Sat. Oct 26- Fri.
Nov 1, 2013) $1100, 613/746-7368, peg@
gibsonslaw.com
------------------------------------------------------RESORT 66, wks 46 & 47, beachfront 2nd
flr, gulf sunsets, dolphins, $725/wk. Family
friendly, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------RESORT SIXTY-SIX, Holmes Beach,
$950, week 13, 1BR, 1ba, 810/523-8222,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------GULF TIDES of LONGBOAT KEY, Sarasota, 3 – 2BR units avail Dec 28 – Jan 4,
ea slps 6, Family Reunion? $895 ea, Rent
1, 2 or all 3, 317/507-4814
------------------------------------------------------SANIBEL COTTAGES, Sanibel Island,
2BR, 2ba, slps 6, gulf view patio, wk 9/69/13 or wk 9/13-20, $1200 for either week,
------------------------------------------------------
Keys
-----------------------------------------------------COCONUT BEACH RESORT, Key West,
wk 39, 2BR, 2ba, slps 6, $1950, 617/5496313, [email protected].
-----------------------------------------------------HAWKS NEST, Marathon, Keys, on ocean,
2 lge BR, 2ba, boats, wk 27, (Jul 6-13),
-------------------------------------------------------
Orlando Area
------------------------------------------------------SPECIAL RATE: 50% OFF Near Disney:
$590/wk (+tax), 3BR, 3ba, slps 8. Nightly
rates also available. FVV Club 1-407/3962744 or [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT,
Lake Buena Vista, 1BR, 1ba, with 2 pullout
sofas, float, $1800, 905/304-5329, nick.
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------CYPRESS POINT GRAND VILLAS, 2BR,
2ba $400/wk , or 3BR, 3ba $600/wk, near
Disney, available wks 1-15, 2014, 207/6426942 or [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB, any
size unit, village and date of year; contact
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
TimeSharing Today continues to be your
trusted informtion resource. Send us you
letters and articles. We value your support!
Page 51
****************************
GEORGIA
****************************
Petit Crest Villas at Big Canoe – North
Georgia’s best kept secret – your own
Mountainside Villa for the week or weekend! Great rates on rentals; even better
deals on sales! 706-268-3600 www.petitcrestvillas.com.
****************************
HAWAII
****************************
Molokai-Ke Nani Kai Resort. Experience
unspoiled Hawaii on the beautiful West
End of the Friendly Isle! 1 & 2 bedroom
suites, Pool, Jacuzzi, tennis, beach. 2013
weeks available. From $750/week. Call:
800/490-9042, www.kenanikai.com
------------------------------------------------------LAWAI BEACH RESORT- Poipu, Kauai. 1
& 2 BR condos available for 2013. Prices
starting at $1000 per week. 808/742-0185
------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST II, Jan 17-Feb 7, 2014,
2BR, 2ba very nice resort, non-ref dep.
requ’rd, $1200 per week. 408/274-2403,
or [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------KAHANA BEACH VACATION CLUB: 1
bedroom, 2 bath, Oceanfront, corner,
end units located directly on the Sandy,
Safe, Swimmable, Rock-Free Beach of
Kahana on Maui. $1500 weekly. Contact
Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------SANDS OF KAHANA: 1 bedroom units
on the beach at this fine oceanfront
resort on Maui. $1,050+ weekly. Contact
Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S MAUI OCEAN CLUB: 1
bedroom, 2 bath, PLATINUM OCEANFRONT suites. $2,500+ weekly. Contact
Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
----------------------------------------------------MAUI RENTALS: PRIME units at MARRIOTT, KAHANA BEACH VACATION
CLUB, and SANDS OF KAHANA Resorts from $1050+ weekly. Contact Tony
for details at (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------KAANAPALI BEACH RESORT, Maui,
$2700 “oceanview” 1BR, POIPU POINT,
Kauai, 2BR “oceanview” $2700, Linda,
719/494-1510.
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MAUI OCEAN CLUB-Lahaina
and Napili Villas, Lahaina, Maui, 2BR, 2ba,
floating wks, $2400,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM KONA HAWAIIAN RESORT,
Kailua-Kona, $1100, 907/338-4338,
-------------------------------------------------------
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
HAWAII
****************************
MARRIOTT KO OLINA BEACH CLUB,
Kapolei, Oahu, $2200, 561/386-2986,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------ONE NAPILI WAY, Maui, 3BR, 2ba any
available wk in last quarter 2013 except wk
51/52. Call Jackie 402/802/3898, $1400/wk
****************************
MAINE
****************************
SAMOSET RESORT, Rockport, on ocean,
Gold Crown, 1BR, slps 4, on site golf,
heated pools, hot tubs, restaurants, tennis, fitness center, wk 30 7/26-8/02, wk 31
8/02-8/09, $1275 ea, 207/372-8910
****************************
MARYLAND
****************************
THE QUARTERS, Ocean City, 2BR, 2ba,
slps 6, float wks 6/7-21 & 8/2-16, 2013, w/d,
1 ½ blks to bch, new furn/carpet, $1000,
****************************
MASSACHUSETTES
****************************
PONDS at FOXHOLLOW, Lenox, fall foliage, Wk 40, 1BR or 2BR, $750 or $1000,
203/281-5884.
------------------------------------------------------PONDS at FOXHOLLOW, Lenox $900,
fixed wk, 2BR, 2ba, 941/358-1380, sig@
catskill.com
------------------------------------------------------SILVERLEAF’S OAK ‘N SPRUCE RESORT, South Lee, Presidential Suite, 2BR,
2ba, slps 6, wk 21, $975, Contact us at
****************************
MISSOURI
****************************
STONEBRIDGE VILLAGE & GOLF RESORT, Branson, 2BR, 2ba, $995, 618/9209207, [email protected]
****************************
NEVADA
****************************
THE RIDGE TAHOE, Stateline, 1BR, 1ba,
fixed, $1450, 805/660-1459, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS. On The Strip in Las Vegas. ALL Towers at the Polo Towers. Prime
1 and 2 bedroom SUITES and VILLAS.
$100+ per day. Contact Tony: ( 714)8414541 or [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------THE RIDGE TAHOE, Stateline $950,
studio, 1ba, fixed, 805/660-1459, [email protected]
Buy a resale. Make an offer.
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR RENT
****************************
NEW JERSEY
****************************
L E G A C Y R E S O RT S B R I G A N T I N E
BEACH, Brigantine, $800,
[email protected]
****************************
NEW YORK
****************************
THE MANHATTAN CLUB, NYC $2600,
CHRISTMAS WEEK IN NYC!,
1br, 2bA Suite, 12/19-12/26,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------THE MANHATTAN CLUB, NYC, NEW
YEAR’S WEEK, studio, 1ba, slps 4 Executive Suite, across from Carnegie Hall!!
------------------------------------------------------GURNEY’S INN RESORT & SPA, Montauk, 1st wk in Aug. $1900, 631/549-1662,
[email protected]
****************************
NORTH CAROLINA
****************************
OUTER BANKS BEACH CLUB II, 2BR,
2ba & PEPPERTREE OCEAN CLUB,
MYRTLE BEACH, 2BR, 2ba, 919/3871228, 919/946-7572, www.mycarolinavacations.com, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------OUTER BANKS WEEKLY RENTALS. 1,
2, & 3 BR condos. Oceanfront/oceanside.
Duck to Hatteras. 252/441-2134.
www.outerbanksresorts.com
****************************
PENNSYLVANIA
****************************
RIDGE TOP VILLAGE & VALLEY VIEW at
Shawnee-on-Delaware, 2BR, 2ba, wk #34,
908/797-5143.
****************************
SOUTH CAROLINA
****************************
ELLINGTON WACHESW PLANTATION,
Murrells Inlet, $1300, wk 40, 2BR, 2ba,
10% disc by 7/4, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT SURF WATCH, HHI, 3BR, 3ba
4/13/14-4/18/14, $2395, +3 more villas,
[email protected]
****************************
TENNESSEE
****************************
WESTGATE SMOKY MOUNTAINS, Gatlinburg, $4300, 585/223-5166, lhirschman@
gmail.com.
Page 52
****************************
TEXAS
****************************
VILLAS ON THE LAKE, Montgomery,
$1100, 2BR, 2.5ba, wk 15 - 2014 608/2212385, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------SUNSET HARBOR RESORT, Willis,
studio $700, wk 52, 2013, 336/431-3167,
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------SILVERLEAF’S SEASIDE RESORT,
Galveston, wk #48, 2BR, 2ba, $875,
****************************
VIRGINIA
****************************
VILLAS AT THE BOARDWALK, Virginia
Beach, wk 28, slps 6, $1250, 757/3421560, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------OCEAN BEACH CLUB, Virginia Beach,
$7000,
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------VILLAS at the BOARDWALK, Virginia
Beach, wk 36, ocfrnt, slps 6, 2BR, 2ba, LR,
Kit, $2065, [email protected]
****************************
WASHINGTON
****************************
WAPATO POINT, Manson $1400, 2BR,
2ba, slps 7, float, 720/613-7169, [email protected]
****************************
WISCONSIN
****************************
CHRISTMAS MTN VILLAGE, Wisconsin
Dells, 8/30-9/2/2013, 2BR, 2ba, $275,
****************************
WYOMING
****************************
JACKSON HOLE TOWNCENTER, Wk 2833, Grand Teton/Yellowstone area, Owner:
248/549-6032 or 248/376-3849
-------------------------------------------------------
Classified Ad Saver
Place your classified ad in 2 or
more consecutive issues and get
an extra issue FREE.
Attach this coupon to the order
form in this issue or order at
www.tstoday.com/adsale
Order by 8/10/13
Jul/Aug, 2013
****************************
BAHAMAS
****************************
HARBORSIDE at ATLANTIS, Nassau,
$2500, #23, 1BR, slps 4, 614/804-6359,
[email protected]
****************************
CARIBBEAN
****************************
Aruba
------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT ARUBA OCEAN CLUB, week
#2, Sat check-in, 2BR, 2ba, OV Aruba,
$3000 [email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------
BELIZE
------------------------------------------------------CAPTAIN MORGAN’S VACATION BEACH
CLUB, $2400, 3BR, 631/567-5968, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Dominican Republic
------------------------------------------------------LIFESTYLE HV CLUB at HACIENDA,
1-3BR & Villas 3-7 BR, $450-$3500, all
yr float 415/734-1235, msmarriott123@
gmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------
Puerto Rico
------------------------------------------------------CLUB CALA de PALMAS, Humacao,
$1000, 607/746-6922, thistledew2@stny.
rr.com
------------------------------------------------------ESJ TOWERS, San Juan, PR, 1BR, 1ba,
kitchen, beach, balcony, 2 Wks, $1499, accept Pay Pal, [email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
St. Maarten
------------------------------------------------------DIVI LITTLE BAY. Rent a deluxe 1BR, 2 full
baths, full kitchen. Week 4 available 2014.
$1500. Email: [email protected]
****************************
MEXICO
****************************
Cabo San Lucas
-----------------------------------------------------Cabo Prime units at all PUEBLO BONITO RESORTS and VILLA DEL ARCO
and VILLA DEL PALMAR and UVC/
VILLA GROUP RESORTS. Studio, 1, 2,
and 3 bedroom units are all available.
$700+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or [email protected]
---------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO RESORTS: PRIME
suites at ALL Pueblo Bonito Resorts
from $700+ weekly. Contact Tony:
(714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
---------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL ARCO RESORT: PRIME
suites from $875+ weekly. Contact Tony:
(714)841-4541 or at
[email protected]
---------------------------------------------------MEDANO BEACH RENTALS: From
700+ weekly. Contact Tony at (714)8414541 or at [email protected]
TimeSharing Today
TIMESHARES
FOR RENT
****************************
MEXICO
****************************
Cabo San Lucas
------------------------------------------------------FIESTA AMERICANA VACATION CLUB @
Cabo del Sol, wk 52, 1BR, 1.5ba, $2500,
-----------------------------------------------------CASA DORADA at MEDANO BEACH,
ocean view, 1BR Suite, 4pp, $2000,
[email protected]
-----------------------------------------------------VILLA del PALMER, 2BR, 2ba,
$1000, 310/541-9417
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------
Cancun
------------------------------------------------------THE ROYAL SANDS, $2000, 860/4042712, 2BR, 2ba, Wk 8,
[email protected].
-------------------------------------------------------
Nuevo Vallarta
------------------------------------------------------GRAND LUXXE PUNTA, 2BR,& 1BR Full
Suites. Common Foyer. 5000sq ft. Only
14 units like this. Inc Golf Pkg. $5500 Jim
440/653-9151.
------------------------------------------------------GRAND LUXXE, 2700 sq ft 2BR, 2ba with
full kit. Large screen TV’s and soak pool
on balcony. Includes 16 rounds of golf, spa
and all other amenities. All inclusive available. $3450 per week. John B 562/2348071, [email protected].
------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS:
Prime floating Studio, 1 and 2 bedroom,
WINTER and SUMMER suites. $700+
weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Puerto Vallarta
------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR: Prime Oceanfront
Resort. $700+ weekly. Contact Tony:
(714)841-4541 or
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Riviera Maya
Page 53
****************************
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
****************************
ISLAND ONE RESORTS/Club Navigo
points, ANYWHERE, $1000, 809/5442086, [email protected]
------------------------------------------------------ANY RCI OR II RESORT up to 3BR 1400
+ 1 wk, 2500 + for 2. Last Minute low as
500/wk!, [email protected]
WANT TO BUY,
RENT, TRADE
****************************
Looking to buy EDGEWATER BEACH RESORT, Dennisport, Ma, August week, pref.
Interval 34, 1BR or more, 973/713-6666.
------------------------------------------------------TRADE REGAL VISTAS, Massanutten, Va
Own (4BR, 4ba) weeks 17, 18 & 46. Would
like internal exchanges with other Regal
Vistas Owners trading sides for Owners
other weeks, 540/672-4410, jaycpee@
verizon.net.
PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
****************************
RESORT PROPERTY MARKETING
INTERNATIONAL REALTY.
WYNDHAM WORLDMARK AND FAIRFIELD, MARRIOTT, HILTON,
HYATT AND OTHER FINE RESORTS.
No Up Front Fees
LICENSED REAL ESTATE BROKERS
SINCE 1991
800-844-8404,
www.resort-property.com
-------------------------------------------------------
JUSTDEEDS.COM
------------------------------------------------------SOUTH CAROLINA TIMESHARE Title,
Closing & Probate Services. Call Toll Free
877/572-5297, timesharetitlesouthcarolina.
com
-------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------THE ROYAL HACIENDAS, $1500, 2BR,
2ba, slps 6, wk 51 (12/21-12/28) 678/7629455, [email protected]
-
****************************
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
****************************
MULTIPLE WORLDWIDE RESORTS: Tell
us where you want to go, when you want
to go, & we will quote you a price! [email protected].
-------------------------------------------------------
CLOSEMYTIMESHARE.COM
------------------------------------------------------Your Opnion Counts
Take this quick survey.
1. Tell us why you think timeshare ownership still represents a good value.
or
2. Why doesn’t timeshare ownership
repersent a good value.
Email: [email protected].
Jul/Aug, 2013
Here are some things to consider relative to selling (renting) a timeshare:
1. Of Course: Place a classified ad in
TimeSharing Today magazine. You can
order online at www.tstoday.com Ads in the
printed edition are placed online, without
additional cost, after the issue is published.
You can get ideas as to wording by viewing
various ads that are online at our website.
There are many variables that affect the
salability of a unit, so we cannot advise
you as to price. You should be aware of
various factors such as desirability of the
resort, amenities, unit size, season, fees
and price.
2. Always check with your resort: Ask
if they know of other owners who might
have an interest in buying. The resort
may also be able to give you information
about the value of resales. Has your resort
introduced any new programs for selling,
renting or deeding over units?
3. Consider a licensed timeshare resale
broker. Look for one who works on a
commission basis. Several brokers have
display and classified advertising in TimeSharing Today Magazine. You will need to
research the companies listed relative to
their services and fees.
4. In additon to TimeSharing Today’s classified section, there are several online
only advertising companies that place
ads in TimeSharing Today; their rates are
affordable.
5. Place an ad in local newspapers near
your resort. Many of those interested in
buying are now looking for timeshares that
are close by so they can save on travel
expenses.
6. You know it: There are many scam
operators who solicit owners through telemarketing and email. They usually ask for
money to locate a buyer or to place listings
on websites. In some cases, they ask you
to provide personal information and end up
sending a bogus check or money orders.
They should be ignored.
7: Corporate Identity theft is major problem in the timeshare industry. Fraudulent
operators are using the names, license
numbers or other identifying factors to give
the impression that they are the legitimate
licensed timeshare resale broker and/or the
resale department of prominent timeshare
companies. Don’t accept representations
on face value. Due diligence on your part
is essential.
8. Avoid getting burned: Don’t send wire
transfers, money order or checks to
strangers.
9. If you complete an online form with a
company you are not familiar with, your
information may be shared among,other
marketers..
If you have a comment to share about the
above information, please send an email
to [email protected].
TimeSharing Today
PRODUCTS
AND SERVICES
------------------------------------------------------RESORT DISTRIBUTION
As a way to introduce TimeSharing Today
to more owners, we recently launched a
resort distribution program. Many resorts
have are participating in this program and
we are asking for your help by asking your
resort manager and HOA to get involved.
Participating resorts will receive bulk shipments of TimeSharing Today to be given
out at owners meeting and to arriving
guests. All agree that TimeSharing Today
is an important resources for all owners.
We would also appreciate your sending us
an email with the contact information for
your Resort Manager and HOA to staff@
tstoday.com. Subject: Bulk Distribution
Board Members & Resort Managers who would like to participate,
can email us today at:
[email protected]
ADVERTISE
Your company or resort in
TimeSharing Today
It’s read cover-to-cover by
owners, resort managers,
board members
and industry experts.
Since 1991, TimeSharing Today
has provided an independent
voice and perspective on all aspects of vacation ownership. We
continue to be the trusted source
for information.
For details about placing your ad
email: [email protected]
Classified Ad Saver
Place your classified ad in 2 or
more consecutive issues and get
an extra issue FREE.
Attach this coupon to the order
form in this issue or order at
www.tstoday.com/adsale
Order by 8/10/13
GIVE SOMEONE YOU KNOW
A
GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO
TimeSharing Today
Page 54
Subscription $aver.
Get Free Bonus Issues
when you order at
www.tstoday.com
------------------------------------------------------Special Classified Ad Deal
MyResortNetwork.com is a website for
timeshare owners that was built and is
owned by timeshare owners. It is one
of the top ways to sell or rent your timeshare. It is a very active website and your
timeshare ad will be seen by thousands
of vacationers a day. Timeshare owners
keep 100% of the proceeds. They don’t
charge a commission like most agencies,
but do charge a fee to list your timeshare
for sale or rent. However, your timeshare
ad on MyResortNetwork.com will cost only
$10 for a 6-month listing when you place a
classified ad to run in TimeSharing Today.
MyResortNetwork.com is a member of the
Better Business Bureau with an “A” rating
and also has been recommended by consumer reports recently.
Use the classified ad form in this issue or
place your ad at wwwtstoday.com to take
advantage of this special combination deal.
Your ad must include a price.
------------------------------------------------------DO YOU GET IT?
We mean: TimeSharing Today Express.
It’s our monthly eNewsletter sent to our
subscribing members. It’s a great way
to keep up with breaking news and other
interesting topics. One of the most popular features of Express is TimeSharing
Today Radio. featuring news and views
of timeshare owners and industry professions. If you are not receiving Express, be
sure to send an email to [email protected]
Subject: Express. Include your name and
email address. If you have been getting
Express and have a topic that you would
like to suggest, include it in an email.
-------------------------------------------------------
Send us your stuff
TimeSharing Today began publishing in
1991 as the “Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership.” Since then, we have
grown to be a trusted source of information,
providing readers with an opportunity to
express their point of view on many of the
issues and topics that affect owners and
their resorts. TimeSharing Today is well
read by owners, resort managers, Board
Managers and industry professionals who
also contribute to our content by providing
articles on a wide range of topics from
various perspective.
We invite you to join the hundreds of
readers who have sent in their articles.
When you do take the time to share your
experiences and opinions, you help make
our voice stronger. So, do take the time to
get in touch by sending your articles to us.
Articles should be 750-1500 words, sent
as an attachment to [email protected].
Photos are also welcome. They should be
sent as a high resolution jpeg file. Be sure
to include your contact information and a
caption for the photo.
.
Jul/Aug, 2013
TIPS AND GUIDELINES
FOR SELLERS
1.Set a realistic price, based upon current market prices for comparable units
in your resort. Don’t expect to sell your
unit for more than you paid the developer.
Like a new car which loses value when
driven out of the showroom, absent some
dramatic increase in the popularity of your
resort, your resale price should reflect that
you have already been repaid with many
years of vacation use.
2.Make your ad as descriptive as possible; include features of the unit and
the vacation area which would interest a
prospective buyer.
3. Unless the features of your resort
are very well known, just listing the
number of bedrooms, baths and price
is not enough. Tell the buyer about the
things that originally made you select that
particular resort. e.g.. beachfront. skiing
nearby. golf heart of the city, etc.
4.State the asking price; if it is negotiable, say so in the ad.
5.Consider taking back a promissory
note for a portion of the purchase price.
6.Don’t use obscure abbreviations.
Avoid the use of terms which are understood only by others in the same exchange
organization or resort Assume you are talking to someone who does not know your
resort, its area or your exchange network.
Look over the ads in TimeSharing Today
to see the abbreviations that are commonly
used.
7.Don’t waste space by including your
unit’s number or building address. This
information is not meaningful to prospective buyers unless they happen to already
be familiar with your resort.
8.Be prepared to answer questions
about fees, maid service, activities, etc.
If possible, photocopy some snapshots or
brochures which you can send to a prospective purchaser.
9.After you reach an agreement with
the buyer as to price, financing, and
approximate date for closing the deal,
get a written contract prepared and
signed. You should consider contacting
your attorney at this point. However, if you
don’t want to use an attorney until the deal
is firm, you can buy a specially prepared
timeshare contract form such as found in
the Resale Document Kit available from
TimeSharing Today.
TimeSharing Today, 140 County Rd.,
Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Enclosed is my check or credit card number
for TimeSharing Today.
Use other side of coupon for renewals.
New Subscriber: ______________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
12 issues for $29. (US$33 outside U.S.)
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Credit card #______________________________Exp:_________
This is a gift from the subscriber listed on Recommended by: Name: ________________________________
the other side of this coupon. Please extend
Address: ______________________________________________
my subscription the same number
of issues as this gift.
City: ____________________________State: ____ Zip: ________
TimeSharing Today Suite 114, 140 County Rd., Tenafly, NJ 07670
This side is the EZ Renewal Coupon
If the # above your name on the label is 130,
you need to renew your subscription now.
Renew at www.tstoday.com or
Clip and Mail this EZ Renewal coupon with
your check or credit card information.
12 issues for $29 (US$33 outside U.S.)
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Card #:
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you got lines — we got lions (wanna swap?)
We don’t care about being the biggest. We care about offering the best service.
daelive.com/wannaswap
To us, being big on service is no small thing. Place a request and let us find the
vacation you want. We won’t even ask you to pay upfront or deposit your week until
we deliver! You’ll also love our free membership option, low fees and simple terms.
Toll Free: 1 800 468 1799 (within USA & Canada)

of Issue #130 - TimeSharing Today

Transcription

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