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Re: How do timeshares work?

[Q=susanw33]Maintenance fees are expected, manageable, and still no more than a week of renting the units... If you buy from a developer, never go to your home unit or don't completely learn the exchange program, it's a waste of money. Timesharing basically forces you to take your vacations, at least if you want to get your money's worth... AND, my deeded timeshares will pass to my children upon my death.[/Q] You bring up some good points about owning timeshares but I will disagree with you on some points: 1) " Maintenance fees are... still no more than a week of renting the units." In many cases you can rent for less than what the owner is paying in maintenance fees. Of course, the one you own has a desirable location at a desirable time so rentals in that case will usually exceed the maintenance fees. But if you look for last minute deals, know how to negotiate, or find a less desirable time/place, maintenance fees usually exceed what a rental would cost. 2) "Timesharing basically forces you to take your vacations..." True. But it sometimes forces you to take vacations that you cannot afford. Remember, there's more to a vacation than the cost of accommodations. Add in airfare, car rentals, food, cost of activities, and really all owning a timeshare does is allows you to stay in a unit that's more spacious and comfortable than a hotel room. 3) "My deeded timeshares will pass to my children upon my death..." If you stipulate that in your will and your children want it, then yeah, it "will pass to my children upon [your] death." But there is no law forcing them to accept it. You have a week that seems to be in good demand so maybe your children will want it. But they might not want the yearly fees or timesharing might not be their preferred style of travel.