Original Message:
More timeshare owners renting instead of exchanging? (by Phil L.):
Patty, sounds like you bought for the right reasons but as you said you have owned for fifteen years and still like your resort. Family growing up and life changing so now good exchanges are what you want. You seem to still be a happy timeshare owner because of your reasons for buying.
The point you make of wanting to use it now to exchange and not just sell it for loss is a good place to be into at this time.
We feel the same way and love our resort and go there every year plus bonus nights too. With our daughter moving to Dallas Texas few months ago we did sell one of our largest units to another resort owner while up there for our July 4th week. We sold because it wasn't a lock-off and 1450 sq. ft two bedroom/bath just way to big for the two of us. We did sell for fair price of $2000 but it was still less than we paid but then we also used the unit every year for last nine years so it wasn't that big of a loss.We would not have sold except we also own another unit and do have the lock-off. We had our resort break it up and we will be there in 2012 and the resort renting out the studio for July 4th week.
I posted on one of the forums last year how I felt all these owners trying to rent would hurt the good exchanges. Many of these owners have started a bidding war and now renters just wait for some owner to offer for ridiculous low price hurting all others who are just trying to get fair price for their weeks. I also expressed my opinion that many of the owners who just unload their timeshares will regret it later when or if things ever get better.One thing you can count on is when most people are working again vacations again will become very important to them.
PHILL12