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Making a timeshare offer (by KC):

kellyb248 wrote:

When making a timeshare offer, is it safe practice to use the median price to create an offer? For example, if a timeshare is low selling at 2200 for a week and the going rate per night is 300 and the median is 160, is it a fair offer to go in with the median price?

It's not clear from your question whether you are asking about renting or about purchasing. Rental prices (even for the same property) will obviously vary with unit size, view, holiday / seasonal demand, etc. Owners tend to know the market for their particular units / weeks. Very low prices may be last minute offerings and very high numbers just plain unrealistic. If someone can rent directly from the resort at comparable figure, they will often choose that option over dealing with a private party, but private rentals rend to be (let's say 25% as a rough, ballpark figure) LESS than "rack rates" charged by the resort (plus owners do not charge local taxes, where applicable, as a resort will).

"Asking" prices in the timeshare resale market don't really mean much. In some instances, "asking" prices are much too high simply because the seller is either inexperienced or in denial, unrealistic about "recouping" as much of their original "investment" as possible. In truth, the original developer-direct price paid means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to ANYONE in the timeshare resale market. NO ONE cares what the original (excessive) developer price paid might have been, since that figure is completely irrelevant to the actual, real "value" in the open resale market TODAY. The resale value TODAY quite simply "is what it is" and the resale market tends to seek and find its' own level.

If you're buying, my suggestion is to scour the Internet for pricing on whatever it is you that seek to purchase. When you find something of interest, offer the lowest figure (or even a lower figure) that you have seen for a directly comparable product. All the seller can say is "no", or submit a counter offer for you to consider.

You really should go into ANY resale market timeshare purchase search with a clear ADVANCE picture of what you are willing to spend for what you are looking to buy. Don't go above your own self-identified "comfort level". Don't get caught up in any phony / shill eBay bidding wars either, where the numbers sometimes get pushed artificially upward by shill "assistants" helping out the seller. If the numbers are too high for your comfort level, just move on. There will be another deal on another day.

That 's my two cents' worth (since you asked), to follow or ignore however you may see fit. I hope some of this helps you somehow. If not, feel free to just ignore the input. In any case, proceed carefully and slowly and be smart. Good luck.