First time

We are considering purchasing a timeshare in either Mexico or the Caribbean.

We would love to hear some recommendations as well as some advice on where to stay away from.

We would like to have amenities such as snorkel, etc. fishing would be a BIG plus!

Look forward to your replies:

please look at the fine print on the contract,you may be surprised to see something about a time limit of ownership. some years ago mexican timeshares had a certain time limit of ownership,it may have changed. Again read the fine print. charles671

I don't know about Caribbean timeshares but Mexican timeshares are all RTU (Right To Use) until a certain date in the future. In other words, you don't own the unit/week with a title of ownership.

jayjay wrote:

I don't know about Caribbean timeshares but Mexican timeshares are all RTU (Right To Use) until a certain date in the future. In other words, you don't own the unit/week with a title of ownership.

You can pass on the "right to use" and the original contract can be extended. On the other hand, if you want to get rid of the place in the future, you (eventually) have an automatic "out"! As I understand it, only the Mexican resorts within a certain distance from the shore must be Right to Use. The beach itself is always public property. Inland resorts may have different rules.

A major issue to consider if you buy is whether or not the resort is or is not a Compulsory All Inclusive. If price is no object, no problem. If you'd like to save a few bucks by cooking some of your own meals or want to try some outside restaurants, All Inclusive is an expensive problem. In the Cancun area, Mayan Palace is one of the few resort groups that is NOT All Inclusive. Other areas have more choices.

Try trading into some resorts that interest you and look them over before you decide to buy. MD

We love the carribean. Never have to worry about Montezuma's Revenge.

This is absolutely one of the best resources we found in buying timeshares....Redweek's traveler reviews from the resort. Some look good but aren't. You can't go to every one. This feature has saved us from some sad vacations and disappointments.

You will want to know how often the maintenance fees have risen and at what percent. It can't be said often enough...read the fine print! Know the seasons of hurricane possibility. If the price is too good to be true there's probably a reason.

We own several timeshares and we found 5 star is well worth the money. Your exchange ability is golden.

If you don't mind Cancun, they Royals there (most contracts) give you the $$ back after the RTU period.

Pricing on Redweek is better, but this site has a lot of Royal info:

www.mexicondo.com

Royals also on Grang Cayman & a resort called the Pelican on St Martin trying to get back after so many storms.

also if you are buying a fixed week check to see if for a some you can change your week, 4 out of 5 of ours do this.

Hi. Since your inquiry was posted last year, you probably have purchased by now. I purchased 5 successfully and one unsuccessfully. First, review the resort you have in mind on Redweek. Five star resorts have much better rental and exchange value. See what people who have been there have to say about it. (I averted disaster this way). You will probably get a much better price on ebay and Redweek than at the resort. Read the fine print twice. Go to the website. See what previous patrons have to say....can't emphasize this enough. If a resort is really really cheap - say $100 or $300 dollars, there is probably a reason for this. I purchased a 4 star timeshare very cheaply with a fixed week only to find I could not rent or sell it and ended up donating it. This is the one resort I did not check out carefully and did not review previous patrons because I was excited about the price. Land "Ore" in Nassau looks beautiful from the outside but the reviews are terrible. I have never purchased another timeshare without reviewing what the majority of previous people have to say about it. This has saved me many times. Decide if you want "points" or weeks. I see points on sale all the time so my choice is to stay away from points and do weeks only. Check how often the maintenance is raised and by how much. Check the related forums on Redweek. This is such a great site isn't it? Also look at Redwishes to see what the most popular timeshares are. Hope this helps.

We visited Cancun for the first time this past week and were stunned to learn that most of the fancy resort hotels still make you put the toilet paper in the trash basket instead of flushing it! They imply that this is standard in all Mexico, but we had not encountered this before. Of course, we have most often stayed at Mayan Palace resorts and they have American style plumbing. If this is important to you, ask before you buy. MD

MD: How do they know??? And what about the odor??

:)

kekouri wrote:

MD: How do they know??? And what about the odor??

:)

How do they know? Well, YOU will know if your toilet overflows! If a little T paper falls in now and then, it is probably not a problem, but one should certainly avoid wads. MD