BEFORE you buy, do the math to see how much it's actually going to cost you...

We own multiple timeshares, but honestly, if I'd done the math before ever buying (even at resale prices) I'm not sure I ever would have bought any timeshare ever.

Here's an example: Right now we are looking at buying a few Maui resale weeks. These units rent for $799 to $1099 approximately plus taxes per day at HOTEL websites (full price). Here's what our 10 year costs would be:

$27000 X 2 purchase price for the resales... plus $2850 fees. Total purchase price: 56850.

$3450 per unit per year maintenance fees for 2019, with approximate 10-15% increase year over year..... approximately $89000 in 10 year maintenance fees

For a total of $145,850 for 10 year ownership. That's $14585 a year, $1041 per night for each of the 14 night stays.

Have I saved anything? NOT REALLY.

Over 20 years, will I save anything?

Hi, only just looking into the timeshare concept myself for the first time now so I appreciate all of the caution people offer.

Can I ask.. if I buy a resale for next to nothing... does that not change the situation considerably ?

Sadly, the original purchase price of the timeshares is often lost very rapidly... either heavily discounted on final sale years later, or almost given away to avoid the fees..

Thanks, M

williams1105 wrote:

We own multiple timeshares, but honestly, if I'd done the math before ever buying (even at resale prices) I'm not sure I ever would have bought any timeshare ever.

Here's an example: Right now we are looking at buying a few Maui resale weeks. These units rent for $799 to $1099 approximately plus taxes per day at HOTEL websites (full price). Here's what our 10 year costs would be:

$27000 X 2 purchase price for the resales... plus $2850 fees. Total purchase price: 56850.

$3450 per unit per year maintenance fees for 2019, with approximate 10-15% increase year over year..... approximately $89000 in 10 year maintenance fees

For a total of $145,850 for 10 year ownership. That's $14585 a year, $1041 per night for each of the 14 night stays.

Have I saved anything? NOT REALLY.

Over 20 years, will I save anything?

rastusr wrote:

Can I ask.. if I buy a resale for next to nothing... does that not change the situation considerably ?

Resale changes very little. Some brand names give a few extra perks for buying retail from the developer but those perks are very rarely worth the extra thousands of dollars you would pay over buying resale.

As you said, many are giving their timeshares away for next to nothing, or even for nothing, just to get out from under the maintenance fees. So that's something you have to consider before buying, or accepting for free, a timeshare. Keep in mind that maintenance fees almost inevitably increase each year and usually faster than the rate of inflation. Then you have to consider the costs of traveling to your timeshare each year. Also consider what it would cost simply to rent from current owners versus paying the maintenance fees and possible special assessments.

You’re assuming hotel prices won’t increase for the 10 year period in your calculation which is highly unlikely.