of Issue #109 - TimeSharing Today
Transcription
of Issue #109 - TimeSharing Today
TimeSharing Today $4.50 ® The Trusted Independent Voice of Vacation Ownership since 1991 Issue #109 Jan/Feb, 2010 Court Approves RCI Settlement Despite objections filed by several hundred RCI members and arguments voiced at a hearing on November 30, 2009 in Trenton, NJ, Federal Judge Peter G. Sheridan approved an agreement made between RCI and several of its members to settle the pending class action lawsuit which had been started by the members several years ago. The members’ complaint had charged RCI with misrepresentations and abuse of its exchange system by renting weeks which had been deposited by members to be available for exchange to other members. Although the settlement agreement included a number of changes in the operation of its exchange system (summarized in TimeSharing Today’s Mar/Apr, 2009 issue and at www.tstoday.com/ rciclassaction), the most contentious issue concerned RCI’s continued right to rent deposited weeks to non-members instead of holding them only for exchange. The November 30th Fairness Hearing in Trenton lasted approximately three hours. The Attorney for RCI, David Sager, spoke first and explained recent changes it had offered in the Settlement Agreement and reiterated why it was a good arrangement for the Class Members. The Attorney for the Plaintiffs, Janelle Welling, supported Mr. Sager. Several objectors spoke and explained their concerns about the settlement. Because of the number of people wanting to be heard, the Judge allocated only 5 minutes for each attorney and 2 minutes for the non-attorneys to present their arguments but allowed everyone to speak slightly longer. to give the Class Members a fair opporWhile the settlement provides RCI The final settlement will improve tunity to see how the new terms worked. with a continued right to rent deposited the management of inventory and the He said that if there were legitimate weeks, the agreement places some retiming of rentals, but it does serve to ratcomplaints, the Members could reopen strictions on that right. For a period of ify RCI’s right to rent owner-deposited their Complaint. three years commencing no later than weeks. The original Objectors, attorney The Agreement provides that inforAugust 31, 2010, each week deposited Susan Collins representing herself and mation evidencing RCI’s compliance more than 10 months in advance of the a number of RCI members, member with the settlement terms will be sent to starting date of the week shall, for a Caroline Lindholm and Shep Altshuler lead attorney for the Plaintiffs, Jenelle period of 31 days from date of deposit, (publisher of TimeSharing Today) had, Welling. Ms. Lindholm convinced the be available exclusively for exchange over the past four months, succeeded judge that this was insufficient to fully and not for any other purpose including in requiring a new Notice of Settlement monitor RCI’s compliance. She adrental. Most objectors had wanted RCI to be sent out by RCI as well as putting vised the judge that the objectors had to hold weeks exclusively for exchange pressure on the attorneys that resulted in requested that copies also be sent to Mr. until much closer to the starting date of the improved settlement terms. Altshuler, Ms. Collins and herself, but the week, not just for 31 days after the The Settlement Agreement will be that RCI had denied this request. Judge week was deposited. in force for three years. Although many Sheridan closely questioned Mr. Sager In addition, all weeks, whenever deobjectors felt that any programmatic on this point, and Mr. Sager agreed to posited, must be used by RCI to satisfy changes should be permanent, the judge make the compliance data available to active exchange requests pending at the said that three years was sufficient time everyone. time of deposit. View the world from paradise. At Hawaii Time Share Exchange, we can connect you with some of the top resorts in the islands. And as a full-service travel agency, we’ll help with your air and car reservations. More for less. For more information, call us toll-free or visit www.htse.net MEMBERSHIPS one year $ 49 three year 125 five year 199 P.O. BOX 1077 EXCHANGE & UPGRADES internal exchange (return to home resort) external exchange international upgrades (plus exchange fee) • KOLOA, KAUAI, HAWAII 96756 • $ 79 99 109 175 1.866.860.HTSE TimeSharing Today TIMESHARING TODAY (ISSN 0000-1069) is published bi-monthly at $19 for 6 issues by TimeSharing Today, Inc., 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670. Periodicals postage paid at Tenafly, NJ. and at additional mailing offices. POST MASTER: Send address changes to TIMESHARING TODAY, 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670. Distribution is primarily by mail to subscribers, with limited distribution at resorts. All contents are copyrighted by TimeSharing Today, Inc. Contact us for reprint permission. DISCLAIMER TimeSharing Today makes no in dependent investigation of the proper ties, products or services advertised or of the people placing advertisements in this publication. We accept all ads that are submitted with the appropriate fee. Accordingly, we cannot accept any responsibility for any direct or conse quential damages arising from these advertisements. ARTICLES AND LETTERS All published articles and letters become the property of TimeSharing Today and may be republished in any format without further compensation. Contributors of articles and letters published in TimeSharing Today will be compensated: Letters or photos - a one issue subscription extension; articles - 10 or 5 issue subscription extension or a 4-line classified ad. HOW TO CONTACT US TimeSharing Today can be reached by mail at 140 County Rd., Tenafly, NJ 07670, by telephone at 201/871-4304, by fax at 201/871-4305 or by email to staff @tstoday.com. Website: www.tstoday.com. Access to Online Edition, Resort Ratings, Resale Value Tracker, etc. is through the Subscriber Only sec tion. Current username: timeshare Current password: gregory Page 3 Jan/Feb, 2010 It is worth the effort Some folks argue that the system works against the owner. In Massachusetts, At torney General Martha Coakley seems to be unresponsive to the complaints sent by owners at the Sandcastle and Southcape Resorts. So far, the new management New England Vacation Services (NEVS) has been unresponsive to a lawsuit filed by an owner seeking to get the owners list. There have been rumors that NEVS is going to try and get other resort management companies in the state to band together to get the laws changed to preclude concerned owners from getting owners lists. In New York, a member of the board of directors at Gurneys Inn has filed a lawsuit against the other members of the sponsor controlled board claiming various breaches of their obligations. She is seeking to have the existing board replaced after an independent investigation is granted to examine the books and records and contractual arrangements that have allegedly led the resort into financial trouble. (See page 37.) The courageous owners who make the effort to reach out to their elected state rep resentatives, to contact their local media, to file written complaints and who demonstrate the determination not to give up deserve the encouragement and support of every owner. It may appear that those of us who are proactive are facing an uphill battle and that we cannot win, but the truth is, each time a wrongdoing is exposed and we take action, we are, little by little, having an impact. Let’s continue the effort because it will, in the long run, be well worth it. Provide your input in the RCI Points lawsuit In looking back at the RCI Weeks Class Action lawsuit, we can see that getting involved can make a difference. TimeSharing Today published an article about the pro posed settlement agreement in March, 2009, three years after the original Complaint was filed. Until that article, most of our readers had completely forgotten about the lawsuit, and were unaware that a settlement had been reached. The original Objectors, Shep Altshuler, Susan Collins and Caroline Lindholm first became proactively involved at the June Fairness Hearing. Within a few months, they had made a difference relative to the notice sent to Members and to the additional modifications that were incorporated in the final settlement agreement. Could more have been accomplished if Members of the Class were more involved in the lawsuit after we wrote about it in 2006? Perhaps, but we do not have to speculate about what might have been. In January, 2009, another Class Action Lawsuit was filed against RCI by Points Member Anton Glenz. As far as TimeSharing Today can determine, this lawsuit is being heard in the same court, by the same judge who presided over the Weeks Class Action settlement hearing. Attorney David Sager, who represented RCI in the Weeks Class Action, is again representing RCI in the Points Class Action. This lawsuit is in its early stages, so the possibility exists that the if every Points member would take action now, the efforts of the attorneys for the Plaintiffs could be greatly influenced and strengthened. TimeSharing Today summarized the Points Complaint on page one of the Nov/Dec issue. Shep Altshuler called the Attorney for the Plaintiff, Philip A. Tortoreti, in Sep tember, 2009. Mr. Tortoreti said that he did not want to comment. He did provide Shep with his email address and information about the Weeks Class Action was provided to him. Since then he has not returned Shep’s phone calls or replied to follow-up email. Now is the time to put the power of our collective voice to work once again. We are providing the contact information of the Attorney of the Plaintiffs below. It is in the best interest of every Points member to reach out to Mr. Tortoreti to express your thoughts about the Complaint against RCI. Offer your assistance in any way possible. Please copy TimeSharing Today on your correspondence. Write to: Philip A. Tortoreti, Esq., Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., 90 Woodbridge Center Drive, Woodbridge, NJ 07095. Let’s not let Anton Glenz be the lone voice in this lawsuit. Correction The telephone number for Defender Resorts in the Nov/Dec Directory of Licensed Resale Brokers was incorrect. The correct number is (800) 799-0798. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more TimeSharing Today Page 4 Jan/Feb, 2010 Letters to the Editor TSToday at resort Thanks again for allowing us the opportunity to buy the magazines. I feel the information that you provide goes a long way toward educating the owners so they can truly appreciate and enjoy their timeshare ownership! Educated owners are most often the happiest owners and happy owners pay their maintenance fees and that means happy, well maintained resorts! Lisa Derr, manager, Pend Oreille Shores Resort Editor’s note: Several resorts, such as Pend Oreille Shores, are distributing TimeSharing Today to incoming guests. We are making the magazine available to resorts by providing them at a nominal price to cover our cost of production and shipping. Resorts interested in this program should email the publisher at staff@ tstoday.com. More info please There are two things I look for in reading about resorts in TST. If a resort does not have an II or RCI rating, we must depend on reader comments for descrip- tions and conditions at a resort. Equally important, especially for foreign resorts is information on local transportation: to and from the airport, shopping, and sightseeing; and rental car needed for full week, few days, or not necessary. Several times a year a reader will send in an excellent article covering this type of information. I hope to see more in the future. We don’t need a repetition of things already in the directories. John Hawks Prospective owner I wanted to write you and tell you I really do appreciate and enjoy your magazine. I’ve been a subscriber to you magazine for about a year now and I really do enjoy you posting opinions, comments, and questions many timeshare owners face. I am not an owner of a timeshare yet, but will hopefully someday own one or more timeshares. Through your magazine, it’s really helped me understand the benefits, responsibilities, pros and cons, scams, and complications that owners go through periodically. But I was just wondering if you could ask all your subscribers of Timesharing Today Magazine a few questions to put in your next issue. (maybe a pole) I would like to know why owners are in the mood to sell their timeshares? For example: Is it because they can’t afford to pay their yearly maintenance bills? Are their mf increasing? If so how much? Is it because they are having a harder time getting an exchange? Is their timeshare too far to travel to anymore? Are the developers out of control? I’m just noticing that it just seems to be more of a sellers market than a buyers market. And because it seems as though so many people are trying to sell, are there any other people that are looking to buy? I know it’s been tough in today’s economy but I would like to know if any subscribers are also looking to buy as well. I guess I’m wondering if owners still see a benefit of timesharing. I would also like to ask how hard is it to exchange their timeshare mostly with RCI and II but also the other exchange companies as well? Maybe on a scale from 1 to 10 (1 being impossible and 10 being excellent trades). This way, if I ever do decide to exchange, I can have a better idea and a viewpoint of what to expect. This would help me out a lot to weigh the pros and cons a bit better over timesharing before I ever take the big leap. And because things are changing so rapidly in today’s economy, I would just like to have these questions answered and updated to get a better idea of what to look out for. Sharon Ports Editor’s reply: Sharon, you should go to our website at www.tstoday.com to review back issues. We had a survey last year about the reasons for people selling their timeshares and their experiences in doing so. We have also had surveys rating the exchange companies, although we should probably be running another one this year. Articles written by timeshare owners should answer most of your questions. You will be able to find answers by using the search function after using the link for online edition-back issues on www.tstoday.com. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 5 In defense of Kelowna, BC By Tim Mulkern, Calgary, Alberta I have to take issue with comments from Bruce Molen on “Bad Exchange” in the Sept./Oct. 2009 magazine, concerning the “remote city of Kelowna” and it being “a very boring place to be.” For starters, Kelowna is in southern British Columbia, a comfortable drive from Calgary (8 hours) from the east, or Vancouver (4 hours) from the west. Kelowna International Airport is Canada’s 10th busiest airport. Kelowna has a population of 110,000 and is in the centre of the Okanagan Valley which totals 400,000 plus inhabitants. For comparison, if you want to see remote, check out Wyoming or Montana. Weather-wise Kelowna receives 2000 hours of sunshine annually and only 11 inches of rain. Kelowna is at the heart of the wine culture of BC, boasting 77 estate wineries, offering free tastings, tours, restaurants and/or picnic facilities and friendly conversation. All with magnificent views of Lake Okanagan – can you say “Napa North,” but with prettier scenery. The lake itself is a boater’s paradise offering sailing, water skiing, kite-surfing, dinner cruises, etc. with lots of sandy beaches and marinas for easy access. We love sitting at some of the downtown lounges overlooking the lake and watching the float plane take-offs/landings. The lake even has its own legendary sea serpent named Ogopogo to compete with Scotland’s Loch Ness monster. Downtown Kelowna has a beautiful well-developed lakefront park area that hosts a myriad of festivals, ranging from the annual Fall Wine Festival, to the Music and Arts Festival to dragon boat regattas, plus many free outdoor concerts. The downtown area also has a vibrant arts/theatre scene and lots of excellent restaurants. Many city/regional parks offer great hiking/biking opportunities with the highlight being Myra Canyon with its many railroad trestles and tunnels. Right in town is Knox Mountain with multiple Jan/Feb, 2010 trails and great views of the city itself. For the sports enthusiast, there are golf courses galore and the Big White Ski Resort is close by. Kelowna also has over 50 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. Now I can’t speak to the Holiday Park Resort. Our timeshare in Kelowna is the fabulous Manteo Beach Resort which has “Gold Premier” status with II. Manteo consists of spacious 2 and 3 bedroom villas right on the lake in the upscale Mission area of Kelowna. We regularly go during the months of June or September, leaving the popular summer months to families. We have been going to Kelowna and the Okanagan since 1996 and never tire of its beauty or things to do. Every turn in the road promises fantastic views of pine trees, golf courses, vineyards and orchards with the beautiful Lake Okanagan in the background. Its too bad Mr. Molen didn’t give Kelowna a chance – staying only one night. It’s an absolute gem of a destination which draws us back year after year. As the official Kelowna Visitors Guide motto says, it’s “Ripe with Surprises!” You have a CHOICE in Exchange Companies • No mandatory membership fees! • No-cost search first! • Online exchange option 24/7! • Low exchange fees! • #1 in customer service, since 1973! • The most popular resort destinations... we’ve expanded your options! Over 35 years of vacation services 800-365-7617 Travel • Cruises • Condo Rentals • Exchange Services • Resort Management TSToday_ad2010.indd 1 www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more www.tradingplaces.com exchange@tradingplaces.com 11/23/09 2:29:46 PM TimeSharing Today Page 6 Our week at Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, BC By Jane Brown, Oakland, CA A friend and I decided to go to British Columbia for our visitation. I had heard about the Okanagan Valley and its very long lake, but most everyone else I spoke to had not. It is a hidden gem. The resort is very nice and the town is extraordinary. First let me tell you about the resort. Situated right on the shore of Okanagan Lake, it is one of only a few large building on the lake. It is surrounded by greenery, green paths, and a boardwalk along the lake. We walked it many times. Flowers are everywhere with little waterfalls and beaches and boat docks. It has two nice pools and conference rooms, a gourmet restaurant, a liquor store and even a little casino. In the lobby was a Starbucks, a little gift shop and a health spa Our timeshare was a bit small but quite nice. We only had a one bedroom, with a sofa bed in the living area that was very comfortable. The kitchen had a full size refrigerator and stove, dishwasher and microwave, so we were able to fix quite a few meals for ourselves when we did not wish to eat out. Dishes and pots were few but sufficient. The living /dining area was very small, fitting only a couch, one chair and a TV set. A small balcony that we used often was right off the living room. Our condo faced the pool and eastward and not the lake, so we had shade from the hot sun in the evenings. We had sun early in the morning on the balcony, which was perfect for our breakfast. The resort left a newspaper at our door every morning. The Grand Okanagan is also a luxury hotel. When we were there, 10 Porsches drove up for a car conference for the owners. Actually, I believe it is the only large hotel in the area, that means all the way to Vancouver. Now for the town. If you don’t know where Kelowna is, I have to tell you that it is 7 hours from Seattle, 6 hours form Calgary and 5 hours from Vancouver. Kelowna is a very unusual place. It is situated on Okanagan Lake, a long 168 mile narrow lake. The northern part has many apple orchards and the southern part is know as the “Napa Valley” of British Columbia. It has many wineries to visit which we did. It is located at 1400 feet above seat level and is surrounded by moderately high mountains. This makes it a ski resort in the winter and a summer playground the rest of the year. They only get about 11 inches of rain a year and a foot or two of snow. The summer weather can soar to 95 degrees. The resort is situated right in the heart of the cultural district. You can walk to the symphony, museums, beaches, parks, art centers and some local wine tasting places. The city also gives out a pamphlet Jan/Feb, 2010 called “Public Art of Kelowna.” This is a compendium of all art sculptures around the city. You can walk and see most of them. Shopping is all small boutique type stores, with the largest chain store being a small Sears. The city is spotless. The beauty of the city is striking. This is a family oriented city, with parks on every other corner. In the parks there are playgrounds, water parks, skateboarding areas for kids. This is also a champion golf course city, where national tournaments take place. The beauty of the city is enhanced by flowers everywhere. All streets have 3-4 foot baskets of flowers hanging from the light poles, and parks are covered with flowers. Right in the center of town, within walking distance from the resort, is a beautiful Japanese garden which is well worth a visit. We also drove to the top of the Knox Mountain to get a good view of the city and the floating bridge that crosses the lake. One day we visited a lavender farm and purchased lavender sachet and lavender jelly. We then went off to the wineries where we made a amazing discovery. Have you ever heard of “ice wine?” I had not. It seems it is a specialty of only a few areas in Canada. The grapes are harvested just before the freezing weather arrives and produces a very sweet wine, akin to a liquor. It is delicious. We also took a short cruise on the lake, dined at many good restaurants and explored the various parts of the city. We then continued our vacation with a trip to Vancouver and Victoria. We finished out vacation by taking the ferry form Victoria to Port Angeles and driving back to Seattle to return our car and fly home. I would return in a minute. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 7 AGs vs. Resale Scams A lawsuit and request for an emergency injunction has been filed by Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum against two related South Florida timeshare resale marketing companies. Universal Marketing Solutions, Creative Vacation Solutions, and owner and manager Jennifer Kirk are alleged to have collected more than $4 million in marketing fees on a monthly basis but rarely, if ever, marketed, advertised or facilitated sales of the timeshares for owners who had contracts with the companies. The attorney general’s Economic Crimes Division’s investigation into Kirk and her companies revealed that marketing fees as high as $2,500 were charged for timeshare resale advertising services. The companies solicited hundreds of consumers nationwide through the internet and aggressive telemarketing calls that allegedly carried empty promises and misrepresentations that a consumer’s timeshare would be actively matched with a prospective buyer. The lawsuit alleges that the companies made no effort to match prospective buyers who contacted them with sellers who had contracted with the companies to sell their timeshare, making the advertising and marketing claims completely false. Additionally, the companies are alleged to have boasted of “superior marketing tools” that included marketing events, presentations and seminars. Kirk and her companies are alleged to have claimed that they could sell timeshares within a certain period of time and that buyers were waiting with approved financing to buy timeshares. Complaints by consumers to the attorney general’s office reported that, following the companies’ failures to perform their promised services, the companies were not able to be contacted for refunds. As many as 400 victims are believed to have been affected by the deceptive practices of the two companies. The attorney general’s lawsuit seeks an injunction to prohibit the defendants from engaging in any timeshare resale business while litigation is pending. The suit also seeks full restitution on behalf of all victimized consumers, civil penalties and reimbursement fees and costs related to the investigation. At the other end of the country, North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has issued a cease and desist order against a Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., timeshare company for violations of North Dakota’s consumer fraud, home solicitation sales and do not call laws. C & G Marketing Associates, doing business as Premier Timeshare Solutions, and its principals, Jose Goyos, also known as Jose Manuel Goyos, and Kristina Cameron, are alleged by Stenehjem to falsely promise timeshare owners that they have buyers for the consumers’ timeshares. The consumers are then charged thousands of dollars in advance for services or sales that never occur, he alleges. “Premier’s deceptive sales practices constitute an absolute scam. Premier’s claims that they have buyers for the timeshares are untrue and are nothing more than a ruse to obtain money under false pretenses,” Stenehjem said. “This conduct in North Dakota will be prosecuted.” One consumer complaint filed with the Consumer Protection Division alleges that Premier was paid $4,200 after it misrepresented to the consumer that it had buyers lined up for the consumer’s timeshare. Those buyers never materialized nor sale occurred. The consumers then repeatedly attempted ot make contact with Premier, but it either never answered the consumer’s phone calls or its message box was full and would not accept their messages, it is alleged. The consumers were eventually informed that their file had been referred to Premier’s “refund department,” but no Jan/Feb, 2010 refund was ever received, it is alleged. The Consumer Protection Division then, at Stenehjem’s direction, began investigating the complaint. An initial inquiry from the Consumer Protection Division to Premier was never responded to, he says. The investigation eventually revealed a pattern of complaints elsewhere in the country. The Better Business Bureau serving Washington State said it’s received “multiple complaints” about a Seattle company called International Timeshare Consolidators (ITC) that offers to help consumers sell their time shares. Since September, Better Business Bureau (BBB) officials said they’ve received 156 inquiries about the company, including five “serious pending complaints.” “Some owners find that their time share did not sell or never received the promised paperwork. Complainants also allege that ITC will not return phone calls or refund money,” BBB officials said in a statement. The BBB investigated ITC’s Seattle office address listed on the company’s website and found out that “ITC does not have an office at this location.” Florida’s Channel Five investigative team contacted ITC, but its officials didn’t respond to an opportunity to comment on the BBB allegations. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 8 TSToday Anywhere Jan/Feb, 2010 Orange Tree Resort owners catch up on their magazine while at the Scottsdale resort. From left: Carol Champagne, Arthur and Renee Harrell and Board member Carole Remick. Linda Rimoin of Amhertview, ONT relaxes with her TimeSharing Today magazine at Indian Wells Condoshare near Palm Springs, CA. Judy Drewry of Portsmouth, VA reads her TimeSharing Today magazine during breakfast on board Tradewinds Cruise Club/St. Martin timeshare, tied up at the Belize Yacht Club in the Gulf of Mexico. Elaine Markham of Calgary, ALB, peruses her copy of TimeSharing Today while on vacation in Ventura, CA Cheryl Hanson shows off her magazine at the Wimea Canyon Lookout in Kauai, HI. Rosalee Harmon enjoys her TimeSharing Today relaxing at Kapaa Shores Resort in Kauai, HI. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 9 Jan/Feb, 2010 “For Suckers?” Not Necessarily! By Jeff Bellin, Salem MA In the recent July/August issue, Dave Smith responds to an article written by Dave Ramsey touting the trouble with timeshares. While Smith rebuts most of Ramsey’s assertions (and correctly so), he does acknowledge one of the “troubles” with timeshares that “buying for high prices from developers is for suckers.” I’m not sure that is always the case. I think, like all timeshare purchasing, it requires some thought and research, along with some hindsight, I suppose, to determine whether purchasing from a developer is wise or not. Our first ever purchase of a timeshare happened to be from a developer. It turned out to be quite wise, in the long run. We bought a two-bedroom, two-bath floating, every other year unit at the Pahio (now Wyndham) Kauai Beach Villas, and paid a premium for a deed guaranteeing us use of the beachfront units. This turned out to be fortuitous. At the time, we bought this for $12,000. We decided, after doing much research at the local library as well as calling friends who had had experience with timeshares (we had had none), to buy for several reasons: 1) 88,000 points in the RCI system would get us many nifty vacations when we traded (It’s now up over 90,000). 2) It would force us to take vacations 3) It would keep costs down with regard to places where we stayed. We figured that, dividing up the maintenance fee (Which was under $700 at the time, but has now gone up to $1100) among various vacation spots, the initial cost of the timeshare would be saved over time. For example, one year we traded for a week at the Allen House in London (a large 1BR apartment with full kitchen) and a week at The Harborside Inn on Martha’s Vineyard. A small hotel room in London (where we stayed an extra night) was $215 for the night. The room at the Harborside Inn in which we stayed that year went for $260/night as a nightly rental. You can do the math to see how much we saved by timesharing ($700 maintenance fee to get a week each at the Allen House AND The Harborside Inn!) Another year, we got 2 weeks in Florida and 3 days at the Manhattan Club in NYC. This year, we’re trading for a week at the Coronado Beach Resort ($799/night for a one-bedroom in the summer, $359/ night for the time of the year we are going!), a week at the Stonegate Mansion in the Berkshires, and three nights in Myrtle Beach. 4) Five bonus weeks of vacations (unfortunately, we only took advantage of one -- our fault, not anyone else’s.) 5) Guaranteed access to the oceanfront units when we do return to the resort. Others can upgrade to one if available at check-in, but we have a deed for an oceanfront building. I don’t see too many of the Kauai Beach Villas oceanfront units on the market. While we haven’t rented it out on our own yet, we plan to do so this year and I’m guessing that we’ll be able to get a premium for it because of the uniquely close, oceanfront view offered. Furthermore, the last time we went to use our home resort a few years ago, we did another tour and one two-bedroom, two-bath oceanfront deeded unit on the secondary market had a $13,000 asking price (and, though this might be taken with a grain of salt, the salesperson said that they’re getting it because the oceanfront units come up for sale so rarely.) I’d say we have been lucky in that department. A unit at the Harborside Inn in Martha’s Vineyard we bought on the secondary market about five years ago is going for more than 50% higher than what we purchased it for. The reason for this is that inn and hotel properties with direct waterfront views in the Vineyard have been getting snapped up and turned into private homes, making short-term options fewer and fewer. Overall, I’d say that we lucked out a bit with the Kauai Beach Villas purchase. That it’s a property we love and would go back to in a heartbeat plus its trading power makes it ideal. As long as you intend to keep it for a while, purchasing a week or points from a developer with a high price can be fine if the resort is a place you love, is a unique opportunity (such as a guaranteed oceanfront deed on Kauai, an island where residential building is strictly zoned) and it offers great trading power. We have attended several timeshare presentations from developers and have declined their offers for several reasons, including, most importantly, a location not interesting to us. Your own situation may vary, but I just want to add a voice and rebut a portion of Dave Smith’s otherwise excellent support of timesharing. Sure, timesharing isn’t for everyone, but it can be great for those who enjoy traveling and are on a budget. customerservice@condolink.com www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 10 For two years I sold timeshare at a mountain resort called Lugar Caliente. By Larry Singer, El Dorado, AR What gave the job a creative twist was the salespeople were not required to obtain a real estate license. It was a loophole that allowed our staff to get away with saying and doing the most outrageous things imaginable without the state’s consumer watchdogs having a fit. Uttering these mistruths was called pitching heat, and because it sometimes worked, management ignored it. The first thing I learned was our entire pitch revolved around the gold card. At the start of each tour our guests were told there were two memberships available to owners at Lugar Caliente. The first was the Silver Membership. It was the one used by most of people who owned a timeshare at the resort. It allowed families to come here once a year for a week or use that week somewhere else. The other membership was called The Gold Card Membership, and everything wonderful the resort had to offer was linked to the gold card. During the next two or three hours, our job was to make the people in our car want that gold card more than their next breath. To help them along, we told them having the gold card meant they had full use of all of the resort’s 5,000-acre facilities, 365 days a year. Most of the people who toured at Lugar Caliente lived and worked a few hours away. Those who left with a gold card could drive to Lugar Caliente on weekends, stay in the on-site hotel for about $50 a night and swim, ski or golf. Shortly before I took my guests into the closing room, I always casually inquired if there was anything, other than money, that might prevent them from owning at Lugar Caliente?” When they said no, it was game on. Maximum credits. Minimum confusion. Avoid the TravelShare credit confusion and get maximum original (pre TravelShare) WorldMark Credits for your dollar. Financing available on select memberships. XII III IX VI 888-517-9604 www.timeshareliquidationservice.com Thousands of successful transactions since 1994 B E S T P R O D U C T. B E S T S E RV I C E . B E S T P R I C E S . Jan/Feb, 2010 Once seated, although we showed our clients two styles of condos, we strongly suggested they purchase a $20,000 timeshare condo called Kings Court. These were multi-level, three and four-bedroom units with floor to ceiling windows that looked out on the lifts and ski trails. Our guests were then informed they could own the vacation of their dreams with the Gold Card Membership for $4,000 down and $300 a month. Most of the sales crew really loved this part of their presentation. If they had done a good job selling the gold card they could see on the faces of their more susceptible clients an immediate shift from hopefulness to bitter disappointment. I always felt this gimmick was like showing a bucket of fried chicken to a starving man and handing him a plate of three-day-old chicken poop. But, at Lugar Caliente, the sales staff was repeatedly reminded by management the people being toured were only there to scam a free two-day vacation and waste our time, so screw them if they couldn’t take a joke. Once the salesperson had sliced and diced the hopes of the family they were touring, we were then expected to spend a moment or two letting that family know how bad we felt that their dreams were now irrevocably shattered. Then, after a thoughtful pause, we gave them a bit of hope that just maybe all might not be lost. “You know,” we cooed softly, “I feel really bad that these numbers don’t mesh with your budget, but last week I toured a couple who felt the same way you feel about this place. Like you, they couldn’t quite reconcile owning here with their other financial obligations.” We were then expected to sigh deeply. If we managed to keep a straight face, we then leaned forward and placed both hands palms down on the table. “I told my manager how this couple felt and how much they really wanted to own here,” the sales rep revealed. “And my manager got together with his boss and they found a much cheaper week. It belonged to an older gentleman whose wife passed away two weeks after they bought it. After the funeral he told us he wouldn’t need it and asked us to take it back. Because it was brand new, it came with a Gold Card Membership.” We were then expected to look at our www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today guests and ask in conspiratorial manner usually employed by spies on dark street corners, “Even though my boss will kill me for wanting to put his neck on the chopping block again, if another gold card week has been turned back into our inventory, and it comes close to fitting in your budget, would you be interested in being an owner here?” If the gold card had done its job, the breeze generated by the husband and wife’s rapidly nodding heads was always refreshing. “Great,” the sales person would say optimistically. “I can’t promise my boss will be able to find anything, but I’ll tell them to do their best to help you out.” The rep would then stand and slowly walk toward their manager, who was trying their best not to look like a hungry street corner pimp. As we bent and whispered in their ears, the nice folks now sitting by themselves at my table were expected to believe we were placing our careers at great risk by going to bat for them. In reality, we were actually saying, “If you can’t get a credit card from these two, you are in serious need of a brain transplant. They are ripe and ready to be eaten, so go forth and pluck them.” The manager would then glance at his prey with an exasperated grimace, arise and exit through a nearby door. The salesperson then returned to the table, sat down and said, “My boss will check, but really doesn’t think the resort has any weeks that have been turned back.” About three minutes later the manager re-entered the room carrying a folded Page 11 piece of paper, sat down, turned to the sales person and said, “This is the last time I’m doing this for you. I had to beg our vice president to let me look at the turnback files and he nearly took the top of my head off. I’m not doing that again.” Turning toward the husband and wife, the manager turned his frown upside down and said, “I found one week that we just got back this morning. It’s not as luxurious as Kings Court, but you’ll be up here all year long so you’ll probably be trading your condo here for one in Hawaii. This unit is brand new, but it’s officially a used week. The attorneys fees, the excise taxes and the other new-unit fees on it have already been paid, so I can let you have it for $1,000 down and $188 a month for eight years. I can get you the gold card, but I need some plastic before my boss changes his mind.” You would be shocked how many times that worked. The next step in the process, the closing, was a half hour ceremony performed by a scholarly-looking gentleman named Dean Phillips. This potentially deal-imploding event was executed with the same extreme care used to assure a freshly caught five hundred pound Blue Marlin doesn’t thrash and slash its way back into the briny deep. During this legal formality, the sales person always sat in close, reassuring proximity to their recently captured prey lest they suddenly come to their senses and run like thieves to the safety of their car. Back in the big, crowded closing room the people who toured Lugar Caliente and elected not to purchase a timeshare were not allowed to just get up and leave. Instead, these recalcitrant individuals were introduced to that all-male Jan/Feb, 2010 group of hungry bottom feeders known as Membership. Once the Membership rep was seated he told the recently toured couple he was there to sign them out. The Membership rep then opened his briefcase, pulled out a very long document with lots of fine print, placed it in front of the husband and handed him a very thick fountain pen. As the husband began unscrewing the cap, Mr. Membership inquired, “Before you sign that paper, can I ask you just one question?” When the husband invariably agreed, the rep smoothly took the pen away from him and placed the release back onto the briefcase. The rep then asked, “You said you couldn’t afford a week of time here every year, but do you think you might possibly be able to afford one week here every other year?” If this deal was rejected, the rep then made Mr. and Mrs. Thrifty virtually the same offer over and over, but each time lowering the price in $100 increments. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” the Membership rep eventually announced. How would you like to have just the Gold Card Membership on a one year trial basis for only $600?” If the couple still refused to leave behind any of their hard earned money, the release was removed from the briefcase and the fountain pen reappeared. When the steadfast twosome were finally allowed to walk back to the visitors center and locate their 1970 Yugo, they could consider with deep regret the fun they could have had, but chose not to embrace, for every single mile of their three-hour drive home. Editor’s note: This article is from a chapter in a forthcoming book in which Larry Singer describes his experiences as a timeshare salesman. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 12 ® RESORT REPORT CARDS Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. Jan/Feb, 2010 Report Card ratings for each resort are averages based on a significant number of reports received from readers. CORAL SANDS RESORT Hilton Head, SC 8.6 EAGLE CREST Redmont, OR 8.4 Amenities and activities at resort: Club house, heated pool, hot tub, tennis, gym, game room, BBQ grills, picnic tables, internet. Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, spa, tennis, gym, hiking, biking, golf, walking trails, horseback riding, racquetball, children’s activities, BBQ grills, fishing. Amenities and activities nearby: Golf, tennis, restaurants, shopping, beach, grocery store, bike paths, boating, live entertainment, ocean. Amenities and activities nearby: State parks, hiking, museums, caves, Crater Lake, mountains, restaurants, shopping, canoeing, rafting, skiing, fishing, rodeo. Unit: Furnishings: 9.3 Cleanliness: 9.0 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.4 Maintenance: 8.9 Construction quality: 8.8 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.6 Nearby: 8.9 Suitable for: Young children: 8.0 Pre-teens: 8.0 . Seniors: 8.0 Teenagers: 8.4 Handicapped: 5.8 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8.6 Security: 7.0 Staff: 8.4 General hospitality: 8.5 Exchange affiliation: RCI Unit: Furnishings: 8.6 Cleanliness: 9.1 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 9.4 Maintenance: 9.1 Construction quality: 8.2 Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.4 Nearby: 8.5 Suitable for: Young children: 7.7 Pre-teens: 8.3 Seniors: 7.8 Teenagers: 8.2 Handicapped: 7.6 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 8.0 Convenience store: 7.0 Grounds and maintenance: 8.5 Security: 8.3 Staff: 8.5 General hospitality: 8.7 Exchange affiliation:RCI, II Comments: Units are quite spacious and well decorated. Car needed to get around the island. Plenty to do on the island. Many shaded bicycle paths. Comments: Units spacious and they have every amenity you could want. Quiet & remote location, but spectacular scenery. Plenty of activities on-site, but also much to do in the area. FIRST CABIN CLUB Lake Havasu, AZ 6.8 GRANDE VILLAS AT WORLD GOLF VILLAGE St. Augustine, FL 8.1 Amenities and activities at resort: Boat rentals, walking paths, beach, houseboat rentals, lake, pool, hot tub, pilates, fishing, health club, children’s activities, dock. Amenities and activities at resort: Golf, swimming, game room, fitness room, BBQ grills, volleyball, basketball, playground, tennis, hot tub, IMAX theater, Golf Hall of Fame. Amenities and activities nearby: Casinos, golf, boating, shopping, tennis, biking, state park, London Bridge, library, water activities, camp grounds. Amenities and activities nearby: Shopping, tours, grocery store, beach, winery, lighthouse, Old St. Augustine, golf, historical sites, restaurants. Unit: Furnishings: 7.0 Cleanliness: 7.0 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 5.4 Maintenance: 7.3 Construction quality: 6.6 Amenities and activities: At resort: 6.5 Nearby: 7.3 Suitable for: Young children: 6.4 Pre-teens: 6.4 Seniors: 7.0 Teenagers: 6.6 Handicapped: 6.1 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.6 Convenience store: 6.8 Grounds and maintenance: 7.1 Security: 6.6 Staff: 7.5 General hospitality: 7.9 Exchange affiliation: II Unit: Furnishings: 8.2 Cleanliness: 7.8 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.0 Maintenance: 8.4 Construction quality: 7.9 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.9 Nearby: 9.0 Suitable for: Young children: 7.0 Pre-teens: 7.0 Seniors: 8.9 Teenagers: 7.8 Handicapped: 8.4 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.8 Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8 .3 Security: 7.9 Staff: 8.8 General hospitality: 8.9 Exchange affiliation: RCI Comments: Units are small, but all overlook beach. Kitchen small, under-stocked, and only has a hotplate to cook on. Staff friendly. Comments: Excellent resort for golfing. Staff was outstanding. Some units looking worn. Washer/dryer in unit. TimeSharing Today Page 13 ® RESORT REPORT CARDS Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. Jan/Feb, 2010 Report Card ratings for each resort are averages based on a significant number of reports received from readers. MARRIOTT’S CUSTOM HOUSE Boston, MA 9.9 WESTIN KA’ANAPOLI OCEAN RESORT Maui, HI 8.6 Amenities and activities at resort: Nightly entertainment, observation tower, concierge, maid service, fitness center, game room, bar/lounge. Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, bar/lounge, clubhouse, exercise room, hot tubs, sauna, beach, planned activities, grills, outdoor dining areas, game room, playground, tennis, shuttle. Amenities and activities nearby: Fanuiel Hall, comedy club, restaurants, shopping, street entertainment, aquarium, historic sites, Boston Harbor, museums. Unit: Furnishings: 9.4 Cleanliness: 10.0 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.7 Maintenance: 9.9 Construction quality: 10.0 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.8 Nearby: 10.0 Suitable for: Young children: 7.0 Pre-teens: 8.3 Seniors: 9.6 Teenagers: 8.4 Handicapped: 8.1 Resort: Restaurant facilities: NA Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 9.9 Security: 9.8 Staff: 9.8 General hospitality: 9.8 Exchange affiliation: II Comments: A city full of places of interest and activities for adult vacationers. No car necessary. No pool or hot tub on-site, but available at nearby Marriott Hotel. Resort may be a disappointment to children Amenities and activities nearby: Whaler’s Village, golf, tennis, beach, water sports, restaurants, whale watching, hiking, golf, bike trails, live entertainment, fishing, sailing. Unit: Furnishings: 9.4 Cleanliness: 9.2 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.8 Maintenance: 8.7 Construction quality: 8.7 Amenities and activities: At resort: 7.7 Nearby: 9.5 Suitable for: Young children: 8.4 Pre-teens: 8.0 Seniors: 8.9 Teenagers: 8.1 Handicapped: 10.0 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 9.6 Convenience store: 8.9 Grounds and maintenance: 9.9 Security: 9.3 Staff: 9.1 General hospitality: 9.1 Exchange affiliation: II Comments: Beautiful beach. Daily charge for beach chair/ lounge rentals. Kitchen lacks a regular oven, but you can manage. WORLDMARK OCEANSIDE HARBOR Oceanside, CA 7.8 WYNDH AM GRAND DESERT Las Vegas, NV 8.8 Amenities and activities at resort: Fitness room, pool, Jacuzzi, movie rental, internet, billiards, children’s pool, video games, playground, elevators, lounge, tennis, basketball, covered garage, BBQ grills, handicapped unit. Amenities and activities at resort: Pools, computer center, spa, exercise equipment, concierge, game room, shuttle, activities, tennis, basketball, entertainment. Amenities and activities nearby: Legoland, Sea World, San Diego Zoo, churches, shopping, fishing, sailing, beach, restaurants, boating, surfing, golf, tennis, Disneyland. Unit: Furnishings: 7.2 Cleanliness: 8.1 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.0 Maintenance: 8.1 Construction quality: 8.3 Amenities and activities: At resort: 6.3 Nearby: 8.6 Suitable for: Young children: 7.9 Pre-teens: 8.4 Seniors: 8.4 Teenagers: 8.1 Handicapped: 8.0 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 6.0 Convenience store: NA Grounds and maintenance: 8.3 Security: 7.3 Staff: 8.1 General hospitality: 8.5 Exchange affiliation: II, RCI Comments: Many units have ocean view. A car is a necessity. Lots of road noise from the highway. Amenities and activities nearby: Casinos, golf, tennis, skiing, horseback riding, sightseeing, malls, Red Rock Canyon, restaurants, live entertainment, Hoover Dam. Unit: Furnishings: 8.9 Cleanliness: 9.3 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 8.2 Maintenance: 8.5 Construction quality: 9.1 Amenities and activities: At resort: 8.3 Nearby: 9.7 Suitable for: Young children: 7.1 Pre-teens: 7.0 Seniors: 8.3 Teenagers: 6.8 Handicapped: 7.7 Resort: Restaurant facilities: 7.0 Convenience store: 6.9 Grounds and maintenance: 9.2 Security: 9.2 Staff: 9.5 General hospitality: 9.4 Exchange affiliation: RCI Comments: No need for a car, shuttles to many places. Staff always helpful and cheerful. Resort just off The Strip. No cleaning service. TimeSharing Today Page 14 Ron’s Select Holidays By Ronald G. Helms, Centerville, OH Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club, Kauai Many readers of TimeSharing Today will recall that Alaska became the 49th state on January 3rd, 1959, and Hawaii gained admission to the union on August 21,1959. My wife and I have now visited all 50 states, and I determined, for sentimental reasons, that my first visit to Alaska would occur landing in a small aircraft on Denali on my 49th birthday. The trips to Hawaii would come later in life. I also knew that a visit to Oahu or Honolulu might have the same daunted effects that a business trip to Las Angeles inspires. Fortunately, Delta offered a direct flight from Cincinnati to Oahu, and my Don’t Pay Another Maintenance Fee! WE’LL SELL YOUR TIMESHARE FAST. NO UPFRONT COST! If we accept your timeshare for eBay®auction, we’ll sell it fast and charge no upfront fee. If we don’t sell it within 30 days, you’ll pay nothing—ever. It’s the risk-free, hassle-free sell-it-now solution! Hundreds of happy clients See full details at: TimeshareRecycler.com wife insisted on the first class cabin. The aloha state has a population of 1,275,194 diverse citizens. Nearly 5 million tourists visit Hawaii annually, and tourism is an important part of the economy. Upon deplaning at the Honolulu airport, my wife and I walked ten minutes to an island-hopping flight to Maui. Our plan is to spend two and one-half weeks in the islands and only minutes on Oahu. We have already spent a good deal of time in southern California, and did not require more of the same. In truth there is more to Oahu than Honolulu, and Oahu presents less travel concerns than many part of the mainland, so Oahu would have to wait for another visit. Because we are Marriott owners, it was not much of a challenge to trade into one of Marriott’s newest and nicest properties: Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club at Kauai. From Maui we flew directly to Lihue, a small town that featured the Marriott’s Kauai Beach Club, which is an integrated hotel and quasi-timeshare. This is not the property that we required. Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club at Kauai is pure island retreat. The Waiohai Beach Club offers easy access, seclusion, and a terrific beach. Area natives later confirmed that this is one of the nicest beaches on Kauai. The formal reception area provided a soignée invitation to an excellent visit. And it was here that my wife and I were presented with Hawaiian leis. Leis are not indiscriminately given to all arriving tourists. The open-air lobby leads to a very congenial tropical garden of elegant landscaping that drew us first to the pools and Jan/ then to the beach and finally to the Pacific ocean. At our age and with our travel experience, we are the very personification of the jaded American traveler. We have traveled Canada coastto-coast, eastern and western Europe, Asia, and Mexico. Waiohai Beach Club provided two-bedroom, two-bath villas, each with spacious living and dining areas that include three televisions, DVD player, fully equipped kitchen, soaking tub in master suite, private balcony, and a washer and dryer. Our villa had a terrific view of the Pacific. Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club is located on Poipu Beach on the southern coast of Kauai. Because we chose Poipu Beach, we chose seclusion, and this Marriott property is exactly the property we dreamed of visiting in Hawaii. Two years later; we did spend a week at Marriott’s Kauai Beach Club in Lihue and were disappointed; however, some tourists seem to prefer the Lihue property. The Hertz Mustang convertible is truly a serene method of transportation on Kauai. Travel books prepared us for the more expensive restaurants, and it is not difficult to find interesting dinners for two at $100.00-$300.00. It is immediately clear that the natives have other dining ideas, and a little investigation will discover some very fine meals and restaurants that somehow never make it into the tourist guides. The Marriott villa kitchens and on-site grills provided our own meal preparation. While I might have been content to spend the week at this Marriott paradise, my wife urged island tours. My wife is an avid shopper, and she greatly enjoys meeting the locals, and sampling local culture and natural beauty. We spent a good deal of time visiting the Hanalei valley, Kilauea point, Princeville, Na Pal coast, Waimea Canyon, Hanapepe overlook, the Spouting Horn, the National Tropical Garden, Wailua Falls, and several other natural wonders. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message board, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 15 Owners at Two Cape Cod Resorts Challenge Same Company Suit filed to get Southcape owner list An owner at the Southcape Resort and Club on Cape Cod, Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit seeking the names and addresses of other owners at the timeshare resort. In the complaint, Florida resident Alfred Ewald alleges that the resort’s management and Board of Trustees were taken over by New England Vacation Services (NEVS) after NEVS purchased all the unsold weeks for the Southcape and Sandcastle resorts. Ewald’s concerns relate to a $400 special assessment, selection of NEVS principal Cliff Hagberg as a trustee, an annual meeting held without notice and refusal of NEVS to provide the names of the trustees and the names and addresses of other interval owners. Ewald charges that the present Board of Trustees is an illegal board appointed by NEVS rather than being elected by the owners. Ewald states that he intends to prosecute a suit against NEVS and others for damages and equitable relief. However, the filed action does not seek these damages because Ewald alleges that he cannot proceed with his claims against NEVS until he has the names of the trustees and the names and address of other owners. Rather, the complaint requests that the court require NEVS to provide the requested information, which Ewald asserts that he is entitled to receive under Massachusetts law. Sandcastle owners with similar issues A number of owners at Cape Cod’s Sandcastle Resort have been communicating among themselves through emails and conference calls to consider action against NEVS. Several have provided support to Ewald in his suit against NEVS in seeking the get the owners list. Among the complaints of the owners are the sales tactics of Outfield Marketing seeking to convert owners to a points system. Owners claim Outfield is using high pressure sales tactics, threats, lies and half truths in order to coerce owners into turning over their deeded property and selling by intimidation and fear. These owners concerns also involve their inability to get the list of owners and that the new Board of Trustees, comprised of NEVS principal Hagberg and the three owners of Outfield Marketing, was put into place without a vote of the owners at an annual meeting. A special assessment, ranging from $400 to $900 per unit, has especially irritated the owners because NEVS claims that, as a successor to the original developer, it is exempt from payment on the units it purchased. The resort is now being managed by New England Vacation Marketing Services, a company owned by the four members of the Board of Trustees. Hagberg responds Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the article you are considering publishing. New England Vacation Services, LLC did buy the unsold inventory from the previous developer along with a bundle of developer and declarant rights. The new trustees were appointed by the previous trustees as part of the transfer of those rights. As the developer inventory finally gets sold (the former developer made little attempt to sell the inventory in the past twenty years) control will be turned over to the owners and elections will be held for new trustees. Requests for copies of the owner’s list are being referred to the board of trustees for consideration at their next meeting. We have been advised that there is a conflict between MA Chapter 183B, Section 32 and current MA and federal privacy laws. The attorney for the association is working on resolving this conflict. We categorically deny the allegations of high pressure sales tactics, threats, lies and half truths. No one is being coerced. My reputation is well known and well documented in the timeshare industry as is the record of Tom Franks. There is no “blatant take over,” just a legitimate process of ownership transfer that happens every day in the timeshare business. Jan/Feb, 2010 Special assessments have been issued as, under the previous trustees, there was no budget and no reserve account. Further, both resorts were running an operating loss in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for many years. Both resorts now have a balanced budget and reserve accounts have been established. A ballot vote for trustees will be held when the declarant rights are extinguished according to law. The resorts have not been taken away from anyone. Owners still have the same rights they’ve always had. In fact, we go out of our way to communicate with owners by mail, email, telephone and personal meetings. I would finally point out that the members of this group that sent you this article have continually refused to meet with me to address their concerns. As with all owners, I am personally agreeable to meet with them, or any other owner, to address their concerns. I must admit that I am finding it difficult to discuss their concerns when they refuse to communicate with me. Clifford Hagberg, NEVMS, LLC Outer Banks Resort Rentals Timeshare Rentals & Resales www.outerbanksresorts.com 1-252-441-2134 Milepost 13.5 Nags Head e-mail: vacation@outerbanksresorts.com www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 16 Delhi on the popular daily train from the nearest station - 30km away by taxi down the twisting mountain roads. We had picked The Mountain Club partly for it’s 4300 foot elevation. New Delhi heats up to more than 80F in March, but the temperatures can be wool-jacket cool above 6000 feet. As it turned out, we In March, 2008, my wife Ida and I enjoyed an exchange in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. We tacked a week at The Mountain Club (RCI Resort No. 7695) onto the end of an exciting 15-day commercial tour of the northeast Indian hot spots, planning on a peaceful interlude to recharge our batteries before the 30+ hour airplane ride back home to Washington State. We did find our quiet retreat, but getting there is an adventure in itself. We made the 330km, 10 hour trip east from New Delhi to within 50km of the Nepalese border, in a hired car with a calm, careful Muslim driver. For our return, we were able to snag a couple of seats back to nearest village, where primitive shops cluster around a 2km-long lake. The office is friendly and helpful. They expected us, and our room was ready when we arrived. We got attentive treatment, and thumbing through the guest register later, it appeared we were their first guests from the Western Hemisphere. We didn’t see another Caucasian face until we got onto the train back to Delhi at the end of the week. A couple of the young jackof-all-trade male staff attached themselves to us and made sure we got any extra chairs, pots, pans, light bulbs, clean linen, matches, bottled water, etc. during our stay. When we left, it felt good to reward these special people with special tips. Visiting the Mountain Club is something like a home-stay, in the sense that they have established their own customs and rules, and are eager to help you learn the rhythms of their small world. Customs such as: no one eats in the restaurant. Its pleasant six-table dining room was empty every time we looked in, which was seldom after we learned that it is customary for guests to have meals delivered to their rooms. The only exception to this was evenings around the blazing firepit in the courtyard. We learned that the kitchen was happy to bring us fresh hand-made potato and onion samosas which we savored by the light of the nightly bonfire. Even though there were few other guests that early in the season, the fire also attracted a honeymoon couple from Mumbai our first night. They exercised their English while describing Indian marriage customs to us, and their jobs in the electronic data business. The next night we were joined by two more couples; the parents and grandparents of two eavesdropping grandchildren playing catch nearby. From this strictly vegetarian family we learned rudimentary details of the Jain religion. Other guests swapped stories of successes and pitfalls on their tours higher into the surrounding Kumon mountains during unpredictable winter weather. There was some painting and maintenance underway as staff prepared for the spring high season. The total of about forty units - studio, one, and two bedroom - are typically two to six per building. Ours was Our Week in the Indian Himalayas had daytime temperatures in the mid seventies, with cool nights ideal for sleep. The resort was built up over time on a few hillside acres on part of what was originally a 12,000 acre British estate. The mixture of understated and attractive alpine-style buildings feature attractive wood textures both inside and out, blending in with the surrounding oak and pine forests. Access is up a steep rough road, 2.5km off the main road at Bhimtal, the Jan/Feb, 2010 www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today 570 sq. ft. on two-stories; one bedroom, with the kitchen and living room on the lower floor. Up a flight of rather narrow stairs, the bedroom area was light-and airy, with many windows on three sides that looked out through green tree branches over the neighboring valley. The effect was very much like sleeping in a tree house, except that the bed was large and comfortable, with plenty of fresh bedding. Our small outside deck on the lower level gave us the same view down over small vegetable fields hundreds of feet below, punctuated by modest farm cottages . We had two ample bathrooms, and two television sets with a smattering of English news channels and the occasional movie in English. The kitchen was equipped with a small fridge and a two-burner gas stove top, but no oven, micro, or dish washer. Each unit has its own water heaters, but our kitchen sink drainage system was somewhat primitive. The supply of dishes and kitchen utensils was modest but adequate and we cooked the majority of our breakfasts and lunches. The living room had minimal seating, but was okay for the two of us. We ate meals on our coffee table, but probably could have gotten a dining table had we asked. There are significant stairs about the grounds and in most units. In addition to the almost-daily short power outages, which seem typical across India, there are some cultural adaptations required. For example, learning to use unfamiliar cookware, and adapting to unique food packaging (such as small plastic bags of milk). Far from any shops, we ordered all our foodstuffs with written lists to the on-site “store.” The storekeeper then translated our scribbles into Hindi, and from his meager supplies, the resort kitchen, and maybe from local farms and shops, most of the items we ordered appeared on our kitchen countertop, sometimes after a few days. He even managed to find us the occasional bottle of beer, which is often in short supply in this largely abstinent culture. Outside the office, a blackboard announced the daily activities: always a 7AM guided bird walk, afternoon cricket, and the evening bonfire. Ida and I took the 2-hour bird sighting tour the first morning with a friendly but non-English- speaking guide. We saw many different birds and animal tracks while scrambling up steep Page 17 trails through the thick trees and onto a bare ridge that affords mile-high views of nearby lakes and distant mountains. Ours was the only formal bird walk that actual took place during the week. The intensity of daily cricket games played by the staff in the narrow courtyard was reinforced by the India national team’s recent victory over Australia on Australia’s home ground. Most of India had caught cricket fever. In addition to local trekking, up to 3km at a time, we took two day trips away from the resort. After walking the 2.5km road to Bhimtal, we circumnavigated the lake on foot, stopping at a primitive tea Jan/Feb, 2010 shop for a rest and buying fresh produce from a wayside market stall. After a nice lunch at a modest lakeside hotel, we lugged our booty back uphill to home, feeling energized by our four hour hike. One afternoon we took a resort-recommended “lake tour” by taxi that took us to several lakes within a 15km radius. We hired a rowboat for a 45-minute circuit of Lake Sattal - a lovely, remote spot barely touched by commercial development. Internet access is slow but usually available for a fee, using the system in The Mountain Club office. Checkout at the end of the week provided no surprises, although the multitude of notes and receipts are a reflection of the bureaucracy that permeates the intertwined worlds of Indian business and government. The ten dollar daily utility charge seems to be typical for timeshare exchanges in India. Aside from that, we found that the food supplies and our few restaurant meals cost 1/2 to 1/4 of stateside prices - even after any resort mark-ups. Our stay at The Mountain Club was a fitting top-off for this brief introduction to the incredible nation of India. Hundreds of beautiful member resorts in over 75 countries With Interval International, you’ll enjoy: • Worldwide exchange privileges • Flexibility of two exchange options • Specially-priced Getaway vacations • Golf Resort program • Award-winning publications • And so much more! Enroll or renew today! Call toll-free: 1-800-977-7045 or 305-666-1884 ext. 7522 (outside toll-free limits) or visit IntervalWorld.com www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 18 Index of 2009 Articles The index of articles is compiled annually by David McClintock as a service to fellow subscribers. A combined tenyear index is accessible in the Online Edition at www.tstoday.com (Page number & month) ARDA resale advice....................22 Nov Aruba – playing bridge..................8 Mar Aruba – positive comments.........20 May Aruba – reunion of friends...........18 Sep Aruba Ocean Club problems........13 Sep Ask Dave M........26 Jan, 9 Mar, 19 May, 10 Jul, 9 Sep Aviara, CA – Four Seasons..........22 Sep Bridge, playing in Aruba...............8 Mar Calendar ......(precedes ads – each issue) Celebrity Resorts troubles.............8 Nov Consolidated Resorts....................23 Sep Consumer protection Europe........24 Jan Coral Reef, FL conversion.............8 Nov Deed back to HOA..........................3 Jan Deeds – consequences.................19 Nov Dial An Exchange programs.......23 May Diamond Resorts complaints........36 Jul, 4 Sep, (and another view).........32 Sep Disney Hawaii expansion..............25 Jan Exchanging BYU professor’s system...........27 Jan Comparison Chart..........................28 Jul Direct exchanges...........................4 May In the 21st century..........20 Jan, 23 Mar, 17 Jul, 3, 11 Nov Internal exchange programs........37 May Fairfield Glade, TN.....................30 Nov Free Timesharing Today issues for articles................p. 3 of each issue for subscriptions..................back page Gurney’s Inn, NY – sale?............25 May Hanalei Bay control ..........1 Jul, 40 Nov Homeowner Associations Access to owner lists.......4 Jan, 5 Mar Collection agency, using............8 Mar Developer control......................10 Jan Lawsuits.......................................3 Jul Management Co Directory.......23 Mar Need for owner activism..........13 Sep Resort management...................15 Jan Interval International Accommodation Certificate.......5 Mar Good service .............................5 Nov Jan/Feb, 2010 Short-term stays......................24 May JRA Services profile.....................31 Sep Manhattan Club angry owners.....38 Sep Masanutten expansion..................23 Sep Nat’l TS Owners Assoc................33 Sep Navigator Beach Club closed........25 Jan Oyster Bay expansion....................26 Jul Pelican Resort control battle......16 May, 4 Jul Pet friendly resorts........................5 May Play del Sol, MX – scam? ............24 Jul RCI Class action – points..................1 Nov Lawsuit – owner comment........1 May Lawsuit settle – objections.........3 Mar Lawsuit, tentative settlement....1 Mar, 3 May, 1, 3 Sep, 1, 38 Nov Points – resort affiliation.........24 Nov RCI T........................................23 Sep Resort fees to deposit.................4 Mar Rentals, cheap.............................5 Sep Report card ratings See “Resort report card(s)” Resale advice from ARDA..........22 Nov Resale brokers Directory....................10 Mar, 28 Nov Questions to ask..........................1 Jan Venture Capital........................33 Mar 100 95 75 25 5 0 100 95 75 25 5 0 www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Why use a license........................3 Jan Resort report card system Compare Redweek rentals......26 May Form to complete e.g., .............30 Jan Resort report cards Banff Gate Mtn., CAN............14 May Bay Club of Sandestin, FL........19 Jul Bethel Inn & Club, ME...........14 May Cabo Villas, MX......................14 Nov Calif Vacation – Riverpoint.......19 Jul Carlsbad Seapointe, CA1.............9 Jul Celebrity Resorts, FL..............14 May Christmas Mtn Village, WI........19 Jul Costa Maya Reef, Belize.........14 May Crown Point Resort, AR..........36 May Desert Breezes, CA...................13 Jan Fiesta Americana, MX..............14 Jan French Quarter, MO...................20 Jul Gaslamp Plaza Suites, CA........15 Sep Greensprings Plant., VA..........15 Mar Harbor Ridge, ME.....................13 Jan Harbortown Point, CA............15 May Houses at Summer Bay, FL......13 Jan InnSeason Pollard Brk, NH.....15 Mar Kona Coast Resort, HI.............14 Nov Marriott Fairway Villas, NJ.....14 Nov Marriott Harbour Club, SC.......15 Sep Marriott Imperial Palm, FL.....14 Nov Marriott Monarch, SC.............15 May Marriott Ocean Watch, SC.........20 Jul Marriott Timber Lodge, CA......13 Jan Marriott Waiohai Beach, HI.....15 Mar Mountain Run, MI...................15 Nov Mountainloft, TN....................15 May Nottingham Village, NY..........15 Nov Oasis Lakes Fountains, FL......16 Mar Pend Orielle Shores, ID............15 Sep Peppertree Atlantic Bch, NC.....14 Jan Plantation Rsrt, SC......15 Mar, 4 May Point at Poipu, HI.....................15 Sep Ron Jon Cape Caribe, FL.........16 Sep Sedona Summit, AZ.................16 Mar Sheraton Mtn. Vista, CO...........14 Jan Star Island Resort, FL...............16 Sep Star Pass Golf Suites, AZ.........16 Sep Vacation Village Pkwy, FL.......16 Mar Vacation Village Weston,FL.......20 Jul Varsity Clubs, IN......................16 Mar Village of Loon Mtn., NH........16 Sep Westgate Lakes Resort, FL......15 May Westgate Painted Mtn., AZ.......14 Jan Westgate Smokey Mtn, TN........20 Jul Worldmark Windsor, CA.........15 Nov Reviews Adventura Spa Palace, MX......21 Mar Angel Fire Resort, NM............13 Mar Aquarius Vacation Clb, PR......13 May Banff Rocky Mtn., CAN..........28 Mar Page 19 Blue bay Club, MX..................40 Sep Bluebeard’s Beach Clb USV......I6 Jan Bryan’s Spanish Cove, FL......34 May Camelot by the Sea, FL.............37 Jul Club Regency, FL....................36 Mar Fitzgerald Castle, Ireland.............7 Jul Fox Hills Resort, WI....................9 Jul Fox Run Resort, NC................37 Mar Gaslamp Plaza Suites, CA........37 Sep Gold Pointe Resort, CO...........25 Mar Grand Mayan Riviera, MX.......34 Jan Grand Timber Resort, CO........25 Mar Harbor Ridge, ME...................39 Mar Holiday Park, Canada.................6 Sep Island Seas Resort,Bahamas.....21 Sep Kimball, UT...............................6 Nov Kona Coast Resort, HI...............13 Jul Lake Edge Resort, NZ...............6 Mar Lake View Golf & Spa,WV......17 Sep Land of Canaan, WV...................7 Jan Marina Bay Resort, FL............26 Nov Marriott Breckenridge, CO......25 Mar Marriott Kauai Beach, HI.......33 May Marriott Manor Club, VA..........22 Jul Marriott Mountainside, UT........21 Jul Marriott Summit Watch.21 Jul,10 Sep Marriott Vail, CO.....................25 Mar Mountainside Lodge, CAN......30 Sep New Bern Fairfield Harb, NC.....6 Jan Old Killarney Vill, Ireland...........7 Jul Parkway Int’l Resort, FL...........38 Jan Pass-a-Grille, FL........................37 Jul Pend Orielle Shores, ID...........35 Nov Pines Resort, New Zealand......11 Sep Quail Hollow, PA....................27 May Reef at Marathon, FL................16 Jul Royal Haciendas, MX...............6 Nov San Clemente Cove, CA............13 Jul Sea Aquarium, Curacao..............7 Sep Sedona Springs Resort, AZ.....27 Nov Sheraton Desert Oasis, AZ..........8 Jan St. Georges Club, Bermuda.....10 May St. James Place, CO.................21 Nov Summer Bay Resort, FL...........37 Jan Tamarack Beach, CA..............32 May Train’shares, USA.....................33 Jan Turtle Cay Resort.....................21 Sep Villa del Palmar, MX................19 Sep Village at Steamboat, CO..........31 Jan Williamsburg Plantation..........39 Nov Wyndham Fairfield, TN............39 Sep Wyndham Ka’Eo Kai, HI........16 Nov Wyndham Long Wharf, RI..........4 Jan Wyndham Durango, CO6 Jan Sales incentives............................36 Sep Scams/schemes Arrests in Spain........................32 Mar Misleading sales tactics........3, 35 Jan, Jan/Feb, 2010 5 May, 5 Jul, 4 Nov New FL law re upfront fees........1 Sep The lates.................t11, 26 Jul, 24 Sep Upfront fee rebuttal..................27 Mar Tax treatment – TS disposal............5 Jan Timeshare owners group meetings 31 Mar, 39 May, 32 Jul, 10 Sep Timeshares - Pros & cons of owning 30 Jul, 27 Sep Timesharing, one family..............19 Mar Timesharing Today Index, 2008 articles...................18 Jan Reader comments.........39 Jul, 34 Sep TSToday Prime............................3 Jul TradeWinds Cruise Club.............12 May Trading Places, expansion...........31 Mar Travel tips Saving on groceries...................39 Jan Tucson day-tripping..................36 Jan TRI West synopsis........................28 Jan Trump Europe devel..........25 Jan, 8 Nov Westgate Expansion & court case............23 Jan High pressure sales......................5 Jul Wyndham Expansion..................................22 Jan Owners fight back....................35 Mar Pahio conversion......................33 Nov Positive comments..................35 May TRI WEST Home of the Timeshare BLUEBOOK© & Vacation Gallery 800-423-6377 triwest-timeshare.com www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 20 Jan/Feb, 2010 AROUND THE INDUSTRY Owners kick tires before purchase According to Vacation Timeshare Owners Report, 2009 Edition by the ARDA International Foundation (AIF), recent timeshare purchasers are younger, wealthier and happy with their vacation product. Overall, more than six in ten timeshare owners are age 45 or older, with Baby Boomers ranked as the largest generation of timeshare owners (45 percent). However, recent purchasers are younger than timeshare owners in general, with 58 percent under the age of 45. About half of recent purchasers rented a timeshare prior to buying (48 percent), and four out of five purchased from a developer or resort. The average household income for all owners is $92,405, and recent purchasers have an average household income of $94,933. Motivators for purchasing were the quality of accommodations, saving on future costs, and the credibility of the timeshare company. Over half say they purchased a timeshare to save money on future vacations. “This study underscores the flexibility and value of vacation ownership products for a broad range of consumers and lifestyles. The value of timeshare that comes from its use gives people the discipline to have a better vacation year after year,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. Other results from the study include: • Timeshare owners spent an average of 8.18 days on timeshare vacations in 2008. • On average, the total number of guests on a timeshare vacation was 3.71, including the owner. • Eighty-six percent of all timeshare owners responded that owning a timeshare was an excellent, very good, or good experience. • Sixty-nine percent of all owners would recommend their own resort or vacation club. • On average, timeshare owners have owned their intervals for 8.26 years. • Timeshare owners say that beaches (52 percent), attractions/entertainment (48 percent), and shopping (39 percent) are the most appealing resort characteristics. • Eighty-one percent of all owners say that their timeshare offers a vacation home away from home. RCI offers shopping perks to members RCI has announced the launch of the RCI Shopping Perks program, a virtual shopping mall on RCI.com that will allow RCI subscribing members residing in the United States to browse hundreds of merchants and popular vendors and comparison shop for the lowest prices. Through the RCI Shopping Perks program, members can earn Cash Back rewards on all qualified purchases that can be used to pay membership fees, exchanges fees and more. “The RCI Shopping Perks program is a fun and easy tool that we believe our members will really enjoy and utilize,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “Like other technology advancements we’ve introduced to our members, including Enhanced Search capabilities and our innovative RCI® TV network, the RCI Shopping Perks program is another way we are providing value to our members while helping to make their visit to RCI. com fun and enjoyable.” Easily accessed via the “Member Perks” tab on RCI.com, RCI members can shop by merchant, offer or geographic region. The RCI Shopping Perks site will also allow visitors to search deals by several top North American destinations to find products or merchandise specific to upcoming travel or activity plans. Swindlers reimburse owners A Nevada company accused of swindling Vermonters out of their timeshares has agreed to reimburse the victims in a settlement announced by the Vermont attorney general. Apex Professionals, Inc., will pay $64,000 to 15 victims and another $65,000 in penalties to the state of Vermont to settle charges that it violated the law in arranging the selling of timeshares, according to Attorney General Bill Sorrell. “If out-of-state companies offering an economic benefit to consumers in Vermont violate the state’s consumer laws, they can expect strong enforcement and serious consequences,” Sorrell said in a statement. Apex, a Reno, Nev., based company, invited timeshare owners to sales conferences in Burlington and Montpelier earlier this year. Company representatives told consumers they would transfer ownership of their unused timeshares, thus unburdening them of timeshare maintenance fees, taxes and other costs. Sorrell said the victims reasonably assumed they would be compensated for their unused timeshares. In fact the company not only transferred ownership of the timeshares without compensation, according to Sorrell, but also charged the owners thousand of dollars in fees. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 21 The Real Value of Timeshare By Scott Riddle, CEO 1-800MyCondo I have owned and used timeshares for 29 years. My wife and I have visited 100s of timeshare resorts. We consider timeshare to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of our lives. I have also been in the timeshare business for the same length of time and have worked with resorts in the US, Mexico, Belize and South Africa. I have been involved in sales, resales, resort development and resort management. I also serve on the Board of Directors of a timeshare resort. So, in addition to my own experiences regarding timeshare, I have had the opportunity to listen to thousands of others tell me about their experiences in timesharing. Were all of our (and their) experiences outstanding? Well, not exactly. Even allowing for some experiences that were less than awesome, I can say that the memories we created, and still share, have held a lasting place in our lives. Would I trade those times, and memories, for the money I put into making those memories happen? Let’s put it this way, we can’t really remember how much money was spent, but we still remember the vacations and the good times. In addition to our memories, which we often discuss, there are the memories of those who vacationed with us at the beach, in the mountains, in Orlando, or any other location we visited. Family members and friends are always reminding us of the magic moments we shared. So, I suggest the most important value of timeshare in is the memories, not the money. There is a book, written by Dr. Mel Borins, a physician, “Go Away, Just For The Health Of It,” that discusses the therapeutic aspects of taking time away from your normal routine and work. Dr. Borins mentions research studies that indicate that those who travel and take time off from their jobs are not just healthier; they are also more productive and happier. Please don’t take my word for it, you can read some of his thoughts and information for yourself at www. melborins.com. For my wife and me and for many others with whom I have discussed timesharing, one of the best aspects of timesharing is the fact it gives us “something to look forward to.” Not only do we have the lasting memories, we have the anticipation of the next adventure. We review and research “where to go next,” and “what to do and how best to do it when we get there.” The lively discussions that ensue provide everyone involved with a chance to look forward to something he/she will enjoy, and there is certainly value there for us. Jan/Feb, 2010 By planning ahead, and using the internet, one can control the costs of almost every aspect of owning and using a timeshare for a well-deserved vacation. We enjoy the planning because it gives us a chance to “mentally” vacation to the attractions of the next location we plan to visit. The internet enhances these “mental” vacations with pictures, articles and ideas of what is available. Regardless of the location, the internet has one or more sites that are devoted to just exactly what you want to see or know about a specific vacation location. Just go to www.google.com and type in the name of the city, state, island, mountain, river, lake, or whatever and then use the information to start making your plans for your next vacation. If you don’t have access to the internet, then go to your exchange company directory and review your options. The key is to make some plans, and then follow through. It’s your life, have some fun. Back in the 70s, one of the financial “buzz” words was inflation. Inflation, for those of you too young to remember, results in the cost of goods and services to go up, sometimes rapidly. While it is true that inflation has subsided, it may also be true that our current economic conditions contain the opportunity for inflation to rear its ugly head once again. By owning our “vacation time,” we feel we are insulated from this potentially harmful problem. We (and others) count that as another value in timeshare ownership. We have a fairly good understanding of what the expenses of the accommodations will be. We also have a www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today pretty good understanding of the type of accommodations (number of bedrooms, baths, amenities at the resort, kitchen, number of TV’s, etc.). When timeshare was in its early years, the vast majority of people who purchased one or more timeshares did so by visiting a resort, taking a tour, and purchasing on-site. While some people still favor this type of purchase, the vast majority of new timeshare owners are now purchasing their vacation location ownership through print media, such as TimeSharing Today and the internet, at sites such as advertise in this magazine. I would suggest to those who are interested in purchasing a first timeshare, or adding additional timeshare, to check out both. Visiting a resort is fun in itself; the atmosphere can be very exciting---and appealing. Visiting internet sites to compare prices, available locations, and “bottom line” costs can be very educational ----and appealing. Lastly, owning a timeshare means we will have some time devoted to va- Page 22 cationing from our normal routines and work. We have some time devoted “to us,” and to our family members and/or friends. With timeshare, we have more options than we can ever use and more resorts than we can ever visit. Time spent at a timeshare resort is about “us” and what we like to do. It’s your vacation, do something you enjoy. So, let’s review the “values” in timeshare: 1. It’s in the memories and the fun, not the money 2. It’s for our health; physicians and research tell us it is healthy for us, both physically and mentally 3. It’s in the anticipation of the next adventure, something to which we can look forward 4. It’s in the planning for the fun ahead 5. It’s in knowing what our “vacation location ownership” will cost us, rather than being blindsided by some number beyond our means. 6. It’s in knowing something about Jan/Feb, 2010 the quality and size of our accommodations. 7. It’s about us, and what we like to do. I will be writing additional articles for TimeSharing Today on other aspects of timeshare ownership. Future articles will include the following topics: 1. How to buy a timeshare 2. How to deal with a timeshare when you can’t use it 3. How to sell your timeshare 4. How your resort can contain expenses and keep your maintenance fee as low as possible If you have a suggestion for one or more additional articles, please send a note to the staff at Timesharing Today and let me know. I would also like to hear back for you regarding your thoughts on this and other articles. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Point at Poipu owners file complaint with AG A group of timeshare owners at Kauai’s Poipu Point, seeking help from the Hawaii Attorney General, have filed a complaint against Diamond Resorts International (DRI), manager of the resort. The group claims support from more than 200 owners. The genesis of the complaint seems to have been the increase in maintenance fees to over $1,400 per week, which the group attributes largely to the management fees paid to Diamond Resorts. The complaint details the issues with Diamond Resorts as follows: 1. DRI acts as if they own the property, and not the deeded owners. They took control of the boards of director, kicked off elected owners, appointed their own people, and gained the majority. The DRI-controlled board votes for pure profit administrative fees. This is probably unlawful, a violation of by-laws and conflict of interest since they are developers and allowed only one seat. 2. Board meetings are conducted without required advanced notification, with no easily available published agenda, off the resort and outside the state of Hawaii, a violation of the bylaws. 3. They voted themselves a $1.6 million management fee, resulting in a dues increase to the owners of 50% over 24 months. Some owners’ weeks are in foreclosure; DRI takes them over and resells them as points. 4. DRI continues to make exaggerated and false statements at their sales pitches to persuade deeded owners to convert to their points. They threaten to disallow reservations for specific times and units and favor points over deeded owners. The owners studied the info and concluded that they could not trade back into their own resort for the points. In an article about the dispute published in an Hawaii newspaper, Diamond Resorts Executive Vice President and General Counsel Elizabeth Brennan was quoted as saying there are three “developer reps” on the five-member board and the reason they unanimously voted to up maintenance fees was largely due to high Page 23 operational costs and the need for the budget to cover expenses. According to Brennan, the increase in employee costs was the largest contributor to increased operating expenses. The owners group disagrees, claiming there was some $1.5 million in “pure profit” based on “management or administrative fees” in 2008 and 2009. After the article appeared in The Garden Island newspaper on October 4th, Brennen wrote to the owners quoted in the article, demanding that they cease and desist from making further defamatory Jan/Feb, 2010 statements about Diamond Resorts’ threatening a lawsuit if they did not comply. Since more than 90 percent of the resort weeks have been sold, the concerned owners are seeking the list of other deeded owners to let them know what is happening. The concerned owners are confident they will garner enough support from other owners to gain control of the Board of Directors and obtain bids from other management companies to manage the resort in the best interests of the owners. They are now seeking legal counsel to assist them in their efforts. SAVE THOUSANDS OFF RETAIL! FREE MAGAZINE! CALL TODAY! 800-676-6290 www.HolidayGroup.com/tst Trusted Since 1992 Online readers Click Here www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more TimeSharing Today Page 24 Jan/Feb, 2010 Eight Weeks, Seven Resorts in the Southwest By Dennis and Grace Carnduff We spent eight wonderful weeks in timeshares in the sunny south. We live about six hours driving time north of the U.S. border of Montana. We left Alberta on January 28th by automobile allowing an extra day for travel through Montana, Utah and Idaho interstate highway 15. This highway goes from the Canadian border to southern California. We checked into our first timeshare in Vegas on January 31st after 3 days of travel. The highway had some snow on it through the mountains but presented little problem. Our one-bedroom unit in the Desert Paradise Resort was well equipped and overlooked the pool area. This resort is in an excellent location just a few blocks from the famous Vegas strip. At check in, the resort served us lunch of bagels. We were pleased to check into our room prior to the usual 4 P.M. check in. While in Vegas, we enjoyed one live supper show, “The Rat Pack” impersonators of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra. We spent one day touring the strip and thoroughly enjoyed the water show at the Bellagio and the architecture inside the Caesars Palace casinos. We are not gamblers so didn’t win or lose. We were enthralled by Fremont street in the old down town area which we visited with a tour offered by the Desert Paradise Resort. Fremont street in the evening is a must see for visitors to Vegas. It was an enjoyable week. On February 7th we traveled to Palm Springs via Highway 95 which was interesting but at a much slower pace. On route, a very friendly sheriff helped us with directions and we purchased some local honey at his suggestion. We were in Palm Springs three weeks. Our first week was at the Marquis Villas Resort, a gated community with probably the best location in the area. It also has secure underground parking. This is an older resort which is badly in need of some repairs. It has a pretty court yard with swimming pool, hot tub, tennis court, snack bar, all surrounded by Palm Trees and with a good view of the mountains. The resort is only one block from the downtown area which offers plenty of restaurants and interesting shops. Thursday night, the City closes the main street to traffic and you can enjoy an evening of entertainment, food and interesting street markets. We went to a live musical show presented next door at a casino, for which our resort provided us with free tickets. Our one-bedroom unit was not well equipped but it had a great view from the balcony. We had to move to a different unit once because of rain coming through the ceiling and some of the elevators were not working. The resort also had a very popular Bistro located next door. We also enjoyed watching a semi-pro baseball game between Canada and a local team and, of course, cheered for Canada. The next two weeks, we were at the Lawrence Welk Desert Oasis Resort in Cathedral City. We had two separate reservations, but the resort was able to put us in our one-bedroom unit for the whole time. This is a very nice resort with beautiful court yard, lots of activities and restaurant. However, it is difficult moving in and out, as there is no parking close to the units. I am sure that handicapped persons would have a difficult time. Our one-bedroom was nicely furnished and equipped but had a very limited view. We were located close to the pool area and gas barbeque which was nice. The resort hosted a champagne evening with door prizes and a continental breakfast one morning with donuts, juice and coffee. During the week they also had a barbeque lunch poolside a couple of times www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today for a small fee. The resort had an exercise room, pool tables, ping pong and several other games. They also offered Spa treatments and had a bus tour to San Diego and Mexico which we enjoyed taking. The resort is located next door to a lovely golf course where lessons were offered if desired. We took daily walks past the club house into an adjoining residential area, past many flowering shrubs and fruit trees. The walkway past the club house also provided a gorgeous view of the course and surrounding mountains. The Palm Springs area also has several farmers markets offering fresh fruits, vegetables, fresh cut flowers On one such market visit, we were lucky to spot a pair of road runner birds, which were new to us. We then traveled to Cave Creek, Arizona where we stayed in a two-bedroom unit at the Villas of Cave Creek. This unit was nicely furnished and had a wellstocked kitchen. Each unit at the resort had there own private outdoor Jacuzzi. They also have a good exercise room and an out door heated pool. There was not much for organized activities but the resort did host a live performance of a flutist pool side. Cave Creek is an interesting community, just next to Scottsdale, which has retained the old wild-west theme. The adjoining community of Carefree was a contrast, being a relative new community with modern buildings. Cave Creek had numerous unique shopping opportunities and we enjoyed walking the area. The area has numerous kinds of cactus which were interesting to us. Next to the resort was Black Mountain which has hiking trails up to the summit to obtain a fabulous view of the area. Cave Creek is one of many communities in the $275 Page 25 greater Phoenix area. Our next stay was at Scottsvale Village Mirage in Scottsdale, just a short drive from Cave Creek. Along this short drive is a mountain with many interesting rock formations which look like they could fail down anytime, under the edge of these overhanging rocks are many business and residents, which appears risky. This resort was very nice, but had little of interest nearby. It was also difficult to locate. One thing we remembered there was a flock of Desert Quail, (a small grouse) a bird we had never seen before; they could often be seen just outside the resort. These birds were always running swiftly and were also fast flyers. There was also ample opportunity to take long walks. The resort did host a small lunch and held a sale of locally produced native jewelry and pottery. They had a gift shop pool side. Sedona, Arizona was the highlight of our vacation from March 13th to the Jan/Feb, 2010 28th. The two resorts we stayed at were located at the Village of Oak Creek, seven miles from the main town. Our first week there was at The Ridge on Sedona Golf Course (pictured above). We stayed in a one bedroom unit on a hill overlooking one of their three swimming pools and the golf course. It was nicely furnished and equipped. We had a great view over the valley. While we were there, the resort hosted a naturalist who brought in some desert wildlife, including a gopher snake, king snake a tarantula spider and a scorpion. The snakes were both harmless and beneficial for controlling insects and rodents and she allowed anyone interested to hold them. She also handled the tarantula and scorpion in her bare hands. It was very interesting and we learned that most tarantulas and scorpion bites are usually no worse than a bee sting. While the traffic into Sedona was very slow due to heavy road construction, Timeshare Closings Experience. Quality. Service. Providing Professional Timeshare Closing Services Since 1996 JRA Services, Inc. www.TimeshareResaleClosings.com (954) 718-7076 www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today we traveled there most days. The Sedona area has unbelievably beautiful scenery. The mountains of the area are mostly a deep red color with unique shapes and sizes. These red mountains only reside in an area about twenty miles long. They are each unique and have been named in accordance to the shapes they resemble. Some of these names are Bell Rock, Cathedral mountain, coffee cup, tea pot, Snoopy, etc. One mountain has a built in catholic shrine which offers a fabulous view of the area. A drive to the local airport also provides some great views. Nearly every street you venture up in Sedona ends at a hiking trail leading to one of these amazing mountains. There is no end of things to do and see in the area. There are numerous jeep, helicopter, hot air balloon, and bus tours in the area. Sedona offers many unique shopping opportunities for locally made jewelry and pottery. The area hosts about fifty art galleries showing some great local talent. We also enjoyed a drive to Flagstaff along highway 89A which follows Oak Creek Canyon and provides many places to stop Page 26 a view the scenery. The final week of our vacation we stayed at PMV at Bell Rock. This resort had little or no organized activities and we did not think it was up to the usual standards of Interval International. Initially the resort was going to put us a unit behind the office with the bedroom upstairs and the kitchen in the basement. It was dark and dingy with a view of a back fence. Subsequently, they put us in a satisfactory one bedroom unit next to the busy highway. This unit was well equipped and had a very nice view of Bell Rock. The resort had two fairly nice pool areas, but the pools were not very clean. Part of the resort was rented out as hotel rooms. The gas barbeques were old and in need of repair. Two of the barbeques were located beside a dog run so who would want to use them. While there, we went to Clarksville and enjoyed a day trip by train up the Verde Canyon. There are several ancient native ruins in the area which they anticipate were inhabited between 1200 and 1400 A.D. For some unknown reason, they were abandoned about 1400 and it is Jan/Feb, 2010 not known where the inhabitants went. We enjoyed visiting two of these ruins, Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well. The castle is a five-story dwelling built into the side of a rock wall. The well is a pit-like structure with dwellings built into the rock walls with a small lake at the bottom. This lake is reported to be about 500 feet deep. The well is spring fed and never goes dry. The early natives developed a method of funneling water by way of a stream to the fields nearby to irrigate their crops. This water continues to flow uninterrupted even to this day. From Sedona is also an easy drive to the Grand Canyon. Leaving Sedona, we took highway 89 north past the Glenn Canyon and part way through Utah heading home to Alberta. This highway has some wonderful scenery and we thoroughly enjoyed the constant changing landscape. At Salt Lake City, we ran into some nasty weather with strong winds and snow. As a result of this storm, a mountain pass was blocked and we were forced to stay an extra night in Idaho Falls. The rest of the trip north to Spruce Grove was good. PROFESSIONAL TIMESHARE RESORT MANAGEMENT WE WORK FOR THE UNIT OWNERS AND REPORT TO THE BOARD PROVIDING MANAGEMENT FOR FIXED WEEK, FLOAT/FLEX WEEK AND POINTS BASED RESORTS ACTIVE ON SITE RENTAL AND RESALE PROGRAMS FOR RESORT HOAS AND INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE OWNERS FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT US AT: (843) 238-5000 or via email: barmbruster@spmresorts.com SPM RESORTS, INC. 1051 SHINE AVE, MYRTLE BEACH, SC 29577 www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 27 Owners Groups From Ed Hastry, President of the National Timeshare Owners Association: Looking back on 2009 and our accomplishments, we saw a dramatic increase in our membership due to being the only national association that is helping timeshare owners and secondly, for all the services and resources we provide our members, especially ones who want to sell their timeshares. Third, our educational seminars that we put on around the country with the most informed and educated speakers in the industry that have the consumers interest at heart. NTOA is finally being recognized as a very powerful association when it comes to getting the attention of developers and management companies who are asking, “What are your members asking for from us?” We say “consumers protection” and we pride ourselves with out motto: “Educated and Informed Owners = Happy Owners.” We hope you see the benefits of NTOA and will want to join us in 2010, as we need your support to continue our work to grow and be more of an advocate for the timeshare owners. We also will be addressing some major challenges that started back in 2009 with reference to fixed weeks and points owners, maintenance fee collections, HOA’s, resale scams, resort closings, exchange problems etc. Our schedule of upcoming meetings for 2010 is as follows: January 31 Orlando, FL March 14 Las Vegas, NV March 21 Orange Country, CA April 11 Baltimore, Md. May 2 Cherry Hill, N.J. To attend our meetings you must join NTOA. The cost is only $75 for TimeSharing Today subscribers. Hopefully you will want to join the only timeshare association that is 100% on your side. You will not be disappointed. To join now and learn more, visit us at www.nationaltimeshareowners.com, e-mail hastry@aol.com with your name, address and phone number, or call 410-536-0064. We are looking forward to your becoming a member.” Jan/Feb, 2010 ARDA President to speak at Florida Owners’ Meetng The Florida Timeshare Owners Group has announced that Howard Nusbaum, the President and CEO of the American Resort Development Association, also known as ARDA, has accepted an invitation to attend and speak to the Group’s membership at its next meeting, on March 21, 2010, in Venice, FL. ARDA is Washington, D.C. based, and represents the Vacation Ownership and Resort Development Industries. The Florida Owners Group was organized in 2004, and meets three times a year at the Pelican Pointe Golf & Country Club in Venice, Florida. Membership is open to all timeshare owners who reside either full-time or seasonally in Florida, and who are interested in obtaining information and sharing experiences with other members. Advance reservations are required for attendance at each of the Group’s meetings, which are held every March, July, and November. Owners interested in membership can contact Frank Debar, Group Coordinator, at fdebar@webtv.net, or (941) 351-1384. At the Group’s November meeting, speakers were Brian Rogers, President of Timeshare Users Group (pictured below, second from left) and Keith Trowbridge, President of Executive Quest (far right). Others pictured are Board member Dave Smith (far left) and Frank Debar, Chairman of Florida Owners Group. Partial view of November meeting of Florida Timeshare Owners Group. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 28 Jan/Feb, 2009 Posted by Dave M Ask Dave M David McClintock has been a regular contributor to the message board at www. tstoday.com for many years. We are pleased to publish some of his responses to questions posted during the past year. Posted by russdy Has anybody out there been involved with timeshare at Ski Side Village and all the lawsuits. We lost ours in a tax sale because the manager was not paying taxes with our maintenance fees. Does anybody know if we can take it off our tax return as a loss? Posted by Dave M russdy - There is a tax argument that by reason of the misappropriation of funds resulting in the tax sale of your timeshare, you were the victim of a theft loss. Assuming you take that position, the loss is deductible as a casualty loss on your tax return in the year it was sold. Unfortunately, there are some strict limitations. The amount of your loss is the timeshare’s resale value (not what the developer sells that timeshare for) on the date of the tax sale. You must then reduce that value by $100. You must further reduce that amount by (gulp!) 10% of your adjusted gross income for tax purposes for the year. If any loss remains, it is reportable on IRS form 4684, which you will attach to your U.S. tax return. Posted by Frankie on 03/04/2009: Dave, Did you ever deal with First American Title Insurance Company? They are a Vacation Rental Escrow Service at Red Week that I plan on using for renting my week. You are our business. We excel at timeshare management, sales and rental. But long term relationships with our owners, based on communication and trust, are the foundation of our success. If accountability, quality and cost containment are important to you – call us. With over 20 years experience, chances are we can help. 20 Executive Park Road Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29928 888-433-4762 x-11113 jnahman@hiltonheadusa.com Resort Management Frankie - First American Title is one of the largest title companies in the U.S. Although they handle timeshare closings, they are generally more expensive than some of the closing companies that specialize in handling timeshare sales. They typically require a minimum $500 deposit to start the closing process. Posted by KMich82 Any any one tell me what their experience has been with trading their time share (especially successful ones). I bought with three other families in Aruba and we are having trouble getting what we want when we request an exchange. Thanks. Posted by Dave M KMich82 - Timeshare exchanges can be very rewarding. To maximize your chances for a magical exchange, (1) Deposit your week (I’m assuming with RCI or II) as early as possible, preferably a year or so in advance of your home resort week, (2) make your exchange request at least a full year in advance of when you want to travel, (3) list as many different resorts and weeks in your exchange request as you are willing to accept. All of those three criteria are important for getting a good exchange. Depositing your week early gives you more trading power. Requesting what you want early gets you “in line” ahead of others who can’t make up their minds as to what they want and also has you in line when owners of the weeks you want start depositing their weeks about a year in advance. Listing as many resorts and weeks as you are willing to accept gives you more chances for a good exchange; the exchange company can’t confirm an exchange for you unless owners of your preferred weeks deposit them and your deposited week have enough trading strength to nab one of those other weeks. Lastly, if you own a floating week, make sure you reserve the week that you believe has the very best trading strength (the week most in demand) at your resort. (Some resorts don’t allow you to reserve a week of your choice if you plan to deposit it with RCI or II.) www.tstoday.com for back issues, message board, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today A Bad Settlement Page 29 Jan/Feb, 2010 By James G. Ligon, Jr. 100 In general, my wife and I have had many good vacations using our timeshare at Squaw Valley to trade for locations in 95the U.S. and in Europe, but we are increasingly concerned with the 75 unavailability of weeks for exchange in the RCI system. We have been told that exchanges are not available at certain locations, only to see the same locations advertised by RCI as a 25 getaway packages. RCI owns a travel agency and can package your week along with airfare and car rental for a price that may be 5 less than your annual maintenance cost of the home timeshare. Their use of your deposited week as a rental seems to vio0 late the fundamental notion of timeshare exchange. The weeks were never deposited into the timeshare bank for the use of your week as a rental by a large corporation. The conflict of interest is plain. RCI can exchange your week for $150.00 or it can rent your week for $350.00. It costs them nothing. They don’t own anything. You own it and maintain it. When RCI is allowed to make the choice, they will opt for renting your week and taking exchange inventory away from the depositors. Ultimately, the practice will make some depositors unhappy, and, eventually, the owners will cease making deposits. In the meantime, the depositors are accepting second-rate locations. Good exchanges are harder to get. It is clear that RCI is not taking weeks that would not be used otherwise and getting a revenue stream from them. They are cherry-picking good weeks, packaging them with airfare and cars. RCI’s use of your weeks for rental income makes exchanges harder to get. We had hoped that the class action suit would have addressed these questions. Class actions are supposed to be suits which deal with situations that are repeated violations of the law by an entity which has the clout to repeat the violation. The victims of the violations are at a disadvantage because lawsuits are extremely expensive. The harm caused by the defendant repeats because it is not possible to file suits over small amounts of money again and again. The harm to the timeshare depositor is roughly the annual loss of hundreds of dollars. Lawsuits against corporations like RCI cost millions. The class action addressed the question of RCI’s right to take your week and rent it, pocketing the rental of a property it does not own. Class action settlements usually provide for millions of dollars in attorneys fees for the plaintiffs’ attorneys and very little100of value to the victims except for a promise that the offending party 95 will stop the repeated illegal conduct. Class action suits are used to reform the behavior of bad corporate citizens. 75 In this case, the offending corporation, RCI, is getting permission to become even more aggressive in its use of your week. The settlement provides for attorneys fees, but the plaintiffs at25 torneys have made life worse for the owners and depositors. The agreement allows RCI to do exactly what the suit was supposed 5 to prevent. The plaintiffs’ attorneys should refund their fees. 0 The plaintiffs attorney have done the work of the defendants attorneys by providing the corporation with clear guidelines for continuing the repeated harm with impunity. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more 100 95 75 25 5 0 100 95 75 25 5 0 TimeSharing Today Page 30 Jan/Feb, 2010 FOCUS ON: Ocean Ridge Resort, Edisto Island, SC By Dr. David Meyers Sigmund Freud likened psychotherapy to the act of peeling off the layers of an onion to go back in time. Visiting Charleston and the surrounding Low Country of South Carolina conjures a similar image. The region is so richly textured that one could spend weeks in its spell, simply taking it all in. Those with appetites for culture and history will not be disappointed. Visitors could focus on The War of Northern Aggression, or a more distant century of Revolutionary history, or even an older layer of the Lords Proprietors. A visit will uncover layers of southern life, architecture, the rice economy, and fabulous gardens. The lasting effects of slavery on a culture as well as the religious influences of the area are pivotal layers that must be explored. And the most primeval layer of all is the interplay of water and land, estuary, sea life, birds, grasses, and natural beauty. With so much to explore, choices must be made and precious time must be apportioned so that there is still an allotment for the contemporary attractions of the beach, golfing, entertainment, shopping, nightlife, and the food. Oh, the food! Fresh seafood reflects the proximity to the ocean, the rivers, and the marshes with a focus on shrimp and oyster specialties. Food from the land stands in congenial contrast. The land yields rich offerings that become southern creations in the hands of the many local chefs. Bar-B-Q, ribs, greens, fried chicken, chops, rice, and corn bread breathe the soul of the region. We had visited Charleston before, in the sticky summer, but now have discovered its winter charm. Days can be unpredictable, ranging from 45 to 75 in January. Beach walks are uncrowded, traffic jams are rare, and there is barely a wait (except at Sticky Fingers or Hyman’s Seafood where the reputation draws people every day of the year). Our winter getaway was spent at Wyndham’s Ocean Ridge Resort on Edisto (ED-es-toe) Island. The island is separated from the mainland by the Intercoastal Waterway and is a large piece of land that has many interesting nooks and corners. The resort is three miles past the small community of Edisto Beach. Edisto Beach has three or four restaurants that are open year round, a couple of specialty shops, a gas station, a Piggly Wiggly (not the chain’s flagship store) and an officer that is more than happy to remind visitors of the speed limit. Although the beach side is lined with homes, there is public access (including parking spaces) every few blocks for resort guests. As opposed to the crush of the summer, winter is an obviously slow time. Special Classified Ad Deal MyResortNetwork.com is a website for timeshare owners that was built and is owned by timeshare owners. It is one of the top ways to sell or rent your timeshare. It is a very active website and your timeshare ad will be seen by thousands of vacationers a day. Timeshare owners keep 100% of the proceeds. They don’t charge a commission like most agencies, but do charge a fee to list your timeshare for sale or rent. However, your timeshare ad on MyResortNetwork.com will cost only $10 for a 6-month listing when you place a classified ad to run in TimeSharing Today. MyResortNetwork. com is a member of the Better Business Bureau with an “A” rating and also has been recommended by consumer reports recently. Use the classified ad form on page 31 or place your ad at wwwtstoday.com to take advantage of this special conbination deal. In fact, during the month of February many businesses are closed. While the proximity to the ocean is a plus, one sacrifices some convenience as the drive into Charleston takes almost an hour. The resort is very large and is intertwined by either golf links or a coastal natural area with palms, Spanish moss, and birds. A clear ocean view is not to be had. Ocean Ridge has all the amenities that one would expect from a large resort. Our commentary on those features is reserved, as we did not eat at the restaurant, golf, swim, play mini-golf, etc. The staff was friendly, helpful, and attentive to our needs, especially when we needed a light changed or kitchen supplies. Our unit had two bedrooms, two baths, a loft, and could sleep eight. It had a boxy, beachy design with rough-hewn vertical siding that was agreeable to the wooded setting. The grounds were well tended and a guard is in place to welcome guests. Car parking under the unit, a screen porch overlooking the waterscape, and a laundry in the room were all appreciated. The unit was not handicapped accessible, with an elevated living area which is common in this region of possible hurricanes and floods. The full kitchen was well equipped and functional. Furnishings were adequate and the beds were comfortable. Access to the sleeping loft occurred via a spiral staircase unit. I was glad we did not have to use that room. The stairs felt shaky and risky. There were four in our party and the living room and dining room were comfortable. A party of eight might find the living area crowded. Wyndham might want to start investing some capital in this resort, as the unit appeared to require some upgrading. The water faucets, sinks, and cupboards were of the cheapest kind (a door fell off one cupboard). The flooring and the doors were also inexpensive and time worn. Painting and caulking in the bathrooms was poorly done and needed refreshing by a professional. The unit communicated “functional” and not “luxury.” Despite our personal rating of seven out of ten, we would gladly return to discover still more layers of this fascinating area. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more TimeSharing Today Page 31 Jan/Feb, 2010 ADVERTISING FORM Mail to: Ads, TimeSharing Today, 140 County Road, Suite 114. Tenafly, NJ 07670 Please Type or Print Neatly!! Photocopy form for additional ads. Fax to: 201/871-4305 Name: ________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________________ State: __________ Zip: _______________ Telephone: Bus: ( )___________________________ Home: ( )_______________________________ E-mail address: _______________________________________ Fax: ( )__________________________ FOLLOW EACH INSTRUCTION carefully and completely to avoid delays in your ad being run! 1. Where is resort located? ________________________ (State, Island or Country. For resorts in Mexico, include city. For resorts in Florida, specify if in Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, Keys or Orlando area.) 2. Check ONE category only: _____AVAILABLE FOR SALE or _____AVAILABLE FOR RENT or ______ WANT TO BUY, TRADE, RENT or _____PRODUCTS & SERVICES 3. Resort name and/or city/location should appear in the ad. 4. A phone number, e-mail and/or street address must be in your ad so people can contact you. 5. Avoid obscure abbreviations. 6. Three (3) line minimum. Two line ads are NOT accepted. 7. 34 characters per line allowed; include spaces and punctuation. 8. Print your ad copy neatly in the space below or on a separate sheet of paper. |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__| Ads are typeset with proportional spacing; your actual ad may be less than the number of lines used in this form. TST reserves the right to edit ad copy to conform to standard style and abbreviations used in TST. Rates are subject to change. Ad rate starts at $10 per line and is discounted for multiple runs. Using form below, select number of times ad is to run. Insert number of lines in parenthesis, multiply number of lines by rate and enter amount due. (Note: We do not send tear sheets or copies of ads.) One issue: # of lines ( ) x $10 = $......... *AMOUNT DUE FOR CLASSIFIED AD(S)--$............ Two issues: # of lines ( ) x $16 = $......... MyResortNetwork.com online ad- $10--$............ Three issues: # of lines ( ) x $21 = $......... RESALE DOCUMENT KIT- $25--$............ Four issues: # of lines ( ) x $24 = $......... Six issues: ) x $30 = $......... # of lines ( RENTAL DOCUMENT KIT - $7.50--$............ BOTH DOCUMENT KITS - $30--$............ *Color option (add 12.5%) Credit card #:______________________________ Exp: ______ TOTAL --$............ CHECK ENCLOSED (U.S. Funds only) TimeSharing Today Page 32 Jan/Feb, 2010 THE RESORT REPORT CARD Please complete this Report Card after your visit to a resort OTHER THAN YOUR OWN. Reports must be received within 6 months of your visit. You will receive a one-issue extension of your subscription for each completed Report Card. LIMIT: one per vacation per family, two Report Cards per year. Mail the completed report to : Report Card Editor, TimeSharing Today, 140 County Road, Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670. Name of resort: _________________________________________________________________ Location: _____________________________________ Date visited:(Month, Year)____________ What amenities and activities at resort?: _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Amenities and activities nearby?: ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ PLEASE RATE, USING ONLY THIS RATING GUIDE: (Circle appropriate number ONLY.) Excellent10-9; Above Average- 8-7; Average-6-5; Below average-4-3; Bad-2-1; Not available - NA Unit furnishings: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Cleanliness: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Kitchen inventory/appliances: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Maintenance: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Quality of construction: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Amenities and activities at resort: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Nearby: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Suitable for young children: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For pre-teens: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For teenagers: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For seniors: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For handicapped: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Resort restaurant: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 NA (Not a gourmet rating, but value, service, cleanliness, decor) Convenience store: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 NA Resort grounds and maintenance: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Security: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Staff: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 General hospitality: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 OVERALL RATING OF RESORT: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Comments: ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ I certify that I am not an owner at this resort. Please extend my subscription by one issue. Name and full address of subscriber (Please print): TimeSharing Today TimeSharing Today Express recently asked owners about their timesharing plans for the forthcoming year. We are pleased to publish some of the responses. Maybe someone’s plans will inspire you as you think about your own 2010 timeshare vacations. Page 33 Owners Make Plans for 2010 I have two consecutive weeks at the Ocean Landings Resort - Caribbean and Dream Buildings in Cocoa Beach, FL and I will be staying there the entire time, having friends and relatives visiting me. It is such a lovely place on the ocean and I have to ration out the time available for all who want to visit me!!! Also, I own a timeshare at Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas II in Desert Springs, CA and have deposited my week (with lockoff) for this next year so that I may exchange to another resort. As yet, I have not decided where I want to go, and may just gift it to one of my children and let them decide where they would like to go. They always enjoy going thru the Interval International catalog and choosing a resort. They have never been disappointed nor encountered any problems with this process. Dorothy Whaley, Albuquerque, NM Visit our home resorts using the deeded weeks we bought many years ago. We were able to sell all but three weeks of our timeshares before the market soured. Thankfully we never fell for the points scam as I’ve never met anyone who is happy with their points. After 20 years of trading condo’s all over this planet thru RCI, they suddenly stopped having anything available for our exchange. Therefore, I stopped depositing with them. I’ve shopped the other avenues of exchange and it looks promising. If we go back to exchanging it will definitely be after we know what we’ll get for our exchange. No more blind faith. Tina Danner, NC We own weeks at the following: Club Tahoe - we usually exchange this interval, as we no longer snow ski - it’s week #3, accommodations for 6 - prime trader! Or we sometimes just deposit this in the resort’s rental pool all depositors share equally in the rental proceeds, regardless of whether their individual units get rented. The resort is listed for transient rentals in the AAA books. Westgate Vacation Villas - we have owned there for over 10 years and have Jan/Feb, 2010 never used our week there we always have exchanged it - mid-April week - good weather and not school vacation time - good trader. I have inquired about internal trade within Westgate corporation after receiving their propaganda in the mail, but there have never been weeks available at the resorts in the Westgate empire that I would like to visit. Lawai Beach Resort EOY, 2 floating wks - we have never traded them, always used the 2 weeks back-to-back. Tahoe, Westgate and 1 week at LBR were purchased at auctions, the second week at LBR was purchased from another owner - total purchase cost for all 4 weeks less than $13,000. We used to trade via RCI, until we looked around and found better value (search first then deposit plus lower exchange fees) at Trading PIaces, Platinum Interchange, and Hawaii Timeshare Exchange. Recent exchanges have been to Maui, Tucson, Phoenix, Hawaii (Big Island), Oregon Coast, Puerto Vallarta, and next spring to Cancun (Riviera Maya area). Hank Jeffries, San Pedro, CA We own numerous timeshare weeks and as always, we will be using the ones that we usually use for our own vacation needs... about 6-8 weeks per year. These are in Sanibel Island, various www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today locations throughout Mexico, St. Martin and Disney World. We then rent out the remainder out which are also in these same locations. That comes to approximately about another 20 weeks. We do have 3 weeks that we are very interested in selling. These are at the Avalon Grand which is located in Cancun and the Avalon Reef Club located on Isla Muheres. They can also be used at their other locations in Acapulco and Panama. Ira and Beth Fenton We are going to our timeshare in March, our permanent week, to Playa Grande in Cabo San Lucas. Last year we banked a week, which cost about $250, and will be staying a total of two weeks in 2010. Karen Chileski Even though we have 4 weeks of our Rockaway Beach Resort in Oregon, timeshare in the bank at RCI, we have rented a week at the Shell Vacation Club at Puerto Vallarta in 2010 as an Page 34 RCI Extra Vacation. We were unable to find adequate exchange opportunities at Puerto Vallarta through RCI. Five years ago there were many exchanges available at Puerto Vallarta in the spring, but every year the possibilities have been getting worse. Many other RCI members we have talked to are having the same problems, and they are very disenchanted with RCI. Flip Wingrove We have an array of travel plans for 2010. A May week visiting the mansions of Newport RI, plus a week golfing the Poconos of PA. August visiting our unit at Manor Club in Williamsburg, then September in Tennessee. Would like to sell a lone duck ½ week in St. Marteen with Diamond Resorts but haven’t listed it yet. Tom Miller We own several timeshare weeks and points through Diamond Resorts. I serve on two Boards at one resort, so we go there four times a year. We get Jan/Feb, 2010 that week free, so use our use weeks at the resort each trip. Thus, we stay there two weeks. In addition we will spend a week at another resort where we own an every even year interval. I have already set up one week through Diamond and will likely reserve at another Diamond resort for next October. I also have one banked week that I will be using as an exchange. In total, we will spend about three weeks at a time on four visits to Hawaii in 2010. In the past I have rented weeks and exchanged them, but the latter seems to be harder to do each year. James R. Moyes, M.D. As an owner at the Tanglwood Resorts in Hawley, PA I plan to use my week at the resort to relax and enjoy the country setting. Tom Warren We own 4 weeks and plan to use them all. One will be at the owned resort and other week traded to stay in the same resort; this is in Cabo and we go every winter now. The other 2 weeks are thru Starwood and we will use them at one of their Caribbean resorts -- at least we hope! No name provided We currently own 2 timeshares. One is a week that is converting to points and the other is straight points (we own with a “group” rather than at a specific site). We have been exchanging fairly close to home over the past few years – trying to use our points at resorts that are in Western Canada or within driving distance from home. We also just “gave” a red week timeshare back to the resort. Although we were able to convert this week to points the annual maintenance fees & exchange fees made it pretty expensive to use and we have never, in 20 years of ownership, stayed a the resort itself. No name provided www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 35 Our Southeastern Tour Jan/Feb, 2010 By Winifred B. Bell It all started when I noticed a twobedroom/two-bath unit available at Marriott’s Harbor Pointe in Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island for the last week in April. I knew the weather should be ideal (and it was) and that one must grab a find like that when you see it. Coincidentally, we received an invitation in the mail to visit a new local Honda dealership and it promised that everyone who showed up would receive a “prize.” I would have ignored it, but my husband decided to stop by and his reward was a free two-night vacation at one of several locations subject to a “presentation.” I still wanted to ignore it, but one of the locations available was at Daytona Beach, a mid-point between our home in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and Hilton Head Island. We had never stopped at Daytona Beach before (“College Break Town, U.S.A.”) What did we have to lose, except a couple of hours and possibly the $50.00 refundable deposit? I checked first to make sure our visit would not coincide with college break. So we filled out the post card requesting two nights prior to our arrival in Hilton Head and enclosed a check. Several weeks later we received a letter of confirmation from Ramada Plaza Resorts for the exact dates. We were instructed to register at the “Daytona Welcome Center” in the Plaza Ocean Club in order to pick up our hotel voucher for The Best Western Inn and schedule our tour. We fully expected that this would be a timeshare pitch but decided to listen in good faith in case the deal was really irresistible. When we arrived, the young man at the Welcome Center told us “they” had decided to put us up at the Plaza Club instead of the Best Western saying it was more convenient and nicer. We made an appointment for the following day and checked into a decent hotel room with an angled view of the beach and the ocean. I picked out one of the few upscale restaurants in that area which was mentioned in my Frommer’s Florida guide book and we had a pleasant evening. After a late breakfast the next day, we kept our appointment. We followed our salesperson’s truck in our car for several miles, back over the intercoastal to an almost deserted, but beautifully appointed presentation office. He promised that he was not selling timeshare, so we were confused. Well it finally turned out that he was selling memberships in a vacation club; specifically “Vacation Village Voyages.” The pitch was that it is not necessary to purchase expensive timeshare and pay large maintenance fees. A person could join and secure con- dominium accommodations anywhere in the world for only $299.00 per week! Sounds fantastic – however, reservations can ot be made more than 45 days prior to travel. It just might be a little difficult making travel arrangements on such short notice and really desirable locations are most likely all sold out. For a “little” more money you could rent further in advance. (Like $899.00 per week) On display at this location were www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more TimeSharing Today photographs of properties like Vacation Village at Bonaventure and Williamsburg Plantation. Finally we got down to finances. For about a $6,000.00 membership fee (plus a smaller annual one) a person can make four reservations per year. When we refused, we were offered a membership for less money that entitled us to two reservations per year, and finally a membership for one reservation a year. I wanted to see “the goods” and convinced the salesman that I was computer literate enough to do a search myself – so he entered their password and let me into the members’ website. It was not one bit better than searching Interval International’s ”Getaways” and certainly not any cheaper. (I have no access to RCI but I imagine it is pretty much the same.) One can also find “deals” on Expedia and Travelocity. The really good stuff is not there. So what they are selling is nothing but the privilege of using their website to make reservations and pay for them. As always, if you want to travel to the Caribbean in hurricane season you can get a really nice accommodation cheap! So much for vacation clubs! They might be fun to play with for a person who does not own any timeshare, but there are no real bargains here. I must admit that our salesperson let us go graciously, refunded our deposit and we enjoyed the Plaza Club facilities. We spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring Daytona Beach, had another nice dinner in neighboring Ormond Beach and free buffet breakfast the next morning before continuing on to Hilton Head Island. With the help of our new GPS, we arrived at Marriott’s Harbor Pointe on Hilton Head without a glitch at just about check-in time. The agent helping us seemed a little inexperienced and when I asked her if our accommodations had a good view, she was not sure. She consulted another woman at the front desk and I added that we would like a good view if possible. She looked annoyed, but changed our accommodation. Later, I realized that our original assignment was better than the one to which we switched. Page 36 As expected, the Marriott unit looked gorgeous. The beds were made up with fluffy down comforters and there were oodles of pillows for sleeping and decoration. There was a washer and dryer in the unit and the second bath was accessible from the living room or the bedroom. The kitchen was large with granite counter tops and the cabinets were stocked with whatever it takes to prepare a snack or a meal. There was a good size porch overlooking the swimming pool and televisions in both bedrooms as well as the living room. Plentiful towels and special pool towels were supplied. The schedule of activities offered so many options and side trips that one could have a full busy week or just chill out. There was free shuttle service available to Marriott’s other locations which are on the beach. Bicycles could be rented at a nominal fee. We were very comfortable there and the location was lovely. Upon analysis, however, it fell short of other Marriott’s in several ways. The master bath had only one sink and the second bedroom with twin beds was very small. It would have been fine for two kids, but if we were accompanied by another couple they would probably have felt cramped. Hilton Head is known for golf and lovely beaches, but seniors that we are, neither interested us. So we did our own thing. We made a day trip to see the “green house” at Tradition (an enormous new upscale sub-division on the mainland). We drove to Charleston one day and to Savannah on another. We shopped, read on the porch, went to the movies on two evenings, had good dinners and went on a sunset dinner cruise around neighboring Dufuskie Island. Our drive home included a two night break in a B & B in St. Augustine, our half way point. It was located inside the historic district, was charming and breakfast was delicious with many of the owner’s home made goodies. It also made us appreciate the convenience, the space and price of timeshare. www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more Jan/Feb, 2010 TimeSharing Today Page 37 Jan/Feb, 2010 Board Member Challenges Family Control of New York Beachfront Resort In a Complaint filed on November 23, 2009 in the Federal Court for the Southern District of New York, Linda Benjamin, a recently-elected member of the Board of Directors of Gurney’s Inn Resort and Spa has challenged the control exerted by heirs of the resort’s founder, seeking damages and the ouster other directors elected by the founder’s family. The twenty-three-page Complaint details the history of the resort since Nicholas Montemarano (commonly called Nick Monte) started operating Gurney’s in 1956. In 1982, Gurney’s filed an offering plan to convert the resort into a cooperative timeshare property with two classes of stock: 750,000 shares of Class A stock and 2,700,000 shares of Class B stock. The Class A stock was for issuance to individual timeshare owners, who also received a proprietary lease to occupy a unit during a specified week each year. The Class B shares are held by the defendant Gurney’s Inn Corp. Liquidating Trust (Monte Trust), which is controlled by the Montemarano/Cooper family (heirs to Nick Monte.) The Monte Trust holds a mortgage of approximately $2.8 million on the Gurney’s property. The resort filed for bankruptcy in the mid-1990s and was reorganized in 1999. The bankruptcy reorganization plan provides that the Class B shares will be cancelled when the mortgage held by the Monte Trust is paid. Plaintiff Linda Benjamin, elected in May, 2009, is the first director elected by the Class A shareholders, even though the original offering plan provides that at least one director is to be elected by the Class A shareholders. Previously, all three members of the Board of Directors were elected by the Montemarano/Cooper family through their control of the Monte Trust’s ownership of 2,700,000 shares. The other two directors are also defendants; Thomas Carusona and Christopher Bennett are the attorney and accountant respectively for the resort as well as for some members of the controlling families. The Complaint alleges that “the Montemarano/Cooper Family, through their control of Gurney’s board of directors, including the individual defendants, has engaged in a course of conduct designed to prevent Gurney’s from satisfying [the mortgage held by] the Monte Trust. In furtherance of this scheme, the individual defendants, under the control of the Montemarano/Cooper Family and the Monte Trust, have economically coerced, and continue to economically coerce, Class A shareholders to surrender their units, and thus their voting rights, while refusing to spread the burden of assessments by selling unsold units. By operating Gurney’s at a loss and making it increasingly expensive for Class A shareholders to continue holding their Class A shares, defendants are able to ensure that the Monte Trust remains unsatisfied, thus maintaining the Montemarano/Cooper Family’s controlling interest in Gurney’s.” While Gurney’s has incurred operating deficits in excess of $500,000 during each of the past three years, “the Monte Trust, acting through defendants Carusona and Bennett, authorized lucrative bonuses, increases in salaries, and perquisites for Montemarano/Cooper Family members.” Moreover, special assessments levied on the timeshare owners totalled “more than enough to satisfy the Trust Mortgage had defendants properly applied them towards paying off the Trust Mortgage.” According to the Complaint, “In 2007, members of the Montemarario/Cooper Family received compensation of at least $817,022.43, including commissions and bonuses. The director defendants have refused to disclose the compensation, commission, and bonuses paid to the Morietemarano/Cooper Family for the years 2008 and 2009.” Plaintiff has also alleged that “the individual defendants have continuously refused to provide plaintiff with various books and records that she is entitled to as a director.” The Complaint charges the indvidual defendants and the Monte Trust with breach of fiduciary duty to the owners and seeks damages, removal of the other directors, appointment of a receiver to run the resort until new directors are elected by the owners, and an accounting of assets and operations. TimeSharing Today Page 38 Russ on the Road By Russ Hiner, Hialeah, FL Wyndham Nashville, TN Several weeks before my arrival date, I received a mailing from Wyndham. One page told of the many “on property” amenities and general information about the resort. A rough map of how to get there was on the back. Included in the mailing was a “Preferred Guest Pre-Arrival Express Check-in” form. Almost everything they asked was something that they already knew. It seemed to be a waste of my time. As I entered the building of the Main Office, there was a short line that almost filled the hallway. I waited and when it was my turn, I got the pitch for an appointment to a “Get acquainted meeting” with options for tickets to RE/MAX PROPERTIES S.W. Timeshare Resale Division The Smartest and Easiest way to Buy or Sell your Timeshare. Our team has over 30 years of combined Real Estate experience. (800)541-5666 ext 325 (407)352-5800 x 325 Fax (407)393-5788 www.TimeshareResalePros.com shows or meals, which I declined. Finally, we were given our parking passes and told we were “done.” I said “except for the unit number and the keys.” Then I was told that the Check-in counter is “over there.” At check-in, we were given a folder with a map of downtown Nashville on the front and a map of the general area on the back. Inside were some key details on more than forty city and downtown attractions, courtesy of Gray Line. The details included the address, phone number, hours and cost. The unit assignment is done at the check-in counter. I ask for a “no steps” unit and was allowed to occupy a handicap unit, without steps, but on the third floor! Since this is a specialized unit that the average person would not be assigned to, I will describe it only in general terms. I hope that other onebedroom, 4/4 units are close to this. The unit was clean and tastefully decorated, without the unnecessary frills sitting around. All the usual and necessary appliances as well as a dishwasher and a disposer were in the kitchen although the four overhead lights held older compact CFL’s that gave insufficient light even after warming up. Over the Dining table were two loop CFL’s that were also too dim to read or write by, but gave enough light for eating. The bathroom had a large walk-in shower (without doors), with a fold down slat seat. There was also a whirlpool tub. There was a door from the bathroom directly into the bedroom in addition to the one from the kitchen area, so there was privacy for 4. The bedroom had a king bed, with the usual tables and lamps on each side and a TV on the dresser. The living room had the sleep sofa and other furniture and the TV. There was a nice balcony with four Adirondack chairs Jan/Feb, 2010 and a small table, but this was the shady side of the building and it was too cool to sit there for long. A couple of days later, we told the front desk that the dishwasher was noisy and did not clean well. They arrived shortly and replaced the dishwasher! The Activities Guide Folder of the resort began every week-day with a structured and very enjoyable fitness walk at 7:30 AM and ended with an Adult Swim Time from 10 to 11 PM. (My wife walked, but neither of us swam.) Every week-day had an ice cream event ($2) from 2:30-3:30 PM and Movies and popcorn at 9 PM. A couple of days had $5 breakfasts, some had 5 PM food events and there were additional Ice cream events some days. Many of the activities were for adults but there were some special events for kids and for teens. On Tuesday and Wednesday there was a free Country entertainment session by local people. Every day there were trips by van (for a fee) to some attraction. The Welcome party was Sunday evening. It was well attended and fun. Local attractions, like Grand Ol’ Opry, and others, made pitches and local musicians, along with help from some resort people, sang and played. We decided to go to the Grand Ol’ Opry one night, not realizing that it is now a nightly radio show, instead of just Saturday as we remembered. The format may be the same, I don’t remember exactly, but we never heard of any of the performers except Little Jimmy Dean, who was still going strong and corny as ever. It was loud, but we were not unhappy about the time and money spent. There were phone messages every day about things to do as listed in the Activities Folder. There were also frequent calls inviting us to attend “a meeting so we could tell them what we thought about the resort.” I knew that was a sales pitch but she said it would take “about an hour and I would get $75 in cash,” so we went. I figured I might throw them off their stride by offering them some weeks I currently own at very low prices. I was wrong! About at the mid-point, we www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Resale Value Tracker and much more TimeSharing Today had to look at two units to qualify for the money. They happened to be in the same building as we were in, one across the hall and the other above the two units. The one opposite ours was not a handicap unit and, perhaps, a little better than ours, but the one above us was a four-bedroom unit that was outstanding! The number of points to use that unit was not discussed. I was offered almost 600,000 points up front, plus Page 39 over 100,000 points per year if I would give them the two two-bedroom units I own and almost $19,000. Later I figured it out. Although “There are no maintenance fees,” I would pay them more than $50 per month and get enough points to stay in the equivalent to what I gave up for one week per year. What a Deal! Two unit weeks, plus $19,000 to get one unit week. I came away (3+ hours later, but Jan/Feb, 2010 with the $75) with the impression that Wyndham salespeople are so full of themselves (as Wyndham) –-”biggest timeshare company in the world. We own RCI. etc-” -- on how fast they are growing, buying resorts, remodeling – and their Point System -- that they try to overwhelm you with partial truths, exaggerations and outright lies. Under certain conditions at certain times, to some people, points may be more useful than fee simple weeks, but I am much more comfortable with knowing exactly when and where I am scheduled to be (at my home resort) than to have to call every year to reserve that time and not be in the same unit. Since then, I have heard enough about “weak” points and other “upgrades,” which were not mentioned at this session, to make me wonder how those people sleep at night. The resort is nice. There are lots of things to see and hear in Nashville and they are easy to do. The resort helps and you are close to downtown. Just don’t get involved with the sales people. More reviews of Wyndham Nashville By Carol Shene, Clinton Township, MI In early August, we drove from Michigan to Wyndham Nashville Resort in Tennessee. My daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren came along as my guests. It took us about 10 hours with a few short stops. The kids, age 5 and 10, were great. We arrived about 5 p.m. because we gained an hour going into Central Time. Upon our arrival, I checked in and was given our keys. At that time I had to go to another desk to pick-up our parking pass. That is where I was asked to set up an appointment to “review” the resort. I later agreed to go, just out of curiosity as to what they would have to say. It was mainly an explanation of the Wyndham Points Program and how it worked. There was no extreme pressure to buy. But that was because I said “No, Thanks,” since I had become a widow, and had more timeshares than I can use right now. Now back to the condo unit. I had exchanged through RCI for a two-bedroom 8/6 unit on the computer. When we saw our unit, we knew it had to be a 6/6 unit. The master bedroom had a king bed and private bath. But the second bedroom had 2 twin beds with the bath off the hallway. Therefore that left the sleeper sofa for the 5th person. This unit would not sleep 8 people. I know I should have asked for a different unit immediately, but we just wanted to get settled in. We could tell that this was an older unit, but it still was very nice and the rooms were clean and attractive. We were on the first floor which was good, because these two buildings only had stairs, no elevators, for three-story buildings. The rest of the buildings were four-stories with elevators. The kitchen was quite complete, except they only had dishes for 6, which is also why we realized this was a unit for 6. So we had to wash dishes more often than we would have, but that was www.tstoday.com for back issues, Resort Report Cards, articles on resorts and much more TimeSharing Today Page 40 really no problem. There was a large dining table which seated six. We had a large balcony with several chairs. The rest of the unit was also adequate for us. We did have a problem on the first night. The toilet plugged up and almost overflowed. I called maintenance first thing the next morning. Someone was there immediately to fix it and was very pleasant. Although we would have preferred the newer buildings, we enjoyed the unit the rest of the week, even after these minor problems. The resort had activities every day. Two nice outdoor pools, and one indoor pool. There were pool games for the kids. Ice cream sundaes, cook-out by the pool, all at very reasonable prices. They had a jewelry sale in the lobby the day we left. They also had a very nice playground near the pool. The landscaping was beautiful. There were Petunia gardens which attracted beautiful butterflies. It was pretty and well kept. There is so much to do in and around Nashville. The condo is almost walking distance to the Grand Ole Opry. There is a large shopping center called the Opry Mills nearby. We all went there one night for dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant, then walked over to the Opryland Hotel. They have a large garden area there that is worth seeing. Because we had the grandkids with us, we went to many child-friendly places, such as the Nashville Zoo, the Adventure Science Center, and Lanes Motor Museum. If you are into music, there are many shows going on, also. The Wyndham Nashville is a wonderful place to stay. It is family friendly, centrally located and I would recommend it to everyone. By Jean Watkins, Tulsa OK We traded into the Wyndham Nashville in early October 2008 and were truly surprised at all the amenities this resort offers. Our two-bedroom, two-bath unit was in Building 10, which I assume was one of the older buildings, because I understand newer buildings have elevators. I had requested a top floor unit because we hate people tromping around overhead, Jan/Feb, 2010 and I can honestly say the only downside to the whole week was having to climb those two flights of stairs. The unit was large arid well-supplied. There was a welcome basket with coffee and popcorn. Furnishings were good quality arid in good shape. The beds were very comfortable, and the pillows were down -- so much nicer than the usual synthetics. I suppose the colors could be considered a bit dated (green patterned carpet), but I don’t repaint my walls each time color fashions change, so this sort of thing is not important to me as long as the place looks good, and it did. The resort is landscaped beautifully and is in a quiet location quite near the Grand Ole Opry arid Opry Mills, but about a 20-minute drive downtown. The activities center always had coffee arid tea available and they served breakfast there a couple of mornings during the week and had donuts on weekends. The indoor pool was located there, and the exercise area. You could actually stay here and not drive your car for the entire week and still see much of what Nashville has to offer. The resort works in conjunction with a local tour company that supplies small buses which, for a nominal fee, will take you to various places of interest in the area -- President Jackson’s home The Hermitage, Country Music Hall of Fame, Belle Meade Plantation, Grand Ole Opry, and the fantastic indoor gardens at the Oprylard Hotel. (Note: Should you decide to drive your own car to the hotel to see the gardens, to avoid the $10 parking fee at the hotel, park in Section 6B of the Opry Mills lot arid walk down the path beside the big boulders right to a hotel entrance.) On Sunday night, there is free transportation to a free “welcome” show. The show was entertaining, and of course during the course of it a Wyndham employee talked about everything available or scheduled for the week ahead. Two shows were held at the resort activities center. On Tuesday evening, Johnny Cash’s sister did a gospel show (free, I think), and on Wednesday a professiona1 country singer came in and did a show (this one cost $15). The buses provided transportation on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday night to the Grand Ole Opry for $2.50 round trip, and on Saturday night they wou1d take you downtown, drop you off in the entertainment district and pick you up several hours later for $7.50 round trip. These bus trips saved a lot of hassle searching for parking spaces arid trying to find your own way around an unfamiliar area, and believe me, Nashville is not the easiest city to get around in. Most of the scheduled activities were adult-oriented, but a staff member told me that in the summer, when they have lots of families staying there, they offer more things that appeal to children. As it was, they had something doing every single day -- breakfasts on two mornings, lunchtime cookout one day, a BBQ supper, ice cream sodas, bingo, chilidogs one evening, movie nights -- the list seemed almost endless. There were fees for some activities, but they were nominal. We could return here in a couple of years and enjoy it just as much. www.tstoday.com for back issues, message boards, Special Reports and much more TimeSharing Today Page 41 TimeShare Classified International TWO-YEAR CALENDAR 2010 Wk # Starts on 2011 Starts on 1 2 3 4 Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. 2 9 16 23 Jan Jan Jan Jan 1 8 15 22 5 6 7 8 Jan. Feb. Feb. Feb. 30 6 13 20 Jan Feb Feb Feb 29 5 12 19 9 10 11 12 Feb. Mar. Mar. Mar. 27 6 13 20 Feb Mar Mar Mar 26 5 12 19 13 14 15 16 Mar. Apr. Apr. Apr. 27 3 10 17 Mar Apr Apr Apr 26 2 9 16 17 18 19 20 Apr. May May May 24 1 8 15 Apr May May May 23 30 7 14 21 22 23 24 May May. Jun. Jun. 22 29 5 12 May May Jun Jun 21 28 4 11 25 26 27 28 Jun. Jun. Jul. Jul. 19 26 3 10 Jun Jun Jul Jul 18 25 2 9 29 30 31 32 Jul. Jul. Jul. Aug. 17 24 31 7 Jul Jul Jul Aug 16 23 30 6 33 34 35 36 Aug. Aug. Aug. Sep. 14 21 28 4 Aug Aug Aug Sep 13 20 27 3 37 38 39 40 Sep. Sep. Sep. Oct. 11 18 25 2 Sep Sep Sep Oct 10 17 24 1 41 42 43 44 Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. 9 16 23 30 Oct Oct Oct Oct 8 15 22 29 45 46 47 48 Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. 6 13 20 27 Nov Nov Nov Nov 5 12 19 26 49 50 51 52 53 Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. 4 11 18 25 Dec Dec Dec Dec Dec 3 10 17 24 31 Week #1 is the first full week of the year. In this calendar, as in most resorts, the week runs from Saturday to Saturday. Some resorts start their weeks on a Friday or a Sunday. Check with the resort to confirm check-in dates. Jan/Feb, 2010 THE MARKETPLACE FOR TIMESHARES TIMESHARES FOR SALE *************************** ALABAMA **************************** DOGWOOD HILLS @ ALPINE BAY- Red wks: 24, 25, 26. 2BR/2ba, slps 6. Golf, lake, clb hse, campground. Nr Talladega, Atl, Birmingham. $999/wk. 760/327-5970 or rbpeppin1@yahoo.com ----------------------------------------------------GULF SHORES- On bch, 2BR/2ba, spacious, pool, deed. Operated on floating time. 1 wk red. $5000. 850/456-0778 *************************** ARIZONA **************************** SEDONA-Red Rock Country!. Best Buys! Specializing in the Gold Crown Arroyo Roble. Voted one of AZ’s highest rated resorts! Call Rod Goebel, Broker Sedona Timeshare Resales. 800/344-3763 www.sedonatimeshareresales.com ----------------------------------------------------SCOTTSDALE CAMELBACK RESORT VIRTUAL Tour: desertvacation.com Buy Resale weeks from $3000 SELL Timeshare weeks worldwide Call: 480/941-9131 or 800/283-9174 Desert Vacation Realty-Since 1991 Virginia Zabella/Desigated Broker —————————————————— Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------SEDONA, DIAMOND RESORTS- Ridge on Sedona Golf Course, 2 BR, Bi-annual even, wk # 19 (2nd wk - May). 928/282 0598 or sedonarol@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------HAVASU DUNES at Lake Havasu. Annual, prime float, mini-suite, deeded. Great trading unit. Slps 4/2 private. Must sell. $500. OBO. Call: Trudy: 818/366-6027 or Email: tkiapos@verizon.net for info. ------------------------------------------------------- CORRECTIONS If there is an error or change in your ad, do not telephone us. Please email staff@ tstoday.com, write or send a fax Include both the old and the new wording. Contact: Ad Editor, TimeSharing Today 140 County Rd, Ste 114, Tenafly NJ 07670 Fax: 201-871-4305 *************************** ARIZONA **************************** MARRIOTT’S CANYON VILLAS Phoenix1 wk, 2BR/2ba w/lockout, Platinum wk. $13,000. avreck@palrr.com or 270/4444341 ------------------------------------------------------HYATT Pinon Pointe. 870 Points 1 BR – Week 4. Now: $5,100. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTTCanyon Villas at Desert Ridge, Phoenix, $18500, jerijeff@optonline.net 732/303-6411 ------------------------------------------------------SEDONA SPRING RESORT- $1500 OBO. Unit 2397, wk 38, odd yr, flt wk, red ,2BR lockoff, slps 8, maint approx $400 yr. Billtax@charterinternet.com ------------------------------------------------------LONDON BRIDGE RESORT: Lakefront resort on Lake Havasu. Prime floating 1 and 2 bedroom deeded units. $2500+. Contact Tony for details: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------LONDON BRIDGE ON LAKE HAVASU2BR, floating. $2500 OBO. LANDLSDAD@aol.com **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** SAN CLEMENTE INN- 1BR, high season with reservations. $1000. 800/860-6529 or www.calresale.com ------------------------------------------------------L WELK RESORT- have many available $3000 & up. www.calresale.com. Calresale 800-860-6529 Agt ------------------------------------------------------- Be aware - Avoid Scams Solicitors: Ignore telemarketing and email solicitations. Do not give out personal information. Do not pay high upfront fees. Contracts: In any timeshare transaction, do not rely on verbal representations. Get it in writing. Have an attorney explain the risks. Next ad deadline February 10th Add Color To Your Ad Select the color option on the advertising order form. TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** SAN CLEMENTE INN- 4 star, coastal, 1BR, slps 4, high season, 8/15-22, 2010. $995 OBO 818/906-3510. ------------------------------------------------------WELK RESORTS DESERT OASIS- Palm Springs area. 1BR/1ba, 800 sq ft, floating wks, prices from $1495 to $2995 based on Season. Includes closing costs and fees. Contact Bill at Bpalmer@welkgroup.com or 760/449-9101 ------------------------------------------------------PALM DESERT QUARTERSHARE - 4 SEASONS AT DESERT BREEZES RESORT … Own 13 weeks, from $19,000. All weeks trade Red in RCI /TPI. Call Donna, on-site broker, toll free 866-898-7413 or PremierResales@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------DESERT BREEZES - PALM DESERT … Owner resales, from $1495, trade Red in RCI /TPI. Call Donna, on-site broker, toll free 866-898-7413 or PremierResales@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------HEAVENLY VALLEY TOWNHOUSES- S Lake Tahoe, across from Heavenly Ski resort. 3BR/3ba, slps 8. “Truly One Of A Kind”. Lowest Prices Ever and save over 50%. 530/541-4755. Check out: www.heavenlyvalleytownhouses.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Desert Springs Villas II. 2BR – Week: 28-35 - Prices start @ $3,900. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------LAGUNA SURF RESORT: $6500/wk. Laguna Season: Mid Sep-Mid Jun, 1BR, Slps 4, 96 steps to bch. 818/ 203-0362 or tscheck1@mac.com ------------------------------------------------------PALM SPRINGS TENNIS CLUB- Studio, Gold Crown resort in RCI, swing season. $1500 OBO. 760/602-8453 ------------------------------------------------------CORONADO BEACH RESORT- 1BR, Wk 17, even year. Near the beach. Walk to shops and restaurants. 760/966-0965 ------------------------------------------------------SAN CLEMENTE INN- 1BR, high season, Coastal resort, slps 4, $1250 by owner. maridou@rocketmail.com ------------------------------------------------------GASLAMP PLAZA SUITES- San Diego, 1BR, slps 4, close to all amenities, Floating wk, trades RCI/VRI, must sell $3999. 760/431-2880 ------------------------------------------------------WINNERS CIRCLE RESORT- Wk 1, excellent location, 1BR/1ba, $600/yr maint fee. $2800. ttoughtony@comcast.net or 603/669-0798 ------------------------------------------------------- Page 42 **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** PACIFIC OCEAN/ORANGE COUNTY. Gold week. $18,000. Bill: 505/896-2082 or jeaboy82@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------CORONADO BEACH RESORT- July 4th, wk #26, 2BR, slps 6, $25,000. ccrourke@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------PINE ACRES LODGE- Monterey Peninsula, Red Float Wks, 2BR townhouse, ocean view: $4450, 1BR cottage: $1950, or both for $5400. marykmcd@verizon. net or 804/337-6370 ------------------------------------------------------DESERT OASIS- PALM SPRINGS areaSept thru 1 Dec, 2010 fees paid, 1BR, $3000 OBO, Gold Crown- RCI. Ron: 602/323-2134 or RJKMMK@cox.net ------------------------------------------------------LAGONITA LODGE RESORT: Lakefront resort on Big Bear Lake. Prime floating WINTER/SUMMER 1 and 2 bedroom deeded units. Also fixed CHRISTMAS week #51. $3500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------SNOW LAKE LODGE: Located at the base of Snow Summit Ski Resort. Prime Floating Winter 1 bedroom deeded units. Also fixed weeks #51 & #52. $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------INN AT THE OPERA: In the Union Square/Theater/Civic Center Districts of San Francisco. Prime floating 1 bedroom deeded units. $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------NOB HILL INN: In the prestigious Nob Hill area of San Francisco. Prime floating 1 and 2 bedroom deeded units. $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------SUITES AT FISHERMAN’S WHARF: In the popular Fisherman’s Wharf area of San Francisco. Prime floating 1 bedroom deeded units. $3500. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------RIDGE TAHOE RESORT: Lake Tahoe. Prime floating WINTER/SUMMER deeded units in all buildings (Plaza, Terrace, Cascade, Tower, & Naegle). $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------TAHOE SEASONS RESORT- President week- guaranteed this week every year. Sacrifice $500 OBO. Call 6am and 8pm PST. Joe 702/683-5997 ------------------------------------------------------L WELK- 2BR/2BA, on golf course, hdcp unit, wk 4, $7900. Also Indian Palms2BR/2ba, float, $795. 801/368-4278 ------------------------------------------------------- Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** TAHOE SEASONS RESORT, South Lake Tahoe, $1195, steve@smeconstruction. com or 925/447-2200 ------------------------------------------------------DESERT BREEZES Timeshare Resort, Palm Desert, $2500, marc@pacifictimeshare.com ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx *************************** COLORADO **************************** STREAMSIDE VAIL DOUGLAS- 2BR/ loft/3ba, slps 10, red flex wk 15-20 & 40-46. $5000 neg. 303/443-3110 ------------------------------------------------------GRAND TIMBER LODGE- Fabulous Breckenridge 3BR/3ba, slps 10, lock-off, red/float winter EVEN yrs, ski in/out. Use or deposit wk# 12 March 21-28 2010. 512/868-9872 or georgemcaulay@msn. com. $25,000 OBO ------------------------------------------------------PALM SPRINGS TENNIS CLUB- High Season Float, 1BR/2ba, RCI Gold, Great Tennis arranged- $3500. 505/294-1370 or linhinkle@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------SUITES AT FISHERMAN’S WHARF- San Francisco, Float Wk 1-52,1BR/1ba, at Hyde Street Cable Car! Near Cannery, Pier 39, Aquarium,Ghiradelli. $1500. slah809173@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------CHRISTIE LODGE. ** 2 Weeks! ** 1 Bd Week: 1-14, 50 & 24-39. Now: $4,350. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT 5 STAR RESORT- Palm Springs, Platinum prime season, deeded title, golf, tennis, spa, 2BR/2ba, slps8. Motivated seller. skipfeild@aol.com or 843/237-2739 ------------------------------------------------------HARBORTOWN PT- Oceanfront, 1BR. Near Santa Barbara, boating, golf, wineries. Flex wk. $2900. 407/296-5406 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM PAGOSA: Wk 41, 126,000 pts- $3900; Wyndham Pagosa: Wk 42, 126,000 pts- $3900; Wyndham Pagosa: 77,000 pts- $2900. 866/737-2532 ------------------------------------------------------FAIRFIELD PAGOSA Pagosa Springs, $1, Email ronoswald1@mac.com or call 785/550-6184 TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Atlantic Coast ------------------------------------------------------DEERFIELD BEACH. Emerald Seas. 1 BR, 1 ba, full kit. Wk 51. Oceanfront resort, beautiful beach, convenient location. $2000. 201/224-2706 ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------CRYSTAL BCH SUITES & HEALTH CLUB- Wk 9, Unit 213. $2750. Ron: rnork@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------PALM BCH RESORT & BCH CLUB on ICW, Wk #2, lg 1BR, newly refurbisheded, clean, across from ocean. $6000 OBO. 2009 fees paid. GFencik@aol.com or 908/902-1831 ------------------------------------------------------VACATION VILLAGE @ BONAVENTUREWk 21, spacious 3BR/2ba, full kit w/ wash/ dry, screened porch, world famous golf course. A steal @ $2500! 860/721-9803 ------------------------------------------------------RESORT ON COCOA BEACH- Ocean view, deeded, 2BR/2ba, wk 37, Lt red floating, bch, pool, health club, h/tub, game rm, rest/snack bar, tennis, sauna, RCI/VRI, $9500 TERMS NEG. 214/850-6815 ------------------------------------------------------RESORT ON COCOA BEACH: oceanfront, flex wk, 2BR, spacious unit and porch: $8500. J Hey: 717/435-9746 ------------------------------------------------------DEERFIELD BCH- EMERALD SEAS ResOn Ocean, Studio, Color TV, 2 pools, etc. $950. S Akgun 973/398-8306 ------------------------------------------------------CANADA HOUSE BCH CLUB in Pompano Bch- 12/06/10-12/13/10, Unit 1002. stevertech@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------COCOA BCH- Wks 6, 7, 8, Studio, Oceanfront, $999 ea or $2500 for all 3. 954/3900805 or ejfriedeberg@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------VACATION VILLAGE-WESTON- 2BR lockoff, wk51-86. 5k or orlando-RCI-pts,Save 75% $29-$4999. Den 414/617-8800 ------------------------------------------------------LIGHTHOUSE COVE, Pomp Beach, 1 bdrm 4th Fl, Oceanview Fri-Fri Ann Deeded. $8000 elaineqeii@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------LIGHTHOUSE COVE Pomp Beach, FL, Week 9, End Unit on beach. Annual Studio $6,000 elaineqei@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM Ocean Walk, Daytona Beach, $6200, points, jennywaites@hotmail.com 608/438-4427 Page 43 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Atlantic Coast ------------------------------------------------------GOLDEN STRAND- ocean villa, 2BR, wk 43; wk 32, studio; wk 37, 1BR, $2999$3999. 5*, rare find, save 80%. 414/6178800 ------------------------------------------------------RON JON CAPE CARIBE- Canaveral. Floating Red Wk, Deeded, RCI, Pd 2012. phubai6768@msn.com or call Dan 563/556-6432 ------------------------------------------------------FT LAUDERDALE BCH RST- 2BR/2ba, wk 10, lockoff, lgr corner unit, deeded. $5000. gkvarner@sbcglobal.net ------------------------------------------------------WEST PALM BEACH MARRIOTT- 5 Star Resort Prime/Platnium Vacation Ownership Wk, 2BR/2ba w/ lockoff. Ocean front sold out resort. Motivated Seller Must Sell ASAP! lcw014@bucknell.edu ------------------------------------------------------LAS OLAS BEACH CLUBS. It’s a Buyer’s market on Resales! Gold Crown- Oceanfront- Family Mgmt. Prices start @ $2500 by unit/season. Visit Resorts @ www.beachclubs.com ------------------------------------------------------ST AUGUSTINE BCH & TENNIS RESORT2BR/2ba, slps 6, 1 float wk (1 thru 52), near bch. $1400. MarchandL@videotron.ca or 514/334-3355 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM PALM AIRE- Pompano Beach, Fl. 154,000 points, 2BR/2ba, 1 week flo. Prestigious location. 5 golf courses, II activities, fashion outlet mall. Please call offer. jerrymcdermott@npgcable.com 928/284-1743 ------------------------------------------------------SEA GARDENS/POMPANO BCH- Oceanfront studio, corner unit, wk 5. $2500. Use or exchange 2010. 407/296-5406 ------------------------------------------------------VACATION VILLAGE- Weston, 2BR l/o, deed, float wk 29, unit 9515 A & B, 2ba, A++ timeshare. 86,500 pts. Asking $15,000 rfraser@suscom-maine.net. or 207/7258946 ------------------------------------------------------OCEAN LANDINGS- 1BR/2ba, wks 19 or 50. Bargain at $800. Mins to WDW, on bch. RCLAS1@juno.com or 408/230-6404 ------------------------------------------------------PALM BEACH SHORES RESORT. West Palm Beach $7500, wallibob@gmail.com call 218/820-6495 ------------------------------------------------------- Gulf Coast ------------------------------------------------------MARCO ISLAND CHARTER CLUB 608Gulf front, 2BR/2ba, slps 6, fixed red X-mas wk 51. $16,000 neg. 303/443-3110 ------------------------------------------------------MARCO ISLAND SURF CLUB- Deeded, wk #7, 2BR/2ba, beachfront, Spring Break wk. $20,000 NEG. retta619@twmi.rr.com ------------------------------------------------------Place your classified ad by 2/10/10 Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Gulf Coast ------------------------------------------------------SUNSET COVE RESORT and Suites. 3 BR – Week: 18-24,36,37,48-50. Now: $7,350. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ---------------------------------------------------HYATT Coconut Plantation, Bonita Springs. 1880 Points - Was: $13,800 Now $10,350! Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------SEA OATS BEACH CLUB- Wk 21, 1BR to 2022 (renewable). $425 M Fee. Sell $900. Mathisonre@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------SIESTA SANDS BCH RESORT- Siesta Key, 1BR/2ba, Red Wks 22,23,24, deeded, on bch, $1000/wk OBO 320/589-3476 or nschmidgall@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------MARCO ILN, SUNSET COVE- 1800sq ft, 3BR/3ba, corner unit 606, fixed wk 5, Hilton pts & RCI. hazcon@metrocast.net or 207/324-6869 ------------------------------------------------------SURF CLUB- MARCO ISLAND- Rm 605, wk 8 (Presidents wk), Magnificent. 631/737-6200 or k.phillips@FPM-Group. com ------------------------------------------------------- Keys ------------------------------------------------------KEY WEST: The Banyan Resort Luxury and charm In the heart of Old Town. Resales starting at only $4000. Large inventory available. Call: Amy Lachat Lynch, Banyan Realty. 305/296-1230 Email: kwfbroker@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------KEY LARGO. Anchorage Resort. Week 7 (President’s week). One BR, slps 4. Resort has own marina. Great fishing and scuba diving/snorkeling. Deeded RCI. Must sell. $16,500. 201/768-7124 ------------------------------------------------------KEY LARGO FL BAY CLUB- 3BR/2-1/2ba, garage, boat dock, slps 8, deed. $4,000. wahmew@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------COCONUT BEACH- oceanfront, 2BR, lock off, wk 24 high,$4000, deeded, 717/6158976 or katemc111@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------KEY WEST GALLEON RESORT-Wk 13 Spring Break 2Br, 2Ba Slp 6 $23,000 636677-3278 or rg_ross70@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------GALLEON IN KEY WEST- Red Wk, lockout, unit trades for 2 wks, Spring Break, wk 12. tolosewt@aol.com. $19,995. Awesome opportunity. ------------------------------------------------------Keep your subscription active. Renew today. TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Orlando Area -----------------------------------------------------NEAR DISNEY. Florida Vacation Villas, Presidents Week 7. 2BR, Sleeps 6, Pool, tennis, playground, W/D in unit. Asking $6,500. Email to dougj@ismsports.com or call 201-362-8151. ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------DISNEY VACATION CLUB resales, all resort locations typically available. Significant savings! Call DVC By Resale toll free 1-800-844-4099 or visit www. DVCbyResale.com for current listings. Shontell C Crawford, Lic. Real Estate Broker email: info@dvcbyresale.com ------------------------------------------------------FREE WEEKS with purchase of Bonnet Creek 643k pts. Asking $45,000 neg. dmfl@aol.com or 941/923-4121 or 941/223-2945 ------------------------------------------------------SUMMER BAY- 1BR, Odd Yrs. $4000 OBO. WANTED: A LOW COST way into the RCI points system. ZTACOMA@YAHOO.COM ------------------------------------------------------KISSIMMEE AREA- 1BR floating, wk before Thanksgiving, rent $500 buy $5000. neg. Nicole moonstart8878@hotmail.com or 718/715-2633 ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE LAKES- 5*, Wk 22, even, 2BR/2ba, Lake front, Top exchange, all parks close. $2000 OBO. 843/457-4869 ------------------------------------------------------VILLAS AT FORTUNE PL- 2BR/2ba, w/ loft, slps 8, fl wks1-5,18-22,34-50. $900. Liz 770/436-7822 or lizzco@bellsouth.net ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S ROYAL PALMS- 2BR/2ba, deeded floating wk 42, trades red. Just minutes to Disney’s front gate. $6100. 631/267-3337 ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE LAKES RESORT & SPA- Wk 11, 2BR/2ba, w/d in unit, near Disney, 5*, deed, $6000. Sbr9520@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------VISTANA- RCI #0450- 2BR, 2 Wks Courts, Wks 2 or 30. Gold Crown, $4000. Must sell, best offer. elambdin@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------STUDIO UNIT- WEEK 17 at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake ResortWest Village. Slps 4/2 Privacy. $1500 OBO. 704/847-7329 ------------------------------------------------------- Page 44 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Orlando Area -----------------------------------------------------ORLANDO VISTANA FOUNTAINS- Wk 4, float wk, 2BR/2ba, $6000. Has 2010 pd usage, hot tub. kurosamk@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------BEAUTIFUL SHERATON Vistana Villages: 2BR/2ba, slps 8, Prime Season, wk 29, annual floating; nr Disney, $23,000. 973/4546474 or jgbla411@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------HILTON GRAND VACATIONS CLUB at SeaWorld. 3,500 HGV Club Points – Now: $3,150. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE VILLAS- 1BR, wk 19, slps 4, 2009 m fees pd. $2000 OBO. kbrock@ buffalo.com or 716/861-4328. Addt’l 2 wks banked ------------------------------------------------------CELEBRITY RESORTS. Orlando-Oaks, Week one, $500, Call: 719/393-2543 or email: thmit@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE Lakes Resort and Spa, Orlando, $3000, mmarvano@hotmail.com Holiday for ever. Opportunity 1/1 ------------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB. Kissimmee, $2500, 2BR 2BA, patio BBQ . 706/878-7269 or docclark22@Gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------SILVER LAKE RESORT- Gold Crown, 2BR/2ba, near all Disney attractions, float wk. $7000 OBO. 717/564-3977 ------------------------------------------------------HIGHPOINT WORLD RESORT3 min to Disney, 1st wks of Sum Vac #24 & 25 in same 1BR unit. $2500/ea, $4500 both. 2010 fees paid. Brian: brianmcd@charter.net ------------------------------------------------------CELEBRITY RESORTS SPA- Kissimee Week 52(Xmas& New Years)annual 3 bed lockoff (king bed, 2 double beds and pull out queen sleeper sofa in private room) full kitchen $15,000 or best sda@dalaw.necoxmail.com ------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA- New 2BR, slps 8. Rent: $399. 3rd full wk in Jan. Sell for $2000. Paid $8000 540/535-9783 ------------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE East Village- Fixed Wk 5, 2BR/2ba, slp 8, Gold Crown, on golf course, near Disney. $3000. 270/473-0751 or adbastin@scrtc.com ------------------------------------------------------S H E R ATO N V I S TA N A V I L L A G E S : 2BR/2ba, Jacuzzi, slps 8. Red floating, nr Disney. $12,000. fabolb67@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------NEAR DISNEY- FLORIDA VACATION VILLAS- 2BR/2ba, fixed, Red, wk 13, slps 6. $4000. ronasmith@charter.net or 423/323-4696 ------------------------------------------------------DISNEY’S Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Lake Buena Vista, $22500, 416/785-8536 or millielev@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------- Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Other Locations ------------------------------------------------------PANAMA CITY- MARRIOTTLegends Edge. Silver Season. Motivated Seller. jcarrothers@sbcglobal.net or 317/549-9026 **************************** GEORGIA **************************** LORELEY RESORT in Alpine Helen. HOA Resales. Deeded Wks. Blue start at $600. White $1,200. Red $2,200. Rentals avail. Amenities loreley@alltel.net or 706/8782238 **************************** HAWAII **************************** Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S MAUI -ALL PHASES1 & 2 BR units. Starting @ $ 5,500. Contact Syed Sarmad, Hawaii Broker. Specialist in all HI properties & name brand resorts. www.advantagevacation.com, www.hoteltimeshares.com 800/775-4493 ---------------------------------------------------WESTIN KA’ANAPALI BOTH PHASES- 1 & 2 BR units. Starting @ $ 6,500. Contact Syed Sarmad, Hawaii Broker. Specialist in all HI properties & all name brand resorts. www.advantagevacation.com, www.hoteltimeshares.com 800/775-4493 ------------------------------------------------------MAUI-Embassy Resort, Kaanapali Gold Crown,1 BR/1 ba sleeps 4, float $15,000 OBO 09 maint fee pd 410/654-0481 or chiatjh74@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------MAUI SCHOONER - Assn. & owner resales. 1 to 3 bedroom; some every other year. Call Judy toll-free 888-412-9961 or resales1@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------HAWAIIAN PRINCESS AT MAKAHA Limited number of assn. & owner resales. Call Penny Dumont 808-497-3052 or resales1@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------- Next ad deadline! February 10th Place your ad at www.tstoday.com/adsale TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** HAWAII **************************** KAHANA FALLS RESORT- Limited number of assn. & owner resales. Floor plans to match your family’s needs, great pricing! Call Judy toll-free 888-412-9961 or resales1@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------HONO KONA- 2BR/2ba, oceanside, Hala (preferred). $5500. Myles2k@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------KAUAI CLIFFS CLUB, wks 2-16. 1BR/2ba, 917 sq ft+ 2 lanais. New pool & tennis courts. $4100, no brokers. 951/676-1223 ------------------------------------------------------MAUI SCHOONER RESORT- An ocean front resort. Centrally located. Air conditioning. Floating wks, 2BR/2ba. $5999 Fee Simple. kjrgbf@comcast.net or 253/2652627 ------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST II- 1BR/2ba, slps 4, Fall float, annual, deeded. $5350. jprocida@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------HONO KOA BEACHFRONT on Maui- 1 wk, flt 2BR, $5500. Ka’Eo Kai @ PrinceVilleHUGE Penthouse unit 1 wk, flt, 2BR lockoff, $10,000. Ke Nani Kai- unspoiled Molokai, 2 wks, flt, 4 plexes w/ lots land, $3500/ea. Kona Billfisher- walk to town, fixed, 11/15-12/13, 1BR, view harbor, quiet/ friendly, cathedral ceilings, A/C & hted pool, $12,500 total for all 4 wks. 360/385-4216 Tim. Will split fees. ------------------------------------------------------KAUAI LAWAI BCH RESORT- Banyan bldg, 2BR/2ba, even yrs, avail 2010, maint fees pd for 2010. $6500. Gary 763/4347100 ------------------------------------------------------KAPULANIKAI Vacation Suites. ** 2 Weeks! ** 1BR – Now: $10,125. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------CLIFFS CLUB- Princeville,Kauai4BR/4ba, 2 King, slps 8. Perfect Ocean View. Wks 17-34, deeded; $8000. dean@gfbbbenefits.com ------------------------------------------------------KULEANA RESORT WEST MAUI- 1BR, slps 4, Oceanfront, 3 Wks Fixed, Feb 6-27. $6000. 360/903-2603 or sky68feather@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT KAUAI BCH CLUB- 2BR/2ba, ocnfrnt resort, slps 8. Motivated seller. marymarg414@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------WESTIN Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas , Lahaina, Maui, $13000, Call: 817/312-1728 or resort@tolsdorf.com ------------------------------------------------------KAANAPALI Beach Club, Maui, $15000, lorensen@earthlink.net 408/238-9409 remodeled 2 bdrm ocean view Page 45 **************************** HAWAII **************************** PANIOLO GREENS- Big Island, 2BR/2ba, golf course and/or ocean views, reduced rates on golf, 10 minutes to beaches and 7 other golf courses, 2 weeks, $4500 ea or $9000 both. Wade: 972/239-9315 (8am8pm CST) ------------------------------------------------------HANALEI BAY RESORT, Kauai, Hi1BR/2ba, slps 4, every even year, float time. $1500 OBO. Jero702@webtv.net or 702/837-9431 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM KAUAI BCH RESORT- Free 1 wk stay in 2BR condo w/ purchase of 2BR/2ba suite. Gold Crown resort, on ocean, EOY, floating. $2500. Deeded. 207/729-0943 (weekdays) ------------------------------------------------------CLIFFS CLUB KAUAI- 1BR/2ba, wks 4050, new pool, tennis ct, 2 wks $3500/wk, both $6000. 315/732-5990 – no brokers ------------------------------------------------------MAUI LEA at Maui Hill, Kihei, Maui, 3 bed/3 bath penthouse.$4500 plus closing hnazaroff@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM Bali Hai Villas, Princeville, Kauai, $6000, kened@davincibb.net or 403/931-3363 ------------------------------------------------------IMPERIAL HAWAII Vacation Club, Honolulu, Oahu, $1200, dougpell@telus.net or 403/201-3910 Great building ------------------------------------------------------MAUI LEA @ MAUI HILL- Kihei area, lg 2BR/2ba. RCI GC, 2wks. Jan 24 & Jan 31, every yr. $8500 ea. 517/287-5839 or ksdenning@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------KULEANA, MAUI- 1BR, slps 4, wks 51, 52, 1. Taxes, maint pd. 1 wk $4000, 2 wks $7000. 406/293-5477 or kauaimaui674@ yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------LEILANI KAI- MAUI KIHEI- 2BR/1ba, wks 45 & 46, oceanfront. $13,500. 816/4747555 or RJDSONS@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------KAHANA BEACH RESORT: Oceanfront resort on MAUI. Prime floating Studio and 1 bedroom deeded units. $3300+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------SANDS OF KAHANA: Oceanfront resort on MAUI. Prime floating 1 and 3 bedroom deeded units. $3800+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MAUI OCEAN CLUB: Oceanfront resort in Kaanapali on MAUI. Prime floating 1 bedroom OCEANFRONT PLATINUM deeded units. $13,300+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------- Tell someone you know about TimeSharing Today! ------------------------------------------------------- Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** IOWA **************************** LAKEFRONT CONDO at Sunrise Cove at Spirit Lake, $2000, 618-201-9204 or pastorphil@lakelandchurch.org **************************** LOUISIANA **************************** SO PETERS PLAZA- NEW ORLEANSnear Fr Qtr, 2BR/2ba, slps 8, wk 11, RCI exch, estate sale. Jturner310@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------HOTEL DE L’EAU VIVE- New Orleans, near French Quarter Harrahs, 2BR/2ba, wk 38. Eager to Sell. Asking $7900 obo 307/789-2606 or 307/679-3310 *************************** MAINE *************************** RCI WK 47- LG OPEN 2BR w/ Lockout, Sunday River Ski area nearby. $1500. 207/363-5503 ------------------------------------------------------INNSEASON RESORTS. The Falls at Ogunquit, $4000, Call: 978/772-5870 or clmccreary@comcast.net *************************** MARYLAND *************************** OCEAN CITY, MD TIMESHARE FORECLOSURES No Developers, No Tours, No Pressure Multi-Resort – Oceanfront To Bayside Deeded-All Seasons Studio to Two Bedrooms Some weeks include up to 24 bonus nights. Spring and Fall Red weeks As low as $ 2996 Two bedroom Summer Red Weeks As Low as $ 6495 Defender Realty 800-799-0798 fbaker@defenderresorts.com -----------------------------------------------------OCEAN CITY: TIMESHARE RESALES $950.00 to $5900.00. 2 Bedroom, 2 bath Ketch Real Estate Co, II, Inc. 410/749-6112 Email: drtimeshare@verizon.net Web: www.octimeshare.com ------------------------------------------------------GREAT WKS @ OCEAN CITY MD! (Lucayan)- bay view, 2BR/2ba, full kitchen, w/d, hot tub, new pool, wk 21 (Memorial Day)- $1900, wk 39 (Sunfest wk)- $1400. 267/733-7241 or sto25sh@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------- Save $$$ Use the discount coupons on page 54 TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** MASSACHUSETTS **************************** FALMOUTH, SURFSIDE RESORT- on private ocean bch, Wk 21, 5/21/10-5/28/10, MF pd 2010 ($577), 1BR/1ba, $5500. Slah809173@aol.com **************************** MISSOURI **************************** NEAR BRANSON-KIMBERLING RESORT-4 pools, tennis, mini golf, health club, sauna, lakefront, marina, 4 rest, 2BR/2ba, slps 6, floating wk. $3950 OBO. 303/237-0089 ------------------------------------------------------SILVERLEAF OZARK MTN RESORTDeeded wk 41. $6000 OBO. 218/732-3941 or garyvsat@unitelc.com ------------------------------------------------------FRENCH QTRS, BRANSON- Wk 3, Prime Season, Annual usage- RCI. $430 maint fee annual. 2BR/2ba, Slps 6-7. $6500 OBO. mborth@kc.rr.com or 913/7447529 ------------------------------------------------------VINTAGE LANDING Condominiums. ** 2 Weeks! ** 2 Bedroom – Weeks: 40 & 41. Now: $4,350. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------SILVERLEAF’S Ozark Mountain Resort, Branson, $8000, glenus02@yahoo.com 817/709-6314 Free Bonus time **************************** NEVADA **************************** Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------RIDGE SIERRA, Lake Tahoe, 2BR/2ba, washer/dryer, slps 6, float time, $1000, 307/234-8568 ------------------------------------------------------CARRIAGE HOUSE- LAS VEGAS- In heart of action. Slps 4, RCI/II float wk, all holidays. Use 2009 wk by 8/2010. Low maint. $3500. Pat 718/894-7276 ------------------------------------------------------GRANDVIEW RESORT- Las Vegas, wk 34, 1BR, Bi-annual. Asking $18,000 OBO. angelamb79@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------Special Combination Classified Ad deal Get listed for 6 months on MyResortNetwork.com Details on page 30 Page 46 **************************** NEVADA **************************** POLO TOWERS: On the Strip in Las Vegas. Towers 1,2,& 3 at the Polo Towers. Prime floating and fixed, 1 and 2 bedroom deeded VILLAS and SUITES. $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------RIDGE TAHOE RESORT: Lake Tahoe. Prime floating WINTER/SUMMER deeded units in all buildings (Plaza, Terrace, Cascade, Tower, & Naegle). $2500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------SUMMER BAY- Gold Crown, 1BR, near strip, OBO 80% off. 239/369-7162, points, wendellshingler@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT GRAND CHATEAU- spacious 2BR lockout. 1/2 block from the strip with world class amenities incl fit center and rooftop pool with bar. Developer is selling these units for $30,900. Yours for $14,900. 845/758-6173 ------------------------------------------------------JOCKEY CLUB- 2BR/2ba, spa, on strip. Wk 3/10. $23,800. 818/458-9017 or Angelfriasa535@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------LAS VEGAS TIMESHARE for Sale- Grandview Resort. Great points opportunity. marajr1@yahoo.com or 786/382-7500 ------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS VILLA- Las Vegas, 2BR, fixed wk 43, floating prior to that. $8000. 651/452-8539 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM GRAND DESERT- Las Vegas. 460,000 points, deeded property, free shuttle/easy walking to strip. Contact Shiloe: 800/737-2324 ext 223 or shiloe.doane@remax.net ------------------------------------------------------CLUB DE SOLEIL- Las Vegas, 2BR/2ba lockout. Worldmark Vacation Club. 12,000 credits. Floating wks. Eager to sell. Make offers for each. 307/789-2606 or 307/6793310 ------------------------------------------------------THE LODGE at Kingsbury Crossing, Stateline, make an offer, 281/934-1463 or dau458@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------HILTON Grand Vacations Club. 7,000 Points $10,500. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ---------------------------------------------------HYATT High Sierra Lodge. 1300 Points 2 BR - Week 40. Now: $7,000. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------TAHOE CHAPARRAL, Incline Village, Nevada. $1200, 2 bedroom, 2 bath. 541/8841071 or minglea2@charter.net ------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS- 2BR lockoff, 17th fl,deeded, floating wk 39. $2000 OBO. Email: sandyhrpr@gmail.com Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** NEVADA **************************** TAHITI VILLAGE- LAS VEGAS strip,1BR annual, can split for 2 wks yr, Bora bora was $20K, now $4999. 414/617-8800 ------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS- LAS VEGAS- 1BR, wk #46, $2000. 2BR/2ba, wk #39, $4000. GARCIA425@comcast.net or 724/4836070 ------------------------------------------------------JOCKEY CLUB. Deeded wk 42 or floating. 2BR/2ba, slps 6. $4900 OBO. Next to Bellagio. jflemings@ec.rr.com or 910/7994244 ------------------------------------------------------SUMMERBAY-Gold Crown, 2BR, Low annual maint, $3450. 818/705-3295, zeek49j@gmail.com **************************** NEW HAMPSHIRE **************************** WOLFBORO, WINDRIFTER- Villa Slps 4, Indoor Pool, golf, Wk 31. $1900 or BO. 603/490-2833 or sdr03036@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------STUDIO UNITS- MAX 4/PRIV 2. Wks available in all seasons. Prices start at $350!! Includes 2009 fees. 603/356-6311 or email info@forestgleninn.com. Visit: www.forestgleninn.com ------------------------------------------------------EASTERN SLOPE INN, North Conway, make offer. lakwalsh@ptd.net or call; 570-296-5075 ------------------------------------------------------EASTERN SLOPES INN- RCI Red Wk 11, Studio unit, ski areas nearby, Deeded. $1600. 207/363-5503 ************************* NEW JERSEY **************************** MARRIOTT Fairway Villas at Seaview. 2BR – Gold Season – Week: 1-14, 4552. Now: $5,250. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------FANTASEA RESORTS, Flagship, AC Studio, marina view, floating week (travel red), across the street from boardwalk, pool, gym, game room, etc., 6 person max, yearly maintenance $465.14, $4,999. Paul Siegert paulsiegert@aol.com or (212) 564-8181 ------------------------------------------------------FLAGSHIP RESORT- ATLANTIC CITYStudio Unit, Annual, Float Wk #48, Season: Yellow, Asking $15,000. 609/352-6877 ------------------------------------------------------BRIGANTINE INN- Beachfront, studio, near Atlantic City, slps 2, red time, full kitchen, Oct fixed wk, deeded, yearly maint $499. Avail Jan 2010. $2500 OBO. LOWELLTHOMAS@comcast.net or 609/4580202 ------------------------------------------------------FLAGSHIP RESORT IN AC- Studio unit 906, slps 4, ann flt wk. $11,500 OBO. 973/377-7929 or TwoBauers@gmail.com TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** NEW YORK **************************** MANHATTAN CLUB- Deluxe studio, slps 4, 7 nts, odd year, $5000 OBO. 201/358-0098 Nkuo26@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------MANHATTAN CLUB- NY studio slps 4. 1 wk anytime. $24,999 FIRM. Email: lindapagano@optonline.net **************************** NORTH CAROLINA **************************** ATLANTIC BEACH, N.C. Oceanfront Resorts. Homeowners Association Closeouts and resales. Deeded weeks. Blue start at $200.00, white start at $500, Red start at $900. 1,2,3 BR. Timeshare OutletDeanna Hull Realty. Rentals avail. 800/477-4180, www.deannahullrealty.com ------------------------------------------------------OUTER BANKS, NC- All resorts and homeowner assn resales. 1, 2, 3, & 4 BR condos. Deeded wks. 252/441-2134 ------------------------------------------------------TIMESHARES AT SAPPHIRE VALLEY most wks available. Golf, ski, tennis, mountain trails, lakes. We also have rentals. Low prices. 828/743-7536 or 828/743-1763 ------------------------------------------------------LAKE LURE- WYNDAM @ Fairfield MtnsDeeded, wks 13 & 39, 2BR/2ba, slps 6, 3 pools, lazy river, golf, tennis. $3000 203,000 pts. janton@oh.rr.comt ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM HARBOUR Sandcastle Village, New Bern. 2BR w/ loft, 2-1/2 ba, slps 8, deeded, wks 23 & 47, 231,000 Wyndham pts, $6000 NEG. 856/235-6148 ------------------------------------------------------1 OR 2 BEDROOM CONDO units avail with the Highlands @ Sugar Resort nestled in the mtns of western NC. Featuring fully equip kit, hot tub, & stone fireplace. Property is short distance of attract & ski slopes. Additional information. Shawn: 828/8982912 Banner Elk, NC ------------------------------------------------------WK 29- FWY FOREST @Sapphire Valley Golf- tennis, mtn trails, lakes. Buy $3500, Rent $750. 843/816-3640 *************************** OREGON **************************** EAGLE CREST Vacation Resort Owner’s Association has a number of foreclosed interval weeks available for resale in various seasons at very reasonable pricing. 541-548-9303. ------------------------------------------------------SCHOONER LANDING on Oregon beachfront. Pool, Jacuzzi, golf, historic bayfront nearby. 2BR/2ba, 1 wk yr round. $3000. 503/873-2621 Page 47 *************************** OREGON **************************** NEWPORT: I rent out PRIME 1 and 2 bedroom units at the SCHOONER LANDING RESORT overlooking the ocean on a daily and/or weekly basis for $150+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com **************************** SOUTH CAROLINA **************************** Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------MYRTLE BEACH. Timeshare Foreclosures. No Developers, No Tours, No Pressure. Multi Resorts. Oceanfront to Golf Course. Deeded- All Seasons -Studio to 3 BR. Some weeks include 20 bonus nights Red Weeks As low as $2195. Defender Realty 843/497-6431 fbaker@defenderresorts.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT OCEAN WATCH VILLASMyrtle Beach, 2BR/2ba, Bronze wk. $4500 OBO. 423/329-0514 or 423/638-9053 ------------------------------------------------------3BR/3BA- HILTON HEAD, 43rd wk. Offered at only $15,000. Call Paul or Rita E-mail: paulradams@verizon.net or 757/258-2642 ------------------------------------------------------HILTON HEAD PORT O’CALL- Red wk 37, 2BR, golf/tennis pkg, Gold Crown, bch 1 blk. Reduced to $6200. 715/3869672 ------------------------------------------------------HILTON HEAD- CORAL REEF RESORT2/3BR, bch access. Free Golf daily, 38,000 RCI pts, $4000. 513/932-4011 ------------------------------------------------------PLACE AT THE BEACH- Oceanfront, 2BR/2ba, deeded, wks 13 & 14, newly renovated. $2500 ea. Close-e/thg. 518/5635664 or rstclair5664@charter.net ------------------------------------------------------OCEANFRONT, 2BR/2ba, Deeded Wk 14, New Renovated. $1500 + closing. 843/602-3605 or Dickbev1@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S MONARCH Sea Pines- HH, 2BR/2ba, slps 6, wk 33, red season, o/v, great golf, tennis, lots of amenities nearby. $23,000. 973/454-6474 or jgbla411@ yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------MYRTLE BEACH Ocean Annie’s! Oceanfront! LoryMisc@carolina.rr.com. 1BR, $1500, wk 46, wk 1. 704/365-2243 ------------------------------------------------------- Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** SOUTH CAROLINA **************************** MARRIOTT HILTON HEAD ISLAND- Sold out property Barony Beach- Spring/Fall weeks. 2BR/2ba, Golf and Tennis packages. Very Motivated seller/ Must sell. william.a.markwat@us.hsbc.com ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort, Brand New 1 Bed. Grand$18000, 540/808-3852 Make Offer ------------------------------------------------------EGRET POINT by Spinnaker. 2BR Week: 10 - Now: $2,850. Call 1-800676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup. com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup. ------------------------------------------------------THE CAROLINA CLUB, Hilton Head Island, $7000, rkp3ga@aol.com or 770475-3119 ------------------------------------------------------OCEAN PALMS at Port Royal, Hilton Head Isl, 10 wks.-$58000, 803/356-7113 or jstewmailbox-misc@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------HHI, MARRIOTT HERITAGE CLUB Harbor Town, golf pkg, 2BR/ 2ba, Off Season. golfduck@embarqmail.com or 252/7584665 ------------------------------------------------------HILTON HEAD MARRIOTT 5Star ResortBarony Bch & Surf Watch Villas. Motivated seller. Priced well below Marriott prices. Seller pays closing costs. abfjf@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S SURF WATCH- Hilton Head Island, 5-Star Oceanfront Resort, Vacation Club Ownership, Oceanside 3BR/3ba villa, slps 12, 2010 occupancy July 3rd. $45,000 – Well below Marriott’s current purchase price. Motivated Seller. 636/227-4184 ------------------------------------------------------MYRTLE BEACH MARRIOTT Ocean Watch- Spring/Fall Season. Motivated Seller. jcarrothers@sbcglobal.net or 317/549-9026. ------------------------------------------------------HILTON HEAD- OCEAN COVE @ Palmetto Dunes- wk 41, golf/tennis pkg incl, 1 blk fr bch, $3500, deeded, sacrifice. 973/7650288 or miwert1@optonline.net ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT HARBOUR CLUB @ Harbour Town- Hilton Head, value season, floating wk, 2BR/2ba, II top rated. $10,500 OBO. tskretch@aol.com or 516/721-5924 **************************** TENNESSEE **************************** GATLINBURG- MOUNTAIN LOFT- Penthouse, 2 units, lockout, slps 8, Deeded Red Wk 20. $2000. 513/779-3350 or georgette107@fuse.net ------------------------------------------------------- Be alert! Avoid telemarketers and email solicitors. TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** TENNESSEE **************************** FAIRFIELD GLADE- WK 10 (3/6), Kinsington Woods, 2BR/2ba, golf, fishing. Includes 1 banked wk & 2010 wk. $1000. 502/4257582 or artmattiussi@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------MTN LOFT GATLINBURG- 1BR, deeded, slps 4, wk 30, II dues pd to 2012, 2009 mf 268. $8000. Bildot250@att.net or C:334/614-3332 H:334/297-4033 **************************** TEXAS **************************** SILVERLEAF’S Hill Country Resort, Canyon Lake, $26000, 713-305-1080 or email williamspat613@aol.com **************************** UTAH **************************** WOLF CREEK VILLAGE- Eden, UT- Wk 49, beautiful area, great ski locations, 1BR, slps 4, 1st use Dec 2010. $1500 OBO. 760/602-8453 ------------------------------------------------------SWEETWATER LIFT LODGE HOA resales, fixed, deeded ownership. Jesseh@tradingplaces.com ------------------------------------------------------PARK HOTEL HOA resales, fixed, deeded ownership. Call Jesse toll-free 800-365-1048 ext. 7662 or Jesseh@tradingplaces.com. ------------------------------------------------------PARK REGENCY. Assn. resales, deeded ownership. Call Jesse toll-free 800-365-1048 ext. 7662 or Jesseh@tradingplaces.com . ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE Park City Resort and Spa, Park City, $30000, audiojoea2@aol.com 845/354-2634 **************************** VERMONT **************************** HOLIDAY INN Club Vacations at Ascutney Mountain Resort. Week: 3 - 3 BR. Now: $5,100. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------Stay Informed. Owners are fighting back against mismanaged resorts, improper special assessments and skyrocketing maintenance fees. TimeSharing Today is your advocate. Keep your subscription active. Page 48 **************************** VIRGINIA **************************** GREENSPRINGS PLANTATION- Wk 20, 2BR lockout. Slps 12 or split into 2. $1000 plus closing costs. Maint fee due Jan. LesleyMN@verizon.net ------------------------------------------------------WILLIAMSBURG POWHATAN RESORTWk 22, deeded CD unit. 4br/4ba, slps 12, lockout. 1/2 Wk Exg. $5000 neg. Greg 540/380-2179 or papagregh@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MANOR CLUB- Williamsburg. 5 Star vac ownership resort. 2BR/2ba, slps 8. Platinum season includes 6 free rnds golf. Motivated seller. TSFORSALE@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------WILLIAMSBURG PLANTATION- Jamestown Unit, slps 12, yellow wk 2, Tri-yearly. $4000 NEG. 410/960-7669 ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT MANOR CLUB Ford’s ColonyGolf pkg, 2BR/2ba, Lock-off. 252/7584665 or golfduck@embarqmail.com ------------------------------------------------------BEACH QUARTERS at the Clarion Resort Virginia Beach, $8500, 770/981-9108. bail5959@comcast.net **************************** WASHINGTON **************************** WINDJAMMER RESORT- OCEAN SHORES- Studio, floating. $300, Deeded. 1BR, Blue wk, $300, Deeded. windjammer@coastaccess.com or 360/289-3388. ------------------------------------------------------LAKE CHELAN SHORES - waterfront unit, Chelan, Washington $10500, 206/9306598 or blm6789@comcast.net **************************** WISCONSIN **************************** THE RUSHES. Gold Crown Resort. On Kangaroo Lake. 1,000 ft of shore, plus 100 acre nature preserve. In the heart of scenic Door County. Very limited number of resale weeks available. Contact: Tom Moeller, Starr Realty. 800/661-8555 Email: tom_rushes@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------EAGLE RIVER. Lake Forest Resort & Club. Where woods & water meet! Attractive prices, many amenities. II Premier Resort. Deeded fixed weeks. All 2 BR, 2 bath, sleeps 6. On 28 lake chain, rec. area w/golf, fitness center w/pool, boat, fish, hike, bike, snowmobile or X-C ski. 4 forests nearby. Wi Travel Green Certified, Call Marcy: 715/479-2455 x204 or visit us at www.lakeforestresort.com -----------------------------------------------------PT RESORT & CLUB- Minocqua, 1BR, wks 32 & 39, gold cr, summer wk & beef-o-rama wk $3999-$2999. 414/617-8800 Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** WISCONSIN **************************** CHRISTMAS MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. Wisconsin Dells,9000 pts Annly $20000, sdwoods1@verizon.net or 260/693-1620 *************************** BAHAMAS **************************** LAKEVIEW MANOR- RCI 3626, 1BR, Wk 33, great for trading, $300 OBO. elambdin@hotmail.com -----------------------------------------------------IN LAST ISSUE you read about it, now own the beautiful Island Seas. 1BR,1ba, even yrs, starts in 2010. $9500 OBO. 830/2146193 or 830/214-0149 -----------------------------------------------------BAHAMAS OCEAN REEF Yacht ClubGated comm., 2BR/2ba, liv, kit, din, deck, 12 wk memberships, flt wks. $400 maint. Make Offer. *************************** CANADA **************************** HILLSIDE VAC VILLAS- Canada, 2 wks floating -prime. $10,000. 541/685-9451 or cjkenn32@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------THE LODGE at HORSESHOE RESORT wks 10/37 red deeded $5000 2BR/2ba fnevin@cogeco.ca or 519-254-5199 ------------------------------------------------------LA VOLIER DU MONTTremblant, Quebec, $2000, 819 569-4341 Gaston.Lacroix@USherbrooke.ca ------------------------------------------------------RAINTREE’S Whiski Jack at Ironwood Whistler. Holiday Group Year End Sale! 5 Weeks – 2 Floating – 3 Fixed. 2 BR – Now: $5,906. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------THE GRAND OKANAGAN RESORT. Kelowna, British Columbia, $2995, Email: maurice509@shaw.ca or 250/768 5089 ------------------------------------------------------WHISKI JACK Tyndall Stone Lodge, Whistler,B.C.,deed,sleeps 8 $6000, Email: alexclarkson@shaw.ca or 250/741-9831 ------------------------------------------------------CLUB INTRAWEST Blackcomb, Whistler, British Columbia, $12750, Email paulineyong@gmail.com **************************** CARIBBEAN **************************** Aruba ------------------------------------------------------CASA DEL MAR ON EAGLE BCH2BR/2ba, liv-din-kit-deck, bch/pool views, slps 6, wks 17 & 18. $8500. 603/595-1954 ------------------------------------------------------LA CABANA STUDIO facing pool, 4th floor, wk 23. Pat: flpatr2@gmail.com. Make offer ------------------------------------------------------- TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** CARIBBEAN **************************** Aruba ------------------------------------------------------CARIBBEAN PALM VILLAGE- 1BR/2ba, wk9- $6995, wk17 or 43 only $4995. Don 856/906-9007 (NJ) ------------------------------------------------------RENAISSANCE BEACH RESORT- 1BR, slps 4, wk 15, $6700, 2 pools, swim-up bar, walk to casinos/restaurants. 248/926-1309 or busynancy@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------RENAISSANCE Aruba Resort & Casino. 1 BR – Week: 49 Now: $4,350. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@ holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www. holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------RENAISSANCE ARUBA BCH Resort- Wk 6, 1BR, slps4, $10,000. 561/738-7943 or mlloyd3147@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------- Cayman Islands ------------------------------------------------------RARE FIXED WK 52!! New Seaside building- solid concrete. Oceanfront. For a slice of paradise contact tklaver@sympatico.ca for more information. Will consider rental. ------------------------------------------------------MORITTS TORTUGA CLUB- 1BR/1ba, slps 4, Red floating wk + bonus wk, poolside, full kit, DA, LR. US$2750. 561/2769080 or rlgreeny@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------MORRITT’S Grand Resort. 1 BR –Oceanfront – Week: 1-50. Now: $4,800. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------REEF RESORT- 2BR/2BA, slps 6, lock off, ocean view, Wk 48 (often Thanksgiving wk) $12,000. 631/656-8155 ------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Rico ------------------------------------------------------CLUB CALA, PALMAS P.R.- 2BR/2ba, wk 4, harborside. Great Deal $2500. ddmag447@hotmail.com or 239/4821846 ------------------------------------------------------- St. Maarten ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------- Page 49 **************************** CARIBBEAN **************************** St. Maarten ------------------------------------------------------DIVI LITTLE BAY-Wk 8, Unit 615, Bldg B6 near Seabreeze pool and cafe, 1BR-slps 4,balcony w/ocean view, totally refurbished, 2 flat-screen TVs, full kit/bath, 24 wks, $8900. anderson_gh@msn.com or 203/288-2977 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL PALM- 5 STAR, 2BR/2ba, Mega Yacht wk 49. Best area. Ocean Front. $6000 OBO. EZTIME1@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------PELICAN RESORT-Wk 6, unit B422, top floor, ocean view, next to Olympic pool. 1BR, slps 4. Fees paid. $6999. 310/8226042 or LRyan@ryanworks.com, or ------------------------------------------------------DIVI LITTLE BAY. Wk 45, Bldg 9A, 1BR/2ba, slps4, bay view, pool, rest, spa, full kit. $5000. miznme@verizon.net or 443/324-9618 ------------------------------------------------------ST MAARTEN FLAMINGO BCH- Wks 37 & 38, deluxe studio, slps 4, ground floor. Facing sea, close to restaurant, pool, casino. $2000 ea OBO. caribnsailor@yahoo.com or 519/795-7573 ------------------------------------------------------PELICAN RESORT- Weeks 19 & 20, studio, slps 4, Sat-Sat. $2500 ea. Call: 860/489-6396 **************************** ECUADOR *************************** THE OCEAN HIDEAWAY Resort and SpaBeachfront Hotel & 2BR units starting at $1995 for 5 years/5 weeks INCLUDING Maintenance! $99/wk offer for 2. See web site:www.TheOceanHideaway.com Email: TheOceanHideaway@Yahoo.com **************************** INDIA **************************** ROYAL GOAN BEACH CLUB-Haathi Mahal, Goa,India, Studio, RCI approved for $5000, sykher@emirates.net.ae **************************** MEXICO **************************** Cabo San Lucas ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO Hacienda Montecristo Estate, Cabo San Lucas, $160K, 336/5846804 or caborentals@earthlink.net Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** MEXICO **************************** Cabo San Lucas ------------------------------------------------------HACIENDA ENCANTADAwww.clubhaciendaencantada.com. Studio red wk w/38yrs + Bonus of 2 II exchange. Maintenance only $398. For further details Call 847/223-1952 or email bomariah@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------Prime units at all PUEBLO BONITO and VILLA DEL ARCO and VILLA DEL PALMAR and UVC/VILLA GROUP RESORTS. Studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom prime floating & fixed units starting at $500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------I specialize in ALL PUEBLO BONITO RESORTS in Cabo San Lucas. I have an extensive inventory of Prime units/ weeks in all unit sizes with prices starting at $2,000+. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------WESTIN REGINA: 50,000 pts- same as 1BR/1ba wk of red time at this spectacular resort. $3500. Rpauley2@q.com ------------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO at Sunset Beach. 1 BR – Week: 1-50 . Starting at $2,100. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO SUNSET BCH- Pres unit, 2BR/2ba, kit, lr, slps 8. RCI Gold Cr w/90+ yrs usage in even yrs. All units ocean view. Original price $15,000, will sell for $9000. Rod: 970/247-1579 or accountancy@mydurango.net ------------------------------------------------------CLUB CASA DORADO Bch & Golf Resort- between San Jose Cabo & Cabo San Lucas. Luxury ste, 1BR, flt time, 22 yrs + 2 bonus wks. $6500. 530/620-8691 ------------------------------------------------------- Cancun ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL ISLANDER. Beachfront. Week 18, Unit #4713. 2 BR, 2 ba, lockoff. Full residual rights 2023. $9000. tosell@bellsouth.net ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL ISLANDER- Wk21. Penthouse 4283, $12,000 & Beachfront 4752, $14,000. $25,000/both. Both 2BR/2ba w/ lock-offs. Full Residual rights. gjcarnival1@yahoo.com or 303/666-8784 ------------------------------------------------------- TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR SALE **************************** MEXICO **************************** Cancun ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL MAYAN- WK 14, usually Easter, ocean/pool view, villa L743. $11,500. detroithighflyer@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------CLUB REGINA- MULTIPLE RESORTSRaintree Vacation Club membrshp. 973/962-7179 sunshine_marco@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN- 5 Star. Wk 50. Ocean View. 2BR/2ba. Slps 6, lockoff. $4500. lou11@cox.net ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SANDS, WEEK 26- Spacious ocean-view lockout unit slps 6-8; incredible on/off-site amenities; Royal Sands now selling this wk for $28,000; our price $19,900. 973/464-4710 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SANDS, Cancun, $20999, Unit 409, Thanksgiving week 46!, caroldoug123@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN BCHFRT- Wk 35, 5 star, 2BR/2ba w/ lockoff, slps 6. $5750. Travelgypsy66@yahoo.com or 631/8351221 ------------------------------------------------------- Mazatlan ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------- Nuevo Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS: Prime floating Studio, 1 and 2 bedroom GOLD WINTER and SUMMER weeks. $1500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Penasco ------------------------------------------------------MAYAN PALACE- Puerto Penasco1BR/1ba, Red time, Int’l airport (new). CNWYSPRNGS@idcomm.com. NEG ------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR: Prime floating and fixed WINTER/SUMMER Studio, 1, & 2 bedroom units. $500+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com Page 50 **************************** MEXICO **************************** Puerto Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------Save 60-80% off Retail – Buy direct and save thousands off worldwide timeshares. Great prices, great value and no presentations! Over 500 properties in stock every day. Inventory changes daily. Call for today’s list or ask for our free timeshare magazine – 1-800-676-6290. http://tstoday.com/holiday.aspx ------------------------------------------------------PLAYA DEL SOL Costa Sur (Costa Vida)April wk 17, Rm 518, 1BR, fixed time, 20 yrs. $2500 + 2010 Dues. We pay transfer fee. 530/620-8691 ------------------------------------------------------- Mexico-Multiple Locations ------------------------------------------------------GRAND MAYANVacation Club. 1BR Week: 1-50 Now: $4,350. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst **************************** MULTIPLE LOCATIONS **************************** WorldMark Resales Premier Reseller of WorldMarktheclub Memberships Dozens of Contracts, Thousands of Satisfied Clients Timeshare Liquidation Service, LLC 888-517-9604 www.timeshareliquidationservice.com ------------------------------------------------------BLUEGREEN POINTS FOR SALE. 9000, 6000 or both. Enough for couple wks. Can exchange with RCI. Will sacrifice. 717/387-2398 ------------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE RESORT #0670, Orlando - Fairways at Palm-Aire #3875, Pompano Bch - Presidential Villas at Plantation Resort #4220, South Myrtle Bch. Willing to sell for transfer costs, please e-mail: tankinspector1@hotmail.com for specific details or call 610/368-6694 ------------------------------------------------------DISNEY VACATION CLUB Resorts. 170 Points - Now: $11,900. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts at www.holidaygroup.com/tst ---------------------------------------------------BLUEGREENVacation Points. 10,000 Points - Now: $1,875. Call 1-800-676-6290 or email tst@holidaygroup.com. Visit resorts: www.holidaygroup.com/tst ------------------------------------------------------$3999 BEST VALUE 175 annual pts + 419 bkd pts, VI Resorts, Priced to sell. Premier multi-resorts, maint fees pd thru 2010. 951/278-0108 ------------------------------------------------------Place your ad online and save! www.tstoday.com/adsale Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** MULTIPLE LOCATIONS **************************** SHELL VACATIONS CLUB- West 3750 Pts/yr, fee simple title, orig $19,500, accept highest bid, main fees $1140/yr, 6800 pts available. jsv002@swbell.net or call Jerri 314/849-1123 ------------------------------------------------------LAGUNA HOLIDAY CLUB Membership UNUSED FULL MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE - $10000 -ericradtke@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL HOLIDAY CLUB Points, Gold Status, Anywhere, $1, Call: 413-567-4949 or email: jgendreau1@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------DIAMOND POINTS10,000 For Sale, Maint paid 2010. $6000. 520/299-9176 ------------------------------------------------------- TIMESHARES FOR RENT **************************** ARIZONA **************************** LONDON BRIDGE RESORT, LAKE HAVASU: Prime 1 and 2 bedroom suites. $100+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** BIG BEAR LAKE: Prime 1 and 2 bedroom units at LAGONITA LODGE and SNOW LAKE LODGE. $100+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------LAGUNA BEACH: I rent out PRIME units on a daily and/or weekly basis at LAGUNA SHORES RESORT for $100+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------OCEANSIDE: I rent PRIME units on a daily and/or weekly basis at BLUE WHALE RESORT for $100+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------LAKE TAHOE: RIDGE TAHOE RESORT. I rent out Prime 1 and 2 bedroom units in all buildings on a daily and/or weekly basis for $100+. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------SAN FRANCISCO: INN AT THE OPERA and NOB HILL INN and SUITES AT FISHERMAN’S WHARF. Prime 1 abd 2 bedroom units on a daily and/or weekly basis at $150+ per day. Contact Tony for details at (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR RENT **************************** CALIFORNIA **************************** CALIF BEACH WEEKLY RENTALS- $795 & up. Welk $895 & up. 800/860-6529 or bwjex@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM OCEANSIDE 2BR Ocean front gold crwn, 8/13-20, 2010 $2450/wk 818/705-3295 or zeek49j@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------WELK RESORTS Welk Resorts Mountain Villas. Gold Crown Resort, Escondido, CA. $695, anthemu@cox.net 702/878-1932 **************************** COLORADO **************************** VAL CHATELLE CONDO/Frisco, CO. Ski Vail Copper Breck Keystone. Hot tub, heated garage, slps 8. 719/226-2130 or jerrybaur@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------APOLLO PARK at Vail , Vail, from $1200, various holiday & ski weeks, Email AnneLNelson@msn.com ------------------------------------------------------ST. JAMES PLACE, Beaver Creek Village, Avon, CO Wk 29$1500, 660/547-3519 beaman5@embarqmail.com ------------------------------------------------------APOLLO PARK at Vail , Vail, $1400, symsa@axtel.net 8 WEEK, SLEEPS 6. 02/19/2010 - 02/26/2010 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Atlantic Coast ------------------------------------------------------DEERFIELD BEACH. Emerald Seas. 1 BR, ba, kit. Oceanfront resort, beautiful beach, pool. Wk 51. $750. 201/224-2706 ------------------------------------------------------RON JON CAPE CARIBE, year 2010, slps 8, oceanfront, Cape Canaveral, $1200-1400/wk, various times. The Hales 618/344-2948 or velmavern@charter.net ------------------------------------------------------DEERFIELD BCH- EMERALD SEAS1BR/1ba, kit, oceanfront resort, beautiful bch, 2 pools, wk 17. $750. 516/302-7398 ------------------------------------------------------DOVER HOUSE, Delray Beach, $900, graphart9@aol.com 732/505-6896. wk 11, wk12 available in same unit. ------------------------------------------------------CANADA HOUSE BCH CLUB in Pompano Bch- 12/06/10-12/13/10, Unit 1002. Email: stevertech@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Ocean Pointe West Palm Beach 3 bdr oceanfront $2100 week, dif weeks, bonniewhipple@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------MIZNER PLACE. Weston, 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit $1600, lkrakove@msn.com or 703/250-6590, ------------------------------------------------------- Page 51 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Gulf Coast -----------------------------------------------------SIESTA SANDS BEACH RESORT- Siesta Key, 1BR/2ba, Red Wks 22,23,24, deeded, on beach, $1000/wk OBO. 320/589-3476 or nschmidgall@msn.com -----------------------------------------------------VANDERBILT BEACH & HARBOR CLUB, Naples wks.4,5,6 $1300 ea.( Would Sell 618-895-4003 or 618-895-2116 -----------------------------------------------------CHARLOTTE BAY RESORT & CLUB Charlotte Harbor, Wk 20 $690 +4411796605 (UK) or yvonnelines@blueyonder.co.uk -----------------------------------------------------PLANTATION BEACH CLUB at South Seas Resort, Captiva, $1000, 413/5846994 or lwade70@verizon.net ------------------------------------------------------CAMELOT BY THE SEA, St. Pete Beach, $950, p3davies@aol.com 612-721-1359; 4 m beach - level track ------------------------------------------------------VIA ROMA Beach Resort, Bradenton Beach, FL. Unit faces the beach $1250, cyudt@comcast.net or 248/674-1314 ------------------------------------------------------WHITE SANDS RESORT CLUB, Naples, $1000, kathiew857@gmail.com or 630/416-1617 ------------------------------------------------------- Orlando Area ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT GRANDE VISTA- wk 47, 2BR/2ba, $1000/OBO. 719/380-8565 or tbuellh@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------DISNEY OLD KEY WEST- 2/14-21/ 2010. Studio, slps 4, partial kit, $750 OR 2BR, slps 8, full kitchen, $1500. +$95 per unit Magical Express Benefits for airport trans, extra pk hrs, discounts. 516/ 931-0175 or suzanne.hogan@optonline.net ------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA- Lake Buena Vista, min.to Disney, 2BR, slps 8, wk 13, Mar 27-Apr 3, $1225. bsdesper@yahoo.com or 985/674-9720 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM BONNET CREEK- inside Disney with free transport to all parks for Spring break. 2BR Deluxe, slps 8. 4/4-4/7 or 4/7-4/10 or both! $490 ea. 414/3506682 ------------------------------------------------------GRAND BEACH 1- Orlando. 3BR/3ba, Slps 8, full kit.10 minutes to Disney. 2/13-2/20/10. $1400. 321/208-7236 or tony6375@bigplanet.com ------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA- Presidents week, 2/14-2/21,10 minutes from Disney, 2BR/2ba, full kitch, $1295 wk. 631/8074789 or datamanron@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------DISNEY, EPCOT, SEAWORLD area- $899$999. LoryMisc@carolina.rr.com. Eff, 1BR, 2BR, up to 8. 704/365-2243 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM Bonnet Creek Resort, $1500, ukauwakenneth@hotmail.com 509/6288373 ------------------------------------------------------- Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** FLORIDA **************************** Orlando Area -----------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB, Kissimmee, $975, lcronin@cblawyers.net 516/358-1700 ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Grande Vista, Orlando, $850, email: erink_01@yahoo.com or call 571/239-8792 ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE Vacation Villas , Kissimmee, Week from 4/25/10 - 5/2/10, Sleeps 10 $825, patedw208@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------SHERATON Vistana Resort, Orlando, Week 14, 4/2-4/9 2010, $995, 770/7511193 or rmatarrese@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------ORANGE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB, Kissimmee, FL. 2BR,2BA, Full Kt . $1200, 706/878-7269 or docclark22@Gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------SHERATON VISTANA RESORT- Jan 2330, 2010. 2BR/2ba, slps 6, full kitchen. $950. judycrone@cox.net or 602/6251809 ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE LAKES- MARCH 21-28, 2BR/2ba, Jacuzzi, balcony, lakefront, near all attractions. $1200. justjokey@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------NEAR DISNEY. $775/WK. Florida Vaca Villas, 2BR/2ba, slps 6, March 27-Apr 3 2010. 423/323-4696 or ronasmith@charter.net ------------------------------------------------------WESTGATE VILLAS- 2BR, slps 8, great amenities, close to all parks, wk 17 April 24-May 1. $950. 401/232-0856 **************************** GEORGIA **************************** ALPINE CREST/RESORT CLUB.OF HELEN. Helen, $700, Call 703/622-7950 or email: starfish1948@hotmail.com **************************** HAWAII **************************** MOLOKAI - KE NANI KAI RESORT. Experience unspoiled Hawaii on the beautiful West End of the Friendly Isle! 1 & 2 bedroom suites. Pool, Jacuzzi, tennis, beach. 2009 & 2010 weeks available. From $750/week. Call: 800/490-9042 www.kenanakai.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT- ALL LOCATIONS AVAILABLE- 5 star, 2BR/2ba, 45-60 days prior to check in. $2200/wk. 1-866-626-8100 ------------------------------------------------------KONA COAST RESORT- 2 wks float 2010. Wks 35-51. 1BR, Slps4. $1000 each wk. pam@occomponents.com or call Pam: 714/747-7915 ------------------------------------------------------LAWAI BEACH RESORT- Poipu, Kauai. 1 & 2 BR condos available for 2010 & 2011. Prices starting at $1000 per week. 808/742-0185 TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR RENT **************************** HAWAII **************************** KONA COAST II. 5 star. 1BR/2ba. Wks 2/14 & 2/21/10, $850/wk. 301/898-9622 or katfirball@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------KAHANA BEACH VACATION CLUB: 1 bedroom, 2 bath, Oceanfront, corner, end unit located directly on the Sandy, Safe, Swimmable, Rock-Free beach of Kahana on Maui. $1500 weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------SANDS OF KAHANA: 1 and 3 bedroom units on the beach at this fine oceanfront resort on Maui. $1,050+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT’S MAUI OCEAN CLUB: 1 bedroom, 2 bath, OCEANFRONT suites. $2,800+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com --------------------------------------------------MAUI RENTALS: PRIME units at MARRIOTT, KAHANA BEACH, SANDS OF KAHANA and VALLEY ISLE Resorts from $700+ weekly. Contact Tony for details at (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------KULEANA RESORT WEST MAUI- 1BR/ slps 4, Oceanfront, Feb & Mar 2010. $700/wk. sky68feather@yahoo.com or 360/903-2603 ------------------------------------------------------TWO-BEDROOM Unit at Maui Beach Vacation Club , Kihei, Maui, $750, Email jayralph@embarqmail.com ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM Kona Hawaiian Resort, 1-week, 2010, various time, $1200, Email: sunyphil@gmail.com or 347/612-4258 ------------------------------------------------------KAMAOLE BEACH CLUB, Maui, Easter week, 4/3-10, $995, 2BR 909/964-3805 or jeschraan@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Waiohai Beach Club, Koloa, Kauai, 2BD/week 52 (Fri25-)renting at $1900, darsho89@yahoo.co.jp ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Ko Olina Beach Club , Kapolei, Oahu, $1100, komeyonejp@yahoo.co.jp +66-84-874-7428 ------------------------------------------------------THE CLIFFS RESORT. 4/18 - 8/15, 1 week, 1BD/2BATH, Kauai, $1500, 713/ 591-1994 or vhilford@cs.uh.edu ------------------------------------------------------- Take $3 off The purchase of a Gift Subscription. Attach this coupon to the order form on page 55. Good until 2/28/10 Page 52 **************************** HAWAII **************************** KONA COAST RESORT. 5 Star. 2 wks at Easter 2010 or 2011. 2BR/2ba, slps 6. $2600. The-clays@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------HILTON Hawaiian Village, Honolulu HI,$1750 Ocean view 1 bed sleeps 4 cfallo@verizon.net or 617/488-8894 **************************** MARYLAND **************************** WYNDHAM Vacation Resorts at National Harbor, Fort Washington, $1800, 703/6227950 or starfish1948@hotmail.com **************************** MASSACHUSETTES **************************** HARBORSIDE INN- EDGARTOWN, Martha’s Vinceyard. Apr 18-May 9, 1 to 3 wks @ $500/wk. 781/631-3228 or 617/9621899 **************************** MISSOURI **************************** THE SUITES at fall creek- wk 31, $450. timeshare@theleefamily.org or 719/7830204 **************************** NEVADA **************************** LAS VEGAS- RENTAL- ONE WK- your choice subject to availability in Jockey Club, $540, 1BR, full kitchen, slps 4. Luxurious Polo Towers, slps 6, $810, 2BR/2 ba, full kitchen. Both on Las Vegas strip and close to everything. Ruth 818/240-2535 or rbinzley@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------THE SUITES at Polo Towers, Las Vegas, $1200, svncv7@gmail.com 818/4388880 ------------------------------------------------------POLO TOWERS. On The Strip in Las Vegas. ALL Towers at the Polo Towers. Prime 1 and 2 bedroom SUITES and VILLAS. $100+ per day. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com -------------------------------------------LAKE TAHOE: RIDGE TAHOE RESORT. I rent out Prime 1 and 2 bedroom units in all buildings on a daily and/or weekly basis for $100+. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------FAIRFIELD GRAND DESERT. Las Vegas, $899, starfish1948@hotmail.com or 703/622-7950 ------------------------------------------------------SUMMERBAY-Gold Crown, 2BR, NCAA Basketball week!!!, 3/14-21 $695/wk 818/705-3295, zeek49j@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------THE SWEETS AT POLO TOWERS. Las Vegas, $750, phpjgraves@aol.com 732/750-1720 Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** NEW YORK **************************** THE MANHATTAN CLUB, New York, $1225, Last Minute Special 347-298-4488 or annrodrig@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------THE MANHATTAN CLUB, New York, $1800, 2 baths, 7 nights 8/26 - 9/2/2010 djmbkoehler@msn.com 612/379-3186 ------------------------------------------------------MANHATTAN CLUB- 1BR, 1.7 ba, slps 4, Spring break, April 2-9, hrg unit. Heart of Manhattan! Beautiful timeshare- 7nts. $2100/wk OBO. 541/504-4411 **************************** PENNSYLVANIA **************************** SHAWNEED DEPUY VILLAGE HOUSEnear ski slopes, slps 8, Jan 17-24 ’09. $825. Raggedytwo@bellsouth.net or 631/431-1348 **************************** SOUTH CAROLINA **************************** HILTON HEAD ALL MARRIOTTS available, 5 star, 2BR/2ba. $2200/wk no tax. Units available 45-60 days prior to check in. 1-866-626-8100 ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT GRAND OCEAN- HH, Nov 2128, slps 8, Thanksgiving, 352/259-4341 or melaniej9@embarqmail.com $1200 ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT HARBOUR POINT at Shelter Cove, Hilton Head, 5/8/10, $1500, j.jnash60@gmail.com 209 383 3202 ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT SurfWatch Hilton Head $2100 rent oceanview 3 bedroom 3/27/10-4/3/10. bonniewhipple@gmail.com. ------------------------------------------------------MARRIOTT Barony Beach Club, Hilton Head Island, Aug.8 ,Oceanside, $1900, dnoakes@optonline.net ------------------------------------------------------OCEAN PALMS at Port Royal, Hilton Head Island, $900, 2 bdrm, pool guardiananesthesia@ymail.com **************************** VERMONT **************************** SMUGGLER’S NOTCH- wk #40, Oct.3Oct.10, 2009. Great wk for Fall Foliage. 2BR/2ba, slps 6. Asking $1000. Please call e-mail: njmandg@comcast.net or 856/663-4573r **************************** WISCONSIN **************************** GLACIER CANYON- 2BR Deluxe, slps 8, 6/16/10 for 5 days (6nts). 8 passes for 3 indoor & 3 outdoor waterparks included. $690. 414/350-6682 ------------------------------------------------------WYNDHAM GLACIER CANYON, WI DELLS 2BR gold crwn, 7/23-30, 2010 $1295/wk zeek49j@gmail.com or 818/7053295 TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR RENT **************************** CANADA **************************** THE GRAND OKANAGAN RESORT. Kelowna, British Columbia, Ski Week. $990, maurice509@shaw.ca 250 768 5089 **************************** CARIBBEAN **************************** Aruba ------------------------------------------------------PARADISE BEACH. 1 & 2 BR. Wks 51+52+1+3+4+5+8+9+31+32. Casa Del Mar 27+28. Call:941/343-1088 ------------------------------------------------------PARADISE EAGLE BEACH- Prime 2BR/2ba, 2 bal, Sat-Sat, full kit, dly maid svc. Wks 52,6,7,8,9,10,11. Slps 6. 610/275-9428 or LDG23@hotmail.com ------------------------------------------------------DIVI Village Golf and Beach Resort Aruba, $700/ 1 week, large1bedroom, may-dec akeef@verizon.net ------------------------------------------------------COSTA LINDA Beach Resort, Aruba, $1400, sleeps 6 ocean views 845/621 -5461 mariomgnn@yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------------- Cayman Islands ------------------------------------------------------MORITTS TORTUGA CLUB- 1BR/1ba, slps 4, floating wk 2009, poolside, full kit, DA, LR. US$875. rlgreeny@aol.com or 561/276-9080 ------------------------------------------------------- St. Maarten ------------------------------------------------------DIVI LITTLE BAY. Wk 4. Completely renovated. 1 BR Deluxe 2 baths, full kitchen. Beautiful beach, pool. $1500. 201/224/2706 ------------------------------------------------------1BR UNIT @ PELICAN RESORT- Wk 10, 3/6/10-3/13/10. Newly renovated, slps 4, overlooks Olympic pool and ocean. $790. Adjoining studio slps 2, $275. If rented together, $1000. Choiress@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------1BR UNIT @ PELICAN RESORT- Wk 9, 2/27/10-3/6/10. Right on beach, slps 4, $825. Choiress@aol.com or 732/5910343 **************************** ENGLAND **************************** ALLEN HOUSE, KENSINGTON, London1BR apt. $1100. Wk 5/22/10 to 5/29/10. Convenient. BJLAND8@comcast.net ------------------------------------------------------Place classified ads, buy a Resale or rental Document Kit and order a subscriptions at www.tstoday.com “We’re Always Open” Page 53 **************************** MEXICO **************************** Cabo San Lucas -----------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO Hacienda Montecristo Estate,Cabo San Lucas, $4000, 336/5846804 or caborentals@earthlink.net -----------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR. Cabo San Lucas, Cabo San Lucas, $975, jeffsuomi1@msn. com or 303/567-0690 -----------------------------------------------------Prime units at all PUEBLO BONITO and VILLA DEL ARCO and VILLA DEL PALMAR and UVC/VILLA GROUP RESORTS. Studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units are all available. $700+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Email Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------PUEBLO BONITO RESORTS: PRIME suites at ALL Pueblo Bonito Resorts from $700+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)8414541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ---------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL ARCO RESORT: PRIME suites from $875+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------- Cancun ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL MAYAN- WKS 16 & 17, I-738, OV&PV, lockoff, slps 2. $500. Lois 937/4265131 or LoisGoldberg@ameritech.net ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN- WK 18, B-705, OV & PV, Villa, 2BR/2ba, slps 6. $1200. LoisGoldberg@ameritech.net or Lois 937/426-5131 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL SANDS- wk 11 (3/13-20), 2BR Villa, slps 8, Ocean & Pool Views. $1600. Tom tgcoulter@charter.net or 231/8833817 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN- D1012, Wk 12, Mar 20-27, 2BR/2ba, Slps 6-8, $1300. Maid daily. Alice: alucca@shermer.com or 847/812-7601 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN, Cancun, $550, lynndlk29@aol.com 901/747-2005 weeks 5 & 6 lock off ov pv 814d ------------------------------------------------------AVALON RESORTS. Cancun, $750, Emailstarfish1948@hotmail.com or 703/6227950 ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL CARIBBEAN- SPRINK BRK WK, March 13-20. Penthouse, ocn view, slps 6, 2BR, maid svc. $1800. 608/238-3386 ------------------------------------------------------- Nuevo Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR FLAMINGOS: Prime floating 1 and 2 bedroom, WINTER and SUMMER. $875+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com Jan/Feb, 2010 **************************** MEXICO **************************** Nuevo Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------MAYAN PALACE, 5 locations, Mexico, $900/wk, 2 wks red float avail., 505-8812861 or cpc@swcp.com 505-881-2861 ------------------------------------------------------PLAYA DEL SOL GRAND. Nuevo Vallarta, On the beach. $700, Call: 301/674-9375 pamularobinson@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------- Playa Del Carmen ------------------------------------------------------ROYAL HACIENDAS- WK 7, Feb 13-20, PV/OV, PH Lock-off, Unit F440. $900. Helene: hellsbells4@optonline.net or 631/584-9017 ------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Pensaco ------------------------------------------------------SONORAN RESORTS IN ROCKY PTOceanfront, 3BR condo w/ flat-screen tv/ dvd in ea BR, romantic fireplace, private hot tub on spacious balcony, many wks avail, $2100/wk, slps 8. Penny: 520/5750600 or pennyc@theriver.com ------------------------------------------------------MAYAN PALACE- 2BR/2ba, lockoff, floating 2 wks, slps 8, 20 yrs, use all Mayans, Golf Club. $14,000 OBO, Rent $1150/wk. 866/514-6180 Alex ------------------------------------------------------- Puerto Vallarta ------------------------------------------------------VILLA DEL PALMAR: Prime Oceanfront units. $700+ weekly. Contact Tony: (714)841-4541 or Tony@TimeShareTony.com ------------------------------------------------------- Multiple Locations-Mexico ------------------------------------------------------GRAND MAYAN, (2) 2 BR, 2 bth weeks 2009 or 2010, no holidays. Consider $2200 per week or best offer. Depending on location and availability. Nuevo, Cancun, Cabo, Acapulco, Penasco. J. Beyer 562/498-0482 or d2r4s26@hotmail.com **************************** MULTIPLE LOCATIONS **************************** ANY TIMESHARE. Any size. Any location. $700/wk + fees. Contact tsgalore@yahoo.com for details. ------------------------------------------------------1 - 3 - bedroom timeshares in AZ, ME, VA, FL & NV. Other locations available. $600 - $1,500 per week depending upon size, fees & wk. Call Judy @ 207-252-7123 or email ridgej6@aol.com. ------------------------------------------------------MORE POINTS THAN TIME! Wyndham, Hyatt & Hilton locations. 1BR $95/nt, 2BR $120/nt. 414/350-6682 ------------------------------------------------------ANY RCI RESORT based on availability. $600-$800 depending on size and location. The Hales: velmavern@charter.net or 618/344-2948r TimeSharing Today TIMESHARES FOR RENT **************************** MULTIPLE LOCATIONS **************************** ALL MARRIOTT VACATION CLUB Locations- 2BR/2ba, 45-60 days prior to checkin. $1800/wk. 1-866-626-8100 for details. Let us know resort and dates. ------------------------------------------------------BARGAIN- CHOOSE Your Location/ Date, RCI Red Spacebanked wks. Only $375+RCI fees. patbohme@hotmail.com WANT TO BUY, TRADE, RENT **************************** WANT TO RENT: Water’s Edge Resort, Westbrook, CT. Spring or Fall week. Prefer slp 6. email totravl@aol.com PRODUCTS AND SERVICES **************************** WORLDWIDE TIMESHARE RESALES FAIRFIELD FIXED WEEKS AND POINTS, WORLDMARK, SUNTERRA AND MANY OTHERS. Call our professionals for the best service and price in the industry since 1991. Financing available. RESORT PROPERTY MARKETING INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE 800-844-8404, WEB-SITE www.resort-property.com ------------------------------------------------------NEED A CLOSING AGENT? Prominent Florida attorney with over 20 years experience. Call the office of Jeffrey C. Sweet & ask for Mekissa or Lori for more info on transferring title on your Florida property. Call 386/677-3431 Fax: 386/677-8284 Email: tsservices@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------- TimeSharing Today Digital Edition Ideal for international readers and for those concerned about the environment. You can start a new subscription or convert your current subscription to the digital edition. It’s fast and efficient. For details: Email staff@tstoday.com Subject: Digital Edition ------------------------------------------------------- Page 54 **************************** TIMESHARE USERS GROUP www.tug2.net is the first and largest site dedicated to timeshare owners. Offering advice, forums & unlimited free classifieds we provide owners an unbiased source of timeshare information! ------------------------------------------------------- Advertise your company or resort in: TimeSharing Today Magazine & our other popular eNewslettersTimeSharing Today Express Timeshare Resort Management Newswire For details, email: staff@tstoday.com ------------------------------------------------------- Special Combination Classified Ad deal Get listed for 6 months on MyResortNetwork.com for only $10. Details on page 30 ------------------------------------------------------- Classified Ad Saver Place your classified ad in 2 or more consecutive issues and get an extra issue FREE Attach this coupon to the order form in this issue or order at www.tstoday.com/adsale Order by 2/10/10 Take $3 off The purchase of a TimeSharing Today Resale or Rental Document Kit Attach this coupon to the order form in this issue Expires 2/28/10 ------------------------------------------------------- TimeSharing Today Express eNewsletter If you are not receiving our monthly iNew Reports, please send us an email. It’s included in your subscription. Email staff@tstoday.com Jan/Feb, 2010 Sale Transactions It is advisable to have a written agreement (a “contract”) setting forth the understanding of the parties as to price, use of the week, closing date, terms of payment, etc. Because of the relatively low price of most resales, many parties are reluctant to incur the cost of an attorney until there is a firm deal. Alternatively, they can make up their own written agreement, purchase a general contract form at a stationery store or use the specially designed timeshare contract form available from TimeSharing Today as part of its Document Kit. The buyer may want to have a title search, which is done by a title company (sometimes also called an escrow or abstract company.) Most of the title companies will actually handle the closing. If the parties have hired an attorney, the attorney will arrange the title search and attend to the preparation of the transfer documents and the passing of money to the seller when the transfer is completed. When the week being sold is deeded, a new deed needs to be prepared to convey the week to the buyer. A right-to-use timeshare interest is generally reflected in a lease agreement that is assigned to the buyer. The resort management office may have forms which can be used to complete the right-to-use transfer. If the purchase is being financed, arrangements need to be made to coordinate the financing with the closing. Some companies (such as Tammac and First again) are in the business of financing resales. The resort management must be contacted to verify that all maintenance fees are current and to notify them of the change in ownership. These procedures are not complicated for an attorney or title company. Many sellers have purchased the TimeSharing Today Resale Document Kit, which can be used either for the entire transaction or until the contracts from the Kit have been signed. TimeSharing Today, 140 County Rd., Suite 114, Tenafly, NJ 07670 Enclosed is my check or credit card number for TimeSharing Today. Use other side of coupon for renewals. New Subscriber: ______________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ 12 issues for $29. (US$33 outside U.S.) City _________________________ State: _____ Zip: _______ 24 issues for $47. (US$53 outside U.S.) Credit card #______________________________Exp:_________ This is a gift from the subscriber listed on Recommended by: Name: ________________________________ the other side of this coupon. Please extend Address: ______________________________________________ my subscription the same number of issues as this gift. 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