Would you be surprised to learn that 15 percent of all households in Finland are considering the purchase of timeshare weeks or timeshare condos? Finland based, Holiday Club Resorts Oy, is not surprised; they have recognized the opportunity to grow their hotel and spa business through the development of new Nordic timeshare resorts.

With 5.3 million people in 2.4 million households, (according to Timeshare Perspective Magazine) Finland has some 800,000 people who currently have the potential to buy timeshare. Neighboring Sweden offers another 1.5 million potential timeshare owners—and these numbers only reflect people who can afford to buy timeshare from the developer. Imagine how these figures increase if you include all the people who can afford to buy timeshare at the fantastic discounts available in timeshare resales.

Holiday Club Resorts is Thinking Big about European Timeshare

Holiday Club Resorts Oy is the oldest timeshare company in the Nordic countries. They are part of the RCI timeshare exchange, and they offer Holiday Club timeshare resorts in high-demand ski destinations, as well as numerous spa resort hotels. Currently Holiday Club timeshare, which has timeshare resorts in Sweden, Finland, and Russia, projects they may be on their way to becoming the largest European timeshare company.

Holiday Club Resorts Oy is seriously going after new timeshare owners. They have set up some of their timeshare condos in line with the concepts of the Stress Free Area®. Stress Free is a registered design of the Conbalance company, that specializes in interior space planning. In Stress Free designs, attention is given to planning lighting, color selections, fabrics, and furnishing to enhance a sense of calmness and wellbeing for the occupants.

Timeshare Resales, the Nordic Opportunity

Listening to the media tell you about the surfeit of home foreclosures and the spiraling increase in the costs of energy and durable goods, you may feel that this is an impossible time to sell timeshare. But these statistics from Finland and Sweden are just one more reminder that the person who buys your timeshare resale could be from anywhere in the world, provided you advertise your timeshare resales through a company that uses the world wide web to create a broad base of global marketing.

And as an interesting post script, I have to compliment the people at Holiday Club for the timeshare advertising slogan they pose to their market, “Why buy a cow when you need a litre (liter) of milk?”

…I couldn’t have said it better myself.

In a very short time, eBay has created a powerful, effective global marketplace that serves as yard sale, antique auction, real estate showcase, trading post, and memorabilia collector’s paradise. Old, new, valuable, eclectic, or pure junk, you can find it all on eBay.

Beyond creating a worldwide flea market, eBay has also afforded a way for people to supplement their incomes or even build small (and sometimes not so small) businesses. eBay entrepreneurs are a whole new category of business people, so much so, that the eBay empire has also established eBay University to train aspiring merchants in their structure and business model.

When You Sell Timeshare or Buy Timeshare Through an Online Auction

Yes, you can even buy timeshare or sell timeshare on eBay. When you sell timeshare through eBay, you have the choice to handle the sale yourself or to go through an eBay store that resells timeshare. Selling your timeshare weeks this way may work for some people, but online auctions are truly a situation of both buyer beware and seller beware.

For example, I just checked today’s timeshare resort properties advertised on eBay and found timeshare weeks listed at a starting bid of one cent—that’s right—one penny. Some have a reserve amount on them, meaning the timeshare will not be sold until a minimum price is met, but others are sold without the reserve. This is potentially a one-penny selling price; received after you (the timeshare seller) pay a fee to advertise your timeshare resale on eBay. And as a timeshare buyer, don’t assume that these rock bottom prices are actually the amount that you are required to come up with at the close of the auction. Instead, be sure you read all the fine print, because you are sure to be hit with closing costs, maybe advance or past maintenance fees, and other costs that turn your penny-priced property into a much larger expenditure. Additionally, as a timeshare buyer, you may not be given the choice of which timeshare closing company you wish to use to finalize your transaction, giving you even less control of the final dollar amount your budget priced timeshare deal will cost.

A timeshare owner posting on the TUG website recently observed: “Did you see the auction on eBay, a small 1 br gold week so that was an original Starwood went for the whopping amount of $3.25. Yes the decimal point is in the right spot.”

Another reason to be cautious in any online auction is that there is often nothing to standardize the information provided about the timeshare resale. If a timeshare seller knowingly or unknowingly, misrepresents the facts about the timeshare weeks he or she owns, the prospective buyer has no real way of sorting out fact from fiction. Important details about the timeshare weeks being advertised can be omitted or misstated. As a timeshare buyer, your risk can be great. As a timeshare owner who wants to sell timeshare, you will find the timeshare resort ad you credibly present is competing with ads that may promise amenities or terms they cannot deliver.

When you try to sell timeshare in an online auction, you are attempting to sell timeshare in a marketplace that contains timeshare properties owned by people who are apparently willing to pay to give them away! Combine that with how quickly eBay’s ads expire and you have a tough way to sell timeshare unless you too, are ready to pay someone to let you give them your vacation property.

In an interesting move this week, eBay announced that beginning in May, sellers will not be allowed to leave negative comments about their customers. They will still be permitted to leave positive ones. According to eBay spokesperson, Usher Lieberman, “The No. 1 reason buyers cited for decreasing or ceasing their activity on eBay was negative unwarranted retaliatory feedback they received from sellers.”

Remember that no one solution is best for every person who wants to sell timeshare or buy timeshare. Your needs and your objectives are unique. But before you turn to any online auction to buy or sell timeshare, consider all your options. An online auction is truly a case of caveat emptor…buyer beware…and sometimes, it is “seller beware” as well.

To learn more about safe, effective ways to sell timeshare or buy timeshare resales, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

What a great time to spend Canadian dollars on US timeshare! I know I have mentioned this before, but with the value of Canada’s loonie strong to the US dollar, Canadians have never been better positioned to buy timeshare or rent timeshare in the United States.

And since Canadians are quickly realizing this, there have been a number of articles on timeshares and vacation ownership in the Canadian press lately with good advice for anyone who wants to buy timeshare or buy timeshare resales. But, I was particularly impressed with an article I read in Canada.com, titled, “No such thing as a free lunch“. Reporter Sandy Fife has done an excellent job of defining the pitfalls (many) and the benefits (a few) of attending timeshare promotions in order to enjoy a reduced rate vacation.

Notwithstanding the fact that a timeshare promotion deal may enable you to take a vacation with free or deeply discounted rates, and provides you an excellent chance to try before you buy timeshare, the high-pressure tactics of some salespeople may offset the value of what would have otherwise been a relaxing vacation.

If You Attend a Timeshare Presentation…

Fife offers the following good suggestions for surviving a timeshare promotion:

• Choose a reputable name in the hotel and/or timeshare resort industry for your free (or reduced) getaway.
• Be very careful if you choose to respond to a timeshare promotion that contacts you only by email or phone solicitation.
• And lastly, she says, don’t even think about going if you are susceptible to high-pressure sales pitches.

As one seasoned veteran of enjoying timeshare promotions was quoted as saying, “You should never buy at a presentation, because time-shares cost much less on resale.” I couldn’t have said that better myself.

If you have ever considered going on a timeshare promotion vacation, just to enjoy the perks that come with it, take a few minutes and read the Canada.com article first. And if you want to sidestep the sales rush and developer prices, go straight to shopping timeshare resales.

When you visit the website for Sell My Timeshare NOW, we don’t give you free tickets to theme parks, or a coupon good for breakfast, but you can browse and peruse our huge inventory of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals as much, and as often as you like. You can show up in your pajamas or your favorite sweats, and from the comfort and convenience of your personal computer, you can take your time selecting the timeshare vacation option that is right for you. Best of all, what you save when you buy timeshare resales instead of paying developer prices, will help you pay for future vacations—vacations that don’t involve sitting through sales presentations.

Here are links to a few of the timeshare resorts from which you can choose at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

• Bluegreen Timeshare
• Marriott Timeshare
• Shell Vacations Club Timeshare
• Starwood (including Westin and Sheraton) Timeshare
• Fairfield, WorldMark / Trendwest Timeshare
• Hilton Grand Vacation Club Timeshare
• Westgate Timeshare
• Mayan Palace Timeshare
• Orange Lake Timeshare

Last week, the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau released the results of a new nationwide research study conducted by Opinion Research’s Caravan. The study looked at the travel patterns and preferences of grandparents, or the segment of society many people call the Baby Boomers.

According to the study, 49 percent of grandparents have traveled with their grandchildren, as well as with one or both of the children’s parents. In 2000, when a similar study was conducted, only 37 percent reported taking this type of multi-generational vacation. On top of the 49 percent of three-generation vacationers, another 31 percent said they vacationed with their grandchildren, but without the children’s parents.

Why the increase over the past 7 years?

Part of it has to do with the fact that Boomers now represent the fastest growing demographic in America’s culture. Today’s fifty-something generation is healthier, wealthier, and better educated than so-called senior citizens of any previous era. Still vital, active, and with many of them still climbing the corporate ladder, most Boomers have yet to reach their peak earnings capacity. In short, grandparents today may be rockin’, but are not likely to be in a rocking chair!

And where are grandparents traveling with their grandchildren in tow? The top three destinations for multigenerational vacations are: Orlando, Washington DC, and New York City.

With great timeshare and timeshare resale opportunities in all three cities, you can be sure that many of these vacations are planned for timeshare resorts, where everyone in the family can enjoy spacious accommodations, full kitchens, eat-in dining, and lots of on-property activities and entertainment.

Here are only a few of the excellent timeshare resorts in these three favorite grandparent-grandchild vacation cities:

• Grand Lake Resort Orlando Timeshare
• Westgate Leisure Resorts Orlando Timeshare
• Disney’s Boardwalk Villas Timeshare
• Wyndham at Bonnet Creek Orlando Timeshare
• Wyndham Washington DC Timeshare at Old Town Alexandria Virginia
• Manhattan Club Timeshare
• Hilton Club New York Timeshare

Last week in the Timeshare Owners Blog, I mentioned that many people have discovered September is an excellent month for taking a vacation. This month is an especially good time for visiting theme parks like Disney World, as the crowds are typically at their lowest.

Recently, I ran across a unique item in the Detroit Free Press. If you are planning a Disney timeshare vacation in the near future, this interesting information may cause you to add one more item to your vacation agenda.

An entertainment attorney in Detroit, Gregory Reed, was, for many years the attorney for civil rights activist Rosa Parks. In 1998, Reed was part of a groundbreaking ceremony at the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. Following the ceremony, a man approached Reed and gave him an envelope. The man unknown to Reed, said only, “I believe you should have these.”

The envelope contained the original fingerprints and police booking cards, signed by Rosa Parks, dated December 1, 1955—the day Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus.

Beginning September 28, the documents will be on display at the Epcot Center in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The exhibit will also include items from Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Jackie Robinson, and George Washington Carver.

As Reed says, “There’s an obligation to take note of this moment and time in American history.”

An Orlando timeshare vacation means warm sun, balmy breezes, and entertainment venues guaranteed to appeal to a wide range of interests. Much more than roller coasters or a ride in a spinning teacup, a Disney timeshare vacation can also include the chance to introduce your children to America’s social and cultural history in a very meaningful way.

Here are some excellent opportunities available to you now in Disney timeshare resales:

Disney’s Beach Club Villas timeshare resales
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas timeshare resales
Disney’s Old Key West Resort timeshare resales
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa timeshare resales
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort timeshare resales

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is seeking to curb overly enthusiastic timeshare sellers.

“Thank you, I’ve already been asked,” is the badge some tourists will be sporting when they visit the Smokey Mountain resort city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Vickie Simms, executive director of the city’s chamber of commerce, told The Mountain Press that they were receiving too many complaints about the “repetitiveness and behavior” of timeshare sales people soliciting on the streets. The chamber’s intention is not to discourage those who are interested in viewing timeshares and attending timeshare sales presentations. However, they do want to offer visitors the choice to request the sticker and hopefully be spared repeated overtures by the OPC’s—the off-premise contacts (or off property contacts) who represent timeshare sales. Simms was quoted as saying, “As the tourism industry is the lifeline of the business community, it is the chamber’s goal to provide our visitors with the most gratifying and memorable experience possible.”

You can also shop for Smokey Mountain timeshare resales and timeshare rentals at www.sellmytimesharenow.com. You will by-pass all the eager OPC’s who want to sign you up for presentations you don’t really want to sit through. Instead, you can browse the inventory of right-priced vacation ownership properties on your own schedule and without any heavy-handed sales pitches trying to sell you something that is not right for you.

Presentations take forever. Or at least it feels that way, if what you’re primarily doing is waiting for the freebies to kick in. And you can get some very good ones from attending a timeshare presentation — a weekend stay, dinner, tickets to a local attraction, car rental. But I once heard about a couple who spent 5 hours being hammered by sales people and dragged (well, not literally) around a resort they weren’t interested in because they had been promised a boat in exchange for their attendance. What type of boat was it? Turned out to be a blow-up rubber dinghy, with leaks. And then there’s the guy in New Zealand who just didn’t like being pressured to spend about what he would on a car without having a chance to read the fine print. Caveat emptor.

While I recommend going to presentations in order to research a particular resort, you can most definitely buy or rent a fabulous timeshare easily, from the comfort of your own home.

How? Buy resale timeshare online!

Resale by-owner timeshares are available at dramatically lower prices than timeshares bought through a resort or developer, and you’ll save far more by buying resale. Dinner, tickets or a boat won’t come close to making up the difference. Well, depending on the boat. Trying to deal with a large resort and their highpressure salespeople can be quite a hassle. But when you buy timeshare resale by-owner, you work directly with the person who owns the timeshare, which is much easier.

Look over the short, easy-to-understand contracts at your own pace. There’s no pressure: make your buying decision on the schedule that is comfortable for you. And, although it’s not necessary, you have the time and flexibility to run things by your lawyer or financial advisor.

It’s about doing what works for you.

Where? Check out our website www.SellMyTimeshareNOW.com for thousands of listings. New ones come in every day and they’re updated regularly.

Hurricane Dennis hit areas previously damaged by Hurricane Ivan ten months ago. Damages, though less than expected, still cause concern among the timeshare-owning community.

After battering Florida’s Gulf Coast, Hurricane Dennis has dissipated. Though damage reports are much lower than initial estimates ($1 billion as opposed to a predicted $7 billion), Florida’s hurricanes pose challenges for the timeshare owners that own time at nearly 30,000 time-sharing units in the Sunshine State.

Florida is the timeshare capital of the world - however, vacationers who consider buying Florida timeshare would do well to examine the hidden costs. Last year, hurricanes converged on the Sanibel Island/Captiva Island area, and damage done to timeshare resort properties was severe. Many resorts in this area are still undergoing repairs at the time of this writing. In much of Florida, timeshare maintenance fees have increased to cover hurricane damages, and timeshare owners are often being charged, on average, $100.00/year above and beyond their usual maintenance expense. Some owners have been unable to use their timeshare because the damage has been so extensive.

Anyone looking to buy timeshare should investigate the property fully. It all boils down to posing the right questions to the timeshare seller, whether it be an individual owner or a resort company. Ask up-front about hurricane damages and how they affect the maintenance fees. Demand actual numbers! As a consumer, you have the right to get the complete lowdown on any property before you buy. On the other hand, if the timeshare you already own is damaged badly enough as to be rendered uninhabitable, ask about your exchange options. Many timeshare owners have found that resorts and their affiliated exchange companies are quite willing to help an owner exchange timeshare weeks in this situation.

Hurricane-damaged properties are very attractive on the resale market, because of their low price. This could pose an incredible opportunity for a timeshare buyer. People buy high-demand timeshare weeks in these circumstances for as little as $50.00! Then, when the resort is repaired, they get to spend their time in a freshly renovated unit that often boasts better amenities than it did before it was damaged. However, if you plan on purchasing a damaged property, be aware that resorts pay for their renovations by charging maintenance fees and special assessments to timeshare owners. True, the cost can be divided between hundreds of timeshare owners, but the cost is directly proportionate to the amount of repair necessary. Even though timeshare buyers can save thousands on hurricane-damaged timeshares, the abrupt increase in maintenance fees can prove disconcerting to a timeshare owner. One is left with the choice of either absorbing the increase in maintenance fees (which are still likely to total much less than the original purchase price of a new property), or exchanging banked weeks for a timeshare in better condition. The answer? Ask the timeshare seller whether or not the maintenance fees and special assessments have been paid to date.

No matter where you buy timeshare, be sure to pursue your own due diligence with regard to any timeshare property. Research any timeshare thoroughly before buying. A well-thought-out timeshare purchase can mean years of happy vacations for the rest of your life.