Sunday, September 26, 2010

South Carolina timeshare owners

To all of the timeshare owners in South Carolina...

have you heard about the latest task that ARDA-ROC and ARDA-Pac (www.arda.org) are working on for you? Apparently there are hoteliers in Myrtle Beach who are trying to push legislation through to put an added tax on timeshare owners through their maintenance fees.

I have heard complaints, especially on TUG ( www.tug2.net ) that owners are complaining about paying a few dollars a year to ARDA. That money is what gives ARDA the funds to try to fight things like mentioned above. That maintenance fee tax would not affect the developer, nor ARDa, but you the consumer/owner instead. While TUG members and timeshare owners are busy complaining about the $3 or $5 dollars that they pay annually to this group, this group is in the legislative halls and hiring attorneys to help YOU!

There is nothing more disgusting then uneducated conspiracy theorists who just want anything to gripe about.. how stupid it is to gripe about the help of someone trying to protect you!

I will have more detailed updates about what is going on through the upcoming weeks on this topic. All timeshare owners in South Carolina have a responsibility to support ARDA and to make their support known. As for the rest of the country, if this proposed tax goes through, it could set a precedence in the industry throughout the country to other states. This ultimately could effect every timeshare owner out there.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Timeshare Evolution

The following article on the evolution of timeshare or timesharing, was written by a friend of mine, Monica Stephens. Monica is a licensed sales agent, and owner of a brokerage where she focuses her years of timeshare experience in helping timeshare owners sell their timeshares on the resale market.. She works on a commission basis. To reach her, contact information is..


Monica Stephens
Phone: (540) 476-1350
Fax: (866) 855-8615
Email: Monica@VacationTimeshareResidential.Com



Timeshare Evolution

Timesharing first began in Europe in the 1960’s when people simply wanted a way to reduce hotel rental costs by purchasing their share in a hotel instead of renting. The costs of operating the timeshare are shared by each of the resort owners, creating vacation affordability for nearly everyone. These shared costs, are called maintenance fees. Depending upon the resort, maintenance fees are paid monthly, quarterly, or annually. Typically, maintenance fees are well below what the average consumer would pay for a comparable rental, thus saving the timeshare owner money in the long run.
In the early days of timeshare, owners owned a fixed week in a fixed unit at their resort, and this is where owners vacationed year after year. If the owners wished to vacation somewhere differently, and they weren’t able to rent out or gift their unit, or find another timeshare owner to swap with, they lost their week. Realizing timeshare owners needed more flexibility and variety; Resort Condominiums International (RCI) opened their doors in 1974 as the first company to offer timeshare exchanges. Interval International (II) followed suit soon thereafter. For a small fee, timeshare owners could join one of these companies in order to exchange their timeshare week for someone else’s week. In the beginning, there weren’t many resorts to choose from. As the timeshare industry grew, so did the exchange companies. While RCI and II are still the predominant exchange companies, numerous other exchange companies have emerged. Today there are over 6,500 resorts affiliated with RCI in over 100 different countries, and over 2,500 resorts affiliated with II in over 75 countries. Nowadays the exchange companies not only help their members exchange their week, but can also provide assistance with scheduling airfare, car rentals, and even suggest the area’s finest restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.
For those whose schedule won’t allow them the luxury of vacationing for an entire week at a time, point type ownerships are on the rise. Resort based point ownerships allow owners to book the unit size they need for the night, the week, or the month, depending on how many points they have at their disposal. And best of all, they can use their points at multiple affiliated resorts, all without having to pay exchange fees. Most resorts that offer point type ownerships are affiliated with a large resort group offering an almost endless array of destinations. Even if owners are lucky enough to visit all of the areas within the resort group, most owners can still venture to other areas by converting their points to a week, then depositing their week with an exchange company.
Because point type ownerships became so popular, even RCI has gotten in on the action. In 2000, RCI launched the world’s first global points-based exchange system. RCI aligned itself with various timeshare resorts worldwide to offer owners more flexibility and options for vacation travel. Like the resort based point ownerships, RCI point members can choose from various accommodation types, the unit size they need, and how many nights they wish to travel. These owners can choose to visit any of RCI’s affiliated resorts. However, RCI points are not limited to accommodations at timeshare resorts. The points may also be used for rental cars, cruises, hotels, golf lessons, and more. Owners can also borrow points from the following year if needed, or save their unused points for next year’s vacation.
The forms of interval ownership have also evolved over the years. When timesharing first began, there was only one type of ownership available, referred to as a lease hold or right-to-use property. People owned their timeshare for a designated period of time, typically for 20-40 years. While this practice is still in use, most timeshares in the US are deeded properties. A deeded timeshare property is considered real estate, you essentially own it forever. However, regardless of which type of ownership is owned, all owners have the ability to use their time, rent it, give it away, exchange it, and will it to their children.
In addition to fixed week ownership, many resorts now offer floating weeks. In this scenario, the owners do not own a particular week or unit; they own a season and unit size. They simply decide when they want to vacation during their designated season. This works out very well for owners at a four season resort as they can go skiing in the winter, site seeing in the fall when the leaves change, swimming and boating in the summer, and golfing in the spring. When owners tire of vacationing at the same resort, they can join an exchange company to broaden their vacation horizons.
Over the last 50 years, the timeshare industry has evolved in order to fit everyone’s needs. No longer do you have to vacation at the same resort year after year, or the same country for that matter. With so many options available to timeshare owners there’s no wonder why a large number of owners never go back to their home resort. It will be intriguing to see what may come of this industry in the next 50 years.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Travel Abroad at a Young Age Enhances Education, Career Growth and Success


Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 16, 2010

Traveling overseas at a young age supports school performance, leads to successful careers and increases the likelihood of continued travel throughout one’s life, according to a survey in support of the launch of Educational Travel Week. The survey, The Impact of Early Travel Experiences, jointly endorsed by the Student Youth & Travel Association (SYTA) and Explorica, a company creating educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people through educational travel, reveals the positive impact that early travel experiences have on personal and professional accomplishments and travel trends during adulthood.

Live Chat: Thursday, September 16
Trend expert Daniel Levine, director of The Avant-Guide Institute, will lead a live chat on Thursday, September 16 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) to discuss survey results and trends. The chat will take place at http://www.educationaltravelweek.com; participants will then click the “Live Chat” tab to join. A highly-acclaimed speaker on the subject of travel, Levine has addressed the World Travel Market, Tourism Futures and The New York Times Travel Conference, and will be the opening keynote speaker at the 2010 World Youth & Student Travel Conference conference in Beijing. Levine began his career serving the student and youth travel market, researching and writing the legendary guidebook Europe on $50-a-Day and nine other best-selling travel books, including Frommer's guides to California, Florida, London and Italy.

Educational Travel Week celebrates the transformational experience marked by exploring new destinations, cultures and ideas. The goal of the Impact of Early Travel Experiences survey was to gain a better understanding of the learning inherent in travel and the resulting life enhancement as a result. Educational travel is a sector of tourism increasingly recognized as an important way to connect teachers and students to new cultures, languages and people globally.

“By increasing awareness of the educational and cultural benefits of student and youth travel, we can further explore the long-term effects of experiential travel and support the important efforts of reputable youth travel service providers,” said SYTA President Patrick Connor.

The survey revealed three primary themes:

•Those who travel abroad before the age of 18 achieve academic and professional success.

•The majority of individuals that participated in youth travel directly credit their travel experiences as positively impacting their education and career.

•Youth travel increases the frequency of travel as an adult, as well as an increase in the number of destinations explored.

Higher Education and Careers
The survey revealed that more than 88 percent of respondents that traveled before the age of 18 received a college degree, with more than a quarter of respondents going on to receive an advanced degree. Respondents also were high performers in school, achieving impressive college grade point averages (GPAs). More than 81 percent of respondents achieved a college GPA greater of 3.0 or higher, with more than 40 percent completing college with a GPA greater than 3.6.

These achievements are not limited to educational excellence. Half of the survey respondents who traveled before the age of 18 reported a household income of more than $75K, and almost a third boasted a household income of more than $100K.

Thank You Youth Travel
Survey respondents were asked to share the lasting impact of their travel abroad experiences. Local culture immersion provided the most lasting impact according to respondents, and almost three-quarters of these respondents credit their travel experiences with positively impacting their education and career. In fact, more than 90 percent of respondents report a willingness to participate in an educational travel experience again as an adult.

While it is not surprising that more than 50 percent of respondents portray their youth travel experiences as “fun,” it is notable that 40 percent of respondents report their youth travel is best described as “engaging.”

Travel Often and Travel Far
The survey also revealed that youth travel heavily impacts travel behavior in adulthood. Survey respondents that traveled outside North America before the age of 18 continue this trend as adults. In fact, more than 43 percent of youth travelers have visited at least ten countries outside of North America, with almost 90 percent traveling to non-English speaking destinations. Travel is considered so important to these respondents, that more than 70 percent report spending at least $2,000 each year on travel, with one out of four respondents spending more than $5,000 annually.

“At Explorica, we believe that educational experiences can be found wherever and whenever you travel,” said Olle Olsson, Explorica's Founder and President. “Travel is about the learning inherent in the experience. We build our educational travel programs so teachers can apply classroom learning to real-world experiences. Educational Travel Week is a way for all those involved in travel as a teaching tool – educators, students and parents – to celebrate the richness of all travel experiences.”

Educational Travel Week
Release of the survey marks the celebration of Explorica’s Educational Travel Week. Other Educational Travel Week activities include video and photo contests that offer a chance to win two free tickets to Europe or the opportunity to win a $500 restaurants.com gift card, culturally-specific Facebook quizzes on favorite travel destinations and more.

Conducted in August/September 2010, the survey polled North American travelers over the age of 21 who had taken a trip abroad – whether through a school-sponsored tour, a family trip or other independent travel – before the age of 18.

About Explorica, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Explorica Educational Travel creates educational tours that connect students to new cultures, languages and people. Through Explorica's use of exclusive online tools, they help teachers create tours uniquely suited to provide both the best value and the most customized, authentic tour experiences. For more information, call 1.888.310.7120, visit Explorica Educational Travel's Website, join Explorica on Facebook or follow Explorica on Twitter.

Media contact:
Scott MacKenzie
The Castle Group
617-337-9514
smackenzie(at)thecastlegrp(dot)com

The Timeshare Crusader

I have come to know an expert in the field of giving expert advice to consumers of timeshares. I would encourage you to check out her blog as well. To see her blog visit http://www.timeshareinsights.com/blog.php

Her latest blog sets some very good questions out to the industry and consumers. Here is a copy of her blog yesterday for you to review.. then if you realize you want to visit her blog, be sure to tell her where you found her at..



By Lisa Ann Schreier at www.timeshareinsights.com

Some things that have been running through my brain after spending some time at THETRADESHOW the past few days:

1) Why don't timeshares have a "loyalty program" whereby at some point, say after two visits to the same resort in a year they don't try to snag you for a timeshare presentation?

2) With all the timeshares that are facing financial difficulty and even filing bankruptcy, the public is more worried than ever before. These companies need to hire someone who can speak to the owners without sounding like a salesperson. Just saying.

3) I wonder if this ever happens to a hotel property---I attempted to send a Press Release to a Chicago area publication yesterday. It kept bouncing back. After speaking personally with the editor, I sent it from my personal e-mail address and it went through with no problem. The issue was NOT the Press Release, which was not spam, it was my e-mail address. The publication had a "spam filter" for anything coming with the word "timeshare" in the address. Says a lot, doesn't it?

4) The Midwest Chapter of the National Timeshare Owners Association had to cancel their planned meeting for this Sunday due to low attendance. Only eight (8) people had signed up! What is going on here? Even if every single timeshare owner was ridiculously pleased with their timeshare, don't you think that they would want to show up for a meeting where they could learn something? I mean, I am really happy with my new iPhone 4, but that doesn't stop me from showing up to a meeting where I can learn more. Timeshare owners, please weigh in on this one.
Posted by Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader at 10:25 AM

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Island One Resorts files Chpt. 11 Bankruptcy

Any owners out there who own at Island One? They just filed bankruptcy two days ago in Orlando. To settle nerves from the start, do not be too terribly alarmed. you own a deed and the HOA will have to continue to support the owners. It is the company that went broke, which typically refers to the developer, the sales and marketing teams, etc.
Educate yourself!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Does the Berkley Group (or others) take timeshare back?

I am beginning this post with this title because it seems to be a search engine result which brings visitors to my site!

There are many developers who will take timeshares back through alternative means.. but for a timeshare owner individually to get a group to take back a timeshare, is practically impossible. For those of you asking these questions, you should be looking at a Trade in program available through various resale companies, and charitable groups. Developers do not like to accept one single deed back, but will consider the option when a company has pooled a lot of their inventory together.

I would suggest checking with groups like SellMyTimesharenow.com, Timeshare Relief, Last Resort Resales (who has charities they donate to), Holiday Equity, or other various groups you can find via research on the web. Many resale companies have contacts at companies who take in timeshares, even if they don't so a little sweet talking to an ad rep might get you where you want to be. Aside from that, your best bet is to go on and advertise and market your timeshare for sale or rent.

Hope this helps.. and if you find a company but arent sure if they are legitimate or not, as always, shoot me a note and I will find out for you if I dont already have the answer.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Tri-State Residents Enjoy Direct Flights and Discounted Rooms at Costa Rica Marriott Hotels and Resorts

(PRWEB) September 13, 2010

Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica is now offering residents of the Tri-State area an additional incentive to visit the island. From now until December 31, 2010, residents living in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut enjoy savings of up to 40% off room rates at any one of Marriott’s four Costa Rica hotels. This special offer coincides with the recent launch of direct air service to San Jose, Costa Rica, from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The “Tri-State Resident Rate” starts at just $101/night – a saving of up to $80 per night.

The American Airlines direct flight service from New York’s JFK Airport is offered five times per week, making a Costa Rica vacation more convenient than ever before.

Participating properties include:


Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San Jose
Los Suenos Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
Residence Inn by Marriott San Jose Escazu
Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Escazu

A Marriott Hotel in Costa Rica is the epitome of luxury and should be experienced by everyone. Tri-State residents should take advantage of such an attractive offer before it expires, and the new direct flight option makes Costa Rica travel a breeze.

Proof of residency is required upon check-in. Minimum two-night stay is required. To book this offer, please call 1-888-236-2427 or visit www.marriott.com/costarica and request promo code N9R. Black out dates and other restrictions may apply.

About the Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica

Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica offer the ultimate experience in a unique destination where ecology, nature and traditions flourish. Whether playing golf at the 18-hole championship eco-golf course at the ocean resort, enjoying the urban setting of the centrally located Courtyard or taking pleasure in the breathtaking views of a spectacular coffee plantation from a colonial hacienda, these properties provide the best of Costa Rica. Offering something for everyone, Marriott Hotels and Resorts of Costa Rica combine beauty, culture, exceptional architecture and an unsurpassed level of service to deliver an authentic Costa Rican adventure. For more information please visit www.marriott.com/costarica

Myrtle Beach Snowbird Rentals on Sale by Myrtle Grand Vacations

Myrtle Beach, SC (PRWEB) September 13, 2010

Myrtle Grand Vacations, LLC, a premier vacation rental management firm specializing in North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals in the Grand Strand area, offers the best deals on long-term rentals. With cooler weather settling upon our friends in the North, it's time to consider the most suitable property for your extended stay in Myrtle Beach. Myrtle Grand Vacations offers a variety of vacation rental homes, condos, townhouses and villas, perfect for migrating snowbirds. Their Myrtle Beach snowbird rentals are unmatched to other offers you'll find in the surrounding area. Book your rental today, and they'll beat any reasonable rate.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is the perfect place for a winter getaway. A temperate climate-far away from snow emergencies and icy roads-makes this area one of the most popular places to migrate during the colder part of the year. Sandy beaches and exceptional golf courses will make your stay even more memorable. Myrtle Grand Vacations offers affordable accommodations for any-sized family. Their 1 Bedroom Snowbird Specials start at just $500 per month; 2 Bedroom rates begin at $700 per month; and 3 Bedroom specials are only $900 per month. These prices all include linens. Myrtle Grand Vacations' Snowbird Specials run from October 1 through May 1, so you'll miss all the harshness of winter, and the worst fall might have to offer as well.

The customer always comes first, and with Myrtle Grand Vacations, your preferences matter. Location is a top priority for most vacationers, and Myrtle Grand Vacations offers oceanfront, second row, channel and waterway rentals to all their customers. All of their Myrtle Beach vacation rentals are distinct, so make sure you visit Myrtle Grand Vacations online at www.myrtlegrandvacations.com to see what suits your needs.

Renters expect the best in service and property maintenance, and that's exactly what you get when you rent from Myrtle Grand Vacations. Privately owned and operated by a diligent, hardworking staff, Myrtle Grand Vacations treats their Myrtle Beach rentals with care and respect. All units are professionally cleaned after each guest leaves to exceed your expectations. With more than 15 years experience in the North Myrtle Beach vacation rental industry, Myrtle Grand Vacations understands the ins and outs of property management. Taking both the homeowners and renters needs and concerns into consideration, Myrtle Grand Vacations is a vacation rental management firm practicing true Southern hospitality etiquette.

Don't waste any more time thinking about the perils of winter. Find your dream vacation home in Myrtle Beach today with Myrtle Grand Vacations. For more information, visit www.myrtlegrandvacations.com or call 877-280-8566.