My Buy Essay

Posts Tagged ‘internet’

My comments are made on the basis that one is buying a timeshare for mainly trading purposes. All of the statements I will make are actual experiences not something someone said, or I heard somewhere. My family has been involved in timesharing since 1980. First my parents then my sisters and myself, now many of my extended family members own timeshare weeks. I am average income (work everyday), average intelligence. So since I did it anyone with patience, a minimum amount of time, and dedication can achieve the same results.

Before even considering purchasing a timeshare, please talk to people who have had bad experiences first. This way you will be leery of everything going on. Better yet just follow my advice and have no problems at all (just kidding).

After deciding to purchase, remember no matter what resale is better. My reasoning for this is, there are a lot of dissatisfied owners out there willing to take a loss just to get out. So make their mistake your marvel. I have been and continue to take tours while on vacation just to stay intuned with the pricing of weeks. I have yet to find a resort that comes close to fitting into my price range of $2500.00 – $4000.00. If you are frugal then you will feel that $8000.00- $2000.00 is way too much to pay. However if a buyer goes resale through broker or individual very low prices can be attained. I purchased my two bedroom, red week/40 at SouthShore Lake Resort, rated Gold Crown in the RCI exchange system, in HotSprings Arkansas for $2800.00 in 1990. With this week my wife and I have exchanged within the RCI exchange system without many problems. Always getting a nice Resort at the desired time. Put a little time in shopping for a honest broker.

Next be sure to buy at a nice resort. This is simple to do just give RCI a call and ask about the demand for the resort and week you’re interested in purchasing. When I’ve done this for family members the counselors have always been happy to give the information I requested. You probably already know why, but just in case, better resorts and weeks give you better trading power.

Also get a least a 2brm unit, since only a handful of resorts offer more than two bedroom anything more is a waste of money. Getting anything less limits one trading power depending on the resort, so two bedrooms are safe.

Two more reasons many timeshare owners get disgusted with their week is banking and searching. First banking, with RCI which is the only exchange system I’m familiar with one must bank at least one year in advance to maximize his trading power. A simple matter, just pay your maintenance fees and call RCI to space bank your week. Simple, yes but a great deal of owners wait too late and that creates disappointment. Next is searching, this can and has been a small problem sometimes for working people trying to schedule a vacation. Again within the RCI system the earlier one starts a search the better the chance of getting the resort you want. Usually I can schedule my New Years vacation one year in advance and get a match, other vacations I’m persistent with RCI on giving me the Resort I want. RCI says that it dosen’t do any good to call back after a search has been put in however, I’ve found this to be untrue on many occasions. There are many counselors answering the phone at RCI and some will work harder to get you what and when you want better than others so I call quite often when I know I have a difficult search in.

A couple of examples are News Years week 1995 I called until I got the best Resort in Palm Springs, Ca. The Desert Springs Villas 2/brm. Then New Years 1996 we went to Hilton Grande Vacation Villas in Las Vegas, Nv another tough one to match but persistence paid off. Some people may say this is too much trouble but free phone calls and a bit of time beats paying hundreds of dollars per for these accomidations.

Just a couple of other things I would like to cover. Owning in one place and living in another, dosen’t matter. That’s how I got my two bedroom week.. The people I purchased it from moved to Florida and didn’t feel comfortable being away from their home resort, their loss my gain. Just make sure you get a desirable Resort, remember a call to RCI will take care of that.

Next I am living proof that you don’t have to own in Las Vegas, Hawaii, or Orlando to get outstanding trades. I’ve heard for many many years that “you won’t always be able to get trades like that”. This may well come to truth some day but as for now it hasen’t. We just recently got confirmed into the Quarter House in New Orleans for New Years 1997 week on that cheap ole Arkansas week.

Remember to consider these items when deciding to purchase maintenance fees, deeded property, and fixed or floating time. So ends my sermon on “KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL TIMESHARING”. Once again all my suggestions are based on the premise that one is buying mainly for trading purposes however, they are basic and should work in most situations.

If you are wrong everyone will have forgotten what you said by the time it happens anyway. Having gotten that major disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a look at the industry and try to make some sense out of it.

The industry really got started almost thirty years ago in the United States. Many real estate developers lured by the vision of being able to sell a $100,000 condo for $500,000 jumped in. Not realizing they were in the marketing business in which they were inexperienced rather than the development business they didn’t do all that well and many went under. The few who really understood what they were doing did very well. Some built sizable timeshare empires.

Then the industry started to mature. The major hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, etc. decided they were losing way too many of the vacation lodging customers to timesharing. They also had a perfect vehicle to insure the brand loyalty they had been spending so much to achieve. With their huge resources they effectively drove all but a few of the smaller developers out of the business. The largest independent developers are still doing very well in spite of this. Now where does the industry go from here?

Prediction #1: The chains and the largest developers will continue to grow and to offer more widely appealing products such as points systems and multiple locations. Their pricing levels will be in the $12,000 to $25,000 range per yearly timeshare week. The biennial sales (every other year) will still enable them to also gain the lower end of this market.

In the meantime, the developers overlooked a simple, logical by-product of their millions of sold timeshares. That is the resale market. Some of these original timeshares were sold twenty-five years ago to people who were in their seventies at the time. They simply cannot use the product any more. Further, since it was/is a real estate product which theoretically never dies, there are many good reasons to have to sell and move on.

General real estate brokers took a look at this timeshare resale market where the whole resale price is about a third of a selling broker’s three- percent commission on a house and simply ignored it. Owners wishing to resell then had nowhere to turn. There was no marketing system. As a result, prices plummeted. People who had not really paid too much to the developer (after all they didn’t really make a killing) could now sell for only a fraction of what they had paid.

Enter the scammer. These folks who seem to always be the first into any new arena promised the timeshare sellers anything they wanted to hear in return for an advance fee of from $300 to $5,000. If you went for one of these deals don’t feel too bad. So did I and I should know better. I sent $350 to a company in Florida who put an ad in the Orlando shopping news for $9. That was the whole shake of the dice. It was also when I decided to provide viable solution to the resale problem…namely to provide a straight-ahead resale brokerage which would get paid when the timeshare was sold. Fortunately there were others around the country that thought the same way.

The resale business is now developing along these lines. As more honest brokers get into the resale business, they will become a group who will drive out the bad apples. They may even get something like a Resale Multiple Listing Service together. There are already some indications of this on the Internet.

Prediction #2: The good guys will drive out the bad guys.

Years ago, condominiums were in about the same place as timeshares are today. Eastern lenders wouldn’t finance condos and many brokers wouldn’t sell them. After all, how could you sell or finance part of a building? Now the same argument is heard in relation to time in part of a building. It too will pass and the time will come when it is completely normal. Further, the price of resale timeshares, which is now at ridiculously low levels, will increase as they become more accepted. The gap between the pricing of new timeshares and used timeshares will narrow.

There are already cases where timeshares which were bought for investment have worked out well for the owners. Just don’t buy that argument if you are currently looking at new timeshare product.

Prediction #3: The future looks bright for resort timesharing. As time goes on and inflation continues (which it always does) timeshares will become more valuable just as primary housing has proven to be in the long run. If you are not yet on board, you couldn’t pick a better time. If you already are, it might be a good time to consider adding to your vacation happiness. Anyone joining in now will have a hard time going wrong.

Many people think that the Internet offers a tremendous marketplace, while others will question the extra effort and money to purchase and design a website. Some of the money-making values of having a website are summarized in the following paragraphs for your consideration.

1. If you have a local group of customers and want to expand to the neighboring areas, states or even, countries, without spending massive amounts of costly advertising money or even leasing more company space, then the Internet can work very well for you. Niche markets (small groups of customers scattered about that are interested in a very specific item or service) also work very well on the Internet.

2. As a business owner, you need to provide a map and directions to your store for your customers and enable them to look up specials, discounts, limited merchandise, or varieties and prices of each item you market. For instance, let’s say you sell cheesecakes and you would like to spend less time on the phone explaining the different varieties, how many people the different varieties will serve, prices, and availability. Here’s how this could work online for you. You would provide a secure, encrypted order form thereby collecting the person’s credit information as well as their address, phone, and email information. They would list their preferences as to varieties and sizes of cheesecakes. This form would be sent directly to your email or to your fax so that you would have the items ready for the customer to pick up that day or the day they designate. You would have the cheesecakes shipped for those that cannot make it to your store. When a customer returns to order another product from your website, they would not have to fill out most of the form as it would already be in your database.

3. You build their confidence when you show customers that you have their best interest and shopping convenience in mind when you open a website and properly maintain that website with new and updated information. Customers will appreciate being able to read about the owners, the store’s policies, the service after the sale, and any other items you think would develop a rapport to allow them to do more business with you. Having a website allows your company to develop its style and branding and develops a sense of security for the customers in doing business with your firm.

4. A small operation can look just as important as a large corporation. A website builds confidence and value into your products and services and allows you to receive orders you may have missed without being on the Internet.

5. If you do advertising on the radio or TV, newspapers or direct mail, having a website gives the customer a place to review what you tell them in the ads in much more detail. Every ad should reference your website so customers can view the details at a time and place that is convenient 24 hours a day seven days a week. You can quickly change and update information on a website without the expense of printed materials.

6. You can do any promotion online that you can do offline and much cheaper. Coupons, money-off sales, discounts, employee recognition, limited merchandise you want to move, all these can be marketed on your website. Keeping the website up-to-date can be provided by your webmaster at a very nominal fee.

I hope that you can see from some of the above points that having your own website is necessary in today’s marketplace for any small or medium-sized business as well as any at-home business. Customers are out there looking for you and you need to take advantage of where they are looking and, right now, that is the INTERNET! Since your competitors have a website, they are perceived as being more up-to-date. The ease, convenience, special online savings, information about your company’s mission, your services, your ability to communicate with customers are all important reasons for having a dynamic online website. Online marketing will only continue to grow…WILL YOUR CUSTOMERS FIND YOU ONLINE?

TACKLES TIMESHARING

With lower occupancy rates, a sagging economy, and the changing demographics of travelers, hotel industry officials are constantly searching for ways to fill rooms. One hot topic is timesharing.

Long considered the bad boy of the hospitality business, timesharing is coming of age in both size and stature. The entrance of companies like Disney, Marriott, and Hilton has served notice that timesharing is a viable occupancy option for the hotel industry.

THE BASICS

Timesharing’s image of past decades is quickly changing. Many vacationers now view it as a viable and economical option for future vacations.

The timeshare market is exploding. In the past two years, almost 500,000 households have purchased a total of more than 700,000 timeshare intervals. That means there are more than 3 million owners at more than 3,000 resorts worldwide. Contrary to popular belief, a recent survey showed that most of these owners are happy with their purchase.

“It is clear that timesharing is gaining in popularity, not only here in the United States, but also across Europe, Mexico, and in South America,” says Tom Franks, president of the American Resort and Residential Development Association, the timeshare industry body. “We expect the industry to double in the next 10 years and the hotel industry will definitely be involved in a big way.”

Timesharing is the most prevalent form of vacation ownership. Consumers typically buy one or more weeks at a specific resort and can return to that resort every year or exchange it for a week at another resort. Prices currently average around $9,000, with annual maintenance fees of around $300.

Vacation timesharing generally takes one of two forms: “Fee” timesharing gives the purchaser permanent rights–in the form of a deed–to the property. About 85% of timeshare resorts sell under fee-ownership agreements. “Right-to-use” timesharing grants the purchaser the rights to the use of the property for an established period of time, such as 30 years. Under this type of timesharing, the purchaser does not receive a deed.

Rather than return to their home resort every year, many owners opt to exchange to one of thousands of other timeshare properties worldwide. For a small fee, companies like Resorts Condominiums International or Interval International perform these exchange services for member resorts and owners. Many owners say this exchange privilege was a key reason for buying. Many hotel chains in the timeshare industry form their own internal exchange system to complement the exchange company services.

Hotel companies have found that the basics of timesharing are an ideal fit for filling rooms. They have accomplished this by using existing facilities and services, as well as developing new properties and support structures. Their success stories tell the tale of why and how the hotel industry is tackling timesharing.

THE MARRIOTT STORY

While timesharing has been in the United States for just twenty years, Marriott has been around for more than six decades. In 1984, however, it entered the timesharing business and has turned the move into a very successful venture.

“We looked into it and in theory it was a sound idea,” says Bill Marriott. “But, timesharing in practice was often not up to our standards. If we weren’t able to effect rigid controls on the quality of timesharing that Marriott offered, we weren’t interested in doing it.”

That opportunity came in 1984, when American Resorts–which had recently opened a top-of-the-line timeshare project on Hilton Head Island called Monarch–initiated talks with Marriott. American Resorts’ concept of timesharing matched Marriott’s, but the company’s ability to carry that vision forward required major capital. Marriott had the capital.

Monarch’s success was an encouraging barometer and Marriott looked to new markets. Orlando was a very logical choice, because Marriott was already constructing a 192-acre resort complex: Mariott’s Orlando World Center.

Construction of Sabal Palms, the first of two timeshare resorts adjoining Marriott’s Orlando World Center, began in February 1986. The resort offered Marriott’s customarily luxurious surroundings and by the summer of 1987 the resort had sold all available weeks. Construction of Sabal Palms’ sister resort, Royal Palms, began a year later and recently sold out ahead of schedule.

Marriott’s fourth timeshare project was at Hilton Head Island’s signature location: Harbour Town. Construction began in 1987 and was completed in less than a year. Marriott’s Heritage Club at Harbour Town is keyed to the island’s exceptional sports facilities. Ownership includes special privileges at three golf courses and the Sea Pines Racquet Club.

The 30-villa resort’s 1,500-week inventory sold out in July 1988, just nine months after its initial offering. On the heels of this success, Marriott decided to build its third Hilton Head Island timeshare resort, Harbour Club at Harbour Town.

Marriott’s newest resort on Hilton Head Island is Sunset Pointe at Shelter Cove Harbour, which has already sold out. The resort features 25 timeshare residences, in addition to 86 existing luxury villas. Marriott is also developing a 25-acre oceanfront site for a new timeshare property, which is currently the Hilton Head Inn. The 288-unit property is called Grande Ocean Resort and started with brisk sales in April.

Marriott’s third Orlando timeshare resort, Cypress Harbour, is a 500-villa property near Sea World. It has carried forward Marriott’s successful Orlando timeshare vision and is experiencing brisk sales.

Marriott’s first resort in the west was Desert Springs Villas at Palm Desert, Arizona. The 236-villa resort is adjacent to Marriott’s Desert Springs Resort & Spa. Streamside at Vail in Colorado features 150 villas within two miles of Vail Village and North America’s largest ski mountain.

Its Paradise Island Beach Club in the Bahamas was Marriott’s first venture outside the U.S. The property offers 44 two-bedroom villas with an oceanfront location. Additional villas are planned. Marriott also recently announced that it plans a new timeshare resort on Barbados, next to Marriott’s Sam Lord’s Castle. It is called the Barbados Beach Club and started sales in February.

With so many successful timeshare properties, Marriott serves as an ideal example of hoteliers involved in timesharing. Marriott now has over 40,000 owners, with annual sales of more than $100 million. It offers many travel programs for their owners, including an excellent internal timeshare resort exchange program, exchanges throughout Marriott’s hotel and resort system, exchanges through one of the large exchange companies, one of the largest resale operations in the industry.

Marriott also recently announced that it had signed an agreement to manage a timeshare resort where it had no direct capital investment. The company expects this management contract to be the first of many. Other hotel companies already involved in timesharing or considering involvement are expect to follow suit.

Bob Miller, MORI’s executive vice president and general manager, feels that Marriott and other hotel companies can bring much to timeshare resort management. The advantages include: volume purchases and preventive maintenance for the property; collection of receivables and servicing of loans; a national rental program; access to the company’s reservations system; owner communications, systems support, and development; strong management; and much more.

HILTON TAKES ON TIMESHARING

In one of the most exciting timeshare industry developments since Marriott entered the business, Hilton Grand Vacations Company was recently formed. Though Hilton will probably not begin the construction of new timeshare properties until later this year it is already entering into the market aggressively.

As part of HGVC’s formation, it has joined as partners with a successful timeshare company in Florida, Mariner, and thus, already has 15 timeshare resorts and more than 22,000 owners. In addition to excellent resort properties, Mariner also runs many rental programs and a resale operation that has one of the highest volumes of any timeshare company in the United States.

As with many hotel companies entering the business, Hilton’s timeshare objectives include: creating a system of high-quality timeshare resorts throughout the world; establishing property management and hospitality services that include reservations, resale, and rental segments; and establishing a club to provide exchange services and access to its frequent guest program and other hotel industry programs.

Another key player in this joint venture is Ed McMullen Sr. of American Resorts. Mr. McMullen has been highly successful in timesharing and he brings much experience to Hilton. Both Mariner and McMullen have had great success with high-quality two-bedroom, two-bath units of about 1,200-square-feet and this policy will continue with Hilton and future construction.

Many resorts may be built on or near already-existing Hilton hotels and resorts throughout the world (e.g., the Caribbean, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Hilton Head Island, and Orlando). Owners will be able to enjoy all of the hotel or resort amenities and services. They will also have access to the Hilton HHonors program and other vacation packages offered by Hilton.

Hilton’s timeshare ownership program will be based on a points system, which has become very popular in the industry. The firm also plans to interface with Conrad Vacation Ownership, Hilton’s other timeshare program.

OTHER BIG NAMES IN TIMESHARING

Many other hospitality companies have reviewed the advantages of timesharing and are entering the business. Among many, two perfect examples are Disney and Ramada.

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) recently opened its first units at Walt Disney World. As with many companies in the industry, DVC tackled two major consumer concerns: flexibility and “hard-sell” sales techniques.

By purchasing a real estate interest in Disney Vacation Club Resort, guests automatically become members of the club and are entitled to a variety of exclusive benefits and privileges. Members also receive an annual allotment of vacation points, which may be used on vacations at the resort or at more than 100 worldwide resorts currently offered through a “Member Getaways” program.

“The flexibility of choosing among several different vacation experiences is what sets the Disney Vacation Club apart from many similar plans,” says General Manager Mark Pacala. “The vacation points system allows members to select the type of vacation best suited to their needs, particularly as those needs change from year to year.” Each year, members choose how to use their vacation points, either for one long vacation or a series of short getaways.

For a one-time purchase price and annual dues, guests may purchase a real estate interest in the resort, which expires after 50 years. The minimum purchase price is currently $11,730.

According to Mr. Pacala, the Disney timeshare project is substantially ahead of projections. The entrance and success of Disney serves as more proof that timesharing is a viable option for many hotel companies.

This past spring, Ramada International also entered into the timeshare business in the Bahamas. Through the purchase of a Divi timeshare resort near Nassau, Ramada is testing the waters to see if timesharing should be a part of a larger program for them. Divi recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with plans to concentrate on its five Caribbean resorts and ten timeshare locations.

With 50 units, the Ramada International timesharing project is part of the 295-suite Ramada South Ocean. They offer both floating-time and fixed-week units.

With this kind of company, the timeshare industry is really coming of age. Hotel officials obviously consider it an excellent way to fill rooms with happy vacationers.

If you don’t want to create your own digital products then purchasing information products with resale rights is a very good option for you. Although there are many products available, it it is essential that you are aware of the pros and cons involved in making the best decision for your business.

The main benefits of selling digital / info products are:

* Only pay the cost once as additional copies are free

* No physical products to store, package and deliver

* Instant zero cost delivery to your customers

* Order processing can be totally automated

Here are 4 easy ways to get your products:

* Earn commission as an affiliate selling someone else’s product

* Purchase resale rights to someone else’s product

* Hire someone to create them for you (Ghost Writer)

* Create your own ebooks

If you are not selling through affiliate links you will need to have your own mini-sales site to promote your products and download them to your customers.

Purchasing Resale Rights Products

This is by far the easiest way to find suitable products to sell from your mini sales website. There are many sites that offer products for sale with resale rights and you should have no difficulty in finding suitable products for your niche.

A simple Google search will identify hundreds of resale rights products. You should include your niche in your search to make the results more relevant e.g. “health resale rights products” (without the quotes of course). This search returned over 6 million results, so you can see that there is no shortage of potential resale rights products.

What’s Good About Resale Rights Products?

* You pay once, then get to keep 100% of the profits

* Usually supplied with ready made mini-sales site

What’s The Downside of Resale Rights Products?

* Lots of competition as many others selling the same product

* Competitors selling at cut prices can ruin your profit opportunities

* The market can already be saturated before you get started

Although there are some serious drawbacks, selling resale rights products is still a viable proposition, as most of the problems can be overcome.

Tips On Making Your Resale Product Unique

* Avoid products that have flooded the market and try and find ones that have limited distribution. They will cost more, but in the long run you can make a lot more sales and money from them.

* Combine with other products to create your own unique package.

* Customize the supplied mini-site to make it your own unique product.

The first thing you need to do is get some help in the form of step by step instructions and coaching videos designed specifically for newbies.

The multiple ownership of individual weeks brought with it the guarantee of reservations for those who wanted to ski in the area. It was an immediate success. By the 1970′s some faltering condominium projects in St. Thomas, Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico were converted over to vacation ownership and thereafter timesharing became a viable vacation alternative.

Once the concept of vacation ownership was embraced by the United States it began to gain wide acceptance by the public. Sales jumped to over 50 million by the mid 1970′s and has climbed to more than 2 billion annually today. Vacation ownership has enjoyed substantial growth over the years with approximately 3.3 million timeshares sold since 1980. Currently there are over 5,000 vacation ownership resorts in over 75 countries around the world.

Exchanging a vacation ownership week in one resort for that of another resort was introduced in 1974 and thereafter timesharing offered variety and flexibility in the vacation experience. Although there are many exchange companies available which provide excellent service, the two major forces are Resort Condominiums International (RCI) which has approximately 3,250 member resorts and Interval International (II) with approximately 1,600 member resorts. Combined, these two companies provided over 1,600,000 exchanges last year.

During a 30 year span, the industry has grown from small (15-20 unit ) hotel conversions to the high quality condominium resorts of today. The evolution of the industry from scattered entrepreneurs to well managed professional development companies has brought with it a noticeable change for the better. Definitive leaders have emerged and created standards and ethics for management, marketing and sales practices. One such organization is the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) who’s members are required to comply with the established “Code of Ethics.” The recent entrance into the marketplace by major hospitality chains such as Disney, Hilton, Ramada, and Marriott has greatly enhanced the quality and image of the industry. Vacation ownership resorts of today are luxurious, spacious and well located.

By the advent of these stronger and more professional development and management companies along with the weeding out the less desirable developers and marketers, the industry is experiencing a noticeable swing from a historically negative to a very positive public image. One of the industry’s leading analysts (Ragatz and Associates) concluded that the majority of timeshare owners are very satisfied with their purchase and in fact, many own multiple weeks. The future of vacation ownership is very optimistic and has tremendous potential.

What Is Vacation Ownership ?

Vacation Ownership “Timesharing” is the right to use specific weeks of a resort during a specific time period. Simply put, it is the pre-purchase of a vacation. It is important to understand that vacation ownership is a commodity which is purchased to be enjoyed and used over the years. One should never purchase a timeshare with the intent of reselling it for a profit. Vacations are holidays for which we spend money to relax and rejuvenate; they are not investments.

Ownership of a timeshare is very similar to ownership of a condominium except that your rights are limited to a certain week during the year. The form of ownership can be Deeded, Leased or a License.

The License is somewhat different in that it is most commonly a membership in a club. Providing you are a member in good standing, you have the right to use the club and all it’s amenities. Be sure to read and understand all the terms and conditions of your club membership before you make the decision to buy. Most vacation ownership consists of either a deeded interest or a leased interest for a specific number of years.

A Deeded interest is owned outright forever. It an absolute right which can be sold, leased, or even willed to your heirs. Most timeshares which exist today are deeded ownership.

The Leased interest is much like an apartment lease except right to use it is restricted to a specific week during the year. Upon the expiration of the lease term your right to use will generally terminate and return to the resort. With a leased interest you should know the terms and conditions of the lease prior to making the decision to buy.

The time of your use can be either Fixed or Floating. Fixed time is a specific week during the year usually defined by a number. Generally the week will begin on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and is given a number starting with the first week in January an run through the end of December. (Example – week 14 might be April 7 through April 13.)

Floating time means you have the right to select any available week within a certain season of the year. Therefore, if you own a summer season week you could pick any week which falls within the

defined summer months. However, competition between existing owners for prime weeks in very desirable location can impact availability. It is important to find which type of use best fits your specific travel needs.

Each resort is different and you should ask if there are other benefits which are available to its owners. Many resorts offer special reduced rental rates for extra nights or us of other resorts which are owned by the developer. This can add to you flexibility and provide substantial saving on vacation costs. Additionally, consider carefully how and where you normally vacation. This is very important in making your decision about where you should buy and what you will be trading.

Important Facts About Vacation Ownership

- Timeshare is one of the fastest growing areas of the travel and tourism industry.

- Timeshare owners live in more than 200 countries around the world.

- Major brands now involved in timeshare internationally include Hilton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, Sheraton, Ramada and De Vere.

- On a worldwide basis, more than 12 million people took a timeshare vacation in 1999

- There are around 5,500 timeshare resorts throughout the world in more than 90 countries.

- The industry is worth in excess of $6 billion annually. The top 10 timeshare companies alone reported combined sales in excess of $2.64 billion in 1999.

- During 1999 each of the top 10 performing timeshare companies worldwide recorded sales in excess of $100 million.

- RCI, the world’s leading timeshare exchange organization, arranged vacations for seven million people worldwide in 2000, making it one of the world’s largest travel companies.

Timeshare Today And In The Future

The modern timeshare industry continues to expand at a rapid rate, with new markets opening up in Asia and Eastern Europe and consolidation prevalent in the established markets of Western Europe and North America.

Firmly established as a key sector of the mainstream vacation market, the multi-billion dollar timeshare industry now embraces modest entrepreneurs and mighty corporations. Its global reach with close to 6,000 resorts in more than 90 countries extends from Spain to China, Mexico to South Africa.

Some of the world’s biggest names in the hospitality and leisure sector now have timeshare interests – Hilton, Sheraton, Disney, Ramada, Four Seasons, Hyatt, Westin, Ritz-Carlton and Radisson. At the same time, the list of well-known European companies with timeshare interests continues to grow – RIU Hotels (50% owned by TUI – Touristik Union International, Europe’s largest tour operator), Sol Melia, De Vere, Macdonald Hotels in partnership with Barratts (the UK’s Number One house builder), Mondi Ferienclub in Germany.

Quality developments around the world are enjoyed by millions of owners, their families and friends, making the phenomenon of timeshare a success story without equal. In 1999 over 12 million people took a timeshare vacation.

Timeshare owners come from over 190 countries but more of them live in the United States than anywhere else in the world – 47%! In fact the US has the lion’s share of timeshare resorts – over 1,500. And that accounts for more than 37% of the total worldwide. In the western world, timeshare is now a highly organized and regulated industry. Trade bodies such as the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE) work to apply codes of conduct and ensure that expansion is based on sound commercial practice and ethical standards.

There is also considerable regional, national and international legislation in place which aims to help protect the rights of potential purchasers and discourage the use of high-pressure sales tactics.

Timeshare in the future The worldwide timeshare industry looks set to grow in popularity and log record sales in the months and years ahead. Social trends mean more people have more time and money to devote to travel and the concept of vacation ownership. In many parts of the world, regulation has given timeshare a firm footing, helping to reassure and protect purchasers with a series of consumer protection measures.

Since its inception, timeshare has undergone a metamorphosis, according to Timeshare: Coming of Age, an independent report published in October, 1999. With the advent of the points-based system, the original real estate concept has been transformed into “a flexible, pre-paid vacation membership concept, placing timeshare where it belongs – in the mainstream of travel, tourism, hospitality and leisure”.

In 10 years time who knows where the next development will be?

Marketing for the internet is an entirely different field when compared to marketing in the real world. Although, just like marketing for corporations in the real world, many of the same theories apply.

At the start of every business, you should have a business plan. This will undoubtedly be different for different companies and different types of industries. In some cases, you don’t have as much planning to do, but in others you’ll end up with a 200 page document.

Now, when starting an online business, or even when just branching off and creating a website for your business, you’ll have lots to plan. For starters, what type of website works best? Many internet marketers will tell you that first and foremost, you need to have a blog based on your industry. If you’re running a company that sells candy, start a blog on how candy is made. This is becoming more and more essential because it turns your website into a living, breathing thing. People will be able to leave comments and you’ll be able to receive feedback on your product.

Blogging is a great way to start an online business because not only can people leave comments and feedback, but you can write about other people and others can write about you. This is the basics of linkbuilding. Essentially, the more that other people talk about you, the more popular your website will become, most notably in search engine rankings.

One of the biggest mistakes that online businesses make is to put up advertising on their site. This is fine once you’re established, but is absolutely never okay when just starting out. It generally takes well over a year for any business to start making money through the internet. It will be worse for your company to try and force it than to try and make money right away. In fact, using ads can actually hurt your reputation as a legitimate company in the eyes of many online communities.

Once you have everything running smoothly, you should start using social media marketing. Submit your blog entries to StumbleUpon and Digg and Reddit. Get friends to help rate your blog posts and you’ll start to see a huge increase in traffic. A good estimate of what you should aim for is 2000 hits per day.

A few of our customers told us about their creative ownership methods and use. They are very creative ideas on building and effectively using a timeshare portfolio.

There is a simple idea to most of these portfolios: Travel to the nicest places they could find as inexpensively as possible. They had found that timeshares let them do this. Their secret is to build a timeshare portfolio.

One customer has four consecutive weeks of timeshares at four different resorts around the Gulf Coast of Florida. Each year the customer and his wife travel to Florida and spend four weeks at four nice resorts. Their total housing costs for four weeks is under $2000 (based on the total maintenance fees they pay).

The couple is retired, so they have more free time than most people. But their idea is great &ndash and cost effective. They are also not alone.

We see more and more people who recognize the value of a timeshare and then purchase multiple properties. These properties to give them cost effective travel at great resorts.

Here are a couple Timeshare Portfolio models we have seen our savvy customers use:

The “Expressway” Portfolio

The scenario given at the beginning of this article is a perfect example of an Expressway Portfolio. In this model, the timeshare property owner wishes to visit a specific geographic repeatedly. The Expressway Portfolio is usually composed of fixed-week properties in the same general area. People who build this portfolio like the idea of spending their vacation time in a specific area.

Customers who favor the Expressway Portfolio model often have children or extended families that frequently travel together. Often, the resorts are within a half-day car ride from home. Since the resorts are close, travel expenses are kept to a minimum.

The Dartboard Portfolio

This Dartboard Portfolio is the model of choice for “empty nesters” or those who have more time and flexibility. This portfolio emphasizes properties acquired primarily for trading, or floating weeks at desirable resorts. Each year’s vacation planning is like throwing a dart at a dartboard.

Each year the Dartboard Portfolio owner works the Exchange companies and resorts to create the best vacations possible. The property owner uses low-maintenance properties and exchanges them for more expensive resort properties. This property owner also uses floating weeks at a favorite resort and reserves each year for the best time possible.

The Dartboard Portfolio usually consists of a “foundational resort” that may have cost more than other timeshare properties to acquire. We see many customers in the West using Hawaii properties as “foundational resorts”. They cost more, but they will be visited almost every year.

The portfolio is then filled in with trading properties. These are usually two- bedroom units that have low cost annual maintenance fees (typically under $400). These trading units are banked as early in the portfolio-building process. The Portfolio Owner then shops the exchange company for the possible best trade.

Factor in Your Available Vacation Time

There is no best portfolio; every person’s situation is different. However, we have noticed that portfolio owners keep a few factors in mind. The first factor they consider is available time.

They ask themselves several key questions:

*

How many weeks of vacation do they have each year?

*

How many vacation weeks can they actually take each year?

*

How many of these weeks do they travel between vacation sites?

In other words, how many vacation weeks does the portfolio owner need to stay home.

Here’s a suggested rule of thumb: use 50% of your available vacation time with a timeshare. As your vacation time increases, add additional timeshare weeks.

Estimate Your Cost

Cost is the second key factor. The type of portfolio you choose to build is affected by the cost of travel. If you live in the Midwest, are you ready to pay for yearly airfare to Hawaii? Would it make more sense to acquire a Caribbean timeshare for a little more money up front (but lower annual travel costs)?

You can also start with an Expressway Portfolio and transition to a Dartboard Portfolio. As your family matures, you can start to use your existing timeshare weeks more for trade. You may even want to create a hybrid portfolio with some properties at fixed locations to be kept over the long term and some are used solely for trading.

Focus on the Reward: More Control, More Fun

The best part of building a portfolio is the control you have over purchasing properties. When the right properties are purchased, the focus of your vacation is on the experience, not on the expense.

You spend your time enjoying wonderful places with family and friends &ndash and that’s the reason for owning timeshare properties in the first place.

Many marketing campaigns for products hook a potential customer in with a catchy advertisement. The hook may come in the form of a slogan or picture. While snappy text and pictorial design might make a customer take a second look, it does not always convert a customer lead into a sale. What Internet marketing tools can you utilize to convert more sales leads into actual customers?

The answer is multimedia marketing. What is multimedia marketing? Let’s define “multimedia”. Multimedia is media that involves an advertisement that “talks and moves”. For example, multimedia contains more than just text and/or pictures. Multimedia advertisements contain audio and video elements. By adding audio and video ingredients to your marketing campaign you will see your sales conversion rates soar.

What exactly are audio and video multimedia marketing elements? Audio elements include voice-overs, sound effects, and music. For example, when a potential customer visits your web page the first thing that catches their eye is the beautiful graphics and text information. At this point your customer needs to feel an emotional connection with your company, products, and services. This is where audio elements play a role.

You can provide music that sets the tone for your product or services. Perhaps you are in the party planning business and you have an advertisement about planning children’s birthday parties. You can play fun, upbeat music to mimic the atmosphere of a birthday party.

You could also add in a button that allows website visitors to listen to your actual voice. You can demonstrate your passion for your product and money back guarantee through your voice. Potential customers will feel that their experience has been more personable. This allows them to feel more comfortable with your company, services, and products. A wonderful side effect of this safe feeling is increased customer sales.

Video elements are another tool you can employ in your marketing campaign. You can create your own Internet commercial. You can demonstrate how to use your product through a video. You could even video testimonials from happy customers. A video will allow potential customers to attach a “face” to the product or services you are selling.

You are building a relationship with your customers when you make their Internet experience rich and satisfying. Plus, did you know that adding an audio element to your website can increase your response rate by 300%. Wow! That is a massive increase that you just can’t ignore.

Another great benefit to creating audio and video components for your website is that you can build CDs and DVDs from these files. You could create reports on specific topics and burn them to CDs and DVDs. Then you can sell these products to customers.

The Internet is ready to handle sophisticated audio and video files. Plus, Internet technology is improving every day. You can create these audio and video components in the comfort of your own home or office. It really is that simple. The effort you put into creating your own multimedia marketing campaign on the Internet is well worth it when your sales conversion rate skyrockets.

For about the same money as it would cost to “rent” a few vacations in a nice hotel, accommodations can be owned forever in a deeded vacation timeshare condo that exchanges via computer to resorts virtually anywhere in the world!

Vacation timeshare is more popular than ever! The largest and most respected companies in the resort industry are now selling timeshare resort condos. Marriott and Disney have produced blistering sales statistics, among others. The fact that strong consumer legislation now governs the timeshare industry, combined with the fact that solid developers are now the rule, has given the timeshare industry the stability once only accorded to luxury hotels.

Why Does Vacation Timeshare Ownership make so much sense? (Four million owners 4800 resorts worldwide.

1. STAY WITHOUT PAYING: Timeshare owners are delighted when they check out at the end of their week’s stay, because their bill is ZERO! (And zero for the rest of their lives because they OWN their accommodation as deeded property!) The money saved here quickly pays back the low initial purchase price.

2. NOT JUST A HOTEL ROOM: As opposed to being a hotel room renter, enjoy status and fine treatment as a condo owner. It’s a much higher style of vacation. Condos are spacious, have kitchens and private bedrooms. Sleep up to 10 persons. Most resorts have great activities/tours all arranged and often free! Spend your time enjoying vacationing. Save the hours and hassle of planning, because it has already been done for you!

3. SAVE $100 PER DAY: Because the condos have kitchens, a family can easily save $100 a day by not dining in expensive restaurants for every meal. Stock-up the refrigerator and relax – it’s home!

4. NO EXTRA CHARGES: There is no charge for extra people like there would be in a hotel, and no extra costly occupancy taxes so common with hotels.

5. OWN, DON’T RENT: Owners can sell their interest whenever they want. Hotels obviously give NONE of your rent money back.

6. A GIFT OF LOVE TO HEIRS: Deeded timeshare owners can will their interest to their loved ones.

7. RECEIVE INCOME: Owners can rent-out their time rather than using it.

8. GIFTS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS: One of the most appreciated gifts you can give is that of a week at a luxurious resort. This is actually one of the biggest joys of timeshare ownership. It’s a great feeling to say to a loved one – “I’ve booked a week in a nice resort for you – go enjoy it!”

9. HOME RESORT BONUS USE: At their home resort, owners get first choice at unused time at true bargain owner rates for two and three day stays.

10. OWN ONE WEEK BUT USE MANY WEEKS PER YEAR: Timeshare owners have worldwide “Bonus Time” available. These are extra weeks (and weekend getaways) through the giant exchange companies. These weeks require no payment of maintenance fees, can be used often, and the rates are known to be unheard of bargains. Luxury and spaciousness at budget prices!

In summary, If you vacation, timeshare makes great financial sense while offering superb facilities. It also is the perfect means to help achieve the most important thing of all – sharing quality time with loved ones!