Vacation Memberships - The Death Of Timeshares

Until now there has been limited options for families wanting to travel to hot destination through-out the world. For many an all-inclusive vacation at a hotel is not an option simply due to the space needed.

Time shares offer the space for a family of four and when the concept was originally conceived the price was affordable. Well that is no longer the case. The death of the timeshare is upon us. This outdated, antiquated style of vacation is no longer reasonable or financially viable.

Why is this true?

Originally the price of a time share made them a fantastic way for a family to get a week in the sun at a fantastic resort. A few thousand dollars to buy into the timeshare was normal. However over the years this has increased to $8000, $10,000, or even $25,000+. Just for the initial purchase! This alone excludes everyone but the affluent and wealthy.

On top of the purchase price there are fees, fees, fees. Whether you use your week or not you have annual maintenance fees, annual fees for utilities such as water, sewer and trash removal, plus property taxes. These can typically cost a time share owner $300 to $500 annually however larger timeshare units can cost over $750 per year (well per week since that is all the time you spend there, if you are lucky). If your timeshare week occurs during peak season then these "annual" fees can cost over $1000.

Many time share contracts are not locked in. This means your annual fee can increase year after year. What starts out as a moderate annual fee can increase dramatically in year four or five. You have no choice but to pay since you signed the contract. Although you can try and include a clause that will limit future increases in annual fees.

As if that isn't enough, all share-holders in a timeshare are responsible to cover the additional cost when a member sells their share. With the cost of many time shares this is becoming more and more likely. So all time share owners should consider this before they decide to buy in.

What started out as a great concept in luxury vacationing, timeshares have been exploited to the point that they are no longer financially viable for many would-be investors.

This doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't any good deals on timeshares. It simply states for the average person you will likely develop a case of buyer's remorse a year or two into your timeshare contract. However there is a new alternative that is putting luxury vacations into reach for thousands of families.

A luxury resort membership is the answer. Pay $2995 for a lifetime membership and travel to over 5000 luxury resorts worldwide. No blackouts, unlimited weeks per year, and get rates starting at $298 per week. You have complete access to over 200,000 holiday weeks per year all for a one time payment. If you don't travel one year it will cost you nothing, however you can travel 52 weeks of the year if you choose.