Trifter

Loft share condo interior picture courtesy wikipedia.com

 Singapore “Cosmopolitan” Condo photo courtesy wikipedia.com

When I bought my share condo 24 years ago, I had no idea what a great travel investment  it would be to me, over the years.  This timeshare has not only benefited me, but countless others too.  These tips can assist you  to use your condo to the fullest, if you are a time share owner.  If you do not own a time share, these words can direct you to say one of two things to yourself.  One is that  what you have read does not come close to anything I am  interested in doing for myself and  my family.  Number 2 is:  I am seriously thinking of buying a time share since the statements written were as if they are well suited for me.  At either juncture, you will  have the information to make an intelligent decision without any pressure.  The share condo presentations can be a bit intimidating, time consuming and not always the correct timing for you to select a purchase option.  Gather you information here, think about it , talk it over with a trusted person or make the decision completely by yourself.  The possibility of one of these time shares being a great idea for you, your family and even friends can make many memories a reality.

Keep in mind, there are many companies that sell timeshares. I am not recommending any one in particular, nor suggesting one over the other, but simply giving you some food for thought about the idea itself.  You will also acquire some questions, after reading this, that you can ask about a condo, if and when you determine to seek out further info about an investment as I did 24 years ago in my life.  When I first ventured into the doors of the share condo world, I was prepared with all my questions, since the initial investment was something I gave a lot of thought.  Back then, the Internet was not full of info as it is now, so I read brochures, talked to people on the phone and made a list of benefits and draw backs of being a share condo owner.

I bought a time share close to my home, so I could drive there with my family of five people. Every year, when the children were pre teen, one week out of the year, we vacationed together.  This continued until the children went off to college.  Maintenance fees for the year were $125.00,  which covered our lodging and gave us other benefits.  The resorts are generally fully equipped with spas, swimming pools, weight and workout places, many sporting activities along with numerous options to choose from for entertainment for all ages.  Each timeshare has a little different layout with many activities to select, most of them free with membership.  My condo was on a large lake in Idaho, so boating, fishing and other water sports were easily accessed.   The share condo overlooked the Lake, so a lovely sight was seen each day.

All of the share condo are equipped slightly different from the next, however a catalogue is issued yearly stating all the amenities of each of the offered properties.  Some have a hot tub, fireplace, DVD, VCR among many other appliances for enjoyment.  You find where you wish to buy, but you can change within the network of offered properties all over the world.  You seek out the layout, the offered entertainment activities, the size of the condo, capacity of the time share (generally from 2 to 8 people), location,  time frame in a year and negotiate the price too.

When my children graduated from high school, they were each given a graduation present of a week anywhere they chose,  along with complete use of the time share condo.  Needless to say the destinations were varied.  My first daughter chose a cruise to 7 ports of call on a Chrisitan  Cruise Line. Yes, the share condo ownership allows transfers to cruise ship vacations in place of a week on land.  My older daughter enjoyed all the paid amenities the cruise ship offered.

My next daughter chose to go to Mexico for a week.  The time shares were numerous in that country and 4 to 5 * resorts.  Cancun was the desired location, which proved to be a superlative selection.  The condo was right on the water and large enough to accommodate her sister and brother, so off, my three offspring,  went to Mexico for a fun filled week.  The condo had a kitchen, but they chose to do most of their eating without cooking it themselves.

After graduation, my son chose to go to Hawaii.  Again the share condo was large enough and the airfares were reasonable to send all my 3 children packing for Hawaii.  Food was expensive, even back then, so they quickly learned to do a lot of meals in the fully equipped kitchen in the time share.  Lots of sightseeing buses took them to numerous wonderful places on many of the Islands.

Over the 24 years, my membership fees have increased to the present amount of $450.00.  Still a bargain for the quality, assortment of activities and amenities available anywhere I select to go for a week.  To let you know that once you pack your personal items in a suitcase, that will be all you need, other than food for the week.  Most resorts have restaurants close by or on the premises and often times grocery stores within walking distance or near public transportation if you don’t have a car at your fingertips.  Linens for the amount of people expected for the occupancy of the condo are in stock in closets.  All the condos I ever stayed at had a washer and dryer in the condo I slept. 

Quite often the Company that I deal with, will upgrade me to a larger share condo than I am signed to occupy.  This is done at no extra cost to me.  Lately I was upgraded to double the capacity of my usual condo which sold at $289.00 per night on a well known golf course setting.

My share condo is real property and can be willed to my children or anyone I determine to leave it to, in my passing.  I can space bank  2 weeks  and combine it with others to have a longer vacation.  This timeshare can be sold for the week I own or rented as well.  My long time investment has served me well to travel and stay in Greece, Paris, Brussels, Ireland, Egypt as well as many of the 50 states.  I continue to share this information, so people know someone who has benefited from a timeshare condo ownership.