Issue 193

in this issue >>> >Disney Vacation Club- an Overview

>Five Tips to Avoid Timeshare Scams

>Marriott's Ocean Pointe Resort

>Ask The Experts

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VACATION TIMES®

Sharing Vacation Ownership Trends and Information Since 2001

Five Tips >>> So You Don't Become a Target of Timeshare

• Never pay an upfront fee to sell, rent, or liquidate an unwanted timeshare week!

• Don't make impulse decisions to buy or sell a timeshare property. Take your time- the offer will still be there tomorrow.

• Never pay for a title search or appraisal just to get your timeshare on the market!

• Always review the estoppels before sending in final funds to when buying a resale!

• Always choose a licensed brokerage familiar with your timeshare property.

Disney Vacation Club: An Overview of the DVC System

Congratulations to the Disney Vacation Club, which recently announced that all available vacation ownerships for the Villas at the Grand Californian have been sold! In this economy, for a timeshare developer to sell out a resort just a year after opening is a testament to the quality of the DVC product, and the strength of

Disney Vacation Development, Inc. markets and operates the Disney Vacation Club,

one of the world's most trusted brands. Disney Vacation Club is an example of how wonderful timeshare ownership can be!

Click HERE to request your free Disney Vacation Club DVD!

which is a points-based vacation ownership and exchange system of timeshare resorts commonly called DVC. The first DVC resort opened in late 1991 in Orlando, Florida. Since that date, Disney Vacation Club has grown to become a respected leader in the vacation ownership industry- now offering eleven DVC resorts throughout the United States and boasting more than 350,000 DVC owners! Disney Vacation Club is consistently awarded top honors in satisfaction ratings among guests, and DVC resorts are all rated Gold Crown by the RCI exchange system for the quality, service, and amenities of the properties.

Continued on page 3

Scams.

Resort Profile >>>

Marriott's Ocean Pointe resort

In Palm Beach Shores, Florida

South Florida getaways >>>

Marriott Ocean Pointe November 21 to November 28, 2010 3 bedroom villa $2,500. Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort November 27 to December 4, 2010 Studio villa $650.

Rental getaways are subject to final confirmation and availability from our sponsor, the Progressive Real Estate Agency, Florida licensed real estate broker. Call (800) 868-8290 to book your getaway vacation today!

Palm Beach Shores Resort December 26 to January 2, 2011 1 bedroom villa $1,100. Wyndham Royal Vista January 21 to January 28, 2011 2 bedroom villa $1,500.

Wyndham Sea Gardens March 4 to March 11, 2010 1 bedroom villa $1,299. Ventura at Boca Raton April 2 to April 9, 2011 2 bedroom villa $1,500.

Resort amenities include direct beach access, four swimming pools, three whirlpool spas, a children's pool area, tennis courts, a playground, onsite bar and grill, general store, and a full service health spa. Golf, tennis, water sports are all nearby. The SailFish Marina is also just down the road, and is home to a number of fantastic charter boats as well as water taxi cruises! The restaurant at the Marina will be happy to prepare your catch. You can get off the boat, head back to the resort to freshen up- and then return for a mouthwatering dinner! The famed shops of Worth Avenue are home to some of the most prestigious galleries and designers in Florida. The beauty of the architecture is rivaled only by the merchandise! (click HERE for a slideshow and image gallery). Be sure to also check out the events downtown on Clematis Street. There are free concerts and sunset parties, as well as more great shops and restaurants! Bring your golf clubs, because the region is home to some breathtaking links! There are several courses at the PGA National Resort in nearby Palm Beach Gardens that always tournament ready. The private courses at the Breakers, Polo Trace, and Emerald Dunes are also fantastic. When you return to your villa, you'll be greeted by spacious luxury and elegant luxury. The two bedroom/two bath villas boast over 1,200 square feet and provide a full kitchen, living area, dining area, and a master bath with a huge whirlpool tub. The three bedroom villas are almost 1,600 square feet of luxury, and are all stunning oceanfront view villas! You can take a virtual tour of the villas by clicking HERE.

Marriott's Ocean Pointe resort is located on a beautiful stretch of beach on Singer Island. These high rise towers are considered by many to be the most luxurious timeshare resort in the Palm Beaches!

Marriott Ocean Pointe is a sold out resort, but resale weeks are available on the secondary market. This timeshare has maintained its value well over the years, and even in the current market the three bedroom platinum weeks often bring $25,000 or more. Rental weeks at this resort are also a premium commodity, especially the February and March weeks! This resort is expensive, but worth every penny....

DVC continued from page 1 Disney Vacation Club Management Corp provides property management services to all DVC resorts. At the date of publish, DVC resorts are located in Florida, South Carolina, California, and Hawaii and are marketed across the United States, in the United Kingdom, and also in parts of Asia. All DVC related companies are wholly owned by the Walt Disney Company (stock ticker DIS). Other well known brands owned by Disney include Miramax Films, ABC television group, ESPN, Pixar Animation Studios, Muppets Studios, Marvel Comics, and Hyperion Books. Disney may be the most well known brand in the world, and DVC has quickly become one of the fastest growing timeshare programs in the vacation ownership industry!

Ask the Experts >>> What happens if I don't pay my timeshare maintenance fees?

Q: A:

First, your resort management will normally send you another notice to pay. This letter will normally details the late fees and interest that will be assessed in addition to the year's fees and give you another opportunity to pay.

In the next step, your resort will lock you out of your usage and submit your debt to a third party collection agent. At this point, additional collection fees will also be added to the debt. The

collection agent will also report the debt to credit agencies which will impact your credit score. You'll have to deal with the collection calls and letters for some time.

Eventually, the association will begin a foreclosure process for unpaid assessments. This normally carries the same weight as a residential foreclosure, and can impact your credit score for up to seven years.

Ownership Types: Ownerships are a deeded interest in real estate, and each interest equates to a specific number of Disney Vacation Club points, which are awarded each year on the first day of the anniversary month. These points are used as your vacation currency to book reservations in any DVC resort. Using points gives an owner the ultimate power of choice. You will be able to choose the villa type, dates of travel, and the duration of your stay. Each reservation will require a certain number of points as defined by the published point charts. A percentage of ownerships at Disney's Aulani Resort are also being sold as a guaranteed fixed week and unit. For these intervals, the owner will have the right to use their deeded week and unit, or to exchange that usage for the equivalent allotment of Disney Vacation Club points.

Disney Vacation Development, Inc. has established all Disney Vacation Club resorts on either a ground lease, or as a term-for-years. This means that each ownership has a specific expiration date, at which point the usage rights will revert back to Disney. I've included the expiration dates for each property in the individual resort profiles.

Seasons: The calendar year is divided by Disney into distinct season categories: Premier, Magic, Dream, Choice, and Adventure. The particular dates that fall within these seasons will vary depending on the resort, and some resort calendars will not include all five seasons. Some locations will have only four season designations. You'll want to refer to each resort's individual points chart to determine the dates for each season.

The Disney Vacation Club Resorts:

Disney Vacation Club currently offers eleven resorts in the DVC timeshare system. Owners have the ability to reserve accommodations at any of the DVC affiliates with their annual point allotment. Disney publishes a point chart for every resort each year, which details how many points are required for each reservation.

Disney's Old Key West Resort- 1510 North Cove Road Deeded leaseholds expires January 31 , 2042 or January 31, 2057 Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (407) 827-7700

Disney's first vacation club resort opened in December of 1991. It consists of 531 vacation villas (274 2BR Villas, 230 Lockout villas, and 27 Grand Villas). In late 2007, DVC offered owners at Old Key West the opportunity to purchase an extension to the leasehold expiration. Currently, this is the only DVC resort where owners had the opportunity to extend their lease.

Disney's Old Key West Resort is themed to create the aura of Key West from the early 1900's. The decor blends classical elegance with the festive atmosphere and flavor of the Florida Keys. Resort amenities include full kitchens and washer/dryers in the spacious villas, a themed restaurant featuring character dining, in-room grocery delivery, exercise facilities, championship golf, direct river access and boat launches at the marina, four swimming pools, sauna, hot tubs, and of course, a full slate of children's activities.

Click Here to View the DVC point chart for Disney's Old Key West Resort.

The Marina

The Pool

View from a Balcony

Disney's Old Key West Resort

Disney's Vero Beach Resort- 9250 Island Grove Terrace Deeded leasehold expires January 31 , 2042 Vero Beach, FL 32963 (772) 234-2000

Disney's second vacation club resort opened in October of 1995. It consists of 175 vacation villas (18 2BR Villas, 36 Lockout villas, 115 Inns, and 6 Grand Villas). This breathtaking Disney destination stretches along a private beach that embodies the best of a Florida vacation. Luxury villas boast all the comforts of home, offering full kitchens, dining areas, and laundry facilities. On site amenities include two full service restaurants, a themed lounge overlooking the water, feature pool areas for adults and children, general store, exercise room, sauna, hot tubs, tennis, and planned activities for every age group. This destination is the ultimate Florida beach getaway, combining the award winning service of Disney resorts with a vacation wonderland of waves and relaxation!

Click Here to View the DVC point chart for Disney's Vero Beach Resort.

Disney's Vero Beach Resort The Beach

The Themed Pool

The View from a Balcony

The Lobby

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort- 22 Harborside Lane Deeded leasehold expires January 31 , 2042 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 (843) 341-4100

The third DVC resort opened in March of 1996. It consists of 102 vacation villas (76 2BR Villas, 21 Lockout villas, and 5 Grand Villas).

This luxury resort provides spacious cottage-style villas on the vacation playground of Hilton Head Island. Minutes away, there is a 13,000 square foot private beach club located on 3½-acres of beachfront property that is exclusive to Disney guests. The beach house features a pool, snack bar, and comfortable relaxation center where you can cool down after a hot day on the beach. Other resort amenities include themed pools area for children and adults, a fishing pier, exercise facilities, grocery, and activity programs for all ages. Recreation, dining, and shopping opportunities are also nearby.

Click Here to View the DVC point chart for Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort.

Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort

The Villas

Fishing Pier

The Pool

Another View from the Pier

Disney's Boardwalk Villas:

2101 North Epcot Resort Boulevard Lake Buena Vista, FL 32820

(407) 939-5100

Disney's BoardWalk Villas opened to guests in June of 1996 and was the first DVC resort built with a sister hotel onsite, Disney's BoardWalk Inn. This resort consists of 383 vacation homes: 149 lockout villas, 130 one bedroom villas, 97 studio villas, and 7 grand villas.

This deluxe Disney resort is built on the shore of Crescent Lake, and is themed to create the ambiance of Coney Island in the early 1900's. There is an authentic wooden boardwalk which encircles the lake with restaurants, shopping, a retro dance hall, midway games, and street performers. Guests can rent bicycles or pedicabs (multi-seat pedal vehicles) to cruise around the lake, or simply relax at a cafe by the water and listen to the cycling pianist! Luxury villas offer full kitchens, dining areas, and laundry facilities. On site amenities include themed restaurants, an interactive feature pool area for adults and children, general store, exercise facilities, sauna, hot tubs, and planned activities for all ages. Guests at this resort can walk to a private Epcot entrance.

Deeded leasehold expires on January 31, 2042

The Boardwalk

The Pool

View from a balcony

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The Pool

The Lobby

The Landscaping

Bedroom of a Villa

The DVC Villas at Wilderness Lodge opened to guests in November of 2000. This resort consists of 136 vacation homes: 44 two bedroom villas, 45 lockout villas, 27 one bedroom villas, and 20 studio villas. This deluxe resort is the sister property to Disney's Wilderness Lodge hotel.

This incredible Disney destination is themed to evoke the spirit of an elegant wilderness lodge in the Pacific Northwest and features artificial geysers and hot springs. Amenities include themed pool areas, direct lake access, a marina and lakeside beach area, sauna, exercise room, mercantile, full service spa, planned activities, and all the renowned magic of a classic Disney vacation!

The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge:

801 Timberline Drive Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (407) 824-3200

Deeded leasehold expires on January 31, 2042

View the point chart for Disney's Villas at the Wilderness Lodge Resort

Disney's Beach Club Villas:

1900 North Epcot Resort Boulevard Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (407) 934-8000

Deeded leasehold expires on January 31, 2042

What is perhaps Disney's most popular resort opened to guests in July of 2002. This resort consists of 208 vacation homes: 78 two bedroom villas, 74 lockout villas, 20 one bedroom villas, and 36 studio villas. This deluxe resort is the sister property to Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.

DVC's Beach Club Villas are located across the lake from the Boardwalk Resort, and are within walking distance to a private entrance for Epcot. This deluxe resort is themed after the seaside cottages of Newport, and offers an incredible vacation experience for all ages. Amenities include Stormalong Bay- a themed sand bottomed pool area with one of the highest resort slides on Disney property, a pristine lakeside beach area, marina, health club, tennis, playgrounds, bike rentals, volleyball, arcade, and children's activities.

View the point chart for Disney's Beach Club Villas Resort

View from the Pool

Lakeside Beach and Pirate Ship

Stormalong Bay Pool Area

Beaches & Cream Diner

Disney Vacation Club Resales

Visit us online at dvclistings.com & progressiveresales.com

Our DVC Specialists are licensed real estate associates that have attended Disney Vacation Club training sessions for resale

transactions!

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort:

1960 Broadway Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

(407) 827-1100

Deeded leasehold expires on January 31, 2042

The largest DVC resort opened its doors in May of 2004. This resort consists of 888 vacation homes: 360 two bedroom villas, 432 lockout villas, 60 three bedroom Treehouse villas, and 36 grand villas.

This deluxe resort is themed after Saratoga Springs, NY in the late 1800's. The resort is located across the lake from Downtown Disney, and offers both riverboat and bus transport for guests. This vast 65-acre lakefront resort has been built in four phases, and the final phase was recently completed- adding the unique Treehouse Villas. These villas are built upon pedestals in a wooded area along the river, creating the magical atmosphere of a luxury tree house experience! Amenities at this resort include a renowned full service spa, direct access to the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, themed pool area and children's pool, exercise room, marina, tennis, sauna, hot tubs, restaurants, grocery, and planned activities.

View the point chart for Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort

Treehouse Villas

Children's Activities

The Pool View from a balcony

Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas:

291 Osceola Parkway Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 (407) 938-3000

Deeded leasehold that expires on January 31, 2057

Disney's next resort opened its doors in July of 2007 as the sister resort to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. This resort consists of 458 vacation homes: 140 two bedroom villas, 250 lockout villas, 46 studio villas, and 22 grand villas.

The deluxe resort was designed to embrace the art and culture of Africa, combining traditional architecture and decor with views of exotic animals throughout the surrounding savannah. Guests can see antelope, giraffes, exotic birds, and other African animals in a pristine natural setting. Amenities include themed pool areas for adults and children, nature trails alongside three savannah areas, restaurants and shopping, grocery, fitness center, tennis, hot tubs, and children's activities and child care.

View the point chart for the Villas at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

The Grounds

The Lobby

The View

Disney's Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort:

4600 North World Drive Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

(407) 824-1000

Deeded leasehold that expires on January 31, 2060

The most anticipated DVC resort in Orlando opened its doors in August of 2009. This high rise resort consists of 295 vacation homes: 148 two bedroom villas, 133 lockout villas, and 14 grand villas.

The sister property to Disney's Contemporary Resort, this deluxe DVC destination overlooks Bay Lake and features incredible views of the Magic Kingdom! The resort connects to the Contemporary with an elevated walkway, and has direct access to Disney's famous monorail system. The villas feature full kitchens, washer/dryers, and many offer huge bay windows to provide the famous view. Amenities are shared with the Contemporary, and include the themed Bay Cove pool area, the Top of the World lounge, restaurants, grocery, tennis, a fitness center, marina, lakeside beach area, playground, and plenty of planned activities for the children!

View the point chart for Disney's Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary

The Pool

The Villas

The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Resort:

1600 South Disneyland Drive Anaheim, CA 92802

(714) 635-2300

Deeded leasehold that expires on January 31, 2060

The very first DVC resort in California opened its doors in September of 2009. This is Disney's smallest vacation club resort consisting of only 48 vacation homes: 23 two bedroom villas, 23 lockout villas, and 2 grand villas. This resort is the sister property to Disney's Grand Californian hotel.

Designed to complement the Redwood forest theme of the Grand Californian, these villas feature architecture and decor that creates the ambiance of a mid 1900's western mountain lodge- all within walking distance to the Disneyland Resort and theme parks. Amenities include several themed pool areas including the Redwood, Fountain, and Mariposa pools, the world class Mandara Spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, restaurants, grocery, arcade, and children's activities and child care at Pinnochio's Workshop.

View the point chart for Disney's Villas at the Grand Californian

The Villas The Lobby

Disney's Aulani Villas:

Under Construction in Ko Olina, Hawaii

Deeded leasehold that expires on January 31, 2061

Disney Vacation Club has expanded into the tropical paradise of Hawaii! Upon completion, this resort is expected to consist of more than 400 vacation homes, a mixture of grand villas, 2 bedroom villas, and lockout villas (which can be split into a 1 bedroom villa and a studio villa).

The designers of Aulani have worked to respect traditional Hawaiian architecture and traditions to create a unique resort experience that blends the magic of Disney with the true history and culture of Hawaii. The resort will feature an incredible volcano themed pool area, exercise facility, spa, restaurants, snorkel lagoon, stingray pool, gorgeous beach access, and much more. Plus, as always- the resort will be carefully designed to thrill children of all ages. A planned activity for kids that is creating quite a stir is the Menehune Hunt, a scavenger hunt where children solve clues to try and locate eighty small wooden statues hidden throughout the resort grounds!

View the point chart for Disney's Aulani Villas

Construction Photo Architectural Model

Disney Vacation Club Reservations:

Use Year: Owners receive their DVC points on the first day of their anniversary month, signifying the beginning of their use year. This is also sometimes referred to as the anniversary date. Each unit in a resort has a specific use year assigned to it. All ownership interests deeded from that unit will be assigned the same use year, which is shown on the purchase agreement and on the DVC Member Card. Because the Use Year is tied to the individual ownership interest, it cannot be changed. Owners receive their DVC points on the first day of their anniversary month.

Reservation Windows:

Home Resort Priority Period- Owners may make reservations at their home resort up to eleven months in advance of their desired check in day by using their Home Resort Vacation Points.

Club Reservation Period- Owners may make reservations at other DVC Resorts up to seven months in advance of their desired check in date. At this point, their points are no longer considered Home Resort Vacation Points, but rather are considered to be Club Points. During this period, all DVC owners will be able to request reservations at all DVC resorts.

Special Season Reservations- Because of very high demand at DVC Resorts during certain periods, Disney may establish a Special Season Preference List to try to ensure that all owners have an equal opportunity to make reservations. Owners are added to a Special Season Preference List on a first come/first served basis- but owners cannot be on a particular list more than once at a time. For these situations, Member Services may begin contacting owners from the Preference List up to fifteen months in advance of the high demand period. It is not unusual for an owner to be on a list for more than a year, therefore additional reservation windows apply to these requests.

Home resort owners may request to be placed on a Special Season Preference List up to thirteen months prior to their desired check-in date. DVC Owners may request to be placed on a Special Season List for a resort other than their home resort up to twelve months in advance of their desired check-in date.

If you are called from the list and offered a Special Season Reservation, and you choose to decline it- your name will remain on the list for one additional year. If you decline a Special Season Reservation more than once, your name will be automatically removed from the list. If you call to have your name added again, it will be entered as a brand new request and placed at the bottom of the list. When you choose to accept a Special Season reservation, you name is removed from the list.

Member Services can tell you if a Special Season list has been established for a resort.

Fixed Week Reservations- Exclusive to the Aulani Villas in Hawaii, Disney began selling a limited number of fixed week and fixed unit ownerships. These owners have the exclusive right to their deeded week and unit each year. If they choose not to use their deeded week, they have the option of converting the usage into an equivalent number of DVC points to be used for reservations throughout the Disney Vacation Club system.

Banking and Borrowing Points:

DVC owners have the ability to move DVC points from one Use Year into an adjacent Use Year. If a member needs more points for a reservation, they may borrow points from the next succeeding Use Year to secure their desired reservation. If a member does not plan on using all of their current use year allotment, they can save these points by banking them into the next usage year.

In order to Bank points, the member must make the request during the first eight calendar months of their use year. In other words, for a member with a February anniversary- the banking request must be made by the end of September. Any or all of a members annual point allotment may be banked. Once banked, the points cannot be returned to the original use year. However, there is a strategy that is commonly used if a member has banked points and later needs additional points in the current use year. They will simply borrow the needed points from the future usage year (basically reaching into their other pocket so to speak!).

In order to Borrow points, a member must be making an immediate reservation that requires more points than are available in the current use year. A member may borrow up to 100% of their next year's point allotment. Just like with banking, once borrowed the points cannot be returned to their original use year, and if they are not used by the end of the current use year they will expire and be forfeit.

It is possible for a member to have up to three times their annual point allotment available for reservations in a single use year. This is a strategy used by members who purchase a smaller point allotment, with the intention of manipulating points so they receive their desired vacation every third year. This is also a common strategy used to take advantage of additional vacation options such as Disney Cruise Line reservations and the Disney Concierge Collection.

If you cancel a reservation that was made with banked or borrowed points, those points still remain in the current use year and will expire at the next anniversary unless used. Disney reserves the right to suspend banking and borrowing privileges if necessary to maintain the integrity of the reservation system and ensure that there is enough availability in a use year for the available points.

Cancelling a Reservation:

If a member cancels a reservation made at a DVC resort more than thirty days prior to the reservation, those points are returned to the current use year. If a reservation is cancelled thirty days or less from the expected usage date those points are still returned to the current use year, but are now classified as Holding Points. Holding Account Points can only be used to make reservation requests within a sixty day window of the desired check in date. Also, Holding points cannot be banked.

Likewise, if a member cancels a reservation made for a non DVC resort or activity (remember that these points became Reservation Points), those points are returned to the current use year with limitations on their future use. Again, Reservation Points can only be used for reservations at non DVC resorts.

Transferring Points to Another DVC Member:

A member may choose to transfer some or all of their DVC points from a use year to another Disney Vacation Club member. For this to occur, both accounts must be in good financial standing, and the points being transferred must be from the current use year. Banked or borrowed points may not be transferred. Once the transfer is complete, the recipient may choose to bank them into a future use year, or may use them for a reservation. Members can only transfer or receive points once in a use year. Therefore, just like the banking policy- points cannot be moved back and forth!

Finally, Disney's policies restrict the commercial rental of DVC points or reservations. Because of this policy, members may not receive compensation for the transfer of points from their account. The member giving points is still responsible for the applicable maintenance fees and taxes.

Maintenance Fees and Taxes:

At the beginning of each calendar year, DVC owners will receive a statement of Annual Dues for their share of the common expenses, reserves and ad valorem taxes at their Home Resort. Annual Dues are based on calendar years, not on Use Years so they are always considered to be due in January. Dues may be paid in full as a lump sum payment on or before January 15th. Due are considered to be late on February 15th, or on the check-in date if there is a reservation made for earlier in the year. Members may also choose to pay for their dues with a monthly payment plan. This option is only available as a direct debit from a US checking account. Member services can provide you with details about the monthly debit option. If a member does not maintain an account in good financial standing, Disney retains the right to restrict that members usage and may also cancel any reservations made from the account.

DVC Breakage Policy:

Disney considers the "Breakage Period" to be sixty days prior to a given use day. If a unit has not been reserved prior to the breakage period, Disney retains the right to rent that unit to non-members. Because of this, all members should attempt to make reservations as early as possible in order to receive the best chance for availability.

final thoughts...

Expect More Increases in Your 2011 Maintenance Fees!

in the next issue >>>

Explore Key West Hyatt Vacation Club South Carolina Closings Free Timeshare Weeks Don't miss out.. If you aren't already on our mailing list,

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Scams are found in every aspect of modern life. Whether it's an auto mechanic charging for unnecessary repairs, a waiter who writes down your credit card information, or even a cute kid going door to door selling magazines that never get delivered- trying to keep someone else from taking advantage of us has become a daily task! This year, many timeshare owners are going to realize that we will all be paying for a common timeshare scam! Over the past few years, the number of timeshare holding companies has increased dramatically! These "relief" companies charge thousands of dollars to take unwanted weeks and deed them into the name of a corporation. Within a few years, these holding companies can "own" hundreds of weeks. The problem is that some of these holding companies fail to pay the annual fees on these unwanted timeshares! Those unpaid fees are then divided equally among the remaining timeshare owners. If you review your association's operating budgets for the past few years, you'll notice a steadily increasing expense listed for uncollected fees and bad debt, as well as legal costs for the associations to eventually foreclose on these intervals. That expense is going to increase again this year, and will likely jump again in 2012. Abandoned weeks are quickly becoming a huge problem for timeshare associations. A few states are proposing non-judicial foreclosure as the solution. Massachusetts recently signed into law a non-judicial process for timeshares and similar laws are being proposed in Florida, and other timeshare heavy states. While this may help reduce the legal costs, it won't have any impact on the growing number of unpaid maintenance fees! What are your thoughts on a possible solution? Email me with your ideas and I'll compile them for a future issue. You can reach me at info@vacation-times.org.

RM Vacation-Times, LLC PO Box 605

Sorrento, FL 32776

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