How to buy timeshare safely for cheap

How to buy timeshares safely, for pennies on the dollar

How to buy timeshare safely for pennies on the dollar

Timeshare, Buy a timeshare

20 November 2023

When it comes to buying a timeshare, never purchase directly from the timeshare salesman. The reason why is because you will pay twice as much to cover the sales person's commission. And it doesn't make sense to pay more than you need to, does it?

For example, if you were going to purchase a house for $100,000, and the real estate agent's commission was 100%, then you would pay $200,000. But if you approached the seller directly, you could purchase it for the original $100,000 plus some reasonable closing costs.

In real estate, when you buy directly from the owner, they call this "For Sale By Owner" or FSBO.

And timeshares can be purchased the same way. You can purchase one from the salesman at the timeshare sales presentation and pay top dollar, or you can buy a timeshare directly from an owner who no longer wants their timeshare.

The 4 benefits of owning a timeshare

I believe that timeshares get a bad reputation because the cost to purchase them is so high. In a perfect world, if we could purchase a timeshare for a reasonable price, there would be no downside.

Affordable Vacations

One of the best reasons to buy a timeshare is to take affordable vacations. It's a fact that your vacation budget goes much farther when you own a timeshare.

For example, if you pay $1,500 per year for your maintenance fees and you get 7 nights to stay in any of the timeshare network's resorts, that is a cost of $214 per night. That is a great value in itself.

And when you consider that a timeshare resort gives you so much more space than a hotel room like a full living room, dining room , kitchen, washer and dryer, etc., and onsite amenities such as pools, movie theater, mini golf, etc., it becomes a very affordable way to travel, especially when you have a larger family.
A Variety of Resorts and Locations to Choose From

Another benefit of owning a timeshare is having many resort locations to choose from. Being able to travel to different destinations keeps vacationing exciting and new.
Rent Unused Time To Offset The Cost Of Maintenance Fees

And owning a timeshare is like owning real estate in the sense that you can always rent your unused time. That way, if, for some reason, you are unable to take a vacation that year, your time doesn't go to waste and you can make enough income to offset the cost of your maintenance fees, so the timeshare doesn't become a financial burden.
Pass on a Gift of Free Vacations For Life To Your Family

Besides taking affordable family vacations and making memories that last a lifetime, the other beautiful thing about owning a timeshare is that it can be passed down from generation to generation so the tradition can continue.

So what's not to love about a timeshare? Well, the number 1 complaint that frustrated timeshare owners have is that when they want to sell the timeshare, they cannot find a buyer who is willing to pay them as much as they paid to purchase it. So they are losing money on their investment.

Begin with the end in mind

My advice is to purchase a timeshare directly from a timeshare owner so you can pay a price that you can easily resell it for a profit. That way, you can get the full enjoyment out of your timeshare and easily exit your timeshare when / if you no longer want it.

Where to find timeshare owners who want to sell a timeshare

What many people don't realize is that there is a thriving secondary market where timeshare owners sell their timeshare directly to a buyer.

The most popular websites are:

1. Redweek

2. Tug

3. Ebay

4. Timeshare Nation

I will add a word of caution here: as with any marketplace, you must be careful to avoid scams.

Use a timeshare closing company

The best way to do that is to use a neutral third party to process the transaction when buying a timeshare directly from another owner.

I've always used Timeshare Closing Services. They are experts at processing the paperwork to help the timeshare's office transfer the ownership correctly from the seller to the buyer. And they check to make sure that there are no liens against the title that need to be paid before taking ownership. If you want a worry-free transfer, use an experienced timeshare transfer company.

If you're thinking about buying a timeshare directly from an owner, post in the comments below what the main benefits will be for you.

Share this post on:

Sue Hoyuela

Sue Hoyuela is a timeshare rental expert. Since 2011, she has been educating and empowering timeshare owners to rent their timeshare safely and profitably by using her unique Fixed Dates Strategy. Her mission is to teach timeshare owners how to rent their timeshare themselves so they can manage it wisely and keep more of the money that they make.