Timeshare salespeople are skilled at what they do. They convince you to pause your vacation for a few hours to hear a high-pressure pitch about one of their “vacation home” products. They’ll likely explain how owning a timeshare will cost less over the years than a series of hotel stays and promise unlimited vacations in your favorite destination forever.
The sales presentation is designed to make you believe that a timeshare is a smart investment for your future and your family’s future. But as many owners quickly discover, reality is very different.
Buying a timeshare is not like making a one-time down payment for all future vacations. Instead, it’s a continuing financial obligation. Beyond the initial purchase, you’ll face increasing annual fees just to use what you’ve bought. These costs, combined with the challenges of actually vacationing with a timeshare and the difficulty of reselling your unit, make timeshare ownership a potentially disastrous personal finance decision.
For those looking to escape this burden, Centerstone Group offers expert assistance to help you exit your timeshare contract. Schedule a free consultation today to explore your options.
Timeshare Fees: You’re Always Paying for Something
The idea behind vacation ownership is that you aren’t paying someone else to rent a hotel room—you have your own. Whether you purchase a fixed week or points in a vacation club (like Marriott or Disney), the expectation is that you, as the owner, are done paying the resort for your stay.
In reality, that’s not the case. Timeshare owners face hefty annual payments in the form of maintenance fees. According to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the average annual fee is around $1,000—and these fees typically increase each year.
Over 20 years, this could amount to $25,000 or more in additional costs beyond the initial purchase price, not including repairs, special assessments, or other resort charges. Timeshare ownership can quickly become far more expensive than initially anticipated.
Using Your Timeshare: You Don’t Always Get What You Paid For
After putting down a significant amount of money for a timeshare, you might expect a luxurious experience. Unfortunately, that’s not how the timeshare business typically operates. Once you’ve bought in, resorts are primarily focused on meeting their minimum contractual obligations—anything beyond that is extra effort with no incentive for them.
The first issue many owners encounter is that the unit they actually receive doesn’t match the one they were shown during the sales presentation. Often, units shown to entice buyers are better furnished or decorated. Once the sale is complete, there’s little motivation to maintain that appearance.
The second issue is access. In many cases, owners struggle to use their timeshares at all. For example, BBB reviews for Capital Resorts frequently highlight owners who cannot make reservations. Those who do manage to book often end up with units that are far lower in quality than expected.
Even high-end exchange programs can be costly and disappointing. These programs allow owners to trade time at their units for stays at other resorts, but the exchanged value is often less than anticipated—and there are usually fees involved.
From a financial perspective, timeshares are generally poor investments and rarely deliver the value they promise.
Selling a Timeshare: Paying to Get Rid of It
When most people hear the term “real estate investment,” they picture buying land or a building, holding it as its value increases over the years, and eventually selling it for a profit. You’d expect multiple offers higher than your purchase price, letting you pick the best deal and make a tidy return.
With timeshares, none of that is true. It is widely known that the vast majority of timeshares lose value over time. In fact, the only place many of these units might have any real value is at the timeshare sales center itself. In other words, outside of that environment, they often have no tangible resale value—making them the polar opposite of a good real estate investment.
Given this reality, selling a timeshare can be extremely difficult and frequently fruitless. Many owners turn to websites like eBay or Craigslist, often selling for far less than they paid—sometimes for as little as $1. This may sound extreme, but desperation drives many to these measures, and sadly, even then, some cannot give away their timeshares.
Others seek help from third-party companies, but caution is essential. Numerous timeshare resale scams exist, where unscrupulous firms collect large upfront fees promising quick sales, only to vanish with the money.
If selling is your goal, the safest route is through a licensed Realtor with timeshare experience. Even then, success is limited. High-demand locations like Hawaii may sell, but units in Florida, Las Vegas, or less popular markets often struggle. Realtor services also come at a cost, and a profitable sale is rarely guaranteed.
While a Realtor generally performs better than an online listing, most owners will not recover their full investment. Considering the secondary market’s limitations, timeshares are a poor choice for anyone seeking a real estate investment.
So, Are Timeshares a Good Investment?
In a word, no. Under the commonly accepted definition of the term, a timeshare isn’t an investment at all. Real estate has inherent value that often appreciates over the years. You can rent it out or use it for any number of purposes that can help make you money. Often, property ownership also comes with tax benefits that further make it a wise investment
Timeshare ownership, though, is none of those things. It’s a fractional ownership interest with little inherent value. Renting it is difficult or impossible. You can’t even use it for more than a few days every year. Along with that, you are saddled with an ever-increasing amount of fees and inconveniences that will only cost you more money as time goes on.
The only way to consider a timeshare a worthwhile investment is if you look at it from the perspective of a timeshare resort. They invest time and money into high-pressure sales presentations, get customers to sign up, and then loop them into a never-ending parade of fees.
At that point, the resort has a locked-in source of income, and it will do everything it can to protect its investment. In other words, they’ll welcome you to check in, but they will try to make it so that you can never leave.
Are You Stuck? Centerstone Group Can Help
Maybe you’re reading this and have decided not to purchase a timeshare. Or perhaps you already own one and are worried you made the wrong decision. You might be wondering, “Am I just stuck?”
No—you’re not. Buying a timeshare can be a costly mistake, but it’s not one you have to live with forever. Centerstone Group is a professional timeshare exit company with decades of experience helping clients legally and ethically exit their timeshare contracts using a variety of proprietary strategies.
As a BBB-accredited business with an excellent track record, Centerstone Group takes each client’s situation seriously and works tirelessly to achieve the best possible resolution.
Whether it’s using a targeted pressure campaign to ensure your timeshare company follows its own policies or collaborating with attorney partners for a comprehensive legal strategy, we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Timeshare salespeople are skilled at what they do. They convince you to pause your vacation for a few hours to hear a high-pressure pitch about one of their “vacation home” products. They’ll likely explain how owning a timeshare will cost less over the years than a series of hotel stays and promise unlimited vacations in your favorite destination forever.
The sales presentation is designed to make you believe that a timeshare is a smart investment for your future and your family’s future. But as many owners quickly discover, reality is very different.
Buying a timeshare is not like making a one-time down payment for all future vacations. Instead, it’s a continuing financial obligation. Beyond the initial purchase, you’ll face increasing annual fees just to use what you’ve bought. These costs, combined with the challenges of actually vacationing with a timeshare and the difficulty of reselling your unit, make timeshare ownership a potentially disastrous personal finance decision.
For those looking to escape this burden, Centerstone Group offers expert assistance to help you exit your timeshare contract. Schedule a free consultation today to explore your options.
Timeshare Fees: You’re Always Paying for Something
The idea behind vacation ownership is that you aren’t paying someone else to rent a hotel room—you have your own. Whether you purchase a fixed week or points in a vacation club (like Marriott or Disney), the expectation is that you, as the owner, are done paying the resort for your stay.
In reality, that’s not the case. Timeshare owners face hefty annual payments in the form of maintenance fees. According to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), the average annual fee is around $1,000—and these fees typically increase each year.
Over 20 years, this could amount to $25,000 or more in additional costs beyond the initial purchase price, not including repairs, special assessments, or other resort charges. Timeshare ownership can quickly become far more expensive than initially anticipated.
Using Your Timeshare: You Don’t Always Get What You Paid For
After putting down a significant amount of money for a timeshare, you might expect a luxurious experience. Unfortunately, that’s not how the timeshare business typically operates. Once you’ve bought in, resorts are primarily focused on meeting their minimum contractual obligations—anything beyond that is extra effort with no incentive for them.
The first issue many owners encounter is that the unit they actually receive doesn’t match the one they were shown during the sales presentation. Often, units shown to entice buyers are better furnished or decorated. Once the sale is complete, there’s little motivation to maintain that appearance.
The second issue is access. In many cases, owners struggle to use their timeshares at all. For example, BBB reviews for Capital Resorts frequently highlight owners who cannot make reservations. Those who do manage to book often end up with units that are far lower in quality than expected.
Even high-end exchange programs can be costly and disappointing. These programs allow owners to trade time at their units for stays at other resorts, but the exchanged value is often less than anticipated—and there are usually fees involved.
From a financial perspective, timeshares are generally poor investments and rarely deliver the value they promise.
Selling a Timeshare: Paying to Get Rid of It
When most people hear the term “real estate investment,” they picture buying land or a building, holding it as its value increases over the years, and eventually selling it for a profit. You’d expect multiple offers higher than your purchase price, letting you pick the best deal and make a tidy return.
With timeshares, none of that is true. It is widely known that the vast majority of timeshares lose value over time. In fact, the only place many of these units might have any real value is at the timeshare sales center itself. In other words, outside of that environment, they often have no tangible resale value—making them the polar opposite of a good real estate investment.
Given this reality, selling a timeshare can be extremely difficult and frequently fruitless. Many owners turn to websites like eBay or Craigslist, often selling for far less than they paid—sometimes for as little as $1. This may sound extreme, but desperation drives many to these measures, and sadly, even then, some cannot give away their timeshares.
Others seek help from third-party companies, but caution is essential. Numerous timeshare resale scams exist, where unscrupulous firms collect large upfront fees promising quick sales, only to vanish with the money.
If selling is your goal, the safest route is through a licensed Realtor with timeshare experience. Even then, success is limited. High-demand locations like Hawaii may sell, but units in Florida, Las Vegas, or less popular markets often struggle. Realtor services also come at a cost, and a profitable sale is rarely guaranteed.
While a Realtor generally performs better than an online listing, most owners will not recover their full investment. Considering the secondary market’s limitations, timeshares are a poor choice for anyone seeking a real estate investment.
So, Are Timeshares a Good Investment?
In a word, no. Under the commonly accepted definition of the term, a timeshare isn’t an investment at all. Real estate has inherent value that often appreciates over the years. You can rent it out or use it for any number of purposes that can help make you money. Often, property ownership also comes with tax benefits that further make it a wise investment
Timeshare ownership, though, is none of those things. It’s a fractional ownership interest with little inherent value. Renting it is difficult or impossible. You can’t even use it for more than a few days every year. Along with that, you are saddled with an ever-increasing amount of fees and inconveniences that will only cost you more money as time goes on.
The only way to consider a timeshare a worthwhile investment is if you look at it from the perspective of a timeshare resort. They invest time and money into high-pressure sales presentations, get customers to sign up, and then loop them into a never-ending parade of fees.
At that point, the resort has a locked-in source of income, and it will do everything it can to protect its investment. In other words, they’ll welcome you to check in, but they will try to make it so that you can never leave.
Are You Stuck? Centerstone Group Can Help
Maybe you’re reading this and have decided not to purchase a timeshare. Or perhaps you already own one and are worried you made the wrong decision. You might be wondering, “Am I just stuck?”
No—you’re not. Buying a timeshare can be a costly mistake, but it’s not one you have to live with forever. Centerstone Group is a professional timeshare exit company with decades of experience helping clients legally and ethically exit their timeshare contracts using a variety of proprietary strategies.
As a BBB-accredited business with an excellent track record, Centerstone Group takes each client’s situation seriously and works tirelessly to achieve the best possible resolution.
Whether it’s using a targeted pressure campaign to ensure your timeshare company follows its own policies or collaborating with attorney partners for a comprehensive legal strategy, we can help. Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.