Friday, 30 July 2010
Consejos sobre la compra de un tiempo compartido
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
What To Look out For When Buying A Timeshare
Buying Timeshares can be rewarding for many people. It might be a money wheel for some. Last but not the least; it can be a profitable investment for many. But the story doesn’t end here itself. While many people may reap the rich benefits of timeshares there are several others for whom the timeshare investment was nothing more than a mere fraud and dream resorts turned into nightmares. Thus investing in a timeshare should always be done with high alertness and caution. Before signing a contract or a check always weigh in both the benefits and the risks involved. If proper precautions are not taken these money spinners can turn into money losers. Always read the finely written statements before signing a contract.
The timeshares are basically classified into deeded and non-deeded plans. In a deeded plan, an individual buys an ownership in a piece of real estate property. The owner usually gets the title of the property and the property is also inheritable to the heirs of the owner. Where as, in a non-deeded plan or right to use plan, an individual buys a lease, a club membership or a license that lets you use the property for a specific amount of time each year and for stated number of years. But in both the cases the cost of the unit is directly proportional to the season of the year and length of time an individual wants to buy. The rights of the timeshare owner ceases after the lease expires in right to use timeshare.
Every individual takes adequate care while making a major investment. And this applies in the case of buying a timeshare also. You must read all the documents carefully and understand fully what you are getting for your investment before signing any agreements or paying any fees. A professional advice might also be critical involving big timeshare investments. So take expert advice from people who have bought timeshare before or your attorney. Here is a checklist of what all people should consider before buying a timeshare property.
? If you are buying a timeshare from a timeshare resale company verify that they are licensed brokers. Easy way to verify this is by asking the license number of the broker. Then you can verify that with the State Department which deals with these kinds of transactions and know about the history of the broker. Be vigilant when you are buying a timeshare from a non-licensed firm, your money would be at stake as the non-licensed firms wouldn’t have much to lose, so greater chances of fraud exist. ? Keep in mind that timeshares are for personal recreational use and do not expect profit or loss. A resale of timeshare may or may not reap good return. ? If you are buying a right to use timeshare watch out, if the sponsor declares bankruptcy, you may lose your rights. ? If you are buying a timeshare in a property where the facilities have not been fully installed take a written commitment from the seller that they will be finished in a specific amount of time. ? Any claims made by the seller about the returns on the investment in timeshare should be questioned because the future value of a timeshare depends on many factors. ? Do not get impulsive when buying a timeshare. Read each and every paper thoroughly. Take adequate time in researching, analyzing and making a decision to buy a timeshare. ? Never believe in the word of mouth, neither on phone or face to face. Request everything in writing especially the promises that were made orally. ? Try to find out whether the exchange program will be guaranteed or not. Sometimes it isn’t. So make sure to find it out before buying. Buying a timeshare without an exchange program is not worth the money because you will get bored going to the same property every year and also you will not have the flexibility of schedule if you don’t have exchange facility.
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Friday, 23 July 2010
Tiempo Compartido: ¿Es mejor para ti?
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Timeshare Renting Tips
Although it is not the best of the ideas to rent a timeshare but in some cases it works out to be more economical than other options. Timeshare rentals were not so easy to find earlier as the owners of timeshares don’t make any profit when they rent out their timeshare units and also very less people had timeshares. Over the past few years the popularity of timeshares has grown tremendously and there are many big names entering into the business now. There are over two millions American who have timeshares. The timeshare rentals are available because some owners have no other option but to rent out their units as they couldn’t use it due to their hectic schedules. The timeshares can be rented through timeshare resorts who rent the units on behalf of their owners. Timeshare units can also be rented through brokers dealing with timeshare rentals and sales. But always be careful while approaching the brokers because the timeshare industry has witnessed many frauds and scams due to some unscrupulous brokers. Make sure the broker is a licensed broker and reputable also. One can also rent timeshares on auction sites like eBay in travel section and also bidshares.com which is timeshare exclusive website. But how will the timeshare rentals work out. Let us do some math. If you rent a hotel or a room in a resort the rent per night typically costs around $200 per night. Which means it is around $1,400 for a week’s vacation and if you have more people and if you need another room it will end up totaling $2,800. Compare this to a timeshare rental which may cost $150 per night. The total would be $1,050 only for 2-3 bedroom units. The benefits you get are immense. A timeshare unit gives you more room compared to a hotel suite and is better furnished. Typical timeshare units have two to three bedrooms, one to two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a laundry room and indoor or outdoor pool. Most of the timeshares are strategically located to the attractions. And they are located in some of the finest vacation resorts of the world. Timeshare resorts provide more amenities and conveniences compared to hotels. The timeshare resort also offer discounts on air travel, rental cars and tickets to many attractions. The res orts have many facilities like golf club, tennis courts, athletics, marinas and many more recreational activities. You can invite all your friends and family to the unit and have a gathering as well, all in the comfort of a luxurious unit. But few things have to be considered before opting for renting a unit. Try to select the best location if possible like near the pool or other resort facilities. You don’t want to be left out when others are making full use of these amenities, the point is in busy seasons the pools and other facilities are overly crowded, so more near you are to these facilities the better chances you have. And do not hurry in deciding a timeshare unit; nowadays more and more units are being available as many big resorts have ventured into this business. So, shop around and go with the best price. Some timeshare units can be without kitchens, make sure you rent the one with kitchen as it can save you few extra bucks by saving you from eating outside. Also do your home work by researching about the resort from where you are renting the unit. In this age of internet, the resources are easily available which provides you with the reviews of the resort and more information to make you knowledgeable. It’s also a smart idea to ren t the timeshare unit near the attractions which will save the cost of renting a car. Idea place would be one which is easily accessible to public transportation. One can also share rental units with other interested parties by dividing the unit into two. Renting a timeshare definitely makes a strong financial sense compared to hotels and motels. PPPPP Word Count 674
Saturday, 17 July 2010
Is A Timeshare A Good Idea For You?
Many people buy timeshares after a lot of research and analysis. But same is not true with some people who simply buy timeshares hearing the buzz surrounding it with poor perception and ignorance about timeshares. Buying a timeshare is a huge investment and thus should be dealt with utmost importance. Before buying a timeshare you have to first question yourself whether is it really for you? How often do you go for vacation? Is that place right for you to go year after year? Do you want to buy a timeshare just for vacation purpose or you are buying it as an investment? Even if you decide to buy a timeshare property you should start your research at least nine months before you buy a timeshare. But let us weigh in various factors to know whether timeshare is really for you or not. A vacation home might be a minor financial investment for few rich and wealthy but to many middle class people it is possible only in dreams. Middle class people badly needed an alternative to this costly investment. The search for an alternative resulted in the discovery of timeshare in Europe in 1970’s. This was a welcome relief to many people who could not afford to buy an expensive vacation home. This concept gained huge popularity with every passing year and today over two million Americans own timeshare properties which is a big number. A timeshare is nothing but a real estate property split into many ownerships. The cost is shared among the owners. Timeshares are basically classified into two types of plans, deeded and non-deeded. In a deeded plan the owner buys the timeshare unit and the unit for 30-40 years. It can again be classified into fixed use and flexible use. A fixed use allows only a specific time and specific number of years where as a flexible use timeshare allows you to choose vacation at any time of the year but only on first come first serve basis as many people would like to go for that option. The other types of plan called non-deeded plan is also called right to use plan which is like a lease, you have the same facilities but only for specific period and you lose all the rights after the lease expires. Having understood what a timeshare is and different types it is also important to dig into the facts of timeshare. Timeshares are usually common in a tourist place. The cost depends on the location and season of the year. Apart from cost of timeshare you have to pay the maintenance and various other fees also. This also may vary depending on the location. But one good thing about timeshare is that you don’t have to worry about the upkeep and maintenance of your timeshare unit. But you have to think is it really worth to pay hundreds of dollars every year in addition to the thousands you have already paid to buy the timeshare and that too to spend only one or two weeks in a year. This may be reasonable only if the maintenance fee is low which is generally not. But if you see the other side of the coin, in long term a timeshare will be cheaper than a hotel or vacation home. If you add up the cost of hotel for thirty years and compare it with timeshare it will be way higher. But then again, if you decide to go to a different vacation spot every year hotel may be ideal for you. Although timeshare offer exchange of properties with other owners across the states and countries it may not be that easy to do it. Also one should compare the other alternatives to a timeshare available in that place. In some seasons timeshares could really be expensive due to their close proximity to beach fronts etc. So a quick market survey to find cheap alternative should never be ruled out. PPPPP Word Count 665
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
El intercambio de tiempo compartido
Sunday, 11 July 2010
¿C�mo elegir un derecho Broker de tiempo compartido
Friday, 9 July 2010
Have You Considered The Alternatives To Timeshare?
Over the period of decades the popularity of timeshares has grown by many folds so much so that over two million Americans have timeshare properties in country and out of country. But the rise of timeshare industry saw the rise in scams and frauds. More recently the timeshare industry has been plagued by unscrupulous activities of frauds and scammers. Notwithstanding these serious problems with timeshares a new breed of alternatives are emerging. One of the main reasons why people were attracted towards timeshares was that it will be an expensive affair for a big family to vacation every year at a hotel or a resort. Timeshares proved to be an economical solution to all that. But on the flip side of it, buying a timeshare requires large upfront fee and the timeshares typically range anywhere from ten thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars also. On top of that the buyers have to pay the annual maintenance fee, property taxes, management fee etc. which could range from few hundreds to over a thousand also. People have begun realizing that why pay more money and still use the same property every year for only one week. And people get bored of going to the same place again and again. Although some timeshares offer exchange program which would allow owners to exchange their timeshare units across different resorts and locations but it is not that easy with exchange costing more bucks. And when the owner wants to sell a timeshare unit it is not that easy task. Timeshares are one of the most difficult properties to sell. Even when they sell they sell at 30%-50% lower than their original price. Now a new era of concepts is taking vacation industry by storm. And this era is represented by concepts such as resort memberships and condo hotels. A resort membership is a one time investment i.e. you have to pay the membership fee only once and you can enjoy the benefits of the resort life long. And what more you are not required to pay any maintenance fee or taxes. Resort memberships can cost anywhere from few grand to few hundred grand. Some resort membership may also have yearly fee. But if you do a good research there are some resorts within the range of affordability. The best deal that one can get is may be a lifetime member ship for around three grand and a limited five year membership for two grand. And the members have access to not only the resort they have membership in but they can choose from hundreds of resorts worldwide available in resort company’s network. And there is no limit on number of times you want to go and at what time you want to go, your vacation is always assured. Another concept that is getting popular is condo hotel which is a relatively new concept and only very few people own condos in hotels. But the concept is receiving good reviews and is gaining popularity with the time. The way it works is it allows people to buy condos in luxurious hotels and utilize the benefits of all the amenities available in the hotel. If the owner is not using the condo he can put his condo for rent and can receive percentage of the revenues it produces. A condo hotel in comparison to a timeshare offers more flexibility, is better furnished, and has better amenities, better services and many locations.
Monday, 5 July 2010
C�mo alquilar su tiempo compartido
Friday, 2 July 2010
Tax Tips On Owning Timeshares
Some people have a misconception that timeshare sales are not subjected to income tax. But in reality timeshares sales are subjected to income tax. It is treated similar to any other kind of real estate property. As a timeshare property is a capital asset so when you sell a timeshare and make profit on it, it is considered as a capital gain. But you have to own the property for more than one year for it to be eligible for income tax. You can include all the costs associated with buying a timeshare like closing costs you had to pay when buying your timeshare, the annual maintenance fee for all the years that you owned the property and special assessments if any.
But Like any other real estate property if you sell your timeshare and if you incur loss which is called capital loss, you many not be able to deduct the losses in your tax returns. But situation might differ if you regularly rent the unit; any loss on sale would be termed as allowable business loss and would thus be deductible as an allowable ordinary loss in tax returns. Loss on sale would not be allowed by IRS if the unit had been converted back to personal use before selling.
There are no other deductibles allowed against timeshares. The exception is the property tax only if it is billed separately. They are also deductible if the resort differentiates it as a different item on your maintenance fee bill. You may also be able to deduct the interest on a timeshare loan, but, only if the loan is taken as a mortgage and there should be no other deductible mortgages except your primary home mortgage. But sad thing is not all timeshare loans qualify as mortgage loans as they are primarily termed as consumer loans. Also you have to keep in mind that you cannot deduct interest on multiple timeshare loans at a time if you also have a primary home mortgage. But you might be able to deduct interests on multiple timeshares if they are at same resort, as they can be viewed as one timeshare. The timeshares can also be used for donating to a charity. But there are some restrictions. If you want to donate a deeded timeshare, the allowable deduction is normally equal to the fair market value of the timeshare on the date of donation. If the fair market value exceeds five thousand dollars you will have to get a written appraisal that should meet IRS guidelines. In case of non-deeded and right to use timeshares which are considered as tangible assets, additional rules apply. The fair market value of the timeshare must be reduced by the amount equal to any gain that would have been made had the property been sold by the owner. When it comes to renting your timeshare you can claim deductions on all expenses including depreciation cost, cost of advertising, rental commissions and maintenance fees. Certain kind of special assessments may be deductible like repairs and unexpected expenses. Expenses like remodeling may not be deductible, so are the travel expenses
Also one has to remember that vacation home rules apply if you use it for at least fifteen days each year for personal use. The timeshares can also qualify however you should use it at least 15 days.
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