In this issue

• Featured Destination
• Timeshare QandA
• Travel Trends
• Features on MyResortNetwork.com
• Fun Fun Fun
• Meet one of our sponsors

FEATURED DESTINATION  - DISNEYWORLD

One of the top choices of vacationers worldwide is the Orlando, Florida area.  A quick look what the Orlando area has to offer tells you why; 95 different theme parks, dozens of golf courses, great restaurants for every budget and reliable weather help insure that every member of the family will enjoy their vacation, any time of year.  If you tire of the amusement parks, you're only 90 minutes to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Station, or world famous Cocoa Beach.  To top it off, Orlando has arguably the highest number of Gold Crown and 5 Star timeshares and the largest number of timeshare resorts anywhere in the world.  Many of them are self contained resorts that offer everything you could want without ever leaving the resort; fabulous pools with lazy rivers and water features, golf courses, restaurants, food courts, boating, skiing, kid's clubs and more.  Orlando is especially affordable in the fall, winter and spring while school is in session.  It offers a great alternative to adults looking for nice, affordable vacations in sunny weather.  

Below are just a few of the thousands of websites devoted to helping you plan and make the most of your trip.  Of course you already know where to get your accommodations.  MyResortNetwork.com has many timeshares for sale or rent in the Orlando Area. Be sure to check Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee listings, in addition to Orlando, they're all close together.  

Walt Disney World Resort official webpage - http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index

Orlando Visitor's Guide - http://www.go2orlando.com/

Kennedy Space Center - http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/

Cocoa Beach - http://www.ci.cocoa-beach.fl.us/

and of course http://www.MyResortNetwork.com/disney-vacation

TIMESHARE QandA  

Q.  I'm planning a trip to Orlando, and I would like to stay in one of the many Marriott resorts there.  I have 2 kids (6 and 10) and we plan to spend most of our time in the parks, but I want a very nice room and a fabulous pool.  My husband will probably want to play golf at least once or twice.  Which of the Marriotts should we stay at?  ....Betty 

Ty: There are 6 different Marriott resorts in the Orlando area, including Horizons by Marriott.  Every single one of them is rated 5-Star (Interval International) or Gold Crown (RCI), which are the highest ratings these exchange companies have.  As for Golf, Cypress Harbour, Grande Vista, Royal Palms, and Sabal Palms are on golf courses.   The Horizons has perhaps the best pool for kids, with the pirate ship in the pool.  They all have their advantages.  My suggestion is to look at the Interval International website description of the various resorts and pick whichever sounds best.  It's hard to go wrong.  But don't necessarily limit yourself to Marriott, Hilton has a brand new spectacular resort, in addition to their existing SeaWorld location, and Hyatt, Westgate, Orange Lake (a golfer's mecca) are among the many other companies that have outstanding resorts in Orlando. Marriott, Hilton, and other Orlando resorts can be found here: http://www.MyResortNetwork.com/getaway.htm

Q: I'm looking at several timeshares on www.MyResortNetwork.com with the intention of buying my first timeshare.  The prices seem too good to be true, especially compared to the prices I was shown in the timeshare sales presentations I've attended.  What questions do I ask?  How do I make sure I get what I think I'm getting?

Ty: If you are inexperienced at buying timeshares, it's easy to be intimidated.  There are many questions you need to ask to make sure you have no surprises.  For one thing, you need to verify everything you're told by the seller with the management company.  That includes Maintenance Fees, exactly which week you are buying, annual usage or every other year, any special assessments looming on the horizon, deeded forever or expiring right to use ownership, etc.  You should use an independent, third party closing company to convey the title.  There are several who advertise onMyResortNetwork.com, they are all licensed escrow companies.  If you are still uncertain, you can use any of the resellers/brokers who advertise on www.MyResortNetwork.com  

Every month our resident expert, Ty Mechere, will answer a few of the questions sent by our readers.  If you have any questions regarding timeshares, you can email him at tymechere@MyResortNetwork.com  He'll try to respond to any and all questions.

TRAVEL TRENDS

The emergence of "POINT" systems is one of the biggest changes in the timeshare industry in the last 10 years.  Everybody seems to be going to points systems.  Even small, independent resorts can enter points through their exchange company if they are affiliated with RCI.  There's no question that points systems can give you more flexibility in where, when and for how long  you travel, and on the unit size you reserve.  But there's a cost associated with that flexibility.  Some owners have reported costs of $3000 - $5000 conversion charges to join RCI points, on top of the expense of buying the week of ownership in the first place.  And multi-location "chains", such as Worldmark or Marriott cost much more than single location, fixed unit/week resorts.  So are they worth it?  Here are some things to consider:

1)  Are you the type that would rarely visit the same location every year?

2)  Do you anticipate major changes in your family over the next 5 years (new additions, children leaving the nest, re-location, etc)?

3)  Do you want to be able to stay longer or less than a week at a time?

If the answers to any of these questions is yes, you may want to consider points ownership.  Some of your goals can be met using the traditional exchange companies, so you will need to carefully assess the cost.  The other consideration is that you can just buy the timeshare that fits you today, then re-sell it on MyResortNetwork.com when it no longer fits your needs and buy a different one, with no sales commissions.

FEATURES ON MyResortNetwork.com

Are you thinking of selling your timeshare?  Remember, listing a timeshare for sale on www.MyResortNetwork.com is only $24.95.  But don't stop there.  Selling a timeshare on the after-market can sometimes take a while.  Consider renting your timeshare out in the meantime, to cover your maintenance fee expenses until it sells.  Over 12,000 people per day visit MyResortNetwork.com., most of them looking for rental accommodations.  The nominal cost of listing your rental could be the smartest money you ever spend on your timeshare.  

Having your timeshare rented has the following major benefits:

1)  A prospective buyer, who may already have made their travel plans for the upcoming months, wouldn't be turned off by having to reimburse maintenance fees for the current year.

2)  Since you don't have the pressure of an upcoming week that would be going to waste, you are free to stand firm on a fair price for your timeshare.

So if you're trying to sell your timeshare, don't forget to list it for rent on www.MyResortNetwork.com as well.  It only costs $24.95, and it gets results.

FUN, FUN, FUN

In honor of our FEATURED DESTINATION this month (Disney World), we've found this website that features over 3000 clipart images.  Dress up your powerpoint presentations with clipart of Disney babies, or emboss your business cards and letters with an image of Tigger.  That's T-I-double G-rrrr.  TTFN (ta-ta for now).

 MEET ONE OF OUR SPONSORS

TransAction Realty, one of the first timeshare brokers in the country, has been helping people resell their timeshares since 1981.  They originated the business practice of NEVER charging an up-front fee to their clients.  Family owned and operated by Curtis Dan Peece and Shelley Peece, they provide the personal service you need when making a decision as big as buying real estate of any kind. 

Give them a call today and experience a refreshing change from the typical timeshare salesperson.  Curtis Dan has been involved in marketing timeshares since 1981, and Shelley's background is in closing/escrow. 

So they have the expertise to handle your transaction from beginning to closing.  Do yourself a favor, and give them an opportunity to handle your next timeshare transaction.

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