Answers to Your Timeshare Questions

Do you have any information on how to obtain a copy of a time share deed as well as a copy of the hoa bylaws etc.

In researching buying a timeshare, it seems everyone wants to sell a timeshare without providing these documents up front. While a copy of a deed or an example deed may not be reasonable. It would seem that the sellers should be willing to provide the hoa bylaws and other details in advance.

Any information you may be able to provide will be greatly appreciated.

First off, great questions! It sounds like you're doing your due diligence & making yourself an informed timeshare buyer.

A properly informed seller should be willing to provide you a copy of the deed to review. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation on the internet... After reading various forums and discussion boards, some timeshare owners become confused - mistakenly believing there is some sort of risk in providing you a copy of the deed. A reputable timeshare resale company will be able advise the seller to comply with your request. Otherwise, the unwillingness to provide the deed for review would be a red flag for me.

As for the HOA docs, many owners either inadvertently discard these, or are given a disk or link to the condo docs rather than a paper copy. Also, timeshare HOA covenants are subject to change from time to time, and the seller may not have the most updated version. My advice would be to first review the deed and negotiate the sale price. (You could even enter into a contract with the timeshare seller, subject to your review of the HOA docs.) Then, contact the resort and request a copy. You'll likely end up either having to pay the resort for a copy of the current docs, or you'll be referred to the relevant municipality where the docs are filed, and you'll have to buy a copy from them.

Happy hunting, and enjoy your timeshare purchase!
-Timeshare Guru

I have a friend who is looking to get out of her timeshare. Recently was laid off and cannot afford the maintenance fees any longer. She was forced to declare bankruptcy due to rising credit card rate and included the timeshare in it but has the deed. she is still responsible for the maintenance fees though. Can she sell it or what are her options?

I'm guessing that your friend filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy, commonly referred to as reorganization. A timeshare included in Chapter 7 would generally revert back to the resort or be sold at auction. (Keep in mind that it's possible to still possess the physical deed without actually owning the timeshare.)

Assuming that she does still own the timeshare, it can be sold provided all liens/encumbrances are taken care of by the closing. As I'm sure by now you've realized, selling a timeshare will involve paying some type of fee to advertise/market the property. This will involve a financial risk that your friend may not want to take given her employment situation, but there are some ways to minimize the risk involved with selling timeshare:

1. Is her resort still selling "new" timeshares? If not, her resale value is likely to be very low. If there are still active sales taking place at the resort, then there is a demand being created for timeshares there, and resale prospects are much better.

2. Your friend shouldn't spend more to sell the timeshare than she is prepared to lose: Even with the best advertising in the world, there are no guarantees. Economic conditions could change negatively, her resort could go bankrupt itself (as many have recently), or a natural disaster could strike the resort. Any of these unpredictable conditions could seriously prolong the process of selling.

3. Your friend should avoid relief, or transfer, companies at all costs. These firms falsely claim all timeshares are worthless, and will actually charge her to give it away.

The good news is that, on a long enough timeline, all timeshares can be sold for fair market value. Your friend should consider advertising with a company that will let her rent the week (to cover maintenance costs) until the timeshare has sold. This approach poses the lowest risk, with the highest reward. Good luck!

-The Timeshare Guru

could someone please tell me if a group Resort Owners Group is for real. they say they are (donateforacause.org) and they sell vacation time share at a 50 to 60 % discount. Iam to have a notary come to my home today at 8:00 or 9:00 am
please help let me know if anyone knows anything about this group.

Hi there,

We aren't familiar with that specific company, but we can tell you asking that question in online forums is unlikely to get you a real answer. Most of the timeshare companies that allow these types of questions are going to tell you it's a scam - and that you should only do business with them. It's this type of negative chatter that has filled the internet in recent years; adversely affecting timeshare resale values.

At Bay Tree Solutions, we believe in the timeshare product, and feel there is nothing to be gained with negative discussions. We know that there are good and bad companies in every industry - including timeshare resales, but we won't discredit the industry by bad-mouthing our competition.

The best way to decide if a timeshare resale company is legitimate is to listen carefully to what they are promising, then take time to consider whether it makes sense. Rely on your own good judgment, not an anonymous source in a forum. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - and companies that sell timeshare regularly won't need to pressure you into making a snap decision.

We hope this helps, and wish you luck with selling your timeshare.

-Marketing Staff

We are very interested in seling our time-share,how does it usually take?

That's a great question, and one we get asked often. Because of the number of variables related to selling timeshare, like location of your resort, demand for a specific week or season, pricing, and public perceptions of both your resort, and timeshare itself, there is no simple answer.

Based on our experience, there are two guarantees as far as what you can expect:

1. Your timeshare could take years to sell, if ever.

2. Someone could walk out of your resort tomorrow, shop for resales, and buy your timeshare.

The difference between one outcome and the other is often simply timing - but you can mitigate some of the risks by advertising in a fashion that maximizes your exposure to potential buyers.

With a slow economy, is now a good time to sell my timeshare or should I wait?

Hi Donnie,
That's a question that we hear all the time. It's true that the recession has lowered timeshare resale prices somewhat - mostly due to owners 'liquidating' timeshares in order to pay household bills. (An unintended consequence of this has been a huge increase in the number of people shopping for 'timeshare deals' - many who end up paying more than they intended, once they've found the timeshare they really want.)

On the other hand, most indicators are showing the economy (at least in the U.S.) is in a recovery. You can be sure there are many timeshare owners who will choose to wait until the economy's booming again before they try to sell timeshare, which will mean more competition for buyers. The real question is 'do you want to be at the front of the line, or the back?'

By starting the process of selling your timeshare now, one of two things will happen: 1. It will sell quickly because of the higher number of online shoppers. 2. When the economy recovers, your timeshare will be front and center for the first wave of potential buyers, and you can sell before competition (between owners) starts driving prices down again!

Bay Tree i was wondering why my maintance fee went from $450 to $735 in one year? If you could help me understand this i would appreciate it.

Thank You,

Mary Finegan

Hi Mary,

There are a number of possible explanations for the increase in your timeshare's maintenance fees: inflation, renovations, the cost of insurance, higher property taxes.

No one likes to pay more, but your maintenance fees are still in line with a typical timeshare - providing the figure you gave us includes property taxes.

The best advice we can give any timeshare owner who's concerned about maintenance fees is to get involved with the Home Owners Association (HOA) at your resort. By attending meetings, casting your proxy ballots, and staying in touch with other owners, you can work to keep the costs down. In resorts with a proactive HOA, maintenance fees tend to stay low.

If the new fees are outside your budget, you may want to sell your timeshare. If so, use the contact form, and we'll do a quick market analysis of your timeshare resale value - free of charge. Thanks.

I tried to sell my Westgate timeshare through another resale company about 6 months ago. I have had no success with them and heard good things about your company online. I was wondering if I can advertise my timeshare for sale with your company at the same time?

The short answer is 'yes' - Generally, timeshare resale listing agreements are non-exclusive. However, you don't want to fall into the trap of paying to sell your timeshare over and over again.

First, assess whether the 1st company you dealt with is giving you exposure to buyers. If they are, then your sale price may be too high. If you conclude that the 1st timeshare resale company is not providing adequate exposure, and you're unable to convince them to step things up, then it may be time to investigate your other options.

One of the benefits of using our services to sell your timeshare is our 'Money Back Guarantee.' If you advertise with us, then they bring you a buyer, we'll refund your advertising fee in full.