Think of Your Home, Get Rid of Your Timeshare
During these harsh economic times, it’s stressful enough to think about how to pay for your home mortgage, putting food on the table, and filling up the gas tank. So, as foreclosures reach all-time highs and thousands of people are losing their jobs each month, timeshare owners have actually been billed special assessment fees for hundreds, and in a number of cases, thousands of dollars. When added to rising maintenance fees paid every year, homeowners should consider getting rid of their timeshare(s) before it’s too late.
If your timeshare is financed, then you’ll want to pay everything off as soon as you can. This will get rid of those interest payments which can be very high on their own (and unlike the interest payments for your primary residence, these payments are not tax deductible). Additionally, you’ll find it difficult, if not impossible to sell your timeshare if there is still a mortgage on the property. With so many other timeshares on the market that no longer have mortgages, it is extremely unlikely that you’ll find a willing buyer.
The timeshare resale market has historically been a difficult one for sellers. In a report by the FTC, only 3.3 percent of timeshares listed have been sold on the resale market over the last 20 years. Attempting to sell it in today’s economic climate may prove even more difficult. You may end up waiting for a long time even after spending good money on advertising and broker fees. It’s time wasted that you can ill afford not knowing if a special assessment is on its way.
If you’re thinking about renting out your timeshare, realize that a special assessment bill could be on its way to your mailbox. The net effect would be losing money and you wouldn’t even go to the resort!
Many charitible organizations no longer accept timeshares as donations because they know of their long-term cost and liability. So, like finding a proper buyer, you may end up spending a good deal of time finding a charity that will accept your timeshare. There’s no guarantee with donation and the timeshare bills will not wait for you.
If your checkbook cannot handle a sudden $1,000+ special assessment with the possibility of future fees, do your best to part with your timeshare as soon as you can. As you have read, trying to discard it yourself may or may not quickly end in success. Meanwhile, the time spent waiting will only build more stress on yourself. So, if you want a fast solution, go to a timeshare transfer company to get relief from your timeshare today.
A good timeshare transfer company will guarantee the transfer of a timeshare out of an owner’s name so that the owner is no longer responsible for any fees associated with that timeshare. This service is performed for a fee. The transaction is quick and should be binding the minute that you sign a contract. In other words, any fee that is mailed to you after the contract is signed should go to the transfer company and not to you. Your financial responsibility for the timeshare will be lifted upon signing the contract.
Be sure to go with a transfer company with a long track record. The company should be in business for a minimum of four (4) years. This rule of thumb will eliminate nearly all of the transfer companies that are not looking out for best interest of their customers. Also, check the Better Business Bureau for ratings. No company is perfect and without complaints. But, verify that the complaints on the report are addressed and that the company has a high rating.
No matter how you go about it, getting rid of your timeshare frees you from the financial and emotional stress of maintenance fees and special assessments — which lets you focus on more important matters like ensuring that your mortgage is kept in good standing.
