# Why Timeshare Ownership Works For Me (Us)



## OneEyedDiva (Dec 6, 2022)

I know timeshare ownership gets a bad rap and there are always ads about how to sell your timeshare. I love staying at ours and my husband did too. This is the closest I’ll come to living the beach life. What started out as an impromptu purchase followed by 2 weeks of buyer’s remorse has turned out to be an enjoyable blessing in our lives. We bought our oceanfront timeshare in Atlantic City (A.C.) after literally wearing two salesmen out. Their manager stepped in to close the deal at 38% of asking price plus my terms of a no interest deal (as long as we paid it off within a year, which we did). He threw in  a one year free membership to Interval’s exchange club. I learned how to “work the program” to get the most out of ownership which cured the buyer’s remorse. Ownership includes our annual owner’s week reservation at no additional cost, which can be used by me or my son. In fact we just used ours. He stayed down for 3 nights the weekend before last after taking my granddaughter back to college (in A.C.) and I went from Monday to Friday. Other benefits:

~Discounts on suites, at their restaurants and Shoppe as an upgraded 5 star owner. Additional weeks outside of our annual allotted week can cost from between $409 and $549 according to the suite chosen (studio or 1 bedroom) and season.

~Access to literally thousands of resorts globally and deeper discounts on suites as an exchange club member. I’ve stayed in studios (my preference now that my husband is gone) at our home resort using the exchange club’s special deals of $97 for the week (not $97 a night for a studio) and $137/wk for a one bedroom. A few years ago my husband and I stayed at a waterfront 3 bedroom townhouse in Ocean City, MD for a week and it cost us $228.

~Cheap travel and easy to get to: I don’t have to pay for plane tickets and suffer through airport BS. When we drove, it took less than 2 hours to get there. Now that I’m bussing it, according to which company I choose to travel with, it could take from 2-½ to 5 hours total travel time (N.J. Transit requires taking two buses). Either way, the total cost is less than $45 round trip, There's usually no one sitting next to me on the buses and I use the travel time to relax. If I take the casino bus I can expect to get back at least half of my $30 slot coupon perk. Once I got back $52, making my travel free.

~The property is deeded, willed to my son and as long as the maintenance fees are paid family members can continue to use it after I'm gone. My son now sees the value in it. 
~Until COVID there was a free shuttle that would take owners and guests to the Acme supermarket in Brigantine (pictured) so we could do our food shopping for the week.
Also before COVID my intention was to spend 8 weeks a year (not concurrent) at the timeshare but the most I (we) spent was 6 weeks. Those 6 weeks, including transportation and food, using owner rates and exchange discounts cost $2,237.

6 weeks in similar suites at the Sheraton or Wyndham in A.C. would have cost approximately $19,200 give or take a few hundred considering seasonal rates.
6 weeks in a hotel room at Harrahs, with no access to cooking would have cost around $15,078 with an additional estimated cost of $4,200 for food. Meals, beverages and snacks in resort towns are very expensive.
Now multiply 6 weeks by 14 (the years we’ve owned the timeshare) or even the anticipated costs for the coming 14 years and the value is obvious, even considering maintenance fees (which still have not reached $1,000 a year), especially since hotel rates continue to rise (our owner rates do not rise).

I love walking the boardwalk, sitting on the balcony watching the boats go by, photographing the sunrises and sunsets and interacting with the interesting people I always seem to encounter. Being there makes me want to be more active. It may not be a fancy vacation but I literally thank God (out loud) every time I'm able to be down there. The boats and sunrise were photographed from the balcony at different times, different suites.  @Pecos


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## Jules (Dec 6, 2022)

Thanks for telling us your history with timeshares.  I was wondering what your arrangements were for AC.  It’s been great for you.  

Friends of ours bought a fancy plan when enamoured with Hawaii; it’s been costly for them.  

The next time I have to negotiate a business deal, I’m bringing you along.


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## hearlady (Dec 6, 2022)

Yes, we've had one for many years and did the same negotiating to get it to our advantage. We have a points system and it allows us to go a few times a year.
The last time we went to a "presentation" the salesman said they could not match what we had and we should hold on to it.


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## Jace (Dec 6, 2022)

Good for you @OneEyedDiva 
Too bad there's such bad, negativity about them.

No way, we bought..to enjoy all year..whenever!


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