Is it a waste of money?

Unless you plan on being in that area on a regular basis it seems like a waste of money. I'm no expert though, I haven't had a vacation in... 16 yrs...

You should investigate very well before buying, a lot of people have bought some very crappy stuff and have been cheated out of their money. However I'm sure it can be a good deal if you're lucky. So go for it if you have the money.

Personally I have always wondered the same thing as well. I know that there are definate advantages if you do something like this, but at the same time that really seems like a lot of $$ you have to invest as well. So I guess for me unless you really are going to be able to use it all of the time, it may be an expensive investment you may want to rethink about.

Timeshare is something for midclass up. It depends on what financial base you have established for you and your family. And in which business are you working, is your company affected by the current economy. If sure of the promising future, it is good time to buy one at a relatively low price, for fun only. For investment? Maybe, but it takes a long time to wait. In southern and northern china, we have similar estates. Few are making money, as they are developed relatively late and did not catch the right time.

Timeshares are not investments. Ever. Lose that thought. I own 4 timeshares, but for very, very different reasons and investment is not one of them. Timeshares allow me to vacation in a style I'd like to become used to, but cannot afford. I can get "Poser" accommodations (usually a one bedroom suites) for my condo fees of $500-600 per week in a full facility resort. Timeshares allow me to get accommodation at high season (like Chrismas) when hotel prices are just through the roof. Close enough to visit family, but far enough away that the week is still a vacaton. Own two timeshares that I just trade - for two weeks in places I'd rather be in the winter - like St. Croix, St. Lucia or Aruba... Has it worked for me - yes. And.. I buy my timeshares on ebay.... after doing a lot of homework. Timeshares fail to work for so many people that you can pickup great locations for a fraction of the developer costs. But.. tis a sea full of biggest sharks know to man.

No it is not a waste of money.It was the best investment i ever made for me and my family.For myself working in the corporate hussle and bussle it actually forced me and my family to take a vacation once a year,which i never did before, and taught me to enjoy the finer things in life like spending time with my family, golfing, fishing, hiking, biking. I think you get my point life is to short not to enjoy it

The general rule about buying a timeshare should be that it is in an area that you visit so often, that it would be cheaper than getting a hotel every time you're there. That's really the main reason for getting a timeshare. I know someone who visits Hawaii so often, they own a timeshare and actually save money. It's also more personal and more like home, too. I would check out what a nice hotel costs in that area is and calculate the costs of staying there as often as you do, first. If you can find that you will save money having a timeshare, then that might be a good idea.

first of all i'm not a US citizen nor a resident. but i can tell you my experience so far... last year i had the chance to go to Orlando for vacations.. i dont know if you have been there but that place is really nice.. specially if you like amusement parks and stuff like that. I stayed in a very nice time share with the perfect location: just 10 minutes from Universal Studios.. the apartment was big, with a huge tv, aircon, all the appliances you may need, 3 rooms, jacuzzi, lake view, etc... a really beautiful place.. so beautiful that i bought one!... about 5 months later, my life totally changed.. i got an impossible-to-reject job offer overseas and of course i took it... so now i'm leaving in south east asia and i'm planning to stay here... and because of that i'm planning to sell or transfer my time share... my payments are up to date and if you interested let me know. to answer your question, i would say it is a good investment if you plan to go on vacation yearly or bi-yearly .. plus, if you have kids they will love it since most of this places have pool and children playgrounds among other facilities.. other good thing is that many of the TS resorts have multiple locations that you can actually use for an small fee, meaning you can stay in any of your TS other locations and save considerable bucks comparing to stay in a normal 5 star hotel... on the other hand i would never recommend to buy one if you take vacations each 3 or 4 years, and you also have to consider that every year you have to pay maintenance fees for the property... i think my post is too long now.. if you want more detail please contact me...