Timeshare for Sale by Owner - a how-to guide

This may well be the single most important factor in deciding whether or not your timeshare will, in fact, sell. It's also going to be the hardest for you, the timeshare owner, to accept.

The fact of the matter is, contrary to what you may have been told, a timeshare is NOT an investment. They do not appreciate in value over time like a normal piece of real estate. Typically speaking, if you can sell your timeshare for 10-15% of the original selling price that you paid, you are doing well. We realize that is a tough pill to swallow, but unfortunately, it is the reality.

Once you have set aside all hope of netting a profit or breaking even, its time to dig in and figure out fair market value. Here are some ways to do that.

• Do a google search for other weeks from your particular timeshare.


• Check Ebay prices for similar weeks and locations (look at ones that actually sold)


• Check real estate records in the area your timeshare is located


• Ask your resort what some of the recent resale prices have been

Once you have all this information you need to bear two things in mind. The first is to take some of the current listing prices with a grain of salt. Most timeshare owners don't have a clue what the market value is for their property and list for much higher. The second is to remember that if there are several similar weeks currently selling, potential buyers are going to go for the lowest price available. Make sure that you are the one offering that low price.

Or.. in this case.. WHO you know. One of the best places to start advertising your timeshare to is friends and relatives. Get a few pictures of your resort and rooms. Show them to friends and family and let them know that you are looking to sell and offer them "first dibs".

In general people prefer to buy from those they know, like, and trust. That gives you a distinct advantage when it comes to friends and family. Co-workers might be another great source of potential buyers. Ask your boss if it'd be ok for you to put up a flier on the company cork board, or do an email blast to your co-workers.

On thing to keep in mind, when marketing your timeshare to those you know.. is they may at some point find that they too are not pleased with the maintenance fees and "forever" contract. This might get you crossed off a few Thanksgiving dinner lists.

When the friends and family thing is a bust, it's time to widen the scope of your advertisement. There are a lot of places you can advertise for a relatively low cost. Be creative. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

• Craigslist


• Ebay


• Local Newspaper


• Redweek


• Myresortnetwork


• The Little Nickel

The important thing to remember is not to spend a lot of money. Remember you are likely going to get about 10% of your timeshares original price. If your advertising costs exceeds 20% of your expected selling price, you are paying too much. So keep it simple, no billboards!

Sadly, this will be the case for the majority of timeshare owners. Its simple math. For every 162 owners that want out of their contract, there is only 1 buyer looking to purchase in the secondary (pre-owned) market.If you find that this is the case for you, do not fret. You are not entirely out of options.

One alternative is to try and donate your timeshare to a charity. If successful you may be able to not only offload your timeshare, but recoup a portion of your loses in the form of a tax credit. Forewarning. Very few if any charities are still accepting timeshare donations. The reason is simple. They realize what a huge financial liability these properties are if they keep them. They also know that its no easy task to sell them either.. otherwise you wouldn't be donating it in the first place.

Apex Professionals LLC is an experienced team of specialists that work to steer trapped property owners out of their dead-end timeshares, halting mounting maintenance fees, and opening the road to financial freedom. Apex Professionals LLC is not a listing or resale company. They help timeshare owners get free of their contract immediately. All titles are transferred through a licensed, insured, and bonded third-party title company.