Take time when buying a timeshare

Timeshares seem to be currently very popular and are well advertised at resort areas and in the ad papers.

A word of caution should be made to your readers, however. The offers of a two-night stay at a resort for only $100 is enticing and hard to resist. The only obligation is for you to listen to an hour sales presentation offer for you to buy a timeshare.

It is easy to be caught up in the moment at a fancy resort with the knowledge that you will be able to visit an exotic place every year.

The sales pressure is polite but very firm, the goal is for you to buy a timeshare at this meeting without taking time to consider all aspects of such a purchase.

These plans may be good for nice family vacations but before attending any such sales talk, it behooves everyone to be aware of a few facts. These plans cost from $15,000 and more. They can be for one week at this cost, but you are required to pay 12 monthly assessments plus real estate taxes for this one week. The resale value on these is small and can be purchased much cheaper on the resale market.

Timeshares seem to be popular but none of us should make a major purchase of this sort on the spot. It is easier to say that some time is needed to consider this offer, free from pressure. Better this than to realize later it may have been a costly mistake.

William McNutt

Des Plaines