Get a downtown San Diego timeshare and you'll be close to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. Museums and historic architecture invite strollers and browsers; Horton Plaza and the Gaslamp Quarter offer shopping and fine dining.
The kids will want to meet Shamu at Sea World or enjoy all fifty rides and attractions at Legoland theme park .
Since you have a timeshare, you'll have the chance to branch out: take a ferry to the Hotel Del on Coronado island. Head for La Jolla and watch the sea lions. Continue north to Del Mar or to Mission San Luis Rey. Or head south to Mexico on the San Diego Trolley.
If you're considering a timeshare purchase or rental in San Diego, try a timeshare vacation package. Whether you want a romantic city suite, a beachfront timeshare with an ocean view, or a family-friendly three-bedroom, you'll find a timeshare vacation package that fits your needs.
Some packages are weekend getaways. Others five-day/four-night deals. You'll get a 90-minute presentation and promotional tour of the timeshare property, and you'll get lots of enticing discounts that make for an affordable trip. A San Diego time share rental or purchase is a good decision.
Sources
City of San Diego <www.sandiego.gov>
Corinne Walker's Timeshare Purchaser's Checklist <www.tug2.net>
Resort Condominiums International <www.rci.com>
Timeshare vacation ownership was born in the '60s, the age of the commune. When you buy a timeshare, you buy time and you share a vacation property, whether condo, home, or boat. If you buy a timeshare, you're getting tomorrow's luxury resort vacation at today's prices--in perpetuity.
Timeshare costs
Time of year and desirability of location determine your purchase cost, with average prices ranging from 7K for studios to 13K for a three-bedrooms, according to timeshare giant RCI. You'll pay taxes, cleaning and maintenance fees, and annual dues whether or not you use the property. Your timeshare will be affiliated with an exchange company, so you can trade your vacation time and location for another of equal value, if you choose. You'll pay a nominal exchange fee.
Timeshares: Buying time
Timeshare time can be floating (choose your week) or fixed (same week each year). Fixed weeks run January-December, so Week 7 is President's Day and Week 51 is Christmas. Holiday or peak season (Red) weeks are the prime "real estate" of the timeshare market. White or Amber weeks have middle value, Blue or Green off-season weeks have least. Time value trades, so don't buy off season unless you really want it.
Discounts, incentives, and vacation packages
Timeshare resorts offer discounts and vacation packages to potential buyers. Crammed with freebies and incentives--tickets to tourist attractions, meals, or gift vouchers--these "vacations" include an ownership tour and sales presentation. Don't go, if you can't take pressure. Do go to get the timeshare experience. Be sure to talk to other owners. Ask about the quality of maintenance and whether they'd buy again.
Recommended Resources
Corinne Walker's Timeshare Purchaser's Checklist <www.tug2.net>
Resort Condominiums International <rci.com>
The Timeshare Beat < www.thetimesharebeat.com>
