Timeshare Condominiums for the Beginner (Paperback)

by Michael Strauss (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
You?ve probably noticed that it?s difficult to find entirely objective and pertinent information on timesharing That is, until now! This book is a concise, reasonable, and as far as possible unbiased guide for consumers, presenting them available data, analysis, facts, and trends to let them finally makes their own decisions. Recent books on the topic, though remarkably well written, do not cover the buyer?s point of view. And, few authors may be involved in rendering legal, accounting, or marketing counsel to the industry, while positions overly critical are withheld or subdued. By reviewing what?s been written before, this book sets the stage for understanding the timesharing concept and technique, and helps the consumers in making a sound decision in buying or not buying a timeshare. Many of the controversies surrounding timesharing could be avoided if consumers were better informed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing; 1st edition (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0533110386
• ISBN-13: 978-0533110384
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #563,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this before you buy timeshare!, April 13, 2002

By	Jim Vitek (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been toying with the idea of buying a timeshare for a couple years. There's not a lot of public information on timeshare. A few FAQ's here & there online, but nothing approaching the a-z perspective contained in this book. It's light reading... easy to fly through and yet get the information you need. There are numerous spelling & grammatical errors throughout, but the reason to buy this book is to arm yourself with information, and it does that just great. Do not spend 50-60% of your timeshare dollar on salesman commission before reading this book. In some cases it's what you'll end up wanting to do in the end anyway, but at least you'll enter the deal with realistic expectations.
If you're reading this review online after attending a high-pressure presentation, by all means DO NOT BUY until you've done the proper research. The 'killer deal' the salesman just gave you will not dissappear in the next couple weeks while you do the research. Even that killer deal that will expire when you leave town represents a 100% markup due to the selling expenses built into it. Think logically.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for beginners confused about timesharing business., January 7, 2002

By	Jean (Biaritz, France) - See all my reviews

The book outlines the basics of what you need to know when you are in the middle of Timeshare presentation hard sell. It is a quick easy read that helped somebody completely ignorant to understand the timesharing business. A good book for someone confused on whether to buy or not a timeshare, if a timeshare fits his/her lifestyle and offers good advice on buying, exchanging and selling timeshares. The guide has a rich reference list and a unique chapter on Scams.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeshares are generally for suckers, June 3, 2004

By A Customer

If you don't read this book before buying a timeshare, you're probably going to regret it -- but read it anyway so you can get yourself out of the hole you might be in ASAP.

Strauss does a good job giving the pros and cons of buying timeshares. He appears very objective, and appears not to benefit financially from his advice(other than selling books of course). His material is backed up by tons of data and references, so it's not like he's spinning a Disney tale.

Sure, there are decent timeshares out there -- but it's much like auto leases -- the people that really like timeshares/auto leases are the salespeople -- can you figure out why? HUGE rip(commission)! Anyhoo, you can find a needle in the haystack, but you probably won't be able to do it without reading this book.

The one thing I think Strauss missed out on was giving some bona fide examples of where he thinks timeshares can be "the needle in the haystack" and how to find them. He touches only briefly on the resale market, where it appears there are some decent deals (needles?)-- that should tell you something right there -- the big suckers are the ones who purchase them new (again, much like cars/leases).

Hope this helps.