There is a simple idea to most of these portfolios: Travel to the nicest places they could find as inexpensively as possible. They had found that timeshares let them do this. Their secret is to build a timeshare portfolio.



One customer has four consecutive weeks of timeshares at four different resorts around the Gulf Coast of Florida. Each year the customer and his wife travel to Florida and spend four weeks at four nice resorts. Their total housing costs for four weeks is under $2000 (based on the total maintenance fees they pay).

The couple is retired, so they have more free time than most people. But their idea is great and cost effective. They are also not alone.

We see more and more people who recognize the value of a timeshare and then purchase multiple properties. These properties to give them cost effective travel at great resorts.

Here are a couple Timeshare Portfolio models we have seen our savvy customers use:

The "Expressway" Portfolio

The scenario given at the beginning of this article is a perfect example of an Expressway Portfolio. In this model, the timeshare property owner wishes to visit a specific geographic repeatedly. The Expressway Portfolio is usually composed of fixed-week properties in the same general area. People who build this portfolio like the idea of spending their vacation time in a specific area.

Customers who favor the Expressway Portfolio model often have children or extended families that frequently travel together. Often, the resorts are within a half-day car ride from home. Since the resorts are close, travel expenses are kept to a minimum.

The Dartboard Portfolio

This Dartboard Portfolio is the model of choice for empty nesters or those who have more time and flexibility. This portfolio emphasizes properties acquired primarily for trading, or floating weeks at desirable resorts. Each years vacation planning is like throwing a dart at a dartboard.

Each year the Dartboard Portfolio owner works the Exchange companies and resorts to create the best vacations possible. The property owner uses low-maintenance properties and exchanges them for more expensive resort properties. This property owner also uses floating weeks at a favorite resort and reserves each year for the best time possible.

The Dartboard Portfolio usually consists of a foundational resort that may have cost more than other timeshare properties to acquire. We see many customers in the West using Hawaii properties as foundational resorts. They cost more, but they will be visited almost every year.

The portfolio is then filled in with trading properties. These are usually two- bedroom units that have low cost annual maintenance fees (typically under $400). These trading units are banked as early in the portfolio-building process. The Portfolio Owner then shops the exchange company for the possible best trade.

Factor in Your Available Vacation Time

There is no best portfolio; every persons situation is different. However, we have noticed that portfolio owners keep a few factors in mind. The first factor they consider is available time.

They ask themselves several key questions:

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How many weeks of vacation do they have each year?

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How many vacation weeks can they actually take each year?

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How many of these weeks do they travel between vacation sites?

In other words, how many vacation weeks does the portfolio owner need to stay home.

Heres a suggested rule of thumb: use 50% of your available vacation time with a timeshare. As your vacation time increases, add additional timeshare weeks.

Estimate Your Cost

Cost is the second key factor. The type of portfolio you choose to build is affected by the cost of travel. If you live in the Midwest, are you ready to pay for yearly airfare to Hawaii? Would it make more sense to acquire a Caribbean timeshare for a little more money up front (but lower annual travel costs)?

You can also start with an Expressway Portfolio and transition to a Dartboard Portfolio. As your family matures, you can start to use your existing timeshare weeks more for trade. You may even want to create a hybrid portfolio with some properties at fixed locations to be kept over the long term and some are used solely for trading.

Focus on the Reward: More Control, More Fun

The best part of building a portfolio is the control you have over purchasing properties. When the right properties are purchased, the focus of your vacation is on the experience, not on the expense.

You spend your time enjoying wonderful places with family and friends and thats the reason for owning timeshare properties in the first place.

Kevin Co writes for http://www.timesharemadness.com where you can find out more about timeshare and other topics.