ARDA and the Timeshare Transfer Industry: United at Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

“In the end, you make your reputation and you have your success based upon credibility and being able to provide people who are really hungry for information with what they want.” – Brit Hume

A Credible Organization

Credibility breeds trust, and trust is the unifying element of any great relationship. Throughout our lives, we strive to build this credibility with friends and family, to build it with our coworkers, and to build it in our business enterprises. Without trust, creating a strong network of communication would be impossible. The key to developing an association based on good faith is taking an honest approach in everything we do. Is it any wonder, then, that trust is so difficult to establish in the timeshare industry, a veritable desert of ethical conduct?

However, there are a few individuals and companies in this seemingly desolate landscape that are working to bring a degree of trust and integrity to the timeshare arena. One such group that has been establishing standards for good business practices for over forty years is the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).

Based in Washington D.C., ARDA is a trade association that seeks to cultivate the progress of the timeshare industry throughout the United States. In short, they work to establish business standards throughout the industry via several different means. They were first established in 1969 as the American Land Development Association, and today they have grown to include nearly 1,000 corporate members. ARDA’s primary purpose, as declared in their mission statement is to “foster and promote the growth of the industry and to serve its members.”

A Necessary Good

A lot of people might read that quote and immediately think that there is some sort of spite between ARDA and the timeshare transfer industry (with ARDA taking the side of the resort developers and the transfer industry taking the side of angry consumers), but this just isn’t the case. Like any competitive industry, there are always going to be multiple layers and multiple perspectives. We live in a world of opposites, and these opposites are in place to maintain a sense of harmony, a sense of balance throughout the universe. Why would the timeshare business be any different?

The fact is, sometimes timeshare owners simply want out of their contracts.  Maybe it’s become too expensive, or maybe the owners just don’t have the time to use it, but either way, they don’t want the property anymore. With the resale market being what it is, being released from a timeshare contract would be nearly impossible if it weren’t for transfer companies. We hope that ARDA continues to help the timeshare business grow and prosper, but for individuals who feel that they’ve erred in purchasing a vacation property, we’re here to help.

Fostering the Industry

ARDA’s mission is accomplished through a number of different avenues. For one, ARDA serves as a highly influential advocate on behalf of resort developments and consumers by engaging in lobbying efforts centered on legislative and regulatory issues such as “unwarranted taxes and excessive regulation.” They also work to enact public policy involving the timeshare industry and timeshare owners.

Further, ARDA seeks to educate its members with timeshare information by conducting industry research, hosting webinars, and by publishing Developments magazine, “the voice of the timeshare industry.” Throughout the year, there are ten issues circulated that are full of informative articles that focus on industry trends concerning both consumers and developers.

Finally, ARDA also offers a major networking opportunity by holding the ARDA Annual Convention and Exposition. The conventions consist of dozens of educational seminars that cover marketing, technology, finance, and design, among many other topics.  Last year, the convention was held in Las Vegas, and this year’s conference will be held in Hollywood, Florida – just north of Fort Lauderdale.

ARDA isn’t only concerned with catering to the corporate side of the industry, however. ARDA-ROC (Resort Owner’s Coalition) works to defend timeshare owners against legislation that could have potentially disastrous consequences. According to their website, through ARDA-ROC, “Owners can be part of an effective grassroots lobbying coalition of timeshare unit owners dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing vacation ownership.” This organization gives owners a significant political voice in an industry where it can sometimes be difficult to be heard.

A Trusted Leader

With all of this in mind, it’s easy to see why ARDA is such a major player in the timeshare industry. They maintain an influential presence in Washington, and they offer a valuable service to their many constituents. They are a trusted leader in the timeshare development arena, and they are fighting to protect the interests of the industry and their members. At the end of the day, their primary goal is a noble one – to enhance the vacation resort development industry – and we applaud them in this endeavor.

At Newton Group Transfers, we have a distinct appreciation and respect for ARDA (although we do not endorse them, nor are we endorsed by them). They attempt to regulate the timeshare industry in a manner that they feel best represents their members’ wishes, and they’ve worked tirelessly to establish a great deal of trust and credibility, which is always an admirable enterprise. In fact, we’ve learned a lot about consumer advocacy from ARDA that we attempt to implement in our own business practices on a daily basis.

We don’t believe that the resort development advocacy that ARDA strives for and the consumer rights that Newton Group Transfers works to protect are mutually exclusive. Although the timeshare transfer business may occasionally be at cross purposes with ARDA, we feel that our two general ethos align pretty closely. In fact, we think that the timeshare transfer business and ARDA balance each other out perfectly, as we are both dedicated to increasing the credibility of the industry. Newton Group Transfers advocates for the group of owners that no long have a need for keeping their timeshares, while ARDA strives to advocate for the entire industry as a whole, which, in some cases may not specifically address the segment of owners who are seeking an exit. We seek to gain our client’s trust through our core values of integrity and transparency, while ARDA seeks to gain the same through similar upstanding ethical conduct.

A Model of Excellence
So, there you have it. ARDA has over 40 years of timeshare-related regulation under their belt. They’ve established themselves as leaders in the timeshare industry, and they’ve built credibility along the way, both in Washington and throughout the country. They stand for something in a business that often shudders when asked to perform with integrity. Although Newton Group Transfers hasn’t been around as long as ARDA, we’re dedicated to doing things the right way, and we plan on using ARDA as an ethical model in our pursuit of excellence as we continue to perform a valuable service on behalf of our customers.

ARDA attempts to maintain and enhance the timeshare experience, while Newton Group Transfers offers assistance to those seeking an exit. We’re both looking out for the best interests of our clients and members, and, at the end of the day, it’s a commitment to remaining true to our core values that really counts.

With nearly a decade of experience, we have accumulated a vast expanse of knowledge on the industry, and, as a result of this experience, we have heard literally thousands of different owner's
stories. Many of these stories detail an ownership experience that was everything the consumer could have asked for and more. This is the type of experience that ARDA has been fighting for throughout their history. Unfortunately, not every story we hear has a happy ending. Sometimes, timeshare owners are desperate to get rid of their properties, and we feel that we give them the best opportunity to do so in an honest and trustworthy fashion.

If you and your family feel like you may have reached this point, please contact us at (877) 354-4321, or visit us online at newtongrouptransfers.com.

Compared to Hotels, Do Timeshares Make Sense?

Timeshares vs. Hotels

If you and your family own a timeshare, can afford the associated fees, and love the destination, then maybe you made the right choice. However, if these fees have become insurmountable and the destination is getting stale, this blog might prove beneficial. I’m going to take a moment to compare the costs and benefits of hotel travel as compared with timeshares.

Timeshares are a luxury item that most people simply can’t afford. Ignoring, for a moment, the staggering special assessments and maintenance fees, even the fundamental cost of buying a timeshare is just too much for the average family to manage. Unfortunately, these fees can’t be ignored, and they often rise to more than $1,000 per year for timeshare owners. So when typical people want to take their family on a vacation, they do it the old fashioned way – by spending their time at a hotel. This method may not have the sexy glitz and glamour of timeshare ownership, but what these trips lack in water cooler status, they make up for in affordability and the freedom to choose a new destination every year.

Destination Freedom

One of the major drawbacks of timeshares is that, by signing a contract locked in to perpetuity (i.e. the contract is eternal and will be passed down to your next of kin), you’re committing to an annual vacation to the same location every year for the rest of your life. In high school, I went to Clearwater Beach, Florida two years in a row for Spring Break. I had a great experience on both occasions, but I soon learned that it’s easy to get bored with a vacation destination. When my sister moved to that area a few years after I graduated, it just wasn’t the same. The beaches were still beautiful, the sun still shined brightly, and the jet skiing was still a riot, but that flair was somehow lacking.

It’s true, there’s nothing quite like the excitement of an entirely new, fresh experience, but, with repeated use that excitement can become ordinary very quickly. However, when you’re able to choose a new vacation destination every year, your trip will always yield new and exhilarating adventures! Most timeshares don’t afford the owner the opportunity to explore different locales, but by visiting hotels, you open up a world of travel possibilities.

Oh, the Financials

It’s time for everyone’s favorite subject: math! I’ll try not to bore you with the figures, but please bear with me for a moment. Let’s remain conservative and say that you purchased your timeshare for $20,000. If you’re planning on using your timeshare for one for the next 30 years, that works out to roughly $670 per year. This works out to be roughly the same amount that most families of four would spend to reserve a mid-range hotel in a trendy vacation spot. But we left out the maintenance fees. Even if we kept these numbers relatively low, most timeshare owners would still have to tack on an extra $500 annually. Put together, these figures work out to $1,170 that would come out of your bank account every year.

For the sake of objective comparison, I did a little travel research on priceline.com. I entered in a six-night stay at the Westin in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for one of the busiest times of year – the end of March, which, traditionally, marks the Spring Break period for students. I found accommodations for $136 per night, which, when multiplied by the six nights that most people would spend during this time, the number comes out to $816; that’s more than $450 less than the annual cost of timeshare ownership!

To be fair, the average hotel room can’t compete with the fancy amenities that many timeshares offer, but for the family that prefers to spend their vacation actually enjoying the sites and activities of a new place, the money saved could easily be used for several big-ticket activities such as ski-lift tickets or a trip to an amusement park. Not only that, but there would probably still be money left over for a nice meal.

In the end, vacation options will vary from person to person. The most important thing is getting the most enjoyment out of your trip for the least amount of money. Some people feel this is achieved by visiting their timeshare, while others prefer to scope out new places every year and stay in a hotel. If you already own a timeshare, but would rather save money and travel to new destinations every year, perhaps it’s time that you transfer your timeshare contract.

Newton Group Transfers

Newton Group Transfers is a timeshare disposal company with an excellent reputation for quickly and seamlessly removing families from their timeshare obligations. We have a fantastic track record within the industry and we have built our name by sticking to our core values of accountability and transparency. Constructing a culture of good faith between ourselves and our clients based on our 100% Money Back Guarantee and an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau is our ultimate goal. We are fully equipped to remove you from your timeshare obligation, so please contact us today at 1-877-354-4321 or visit our website at newtongrouptransfers.com for immediate relief from timeshare stress.

Large Travel Fees Associated with Timeshare Vacations

For some timeshare owners, the journey to their property is a short drive away from home. For most, however, their annual vacation destination is located quite far away. Actually, that’s usually the whole point of going on vacation; sometimes, you just need to get away! In this case, traveling to your timeshare requires a lengthy road trip or flight. These costs can add up rather quickly, especially if you are traveling with several family members. The fact is that, often times, the travel costs associated with timeshare ownership are left out of the equation when people consider their vacation budgets.

Air Travel

As the economy continues to struggle, and the cost of fuel progressively rises to record highs, experts predict that the price of airfare will persistently increase annually over the next 20 years. In fact, the current average price of airfare is already up nearly 10% from this same time last year. According to Ed Perkins, a blogger with smartertravel.com, “Just about everyone in the business believes that airfares are going up, generally, across the boards, and more or less permanently.” Factors for the price hikes include decreased airline capacity, labor strife, conflict in the Middle East, and recent mergers among large carriers. Unfortunately for travelers, none of these issues seem to be going away any time in the near future.

It’s not all bad, though. On the whole, flying is still a relatively cheap form of travel (in relation to rates adjusted for inflation over the last 30 years), and most airlines stay afloat by throwing in hidden costs such as large baggage fees or instituting small price increases several times throughout the course of the year. Many carriers are looking to invest in more fuel-efficient planes, but much of the technology has yet to be fully realized and the cost for research and development alone is well into the billions of dollars. The average consumer who’s grown accustomed to paying modest fees is likely in for a rude awakening in the near future.

Car Travel

The typical timeshare traveler overlooks several fees associated with car travel that can add up quickly, even if you’re flying. If you’re flying, parking your car in an airport ramp can cost as much as $100 per week. In addition, you’ll have to either rent a car or rely on taxicabs for the duration of your trip, and these costs can get out of hand quickly. For instance, I checked to see how much it would cost to rent a compact car over Christmas this year, and the overall figures well exceeded more than $100 per day with Enterprise.

If you’re driving to your vacation destination, there are obviously costs associated with fuel, oil changes, and potential car problems. While fuel prices remained relatively low over this past summer (in large part due to the political elections), most experts don’t expect that trend to continue. In fact, many economists are predicting $4 per gallon again by the end of January.

There are also the unseen costs of piling mileage onto your vehicle’s odometer. In 2011, Americans drove an average of 13,500 miles per year (this statistic includes teenage and senior drivers that typically wouldn’t be driving cross-country to a timeshare destination). A roundtrip car ride from the northern eastern seaboard to southern Florida is more than 2,500 miles. That’s almost a fifth of the miles you’ll put on your car in an entire year! Cars are meant to be driven, but packing on the miles will shorten the length of your vehicle’s life.

Just One of Many Fees

Many people are completely comfortable with paying the travel fees associated with timeshare ownership. Others, however, are beginning to see these costs as the straw breaking the proverbial camel’s back. Once these expenses are coupled with maintenance fees and special assessments, along with the headaches associated involved with scheduling your allotted time at your vacation property, the cost of owning a timeshare becomes less and less feasible.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your timeshare, the smartest, fastest way to remove yourself from your contract is to seek the assistance of a timeshare transfer company like Newton Group Transfers. We pride ourselves on our honest approach with our customers, and we won’t sugar coat the situation. We are fully aware of the severity of the timeshare crisis.

At Newton Group Transfers, we offer the opportunity to forge a new financial future by accepting each predicament for exactly what it is, and by working together to develop guaranteed alternative solutions. Please contact us at 1-877-354-4321, or enter your information at our website to receive a free quote today!

The Pros and Cons of Timeshare Ownership

Let’s be honest, owning a timeshare isn’t all bad.  If it were, no one would ever enter into an agreement with a resort development.  There are many advantages that come along with purchasing a timeshare (as any salesman worth his salt will tell you).  But it is important to investigate all variables when considering purchasing a timeshare.  In this article, I’d like to take a minute to look at both the good and bad aspects of timeshare ownership.

The basic premise behind timeshares is simple: buy a fraction of a piece of vacation property and use it for a fraction of the year.  This is an appealing proposition for those families who vacation regularly and have a favorite destination.  Rather than purchasing their own property outright to use during their trips, timeshare owners share the cost of a property with a collection of other investors and spend an allotted amount of time there.  In theory, this is an excellent way for many families to enjoy quality time with one another in a prized vacation locale.  For those owners who really enjoy a specific vacation destination, they can familiarize themselves with an area and create lasting memories.  Unfortunately, for many timeshare owners, these memories have a nasty habit of becoming bittersweet.

Most families really enjoy the first few years of owning a timeshare.  It can be an exciting and convenient vacation option.  However, as children get older, and families begin to use their timeshares less frequently, the property can begin to lose its luster.  What initially seemed like a great way to treat your family to a special annual trip can become a headache as various maintenance fees and special assessments begin to add up.  Coupled with the rising cost of travel and a stagnant economy, suddenly your timeshare can begin to seem like less of a luxury and more of a burden.

At this point in the life cycle of timeshare ownership, many people consider selling their property.  The problem with this, of course, is that a timeshare is a liability, not an asset.  The value will only depreciate over time, which makes the resale market virtually non-existent.  There are many listing agencies and exchange companies who will make empty promises about the value of your property and the abundance of buyers lining up to purchase it, only to cash a large check without providing adequate service.  The bottom line is that it is nearly impossible to sell a timeshare.  The resale market has decreased significantly and shows no signs of rebounding.

We make no pretense about the value of your timeshare.  If you use and enjoy your timeshare, then it has significant value to you and your family.  If not, then you need to ask yourself if timeshare ownership is still a good choice.  The best option to get out from under the heavy burden of a timeshare contract is to transfer it with Newton Group Transfers.  Ever confident in our ability to remove the timeshare from your name, we back up our service with a 100% Guarantee of our services.

Please visit us online at newtongrouptransfers.com or contact us today at 1-877-354-4321 to begin the process of becoming timeshare free!

What Is a Perpetuity Clause?

There are a lot of things that we wish could last forever: the latest book by your favorite author, a perfect evening spent with family and friends, the youth and innocence of a new-born baby. These things have a timeless quality that, although short-lived, we carry with us as treasured memories for a lifetime. Other things, we are stuck with for eternity, whether we like them or not.

You may not have realized it at the time, but if you signed a deeded timeshare contract, you were committing to a potential financial nightmare from which there’s no easy escape. Most timeshare contracts are written with a “perpetuity clause” that makes your contract nearly impossible to break. Timeshare salespeople insist that this element of the contract is vital to ensuring that your progeny will enjoy ownership of such a valuable asset. But what this really means is that, after purchasing your timeshare, you will be required to all of the costs related to your timeshare for the remainder of your life. When you pass, the responsibility of maintaining these fees will be assigned to your next of kin.

Usually, family members do not want the property bequeathed to them for a few critical reasons. In recent years, timeshare occupancy has steadily decreased due to a struggling economy and unfair business practices on behalf of the resort developers. As the number of buyers decrease, resorts raise maintenance fees arbitrarily and well above the rate of inflation in order to mitigate their losses. In fact, the average annual cost of timeshare maintenance fees was $674in 2009. According to 2011 figures, that number has now jumped to $776 every year. That’s a 13% increase in just two years!

In addition to astronomical maintenance fees, the value of your timeshare decreases dramatically the instant you purchase it. Therefore, in the unlikely event that you are able to sell your timeshare, you will only be able to do so after taking a significant loss. Taken together, two factors make selling a timeshare extremely difficult; people just don’t want to take on your financial burden in the same way that you no longer want to continue to suffer under it.

So, if you’ve signed a contract making you and your family the permanent owners of the property, what are your options? Well, resale listing companies have very little incentive to follow through with their promise to sell your property; most donation options are scams that will land you in hot water with the IRS; and failing to keep up with your timeshare obligations will lead to a foreclosure that will destroy your credit.

Newton Group Transfers is NOT a resale listing agency or a donation company looking to scam you by falsely appraising your timeshare. We are a timeshare disposal company with a sterling reputation within the industry. We take an honest approach with our customers to completely transfer the deed from timeshare owners who have paid their mortgage in full. We are an experienced group of veterans of the timeshare transfer industry with a universal reputation of integrity based on our core values of accountability and transparency.  We’ve built a culture of good faith between ourselves and our clients based on our 100% Money Back Guarantee and an A- rating from the Better Business Bureau.

We have our client’s best interests in mind, and we will work tirelessly and honestly to remove you from your timeshare obligation.  So please contact us today at 1-877-354-4321 or visit our website at newtongrouptransfers.com to liberate yourself from your timeshare contract.

Relieve Yourself of Timeshare Stress

Are you a timeshare owner who feels like you’ve been manipulated?  Are you looking for relief from your timeshare burden?  Regardless of why you are feeling dissatisfied, removing your family from a timeshare obligation can be a difficult task.

It seems as though there are several viable options for removing yourself from your timeshare: selling your timeshare outright through a listing company, donating your timeshare to a charitable organization, or simply abandoning your obligation.  However, given the state of the timeshare market, none of these solutions are as feasible as you might think.  Therefore, the best option for a rapid, convenient, and affordable exit solution to your timeshare obligation is to contact Newton Group Transfers.

Removing yourself from a timeshare contract is nearly impossible to do on one’s own.  Unfortunately, when individuals begin to despair over their attempts to end their timeshare burden, they choose to contact real estate agents and listing companies who simply cannot deliver on their lofty promises.  However, their dishonest practices will not deter them from charging you absurd fees for their unresolved work.

Even if you try to make a charitable donation of your timeshare, the truth is that they most likely will not accept it.  Charitable organizations will gladly accept gifts of assets, but since timeshares are considered a liability, they usually deny your donation. Like most individuals and families, charities are discovering that timeshares are nearly impossible to sell, and they don’t want to be burdened by the increasing maintenance fees and special assessments while waiting to move the timeshare…

A new trend in the timeshare industry is the practice of developers renting vacant timeshare inventory for significantly less than the actual owner’s high maintenance fees.  Obviously, this new strategy by the developers has infuriated thousands of timeshare owners.  This unfair business practice places the resort in direct competition with the timeshare owners that they once claimed to care about.  In most cases, the actual timeshare owner is unable to match the discounted rates that the resort offers.  Thus the owners are forced to lower their rent considerably, which basically defeats their chances at collecting any significant return on their “investment” through renting.  When families can afford to rent to cheaply, it makes no sense to buy.  Therefore, the market for purchasing a timeshare has bottomed out over the last several years.

Not only are the resorts and developers eroding the resale industry, but the slumping economy itself has also dealt a large blow to the resale market for timeshares.  As most family’s incomes have been decreasing, so to have their travel options.  Vacations are viewed as a luxury that many families simply don’t have right now.  Those families that are able to vacation, use their time and money to visit with relatives and friends rather than resort destinations.  This shift in vacation philosophy has largely contributed to the current timeshare crisis.

With so few buyers on the market due to low rental rates and a change in vacation culture due to the slumping economy, competition for the few buyers that do exist has become a veritable battleground.  So when listing your timeshare doesn’t work, when donating your timeshare doesn’t work, and when renting your timeshare doesn’t work, don’t despair.  After all of your frustrations, you have come to the most viable option for timeshare disposal… Newton Group Transfers.

We guarantee that we will transfer the timeshare from your name, effectively eliminating all future maintenance fees and special assessments.  Please call or contact us either by phone at 1-877-354-4321, or by entering your information in the space provided on the website to avoid any further maintenance fees or special assessments.  At Newton Group Transfers, we know that removing yourself and your family from your timeshare burden can be a stressful endeavor, so please contact us today and be rid of your timeshare obligation once and for all!