Archive for March, 2009

Timeshare Exchange Tips Videos

Monday, March 30th, 2009

I’ll soon be releasing 10 short videos on timeshare exchange tips.  Each video will be between one and a half to 3 minutes in length but will be packed with great information on how to get the most out of exchanging your timeshare in either RCI or Interval International.

It would have been much easier and less time consuming to do 5 longer videos but this way I can deal with each subject separately quickly.  And if you already know some of the material you won’t be investing a lot of time.

This is some of the materiel found in The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – II Edition. I suggest you go through the tips in order as each tip builds upon the other.

Let me know what you think and what other timeshare exchange tips you’d like to know about.

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The Cliffs at Peace Canyon Las Vegas

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

The Cliffs at Peace Canyon in Las Vegas has gotten a lot of good reviews.  It even gets good reviews in Trip Advisor whose contributors are pretty persnickety  when rating resorts.

Cliffs at Peace Canyon

Cliffs at Peace Canyon

Here’s a picture of the living and dining room.

Living and Dining Room

Living and Dining Room

RCI rates it as a Gold Crown.  According to Timeshares Daily, “The Cliffs at Peace Canyon is one of the best timeshares in Las Vegas. Its located 15 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip, near fantastic outdoor locations like Red Rock Canyon and Hoover Dam.

The property offers a getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas gaming tables. It has a Spa fully equipped with saunas and offers hot-stone massages, European treatments, Swiss showers, salt scrubs, and more.

If you have a taste for golf, the property has an 18-hole golf course. After basking under the sun after the match, you can wash your fatigue away with a swimming pool nestled amidst the Peace Canyon.

The timeshare offers one and two-bedroom accommodations, both include a kitchen, a living room, and a dining area. When the desert breeze comes in, you can relax in front of gas fire places.”

As nice it is I wouldn’t exchange my timeshare for the Cliffs.  I did a quick search on Expedia and found that I could rent a 1 bedroom for around $55/night-less than my maintenance fee.  Even over the 4th of July weekend the average rate was only $72/night.

Do some research before exchanging your timeshare.  You want to use your exchange week in resorts that you would have to pay at least $150/night to stay in.

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Sonoma Barrel Tasting Week End 3

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

I thought I’d end this series of posts on the timeshare exchange I did to WorldMark Wine Country Sonoma with a description and pictures of the drive on Coast Highway 1 north of the wine country.

I’ve travelled the world and done many beautiful drives but this one rates as one of my favorites.  I only got as far as the town of Gualala but if you want to make a full day of it, go all the way to the charming town of Mendocino.

Going west of Guerneville, a popular summer vacation spot on the Guerneville River, you’ll go through the little town of Monte Rio.

There you’ll find Northwood Golf Club an excellent, and challeging 9 hole golf course built by Allister MacKenzie. He’s the same architech that built Spy Glass in Pebble Beach and Augusta National where the Master’s Golf tournament is played.  Don’t miss playing this great course.  The course record is 63 for 18 holes set by Ken Venturi many years ago.

Northwood Golf Course

Here are a couple of pictures.

You’ll follow the river through Duncan’s Mills to where it empties into the ocean at Jenner.  Find you way down to the state park where you’re likely to find many seals and sea lions lounging on the beach with Sea Otters playing in the lagoon.  You can easily spend hours here.

Above the beach sits a great restaurant with really fine food and spectacular views call River’s End.

River's End Sign

Here are some views from the restaurant.

River's End Views

They rent cabins as well.

River's End Cabins

If you want to pack a picnic lunch there are many places like Fisk Mill Cove to stop and enjoy it.

Fisk Mill Cove

FiskMillCove

There are very few timeshare resorts in RCI or Interval International to exchange to in Napa and Sonoma and they’re hard to get.  So make sure you plan in advance and supercharge your exchange power in RCI and II before you put in your request.

Click Here Now to supercharge your exchange power in RCI.

Click Here Now to supercharge your exchange power in Interval International.

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Sonoma Barrel Tasting Weekend Part 2

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

We started our wine tasting weekend at the beautiful Korbel Winery, just outside of Guerneville, CA.  Many people think Korbel only produces cheap champagne, but their Premier Champagne, for about $25, is really excellent.  They also produce a very drinkable Chardonnay for about $15 as well.

This is a good place to start at 11:00 am.  Champagne at that hour is far preferable to red wine.

The Family

The Family

Our next stop was Iron Horse Vineyards for more champagne.  I had remembered it being better than what we tasted that day but the real reason I wanted to go there was for the view.

Our next stop was the Dutton Family Vineyards.  There we tasted the best wines of the day.  Their Chardonnay and Pinot’s were some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

After a couple of more stops we picked up some supplies from the grocery store and went back to the timeshare and bar-b-qued up some steaks and chicken and drink some of the fine wine we had purchased.

The WorldMark Wine Country Sonoma is perfectly situated in the heart of  wine country.  The resort is very well taken care of, the staff very helpful and friendly and the timeshare condos well appointed.  I highly recommend it as an RCI exchange.  Below are more pictures of the 3 bedroom unit I got with my 1 bedroom.

Kitchen

We had our own bar-b-que on the patio and the fireplace and entertainment center were great.

Bar-b-que

Fireplace & entertainment center

And finally pictures of the master bedroom.

Master BedroomMaster Bedroom

In the next post I’ll share with you some pictures of one of the most beautiful drives you can do anywhere.  If you ever want to exchange your timeshare to this area, you don’t want to miss this drive.

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Sonoma Barrel Tasting Weekend Timeshare Exchange

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Saturday March 7, 2009 I’m checking into the WorldMark Wine Country Sonoma County timeshare on exchange to attend  the 31st Annual Barrel Tasting.  When I lived in the wine country, this was one of my favorite events to attend because you have the chance to taste wine right out of the barrels.  Most wineries aren’t set up for barrel tasting and if they are, you have to pay a hefty price.

But during Barrel Tasting Weekend, 100-124 wineries throughout Sonoma County let you taste their best wines right from the barrel.  Many wineries have goumet snacks and music to compliment the tastings.  If you purchase tickets ahead of time, online, it’s only $20  for all the wine you can drink for the entire weekend.  Plus you get to keep the souvenir glass.

The event is held over two weekends so it continues the weekend of March 14th as well.  To read about Barrel Tasting Weekend, Click Here.

As an added plus to attending this premier wine event, I exchanged my 1 bedroom timeshare in Whistler for a 3 bedroom in the Woldmark Somoma through RCI, so my immediate family is joining me.  If you could even find a hotel room this weekend, it would run about $300+ a night.  I’m staying a week in a 3 bedroom timeshare right in the heart of it all for only $164 a week!

In addition, my resort, The Whistler Vacation Club at Lake Placid Lodge, isn’t even ranked as a Gold or Silver Crown in RCI.  The WorldMark is a Gold Crown.

By applying all of the secrets and techniques I write about in The Timeshare Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, you too can exchange you timeshare into highly demanded destination areas, during peak periods and exchange for a larger suite than you gave up.  Some of you may think that because I’m in the timeshare business that RCI gives me special treatment.  This is not true.  They could care less that I’m in the industry.  It’s just that I’ve figured out how to work the system effectively – something few people ever do since they only do 1 timeshare exchange a year.

RCI confirmed my reservation in August of 2008.  I had only put in the request in July of 2008 so it was a quick turnaround.  This is another benefit of learning how to supercharge your exchange power – you’re not waiting and waiting to hear from RCI and then taking something at the last minute.

You can look forward to more posts and pictures about this really fun event in the days to come.

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