Here’s  Tip #3 on how to get more exchange power out of your timeshare week.  Again, I’ll reveal an Insider’s Secret that few if
any timeshare owners know of or use.

Here’s a recap of what we’ve covered so far.

First, you’ll always want to bank next year’s week in the previous year.  You’ll have to pay your HOA dues early but you will not be double billed.  You may however, receive a supplemental bill if your HOA dues went up after you paid them.

Second, always start your search in RCI and Interval International as early as possible even if you don’t know where you want to vacation. Ideally, this should be done the day you bank your week to get an early timestamp on your request. 

You want to request resorts that are impossible to get and during the peak time of year.  Then simply change your request when you know where you really want to vacation.

TIP #3 NEVER CANCEL A SEARCH ONCE IT’S STARTED OR LET IT EXPIRE
 
In Tip #2 I explained how important it is to start your search in a as hard to get location soon as possible to get an early timestamp
on it.  As an example I suggested requesting Ocho Cascadas in February.

What should you do as you get closer to February and you still haven’t made up your mind where you want to vacation?

As February approaches you’ll want to change your request in Interval International to February of the following year.  If you cancel the request, or simply let it expire you will be back to square one when putting in your request for your desired vacation destination.

Additionally, I’d change the request for Ocho Cascadas in January because if you have a very powerful timeshare you just might get
confirmed through a last minute cancellation.

These are 3 very powerful ways to get what you want when dealing with the exchange companies.  But it is only the tip of the iceberg.

For many more ways to supercharge your exchange check out

www.TheTimeshareExpert.com/rcisecrets.html

There you can learn about the best guide on timeshare exchanging on the planet,

“The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare -
The Da Vinci Code of Timeshare Exchanging.”

Learn 18 Insider’s Secrets to supercharging your exchange power, read 8 case studies and discover 6 very powerful strategies on
placing your request.

You’ll learn how to get priority over millions of timeshare owner giving you an unfair advantage when exchanging.

Don’t miss it.  Go there now!

http://www.TheTimeshareExpert.Com/rcisecrets.html

Exchange Tip #2, like the first tip, is one you may have heard before but read it carefully.  In it I reveal a strategy and technique
that few timeshare owners know or use.  Used correctly, it will give you an unfair advantage over millions of timeshare owners when exchanging.

TIP #2 REQUEST EARLY

O.K. I know you’re probably rolling your eyes at this one because it’s so obvious.  But keep reading to learn some Insider’s Secrets few timeshare owners know of or use.

Requesting early, in either RCI or Interval International, especially combined with banking early, will really increase your exchange power.  But again, many timeshare owners don’t put in their requests until they know exactly where and when they want to go.  It’s natural.

So what do you do?

INSIDER’S SECRET

Put in a request for a resort that you have little if any chance of getting, to timestamp your request date as early as possible. 
 
In the timeshare world, if I request a resort today and you request the exact same thing tomorrow, and everything else between us is
equal, I’ll get confirmed before you because I requested one measly day before you did.

When do you think the bulk of millions of timeshare owners put in their exchange requests in RCI and Interval International?  If you guessed the first quarter of the year you’d be right.  That’s because the holidays are over, people are looking forward to a fresh start on the year AND they’ve just received and paid their HOA’s. 

This serves to remind them to start planning for their vacation. You want to be ahead of the multitudes of exchangers and get your
request in before the first quarter of the year.

This means you had better get a request for next year in this year.

I request from RCI, Borgo di Vagli in Tuscany, Italy in the summertime at the same time I bank my week just to get my request
time stamped early. And later, when I know where I really want to go, I call back simply change my request.

I use the same technique with Interval International requesting the Franz Klammer Lodge, a Fairmont Hotels and Resorts property, for Christmas and New Years and Ocho Cascadas in February. 

Interval International once told me that they only get 30 exchanges a year from Ocho Cascadas and I’d venture a guess that
none of them are February weeks.

If you want to read about how you can learn many more ways to supercharge your exchange power, and exponentially increase your chances of exchanging into the best resorts in the world, go to

www.TheTimeshareExpert.com/rcisecrets.html

That’s it for now.  Look for Tip #3 to tie it all together.

Here’s a big secret to increasing your exchange power in RCI and Interval International - Bank Early!!

I know, you’ve heard this before and you’re thinking, “Big deal!
What kind of advice is this?”

In two words, extremely important!

I’ve found, that even though this is common knowledge, and timeshare
owners are constantly reminded of this by the exchange companies,
few people understand or use this simple strategy that really
increases your exchange power.

Here’s why.

Most people believe they have to know where they want to exchange to before they bank their week with RCI or Interval International. So they wait and wait so they can put their request in at the same time as they bank.  This is a big mistake and can really harm your exchange power.

You do not need to know when and where you want to use your week on exchange in order to bank it. You just need to know if you want to
use it in your home resort or not. 

If you know you’re definitely not going to use your week at your home resort, then bank it as early as possible. You can decide later
where to use it. 

The reason banking early with RCI and Interval International is so important is because of the pecking order of timeshare.  Simply put, if I bank my week today, and you bank your week tomorrow, and every thing else between us is equal, I have priority over you when exchanging just because I banked my week one measly day before you.

INSIDER’S SECRET

Most people bank their week in the first quarter of the year.  This is because they’ve been busy with the holidays at the end of the
year and have either like taking a Christmas or New Years vacation, or don’t.

Either way, as January rolls around, they receive their HOA bill reminding them to do something with their timeshare. So here’s the secret. 

Always bank next years week this year to get ahead of the crowd.

Here’s another little known fact….

INSIDER’S SECRET

For every month over 12 months in advance you bank your week with RCI and Interval International, your trading power increases.  For every month under 12 months your trading power decreases.  For example, if you bank an July 2009 week in May of 2008 you will have significantly more trading power than if you bank that same July 2009 week in January 2009.

In addition, you’ll have a bigger window of opportunity to use it. You’ll have between May of 2008 and July of 2011 to decide where
to use that week! Not only do you now have more than 3 years to make up your mind but also your exchange power increases enormously.

Banking early especially makes sense if you want to travel in the first quarter of the year.  For instance, if you want to exchange to
Maui in February to see the humpback whales, you’d best not be starting that search in January of the same year. 

Most, but not all timeshare resorts, allow you to bank your week 1-2 years in advance.  Find out your home resorts policy and take
advantage of this powerful strategy.

 Remember, the more in advance you do things in the timeshare world, the more choice and power you have. So don’t wait, bank your week today.

While banking early will increase your exchange power, there are many more things you can do to supercharge your exchange power!  To learn more about that, check out my guidebook

“The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare.”

It’s the only guidebook of its kind in the timeshare industry and is loaded with tips and secrets I’ve learned in the 17 years I’ve been in the  industry.

Congratulations to Eli Manning and the New York Giants for their stunning upset in winning Super Bowl XLII.  You’ve got to hand it to them for a game well played and for running through the playoffs as a wildcard. 

So much for all of the talk of Tom Brady  and the New England Patriots  and their perfect season. Although, I think it will be a long time before we see another 18/0 season.

Have you ever dreamed of going to the Super Bowl?  If you have, now’s the time to put in your exchange request to RCI and Interval International  for both the 2009 and 2010 Super Bowls. Super Bowl 2009 will be played on February 1, 2009 in Tampa, FL and in Miami on February 7, 2010. 

Even though it’s a little late, in my opinion, to exchange for the 2009 Super Bowl in Tampa, it’s offset by the fact that the nearest timeshares to Tampa are in Orlando.

Normally there are so many timeshare weeks available in Orlando it wouldn’t be a problem.  Still, if you get with it now, and you own a timeshare with decent exchange power, you may have a good chance of being confirmed.

Miami in 2010 is a different story.  While you’ll have the advantage of putting in your request 2 years in advance, the scarcity of weeks available in Miami will make it difficult for all but a few lucky timeshare owners with extraordinary exchange power to get confirmed. 

If you follow the many recommendations in The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare you’ll increase your chance exponentially. 

Here are a few tips from the guide.

Search for both the 2009 and 2010 Super Bowl off of your 2008 deposit.  Many people don’t think, or even know, you can have a simultaneous search spanning 2 years from only one deposited/banked week. 

If you want to increase your chances even more, pay your 2009 HOA now, bank a week and search off of that week as well. 

You might be thinking “Why would I search for the exact same thing off of 2 of my weeks?  What if both my 2008 and 2009 week are confirmed for the same Super Bowl week?”

The odds on this happening are negligible while the benefits are enormous.  The first thing to recognize is that if you didn’t deposit your 2008 week in 2007 then it will have less exchange power than 2009 week that you deposited in 2008.

The second thing to recognize is that by starting your search on your 2009 week in 2008 you have significantly increased, or supercharged, your exchange power for that 2009 week.

For more great strategies check out “The Da Vinci Code” of exchanging a timeshare at The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare.

With the popularity of timesharing growing at record rates, and with better and better incentives to entice you, many of you reading this blog may end up at a timeshare presentation this year. 

There are many questions to ask the salesperson or sales manager if you do get interested in purchasing at a timeshare resort, but this one question will get, and keep, the salesperson real very quickly when used early on and often.

 Is that in writing or can you give me that in writing?

First and foremost you must understand that just because the salesperson says something does not mean the company will back it up.  I know that seem obvious but you’re under so much pressure and so much information is thrown at you during the presentation it’s easy to become overwhelmed. 

Some salespeople excel in pitching “fading or fadeable heat”.  Fadeable heat is industry jargon for lies (heat) that you won’t remember (fadeable). So many facts, figures and emotions are thrown at you in a typical timeshare presentation that by the time you decide to purchase you’re too tired and worn out to remember all of the “facts” you were told. 

Plus the person that goes over your contracts, in many instances, will gloss over important points you may have been told that aren’t necessarily true because they are on commission as well and don’t want to blow the sale.

If you get used to asking the salesperson “Is that in writing” from the beginning, it will force the salesperson to be more honest in his presentation.  You want to do this on the important claims by the salesperson and not on every little detail. 

For example, if the salesperson says that the resort is a RCI Gold Crown resort, there’s no need to ask for that in writing since you can look in the current RCI directory or for a plaque on the wall for verification.

If, however, he says that you can buy one week and “it trades two for one” in RCI or Interval International, I’d want to see that in writing were I to buy. 

If true, what you will most likely find in the documents is that for each week you give up to exchange, RCI or Interval International will match with a bonus week.  This is very different than “it trades two for one” and is commonly misused in the timeshare industry.

The difference is that the week you own has a certain trading power that can be enhanced enormously if you know how.  My guide “The Insider’s Secrets to Exchanging Your RCI Timeshare” explains this in detail and is something you must have if you own a timeshare. 

The bonus week comes from the exchange company and has no exchange power.  Big difference!  Bonus weeks are usually at lesser-demanded resorts and during non-peak travel times.  A bonus week at a fantastic beachfront resort in Hawaii or the Caribbean is rare indeed. 

Plus, you pay more than the exchange fee to use a bonus week and there are conditions tied to using it. 

 Many salespeople don’t know this, or prefer not to know it, and simply say your week exchanges two for one.  If you learn how to use a bonus week properly they can be a good value, but to simply imply that they are just like your exchange week is very misleading.

Become a smarter consumer by asking if a promise or claim given by the salesperson is in writing and then take it a step or two further by digging down to what the promise really means.  If you’re considering a purchase, make a list what you were promised in writing and make sure each one is verified in the contract.

Mistake 7: Not knowing what you own

Whether you’re selling your timeshare through a timeshare resale company or on your own, get clear in your mind exactly what it is that you own.  Go over the documents you got when you purchased and call the resort’s Owner Services department for further clarification. 

Do you own a  studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom?  Is it a lock-off?  Is your resort affiliated with RCI or Interval International? Do you have a deed or is it a right to use?  Do you have a fixed or floating week?  If it floats can you reserve it for any one of the 52 weeks in the year or are certain dates like Christmas, New Years, Easter and Fourth of July blacked out?

You wouldn’t want to find an interested buyer and find out that your floating Red week is only good in the summer.  Or, that the Home Owner’s Association fee is $751 rather than $610.  That will kill a sale faster than anything. 

If you’re listing with a timeshare resale company and it doesn’t have a good description of your resort, the on-site amenities, nearby attractions and why someone would want to own there, make them get one.  The operative word when selling your timeshare is “selling” your timeshare.  I’ve seen many a timeshare resale company with multiple listings for the same resort, use the exact same verbiage to describe the resort in each listing.  Think up some selling points on your own.  You want your listing to stand out from all of the other ones.

Mistake 8: Buying into the timeshare resale companies guarantee

Many timeshare resale companies guarantee that you’re timeshare will be listed for as long as it takes to sell for no additional charge.  Many sellers misunderstand this to mean that the resale company is guaranteeing the sale.  Big difference! This is one of the ploys disreputable timeshare resale companies use to get you to list with them.  Since they’re paying very little if any fees for advertising YOUR timeshare, it’s easy to guarantee the listing will never expire. You’re likely to hear this from timeshare resale companies that are mainly interested in collecting up front fees than actually selling your timeshare.

For those of you that do end up in Cabo San Lucas and the Los Cabos area for whale watching I recommend that you add on a few extra days and arrange a trip to Magdalena Bay 4-5 hours north of Cabo.  This is one of the 3 bays that the California Gray Whales breed and calve on the Baja Peninsula.  It’s here where you will not only witness one of the largest congregations of whales anywhere, but also have the chance, if you’re lucky, to pet a baby whale from you boat.  There is no guarantee you’ll be able to pet one but just being on the water with so many whales is incredible.

On my third trip to Magdalena Bay I petted a baby off and on for 30 minutes while the 40 foot long mother observed nearby.  It ranks as one of the best all time life experiences I ever enjoyed.  Seeing them is one thing but touching them is another.  The whales that can be petted are called “amistosos” or friendlies.  The Mexican government has gone to great lengths to regulate whale watching here and they are in no way harassed or stressed.  Biologists have witnessed this experience form many years but can’t explain it.

Since the best time to see them is in the morning I’d make a 2 day trip of it.  There are escorted tours by van or you can fly in (expensive) or, if adventurous, rent a car and drive.  I prefer the latter.  There is a good 2 lane highway all the way there and you need not worry about banditos in peaceful Baja. 

 You’ll want to arrange for accommodations in the Magdalena Bay area before you leave Cabo because they fill up during whale watching season.  You can do that before you go to Cabo, preferable, or have your activities director at your timeshare resort help you.  In fact, once you’ve reserved your week you can call the front desk and arrange the trip before hand.  Make sure to bring something warm to wear as the weather can be much cooler than sunny Cabo.

If you can’t pick up one of RCI’s Last Call weeks between now and February, and you’d like to see the whales next year, put in your exchange request now.  The greatest demand for Cabo San Lucas and Los Cabos is between Christmas and Easter so exchange availability is limited.

There’s still over 100 units left in Cabo San Lucas between now and February 17 on RCI’s Last Call list.  If you do grab a week in paradise to go see the California Gray whales I recommend that you do a sunset dinner cruise instead of a whale watching cruise.  That way you get to eat, drink and watch sunset while the whales are entertaining you.  And they really do put on a show. 

Some stand on their head and wave their tail, others roll on their side and wave a flipper and some spy hop, or stick just their head out of the water to take a look around.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see a breach.  Usually it’s the big males that do the breaching.  To see a 45 foot long, 40,000 pound whale throw himself three quarters of the way out of the water landing on his back is something you’ll never forget.

Don’t forget, you don’t have to exchange your timeshare to get a Last Call week.  Grab one and go see something incredible that very few people in the world will ever experience.

I just noticed that between now and February 17, 2008 RCI has Last Call availability in Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico for $199-$219 per week.  This is peak whale watching season and one of the best places in the world to watch California Gray whales from the shore.  The other two are Iceland and Antarctica-too far and too cold. 

I lived in Cabo for 6 years and you can expect daytime temperatures in the mid 70’s to low 80’s while you sit on a beautiful beach watching whales cavort just off shore.  On the Pacific side of Cabo they often come in close enough to shore to hear them spout. 

If you can get away, grab one of these weeks, get out of the cold and go see one of the most spectacular displays of nature you’ll ever witness.  You don’t even have to exchange your timeshare to do this.  Last call vacations are extra inventory and cancellations that RCI sells for less than a maintenance fee.  They go quickly so grab one immediately as they’ll only be around for a day or two.