Florida Topic Hub

Now is a great time to buy timeshare property in the US as confidence is returning to the market.

Marc Da-Silva, editor at real estate adviser HomesOverseas.co.uk stated that figures published earlier this week by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) indicating that the number of pending property sales in the US has increased for six consecutive months is good news for the sector.

Kritidou Alexandra was a recent winner in the OTE writing competition. Here she writes about her family's most recent experiences on a timeshare holiday with RCI to Florida. "Everything was magically beautiful", she writes.

Disney Vacation Club has restructured its timeshare points system to get more people to book weekend trips. As part of the alterations, the amount of points needed for weekday stays have been increased and the number required for weekend stays has been reduced. Previously, the amount of Disney timeshare points needed for a weekend stay were approximately twice as much as a weekday trip.

 The Registry Collection® programme, the world’s largest luxury exchange programme and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), has been recognised with the 2009 Overseas Property Professional (OPP) Industry Award in the Best Fractional Service category.

The Registry Collection programme pioneered the concept of luxury leisure property exchange when it launched in the U.S. eight years ago. It now has more than 130 affiliates across five continents bringing more than 160 properties that are available through the programme and are either accessible for exchanges or under development. In the last 12 months its European business development team has affiliated five new properties in Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Tunisia.

In order to showcase its industry-leading range of high-end holiday products, Resort Properties, www.resortproperties-group.com has released its latest website.

The site has been designed to reflect the opulence of the Club Paradiso locations that make up this exclusive network of boutique resorts.

New immigration rules have been put in place for those looking to travel to the US, it has emerged. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) has been introduced as of today and it means that travellers looking to get into the country have to register their details online at least three days in advance of departure.

According to Timeshares Daily, an on-line source for news about timeshare, the Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshares in Orlando are ideal for those looking for a honeymoon vacation. People who have a unit at the Sheraton Vistana Villages timeshares will not have a shortage of things to do and they are perfect for family holidays as well as just-married couples, the publication states.

Orange Lake Resorts in Orlando is one of the best timeshare opportunities in Florida and is just a stone’s throw from Disney World’s Magic Kingdom® theme park. In fact a 15 minute car ride will take you to its very gates, with Universal Studios being just a 30 minute ride away too!

The resort makes the best use of one of its greatest assets; the generally dependable supply of good Florida weather. The swimming pools are both generous and well laid out with enough variety to cater to most tastes; Boisterous slides for the most active, shallow entry pools for the less so and quiet nooks, poolside bars and private cabanas to suit the least gregarious holidaymaker among us. All pool areas are connected by a winding artificial river. This looping, gently flowing water course allows one to float away an afternoon with a wonderful sense of motion, without effort. Perfect for the workaholic among us who can only truly relax when doing almost nothing! The resort also offers an extensive and well-integrated golfing experience, very nearly from sunrise to sunset.

What makes a good idea great? Some are sparked by necessity, others take off when the time is right, and the best ideas in the holiday industry are based on meeting – preferably exceeding – the needs of the consumer.

Not so long ago we all lived and breathed “a place in the sun.” We were busy buying villas in Vilamoura, doing up farmhouses in the Dordogne, transforming derelict barns in scenic locations into rustic-chic holiday homes. But grey economic clouds started hovering overhead and turned a threatening shade of charcoal. Suddenly, the idea of pouring money into “grand designs” or saddling oneself with a second home mortgage for a place likely to lie empty (pelted by French winter rain) felt a bit burdensome.

Fast-forward to 2010. As the sun breaks through those clouds, property bargains abound and a taste of the good life beckons in emerging, untapped destinations. And in Europe, an American holiday concept over 30 years old is coming of age: timeshare and its younger relative fractional ownership - both immensely popular in the US and ingrained in the American lifestyle - are enjoying a renaissance this side of the pond.