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Rating: 
Summary: Read this before you buy timeshare!
Review: I've been toying with the idea of buying a timeshare for a couple years. There's not a lot of public information on timeshare. A few FAQ's here & there online, but nothing approaching the a-z perspective contained in this book. It's light reading... easy to fly through and yet get the information you need. There are numerous spelling & grammatical errors throughout, but the reason to buy this book is to arm yourself with information, and it does that just great. Do not spend 50-60% of your timeshare dollar on salesman commission before reading this book. In some cases it's what you'll end up wanting to do in the end anyway, but at least you'll enter the deal with realistic expectations.
If you're reading this review online after attending a high-pressure presentation, by all means DO NOT BUY until you've done the proper research. The 'killer deal' the salesman just gave you will not dissappear in the next couple weeks while you do the research. Even that killer deal that will expire when you leave town represents a 100% markup due to the selling expenses built into it. Think logically.
Rating:
Summary: Timeshares are generally for suckers
Review: If you don't read this book before buying a timeshare, you're probably going to regret it -- but read it anyway so you can get yourself out of the hole you might be in ASAP.Strauss does a good job giving the pros and cons of buying timeshares. He appears very objective, and appears not to benefit financially from his advice(other than selling books of course). His material is backed up by tons of data and references, so it's not like he's spinning a Disney tale. Sure, there are decent timeshares out there -- but it's much like auto leases -- the people that really like timeshares/auto leases are the salespeople -- can you figure out why? HUGE rip(commission)! Anyhoo, you can find a needle in the haystack, but you probably won't be able to do it without reading this book. The one thing I think Strauss missed out on was giving some bona fide examples of where he thinks timeshares can be "the needle in the haystack" and how to find them. He touches only briefly on the resale market, where it appears there are some decent deals (needles?)-- that should tell you something right there -- the big suckers are the ones who purchase them new (again, much like cars/leases). Hope this helps.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for beginners and owners of Timeshares
Review: We have already bought one timeshare at a tennis resort. Michael Strauss' guide helped us to understand the intricacies of timesharing and its benefits. Based on the criteria outlined in this book we'll buy another timeshare for it's an investment in future vacationing.
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