All Forum Posts by: Will Stone

I've seen a smattering of timeshare discussions here, although I definitely think there's a difference between timeshare and real estate (I know that firsthand). I used to be in that market so I occasionally read the news, though, and this article surprised me:

http://timeshareconsumergroup.org/advocacy_industry_update.html

The points are a little skimpy, but the idea is that the ts industry has not experienced the same problems as the real estate industry and is actually experiencing growth in spite of the economy. To put it plainly: how? Are these people lying to drum up ts business?

One theory is that the sort of person who would own a timeshare would have enough money to get through a recession in luxury, but how many of those people do you know? Anyway, kind of interesting...

yeah, they will be interesting to see, although I won't be going in person -- China is not often put in the spotlight, culturally, for the west's observation.

I am admittedly not in your requisite group, but I know friends and kids of friends who are starting out in investing and business very young. Aside from cash flow (and getting other folks interesting in investing) it seems to me that their biggest problem is thin-slicing: ie, knowing enough about the business and the market to size up a situation and have the confidence to follow-through on a gut reaction. This was my problem at 25. I screwed myself over royally once because my head told me a particular business deal was cake but my gut was telling me it was crap. I went with my head, and lost out, but hey, at least I was young enough to start from scratch without too much embarrassment.

Renting can be good for cash flow but it also occurs to me that it will cost money and effort you might not want to spend/make. There are renovations and repairs, utilities (depending on the standard in your area), and then you'll need a seller's permit (also depending on where you're located), etc. Plus the cost of advertising the property. But, if you live in a very competitive housing area it may not matter, you can off-set some of these costs with higher rent/deposit amounts and the like.

Hi all, I'm new here. I have a background in management and business planning that I'm looking forward to applying towards some eventual real estate investments, but I find I work best in a collaborative atmosphere where I can get accurate information. With the US market the way it is at the moment I figure it would be best to do my homework now and ready myself for an opportunity (or figure out if I need to go out and make one). Thanks!