Timeshares are still very popular today, despite the soaring costs associated with owning one.With a typical timeshare, you will have to have to put money down up front, pay money for the timeshare itself, and then most likely pay either monthly or yearly maintenance fees. The average cost of a timeshare is around $15,000 plus the maintenance fees. Others are more high end at $60-80,000. Typically these timeshares don't require maintenance fees for this price and are more flexible then the others. There is an alternative to timeshare ownership where you can actually travel to four and five star resorts that have timeshare properties without owning a timeshare or without ever having to pay maintenance fees. There's companies that are offering timeshare alternatives through it's online membership. You can join for three years for under $1500 and for a lifetime membership for just under $3,000.

You will be able to travel to 3, 4, and 5 star resorts for as little as $298 per week to the very most, $698 per week. You can also take cruises and get discount airfare. This type of timeshare alternative is wildly popular today and those who own timeshares can see the value immediately. Timeshares devalue so quickly and are worth about 10 cents on a dollar. You can find very expensive timeshares for sale for ridiculously low prices on the internet because people realize that once they buy them, they are stuck with the maintenance fees as long as they own them.

Those maintenance fees can go up after a major hurricane, or when the timeshare owners decide they just want to remodel, or for no particular reason at all. With the timeshare alternative, the Global Resorts membership club, you don't have to worry about any additional costs. Don't buy a timeshare as your first choice. Look into joining a membership club. You will save money.