3.
Seek Friends Who Own Timeshares
Jog
your memory. Remember the aunt who always bitches and moans
about getting sucked into buying a timeshare? What about the
buddy from the office who just had a kid and will be paying
for his timeshare this year but won't use the days?
By
all means, be nice to those people! They may let you use their
days for free or charge you a little. Of course, compare their
asking price to the going rate at the same resort at the particular
time of year.
Timeshares
can be a bear to own. Many people don't get around using their
days and frankly more people are into beach resorts than snowy
mountains. This is good news for us. Think hard if you know
any timeshare owners. If you don't know anyone look on Craig's
List.
4. Rent From Owner Direct
Take
the middle man out. Expect to see a huge discount if you rent
from owner direct. The "middle man" also known as
the condo management agencies do an important job. They maintain
the properties and connect owners with renters. But their
service is not cheap. They charge as much as 50% of the amount
you will be paying.
Why
do owners give up half of their income to these agencies?
Because they need their services. But every now and then you
will run into a local owner who manages their own property
and can bypass the agency service. This is a win-win situation
because the owner can charge more than what they would normally
receive from the management company and you pay less than
the going rate.
It
can be difficult to find the owners who rent direct because
the internet is so saturated with management company web sites.
Craig's
list is a great place to look for them. Listen to the
word of mouth too.
5.
Book Off Slope/Off Resort Lodging
Everyone
loves ski in/ski out lodging. Isn't it nice not to have to
walk or take a bus to the slopes in the morning? I love to
ski in get a bite to eat for lunch and then ski out again.
This has a price though.
And
the price for slopeside lodging is steep. If you're on the
budget do yourself a favor and take ski in/ski out lodging
out of consideration. Places in town will be cheaper and if
you have a car places out of town may be cheaper yet.
Out
of town lodging has its advantages too. In areas where there
are many resorts finding a centrally located lodging may not
only cost you less but could give you easy access to several
ski hills.
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