In the late 60's a group of businessmen purchased a set of ocean-front condominiums in Hawaii, and sold off 51, one-week vacations, keeping the 52nd week each year out for maintenance and refurbishment. This was already a popular and successful idea in Europe, and the concept spread like wildfire in the U.S.

The next phase in timeshare started when owners realized they couldn't always get away the same week every year, so flexible/floating time was developed. With floating time you still owned a week a year, but now you could trade your week to another owner and go on vacation during their week.

After a few years of going to the same resort, some owners decided they didn't want to vacation in the same place every year, and again, time share evolved. Exchange programs were started so owners could not only trade which week they vacationed, but they could also trade their week in Hawaii for someone else's week at a resort in Mexico or somewhere else.

As with any new venture, there were bugs that needed to be worked out. One early problem was unscrupulous sales people would reserve peak weeks at a resort to use as a sales promotion, thereby leaving only the off-peak times available for owners to use. Another problem arose when a developer would build a resort and then move on once all the condo weeks were sold off. Owners quickly realized they needed some way to take care of the upkeep on the units and take care of maintenance on the resorts grounds and amenities, such as swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. Homeowners Associations were formed and owners elected officers to control expenses, take care of upkeep, and select a good management company. One of the biggest controversies about timeshare came up when new owners were convinced that their purchase was going to be a great real estate investment with short term appreciation, and the potential to "get rich quick." Today's timeshare owners know that they are making an investment in a vacation lifestyle rather than an investment in a quick money making scheme.

Today there are over 4,000 resorts in over 80 countries, and time share has become more flexible and easier to use and exchange, than ever before. Originally starting with fixed weeks, we now have the option of floating time, split weeks, quarter shares, fractionals, clubs and points. This incredible growth and popularity has now attracted the major hotel players like Marriott, Disney, Hilton, Embassy Suites, and Ramada.

1. It's easy to have years go by while you plan to "someday" go on vacation. When you own a timeshare, it is a vacation waiting to happen. One nice advantage is when you are going somewhere and you have to pay airfare, it's nice to have your condo paid for in advance. It's easy to just make a reservation, then pack up and go, when you have a choice of beautiful resorts, and a travel department ready to help with your airline needs.

2. A motel room doesn't compare to the luxury of a fully furnished condo. You can "move-in" to your own place, rather than feeling like you're living out of a suitcase. The completely stocked kitchens are great for those times when you don't want to go out for meals. From the toaster to the popcorn popper, to the blender, you'll feel like you're at home. Packing a weeks worth of clothing for a family takes up a lot of room. With a washer and dryer right there in your condo you can pack half as many clothes and have them washed and dried before you head home.

3. Most resorts have a variety of on-site amenities and activities. Some you might find are: on-site restaurant, swimming pools, jacuzzi, pool tables, ping-pong, work out rooms, video rental, books, games, arcade, tennis, and golfing.

4. For about the same money as it would cost to "rent" a few vacations in a nice hotel, accommodations can be owned forever in a deeded vacation timeshare condo that exchanges via computer to resorts virtually anywhere in the world. Most timeshares are located at the more high demand, exclusive, or luxury resorts. With ownership of a timeshare you are ensuring that you have exclusive use of accommodations that meet your lifestyle.

5. Ownership combined with an exchange company such as RCI gives you the flexibility to travel locally for mini get-aways, or exchange your time for a condo in an exotic or international location.

Why Do We Deal Exclusively With WorldMark Memberships?

Everyone who works at redseason.com is also a WorldMark owner. We feel that WorldMark offers the best, most flexible program available today. Our resorts are luxurious, beautifully landscaped, safe, and offer a full range of amenities. Worldmark, The Club, developed by Trendwest Resorts is one of the highest rated timeshare vacation clubs in the world. Most of the resorts developed by Trendwest are 5 STAR ***** R.C.I. Gold Crown Quality Resorts! You will also notice a difference when you check into a WorldMark resort versus a "Motel," At WorldMark you are an owner, and treated as such, rather than guest number 497.

WoldMark's unique, credit based system gives you the flexibility to decide how, where, and when you want to vacation. You buy a membership size that has a certain amount of credits such as 6,000 or 10,000, etc. You can save credits for up to two years, and you can "borrow" your next years credits. Each time you want to go on vacation, you use a different amount of credits depending on 1. where you want to go, 2. what season of the year it is (busy "red" season, moderately busy "white" season, or the off peak "blue" season) 3. how long you want to stay, and 4. whether you want a studio, one bedroom, two bedroom, etc. That way you are not locked into the same vacation year after year. So if you want to walk on the beach of the Oregon Coast you can....how about a fun and flashy trip to Las Vegas, or a romantic get away to Hawaii...maybe you're a skier and want to hit the slopes of Whistler BC....whatever your idea of a fun vacation is, your WorldMark credits can take you there.

Bonus time is just exactly that...a bonus. The basic concept is that up to two weeks before you want to go on vacation you can call and see which resorts have space available, and instead of using your credits, you pay .04 per credit to go and stay. The advantage is that if you choose to use bonus time rather than use your credits, you can save your credits for a bigger trip, or a trip planned farther in advance, and you get to stay in a beautiful condo for around $40.00 to $60.00 per night. Bonus time is not always going to be available for you to use, but if you are flexible with when and where you want to get away, it's another great option.

You need to figure out a rough idea of how and when you want to vacation. Are you a once a year for a week during the summer vacationer, or do you want to take little trips several times a year? Do you want to travel to exotic locations, or do you just want to hop in the car and get away for a few days? Any size WorldMark membership will give you the same options, but more credits translates into more vacation time. You can buy different sized memberships based on the amount of credits you think you'll need in a year, or start out with our smallest membership. As your vacation plans grow you can always add more credits later.

Maintenance fees pay for on site management of the resort, unit refurbishing, appliance and furniture replacement, telephone, power, water, insurance, security, garbage collection, landscaping, linens and laundry, maid service, and amenities such as game room, pool, tennis courts, and golf courses. Maintenance fees are assessed based on what size membership you have, and are paid annually.

For less than a hundred dollars a year, you can become a member of Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and trade your credits and time in WorldMark for vacation time in over 4,000 other resorts worldwide. At the time you book your exchange vacation, RCI charges a nominal exchange fee for U.S. Resorts, and a few dollars more for international resorts. This is a great option if you want to travel to other countries, but also broadens your local base of available resorts too. You can choose to trade for a resort internationally, or you can exchange for a resort in your own town. It all comes back to you deciding when, where, and how you want to vacation today.

Trading with other timeshare owners worldwide is what RCI is all about. The WorldMark advantage - Confirm First - is trading like it's never been done before. With this revolutionary new procedure, you simply call the WorldMark/RCI toll-free number and tell the agent where you want to go, and when you want to be there. If your requested destination is available, it'd confirmed immediately. If it is not, a search can be started and your vacation can be automatically booked when it becomes available.

With the WorldMark advantage, confirmation of your RCI vacation is always made before a single credit is deducted from your WorldMark account.

Plus, Confirm First has unmatched trading power. Unlike traditional timeshare where a single week is deposited and that particular week's value is used to match a trade, Confirm First has the collective trading power of the entire WorldMark inventory. If it's available in RCI, it's yours.

You will use approximately the same amount of credits for a week at an RCI resort, as you would use to stay a week at a WorldMark resort. Instant Exchange is an additional way to maximize your credits through RCI. If you are able to plan a vacation 45 days or less in advance, you can stay in any size unit, at any RCI resort that has space available, for only 3,000 credits per week! You also have the option of taking smaller weekend Vacation Escapes (where space is available) using credits or cash. The Vacation Escapes are a comparable program to WorldMark's bonus time. If you are flexible about where you are willing to go, these are great mini vacations.

Redseason.com is committed to supporting you in three areas; Education, Price, and Assistance.

Whether you are an existing WorldMark owner, know "a little bit about it", or have no clue about how WorldMark works, it's ok. We will take the time to fully answer any questions or concerns you have about how your new membership will work. Our staff does not receive a commission, and they will give you clear, straight-up information without a big sales pitch. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about what you are purchasing the better and more confident you feel about your decision to buy.

Anyone familiar with the price of a WorldMark membership will be pleased to see the excellent membership prices we offer at redseason.com. We have an easy, clear cut way for you to purchase a membership: pick out the size membership you want, we send you an easy to notarize form, return it to us with a check for the purchase price (including the WorldMark imposed $150.00 transfer fee). We do all the paperwork for you, and can usually have you set to book a vacation through WorldMark a few days after we receive your check. There are no other fees, taxes, or commissions. It's that easy!

After you've purchased your membership from us it doesn't stop there. We are available to answer questions and offer suggestions to help maximize the benefits of your new membership. You will receive a monthly newsletter highlighting what's happening at WorldMark, new resorts that are opening, owner tips and vacation spot highlights. We also pay a $100.00 referral fee when your friends purchase a membership from redseason.com. Thank you for your interest in redseason.com. Please feel free to contact us on our toll free number 1-877-478-7938. Or e-mail us at sales@redseason.com We look forward to answering your questions, and helping you with your new WorldMark membership.