Timeshare Information

Travel to and between foreign destinations for you timeshare owners and those of you who enjoy visiting foreign countries via timeshare exchanges, may just be getting easier. High speed rail travel is a current hot topic in government circles from China to Great Britain. Those of you who like to take timeshare vacations in the U.S. may also find high speed train travel coming your way.

The most ambitious high speed rail plans have just been announced by China. On the drawing board are high speed lines from Beijing to none other than Europe. Two routes are being considered, one that will pass through India, Pakistan and the Middle East, terminating in London, making that trip in just two days. The other is intended to go to Germany via Russia. China also plans to build a third high speed line extending south, connecting Vietnam, Thailand, Burma and Malaysia. Work on that line has already begun.

Even though the Beijing to Europe plans may sound unrealistic, they are more than pie-in-the-sky ideas. Wang Mengshu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, states, “We have already carried out the prospecting and survey work for the European network, and central and eastern European countries are keen for us to start."

Meanwhile, the good news for those of you who enjoy timeshare trips to China is that China has already started criss-crossing its own country with high speed rail service. The Wuhan – Guangzhou passenger-dedicated line is now in service, cutting the journey time between the capitals of Hubei and Guangdong provinces to under 3 hours compared with 10 hours on the old route.

Proposals for high speed rail travel in England are being drawn up with the intention that the network would feature 200mph trains and cut journey times to the north of Britain in half. A recently released report details a route for the first stage of a north-south high speed line from London to the West Midlands. It includes options for extending the link further north, to northwest England, the east Midlands, Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, making excursions through England and up to Scotland easy for timeshare vacationers.

Even America stands poised to join other nations in creating a high speed rail travel infrastructure. In February, 2010, President Obama announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding $8 billion to states across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service. This commitment means that a day may soon come when you will not have to rely on the increasingly expensive airlines, or tiring long drives, to reach your timeshare vacation destination.

(Photo provided by mobility.siemens.com)

If you travel for your small business and wondering what small business travel expenses are deductible, you are not alone. With the tax filing deadline just weeks away, knowing what business travel and entertainment expenses you can and can't deduct is critical. Every small business wants to retain as much profit as possible in this economy, and no one wants to pay the IRS more than is required.

The bottom line is that there is a lot you can write off when you have business travel expenses. Everything from your dry cleaning bill to the client calls you made from the hotel phone. The main thing is that you have the receipts to document the expense and that you do not go overboard.

"Record keeping is so crucial," says Frank Degen, an agent licensed by the IRS to work with taxpayers. "You need to have records of the four 'P's' and a 'D,' and the four 'P's' are the person, the place, the purpose and the price, and the 'D' is the date. That's an easy way for business owners or self-employed people to remember what they need to do."

There is a variety of ways to document your expenses. You can show it in a spreadsheet, have copies of your cancelled checks, hand write out a log, and of course the best way is to have the printed receipt. None of these items are provided to the IRS when you file, but, you must have it on hand in case of an audit.

No matter if you are a sole proprietor, incorporated have a partnership based business, the deductions for travel and entertainment are generally the same and can include the following:

• Deduct 50% of business meals (including tax and tip) – or claim a daily meal allowance.


• Deduct 50% of entertainment as long as business was discussed right before, during or after the event.


• When traveling out of town, deduct 100% of domestic travel costs, including air, train, cab or bus fare and parking costs.


• Deduct 100% of your accommodations at a hotel or timeshare rental.

For more details, talk to your accountant or visit IRS.gov.

Just when you thought you'd found all of the fun things to do on Oahu, we've come up with a list of four exciting things you may not have known about. Plan a budget vacation at a timeshare rental on Oahu and explore these family activities.

1. Dole Plantation
   Have you encountered the Dole Plantation yet? Here you can take the Pineapple Express train through gardens where you will see just how the amazing pineapple plant actually grows. Then challenge yourself with the 2.46 miles of paths through the world's largest maze. You'll be rewarded with tastings of sweet, juicy pineapple spears, and even pineapple ice cream.


2. The Polynesian Cultural Center
   The Polynesian Cultural Center is well-known, but many Hawaiian vacationers don't take the time to see what all of the hoopla is about. Do yourself and your family a favor and stop in to find out what makes a visit to this place a unique Hawaiian experience.


3. Haleiwa Farmer's Market
   The Haleiwa Farmer's Market is a must-do, especially since you'll want to stock your timeshare rental kitchen with wonderfully fresh, locally grown Hawaiian produce. Located on Oahu's North Shore, this fascinating farmer's market is open every Sunday from 9am to 1pm. Here you'll be able to purchase everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to flowers, herbs and tropical plants.
   
   You'll even find fresh island fish, grass-fed beef, and free-range raised eggs. Add to your pantry the local honey, jams, chocolate, and coffee, and you'll be dining in your timeshare as well as King Kamehameha himself. And don't forget to shop the local Hawaiian artisan booths, too, including jewelry, pottery and photography. Stock your timeshare bathrooms with locally made soaps, skin care products and even fragrant soy candles. While you're enjoying this unique Hawaiian shopping, your kids will be having fun with arts and crafts at the Keiki Korner.


4. Bishop Museum
   For those of you who appreciate history, a visit to the Bishop Museum, called the Smithsonian of the Pacific, is a must. This is a wonderful place for the entire family to learn about the culture, geography and history of the Hawaiian Islands. Three floors exhibit fascinating artifacts and treasures actually owned by Hawaii's kings and queens. The ultra-modern Science Adventure Center has, among other things, a walk-through volcano!

It's a good thing you have an entire week at your Oahu timeshare rental - with so many fascinating activities to lure a Hawaiian vacationer, you'll need all of that time. After all, you'll still want to sunbathe on the beach!

One of the best things about vacationing in Hawaii is sampling the unique Polynesian food. When you stay at a timeshare rental, you have your own kitchen in which you can have fun reproducing dishes that you had in restaurants and even concocting your own special versions of Hawaiian fare. Fresh fish is an island specialty, and something that many Americans sadly do not have a chance to enjoy often enough. So, while vacationing at your Oahu timeshare, here's your chance take advantage of some very special opportunities to experience the local fish industry and sample its succulent ocean catch.

For you early birds, here is a unique experience that you'll be glad you took - meet at 5:30am at the United Fishing Agency at Pier 28 for the Honolulu Fish Auction. Every morning, Monday through Saturday, chefs, restaurateurs, and wholesalers meet here to bid on the day's fresh catch. You'll be in the middle of the excitement as fish and seafood are bought and sold at a feverish pace. If you plan to go, covered shoes are required, and a jacket is recommended as the auction floor is kept at a chilly 50 degrees F.

Sample the end result of all of this early morning fish business by visiting local fish eateries. Nico's Fish Market is located right on Pier 28. The fish is taken directly from the auction and immediately prepared for the public. You can't get much fresher than their Catch of the Day specials. With your gourmet-style lunch you can also relax to live entertainment ranging from the blues to contemporary Hawaiian music.

Or head to Uncle's Fish Market where you'll find something for every member of your family. The menu here ranges from delectable fish and chips to more adventurous items such as the award-winning "Uncle's Signature Ahi Poke Tower" - an incredible combo of sashimi-grade ahi tuna, ahi tarter, rice, guacamole, and tobiko, and all served with tortilla chips.

For truly casual fare keep an eye out for the Kahuku Shrimp Trucks as you travel around Oahu. Parked along the sides of the roads, these great highway stops offer delicious varieties of prepared shrimps and prawns, including butter-garlic, coconut, sweet and spicy, and fried. You'll encounter many locals who also flock to these unique seafood eateries.

Watch for Romey's Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp, a shrimp truck with a twist - you get your own pole and the experience of getting your own prawn catch-of-the-day. They'll cook them up for you, or you can take the prawns back to your timeshare and prepare your own memorable fresh Hawaiian dish.

(Photo credit Craig T. Kojima - Star Bulletin)

The news flash is that Spaceship Two made its maiden flight on March 22, 2010, and vacationing in space is becoming more and more a reality. This first of several planned test flights took the Virgin Galactic spacecraft just a few miles up into the sky. But when space actually becomes a vacation destination, Spaceship Two will be taken up to 50,000 feet by its jet-propelled mother ship, WhiteKnightTwo, and then let go. Spaceship Two's own rockets will then fire, and off into space you'll go.

The space tourism industry is now open for business. The first real space tourist was Dennis Anthony Tito, a United States engineer and multimillionaire. In April, 2001, he spent 8 days aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft, orbiting the International Space Station. Since then several more people have taken tourism to the new heights.

Perhaps as soon as 2011 you'll be able to look out and see the curve of our blue planet as it sails through the black of space. The first space flights for tourists will be a 2-hour experience for which they'll be charged $200,000. Already there are 330 people signed up and Virgin Galactic has over $45 million on deposit. Eventually week-long trips will be offered, costing around $2 million. There are already several space tourism companies planning to build suborbital vehicles and orbital cities within the next two decades. Space hotels might be popular vacation spots in just 20 years

The good news is that you don't have to forego vacations on the planet now as you save your pennies for an out of this world vacation. While you're waiting to blast off into space, plan your earthly vacations with timeshare rentals. These remarkably budget-friendly, inexpensive modes of vacationing offer a lot of bang for your buck. You get bedrooms and living rooms and kitchens and decks and patios and tennis and hot tubs and swimming pools and - all sorts of wonderfully fun and exciting things right here on the ground.

If you just can't wait to become a space tourist, rent an Orlando timeshare or Daytona Beach timeshare and head for Cape Canaveral. Here you can practice by experiencing a simulated moon landing or a rocket ship blast off, and even try out that wonderfully delicious - space food. Cape Canaveral timeshare rentals are also available.

(Photo by slipperybrick.com)

Article written by guest blogger: Jeff Nelson, a real estate agent who owns and writes about investment property.

Vacations are a holiday from the dull routine of life, and are something everyone deserves and looks forward to at least once a year. With varying costs for various locales, financing the vacation might be a problem, but what can be done about it? With an initial up front investment, you can apply your money towards a guaranteed vacation at the same, or a different destination every year. Plus, when hotel costs are rising every year, your pre-paid vacation does not. This is the idea behind timeshares.

Timeshare investment is worth looking into now more than ever, considering the trend that a timeshare vacation can be used for more than just the same trip to Orlando, FL each year when you utilize timeshare exchange. Some people cringe at the word “timeshare” having heard the cases where people are subject to negative sales techniques causing them to buy bad investments. Think of these situations as exceptions rather than the norm and if you choose to buy a timeshare resale, you will avoid sales people all together.

But, if you do decide to attend a timeshare presentation, keep in mind that the average one can take 90 plus minutes or even longer. Try to avoid a presentation for the purpose of the "free gift," which is where you are generally subjected to extremely high pressure selling techniques to buy the timeshare right then and there.

The presentation will most likely cover extensive details about the resort property, its facilities and the amenities included. You will learn about the size of the units, which can determine the maximum number of people that can stay. They will tell you what weeks are available for purchase including the check-in and check-out dates. In addition to the initial payment for the property, timeshare owners are obliged to pay annual maintenance fees. Be sure to learn about those fees during the presentation.

Often when people hear about timeshares or vacation investments, Orlando springs to mind, and with all the golf courses, family amusement parks, fantastic eateries and restaurants, it’s no wonder! With its warm, sunny and desirable climate it’s a great place to buy Orlando investment property, whether timeshare or a vacation home.

As you think about investing in your vacation, it all comes down what works the best for your vacation lifestyle. If you’re looking for a quick and cheap getaway, try timeshare rental. If you like the idea of locking in costs at your favorite resort, buy a timeshare resale. If you want a return on investment, consider a vacation home. No matter which option you choose, just be sure to enjoy one week a year away from the norm and invest in yourself.

The northeastern U.S. is well known for breathtaking autumn beauty, and so the southeast is stunning in spring glory. The mountains of the southeastern United States display some of the most beautiful and diverse spring woodland wildflowers in the world. Celebrate this rich offering of spring by visiting the incredible Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. A timeshare rental in Alexandria, Virginia will perfectly place you for an easy drive to the Park, just over an hour away, or a quick trip into Washington D.C. via their transit system.

Shenandoah National Park is 105 miles of incredible vistas through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The main route through the Park is Skyline Drive, which takes visitors along the very crest of the mountains. Looking out over the undulating mountain tops from on high you'll see the ridges to the horizon bathed in various hues of blue. It's the natural photosynthesis water expiration of the woodland plants that creates this distinctive beautiful blue haze, giving the mountain range its name.

During the spring, beginning in March, the wildflowers become plentiful along hiking trails and mountain streams in the lower elevations. By May colorful azaleas can be seen covering the ground through the forests, and spreading up along Skyline Drive. Although Shenandoah National Park is surrounded by towns, and close to metropolitan areas, it is a wilderness haven where more than 1,300 types of plants thrive, including 66 rare species.

Shenandoah National Park celebrates the glories of the spring season with its annual Wildflower Weekend. Plan to attend this year's festival May 8 and 9. The event includes fun activities for kids, such as "Bugs and Blooms" designed for children ages 7 - 12. Journaling and drawing activities are part of "Seeds of Inspiration."

The easy "Big Meadows Stroll" takes you through a rare mountain meadow habitat covered in wildflowers. Or try the more advanced "Wildflower Ramble" along the upper portion of the Rose River Falls Trail. A spectacular hike for those of you in good shape is the lovely but strenuous South River Falls Trail that takes you through carpets of wild geraniums, violets, trilliums and many other spring flowers to a viewpoint overlooking the third-highest waterfall in the Park, cascading down over 80 feet.

As you find your true back-to-nature self in the beauty of springtime in Shenandoah National Park it will be hard to believe you're just an hour from bustling Washington, D.C. And with such easy access from your timeshare rental, a vacation here will be a spring event your family will look forward to experiencing year after year.

(Photo from nationalparksreservations.com)