BajaNomad - Loreto Time shares

Loreto Time shares

capn.sharky - 12-13-2008 at 09:53 PM

Seems like half the town is trying to get us to buy time shares.
The Mission, which was scheduled to be a five star hotel, is now going to be a time share. Playa Ensenada Blanca --- time share.
Fonatur is picturing Loreto as the next Cancun. Don't get hooked. As a general rule, time shares are not a good investment. Spend your money building in a Mexican neighborhood. Much more fun and you will learn alot from your neighbors. :no:

CaboRon - 12-14-2008 at 07:01 AM

If you enjoy the time share concept .....

Buy a USED unit for half the price !

CaboRon

karenintx - 12-14-2008 at 09:57 AM

Cabo Ron has a good suggestion. We own a timeshare and there is a learning curve to the ends and outs. We trade our timeshare so we can travel to other places...just returned from Buenos Aires where we stayed at a 5 star property that cost us zero...except for the annual maintaince fee we pay. When you do trade for an other property remember you have to trade for the same size timeshare unit you own. A lot of folks have tried to tell us we are crazy for owning a timeshare but when we tell them all the places we go to and how you can go into the inventory to pick up extra weeks for as low as $199 USD they then want to learn from us. It is not for everyone. If you only go on vacation one week a year then do not do it however if you are able to travel as much as we do then you can work it the system to your favor.

bajabeachbabe - 12-14-2008 at 01:40 PM

It's interesting that the Mision is going to be a timeshare. I think they would have had better success as a hotel. In this economy selling timeshares is going to be difficult. A timeshare is a luxury not a necessity. At $30,000 for a one week ownership at the Villa del Palmar at Ensenada Blanca I think they will have trouble finding people who can afford it. Additionally, there aren't enough tourists visiting Loreto currently to provide an adequate pool of prospects. This is why the OPC's (off premise consultants) are hounding the residents. They get paid for providing a prospect whether they are qualified to buy or not.

Not even the people from the cruise ships are good prospects. Most timeshares won't talk to you if you are over 55 and having seen the people from the cruise ships with their walkers and wheelchairs they are not a viable pool.

I personally own 4 timeshares and I am building a house in Loreto as my second home. Most of my timeshares were purchased on the resale market (once I got smart enough to not buy from the developer) and I spent only $750 for one of them, so $30,000 is a total rip-off. Timeshare has given our family the chance to visit a vast number of foreign countries and stay in 5 star resorts. Timeshares aren't for everybody, but our family has found it the best way to travel. This past summer we stayed in a 15th century palazzo outside Rome that is a timeshare.

The downside of the timeshare industry is the sales practices and I am not looking forward to being stalked during my upcoming trip to Loreto.

:mad:

Howard - 12-14-2008 at 03:13 PM

I was in Loreto a week or so ago when the cruise ship was in. As someone who loves Loreto and spends 4 or 5 times a year there and plan to someday semi-retire there, I was embarrassed by the sales people and the "attack" upon the cruise ship people.

Here are people, coming to town to some to spend money in Loreto's much needed economy and they are harrassed by these insects with no morals walking along side tourists with offical looking badges and uniforms tyring to buddy up to them with mostly misleading tactics and lies. A few approached me and I gave them maybe 30 seconds to see how hard or soft their approach was before I politely told them where they can stick their B/S.

Can anything be done with this tactic so I will not feel ashamed to the cruise ship people when I am down again?

In my opinion if and when no one buys these timeshares they will simply not be there any longer but it tarnishes the memories that the visitors will have of our great city of Loreto.

Udo - 12-14-2008 at 03:24 PM

There is a cruise ship that goes to Loreto? :?:

desertcpl - 12-14-2008 at 03:34 PM

I agree with bajabeachbabe,, the outside sales people are a reall pain,,I dont know why they permit it, we went to cabo a few years ago,, we had them yelling at me and the wife for not talking to them,, it really for us was not a good experience , one that we didnt enjoy at all,,

I also didnt know that a cruise ship went into laredo

[Edited on 12-14-2008 by desertcpl]

desertcpl - 12-14-2008 at 03:38 PM

http://www.cruisereport.com/PortsOfCall.aspx?port=1642

just found it about the cruise lines

Cruise ship

tehag - 12-14-2008 at 04:57 PM

A cruise ship in Laredo would be a real surprise.

desertcpl - 12-14-2008 at 05:01 PM

I didnt know either,, but look at my link above,, there are 2 cruise lines going to Laredo

capn.sharky - 12-14-2008 at 06:23 PM

Cruiseships have been coming into Loreto for several years now. We get an average of one every week and a half. Every Mexican in town that owns a policemans outfit suits up for it. I know nothing about Laredo except that it is in Texas. :lol:

vandenberg - 12-14-2008 at 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tehag
A cruise ship in Laredo would be a real surprise.

Just a sturdy trailer, some wide-load warning vehicles and a good 4x4, like a 3/4 ton Ford, and you can haul any ship to Laredo.

[Edited on 12-15-2008 by vandenberg]

Don Alley - 12-14-2008 at 07:10 PM

The time share sellers here have been very helpful. Just the other night, as I looked at my restaurant bill, brow furrowed in concentration, or what might have passed as idiocy to the onlooking time share salesperson, and tried to figure the tip, she came to my table and enlightened me to the fact that the bill was in pesos! I said "I know that!" as I furtively slipped a handful of rubles back into my pocket. :biggrin:

They are also at the SuperMercado Pescador, bagging groceries.

Soon, I expect them to be pumping gas. "Can I clean your windshield?"

Arturo's sportfishing gave them an old email address of mine. So he's on board, along with several restaurants.

And we will be taking the free breakfast and tour of the Mision Hotel soon. While the on-the-street salespeople failed to snag us, they got to us through a neighbor. :lol:

[Edited on 12-15-2008 by Don Alley]

Howard - 12-14-2008 at 10:26 PM

When I was there a couple of weeks ago there was 2 different cruise ships in one week. As long as they spend money and help the local economy I feel that the blocked streets to accomidate them is a very minor inconvience.

All I'm buying (and selling) . . .

djh - 12-14-2008 at 11:20 PM

I hope if any of my local Loreto friends and neighbors need the income and get caught up in these timeshare sales in town, that they recognize me and give only a simple tip of the hat and buenos dias....

That's all I'll be buying (and selling).

djh

LOSARIPES - 12-15-2008 at 03:20 AM

Some years ago, the local city authorities in Pto. Vallarta were forced to act and "clean" the streets from OPC's as result from general outcry, including locals who couldn't just walk around and enjoy the town without the OPC's harassment. They built and installed booths here and there with "Info signs" on top. That was an enormous improvement. I don't know how it is like now though.

Don Alley - 12-15-2008 at 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Howard
When I was there a couple of weeks ago there was 2 different cruise ships in one week. As long as they spend money and help the local economy I feel that the blocked streets to accomidate them is a very minor inconvience.

What bothers some of us is the attitude of the newly-arrived port authority, API. Since their arrival there has been conflict over the use of the marina facilities when the cruise ship arrives. We can no longer use the parking lot or the docks when the ships are in. Someday someone will be hurt trying to get on or off a small boat in a difficult spot while dock space is easily available but closed to the public. Fortunately their attempts to close the launch ramp failed. Sure, it's only a few days, but in the cruise ship season sometimes those days are the scarce and valuable wind-free days.

At Puerto Escondido, the pier has been closed to public use permanently because of its infrequent use by a small cruise ship.

Do they help the local economy? A few places, maybe. But people we talk to seem dissatisfied, claiming that the visitors spend little money. But apparently API is getting theirs.

[Edited on 12-15-2008 by Don Alley]

Wingnut - 12-15-2008 at 12:31 PM

Bajabeachbabe, I agree with you about how outrageous the behavior of the salespeople for time shares can be, but maybe I can explain why they aren't opening those establishments as hotels. Right now the hotel industry is taking it in the shorts big time. The recession hits the industry like a knockout punch. Those buildings are probably under capitalized and the financial people figure they can make more money selling time shares than they can selling hotel rooms. After all, how many tourists are banging on the doors today?

flyfishinPam - 12-15-2008 at 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wingnut
Bajabeachbabe, I agree with you about how outrageous the behavior of the salespeople for time shares can be, but maybe I can explain why they aren't opening those establishments as hotels. Right now the hotel industry is taking it in the shorts big time. The recession hits the industry like a knockout punch. Those buildings are probably under capitalized and the financial people figure they can make more money selling time shares than they can selling hotel rooms. After all, how many tourists are banging on the doors today?

OK then will the unbuilt units actually be built or not? Will the Mission property sit empty or will people buy into it? I have to admit it looks better now along the malecon now but is the trade off worth it? (annoying timeshare hawkers where there once were none)

geeze these timeshares in Loreto are really behind the times. They ought to look more at what's going on in Dubai to reel in those ricos:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/refrigerated-beach-...

[Edited on 12-15-2008 by flyfishinPam]

bajabeachbabe - 12-23-2008 at 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn.sharky
Seems like half the town is trying to get us to buy time shares.
The Mission, which was scheduled to be a five star hotel, is now going to be a time share. Playa Ensenada Blanca --- time share.
Fonatur is picturing Loreto as the next Cancun. Don't get hooked. As a general rule, time shares are not a good investment. Spend your money building in a Mexican neighborhood. Much more fun and you will learn alot from your neighbors. :no:

I've received updated information about the Mision Hotel. There are a total of 74 rooms, 14 of which will be timeshares. That sounds like a more reasonable plan than making the entire project a timeshare. Additionally, they expect to have some of the rooms open by next week.

Bajahowodd - 12-23-2008 at 03:44 PM

How much for a timeshare week at Mision? If they are only doing 14 units, that works out to 728 weeks. At $30,000, it would amount to almost $22 mil. It may have worked a coulple of years ago. But nowadays, who's buying a timeshare, except maybe from a reseller?