There's more to life than....

[Dr Aaron]

[This message has been edited by Dr Aaron]

...chasing after every skirt in Cali, or any city for that matter. Also, there are allot of more intellectually stimulating things to think about than "pros" in marriage agencies.

I posted information about a timeshare that I have; someone assumed that I purchased it for an investment. He phrased it as he "didn't want to rain on my parade." Who in their right mind would consider a timeshare as an investment in the first place? It doesn't yield any interest, it depreciates in value as a person uses it.

Plain and simple, the way some guys go on and on on this board about this girl that girl, this party and that party, this business deal and that business deal, this cali apartment and that cali apartment, this modeling agency and that modeling agency is just plain ridiculous. Allot of these guys are 10, 20, 30, and maybe even 40 years older than I am, but they're still playing high school games chasing this girl and that girl, acting like they're looking for wives. GET REAL !!!

The game that many of the guys and "models/chicas" are playing is the desperation, you use me while I use you, barrio-poor-highlife mentality game.

There's no love in it. I don't care if people get mad at this post.

But, prove me wrong if you can. I bet it would be easier for me to prove that I'm right.

Aaron

[Ray]

... in response to There's more to life than...., posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 25, 2005

:-)

[Heat]

... in response to There's more to life than...., posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 25, 2005

Stop being a player hater.  Grow up!

[Pete E]

... in response to There's more to life than...., posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 25, 2005

Aaron,
Seems I might have set you off on your current rant when I commented on timeshares.Its hard for me to keep my mouth shut since I consider it one of the biggest sucker deals going.But I did keep my mouth shut untill Hoda showed some interest then I chimed in.I thought that might draw some reaction down at that post but not a whole sort of attack thread.
Seems it hard for you to take any sort of critisism,even indirect and non personal,just commenting on an investment.And make no mistake,any time you put thousands of dollars in a real estate deal its an investment,even if its trading todays dollars for some future desired use and particularly when you think you will be able to trade for other places at other locations with any sort of efficiency.I can't resist the bottom line with timeshares.Someone takes a condo worth maybe $20,000 and divides it up in to 52 pieces and sells them for $3000 each,selling it for basically $156,000.OK,so maybe the condo was worth $40,000.Maybe $10,000.Thats a clever but usually decietfull person who knows damn well he is taking people.The guy who buys it,what do you call him? Doctor?Figuring out all the other negatives might take some time,but you better believe they are there when you pay many times the value of something.
Sorry if that makes you angry but if I have to tell the story 100 times to keep somebody from buying one I will.
When you start posts like the ones you did here you just guarantee yourself alot more more  critisism.I hope this doesn't send you in a negative spiral like a couple of years ago.
We don't have to agree.And don't assume guys who enjoy pictures of models are not looking for wives also.
Its best to go slowly in this process,as I found out.I just jumped right in marrying the first Calena who looked good and seemed like a good person.Most of us will have alot more experiences while taking our time in the process of searching for the womam we desire.Most would tell you ideally that would be a wife to spend their life with.

Pete

[Dr Aaron]

... in response to Re: There's more to life than...., posted by Pete E on Feb 26, 2005

Condos, especially in tourist locations, cost way more than $20,000/$40,000 US.

Where I live, which is not a tourist location, condos 10 years old start at $300,000 US. It's reasonable to assume that condos in tourist locations would be allot more, like $500,000 US to $600,000 US for the older ones, and maybe $1,000,000 US for brand new ones.

For a person to think they could make money by selling timeshares on a $300,000 US condo, let alone a more expensive condo on beach front property, splitting it 52 shares as you suggest, they would have to sale each share for more than $5769 US to make profit. Then, how are the buyers going to be able to schedule time to use it between each other? Too many stakeholders !! I don't think anyone in their right mind would sale timeshares under that kind of arrangement, nor anyone would buy a timeshare under that kind of arrangement. The seller could sale less shares, like 10 for example; this would make things easier for buyers to enjoy the timeshare in terms of scheduling, but each share would have to be sold for more than $30,000 US in order to make profit. I don't think anyone would be that foolish to put $30,000 US or more in residential property that they don't technically own (i.e., their name is not on the deed).

Now, under the kind of thing I have, I can visit a wide selection of resorts that have condo-style facilities, as often as I want, until my points run out. Since I purchased in dollars, I have enough points to afford 2 trips a year to the following places: resorts in Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, DR; resort hotels in Virgina Beach, Las Vegas, Miami, and Pocanos Mt.; resorts on the Canary Islands, Majorca, and in Italy; and other places for the next 6 years. Food, drinks, and entertainment are included, and I can bring guests.

Aaron  

[Pete E]

... in response to You're not based in reality, posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 27, 2005

Aaron,
OK,here is how they usually work.I don't think you ever find people selling them where propety is expensive,they would have to charge too much to make the money they want and people would not do it.Yours,I presume since you were talking Santa Marta is a one bedroom apartment in that area?Is it on the beach,as in right on the beach?Actual beachfront 2 bedroom 2 bath condos in Cartagena are about $60,000 now.They were $45,000 a year ago.One bedrooms about $30,000 a year ago.So just because it is beachfront
somewhere does not mean it is worth more than a condo where you live.They are  usually sold for different prices depending on the time of year your week is.There are high seasons where the use is in effect alot more valuable.I stayed in a 2br 2 ba condo in Cartagena August for $55 a night.The one bedroom would bring about $35.They go for alot more money in December and January.
So you you should know a number of things.What is the valueof the place you are buying 1.92% of? What would it rent for per week the week you are getting?What is the maintanence cost you are being charged if you use it for that week?Or if you do not use it?
I have seen these be like $200 aweek.So maybe you are paying $3000 up front and $200 a week for a place you could just rent for $245 a week.They always like to compare what they are selling with the most expensive hotels,then figure that cost out for like 30 years to show you what you might pay,if you chose to do that every year.
The last timeshare pitch I went to was in Mexico.These guys had an old brick building in Puerto Villarta.It was not on the beach.They had models that were all fixed up and beautifully furnished.They looked great.At the time you could buy a beach front house north of Puerto Villarta for $20,000.These apartments were probably worth $5000 max.I forget the price,but when you multiplied it out it was at least 10 times the value of the unit.From   what I have seen if they can't sell the timeshares for at least 5 times the basic value of the unit  they will not bother with it.So you are not going to find this happening whereunitscost anything like$300,000.There is lots of marketing and sales cost involved.My cousin bought 2timesharesin Mazatlan.At least he bought them when they where sold in kind of a distress situation where they were dirt cheap.He can't rent5 them for the maintanence cost.In thisdeal you don't have to pay the maintanence if you don't use them.They rent them to someone else.He uses one of them once a year sometimes.
Here is your other red flag.Did they find you?Were you offered a free dinner of some other benefit just for the opportunity for them to try to sell you?EVERY TIME,EVERY TIME THAT HAPPENS,HIDE YOUR WALLET.
So you got some sort of points system?You are think you can get this fabulous list of benefits?You better believe they found one of the guys PT Barnum said were born every miniute.As I said before the ability of these guys to try and make the deal look good is way beyond alot of peoples ability to figure it out.Which you have not yet apparently.Lets talk about it in a couple of years after you have tried to use it.
Let me be more blunt.Buying a time share,or a life insurance policy that has a cash valure attached to it is a little test if a person hass any financial sense at all.Don't feel bad.Millions of people have bought whole life insurance policies in this countries.The salesmen just had to be a little bit smarter than them,which wasn't too hard in millions of cases.Absolute sucker deal,sold to you by Hartford.
Timeshare = financial dummy,PHD not withstanding.Its that simple.Every time I have ever seen.Want to check the value of something?Try to sell it,then you find out what its worth.

Pete

[Dr Aaron]

... in response to Timeshare 101 for  dummies, posted by Pete E on Feb 27, 2005

None of what you're explaining applies to me. That's not the kind of deal I have. I do not stay in apartments. Also, my package is an international package, not restricted to one country. I know two Colombian couples from Bogota that have the same deal that I have. They travel to Europe and the US once a year with their plan.

A hard head makes a soft butt.
Aaron

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Timeshare 101 for  dummies, posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 27, 2005

OK Aaron.I hope it works for you.I just have this thing about timeshares after sitting through a couple of presentations of the dumbest  deals I ever saw.And then I saw these people buying them,kind of proud they thought they owned something,and the developer laughing all the way to the bank.Sleezy scam artists.One guy I worked with was a sucker for anything.Another guy said paint it red and start it spinning he would buy it.

Pete  

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Re: Timeshare 101 for  dummies, posted by Pete E on Feb 27, 2005

One timeshare presentation I went to the girl figured the cost of a hotel for 30 years.Not only wasshe comparing with avery high hotel rate you didn't need to pay, she didn't figure in was the future value of the initial money.
Neil posted he is getting 17% on trust deeds.That $3000 at 17% for 30 years? $284,746.
When you pay now for a future benefit you are forsaking the other use the money could be used for in that same time period.

Pete

[Dr Aaron]

... in response to Just one more thing, posted by Pete E on Feb 27, 2005

[This message has been edited by Dr Aaron]

managing your finances. Quite frankly, you're one of the few posters on here that has an excellent history of managing finances. You tell me, how well have you been?

I cannot believe that I'm paying into social security to support guys like you that shoot arm candy models in an apartment of a Colombian barrio.  

WOW !!!

Aaron

[Pete E]

... in response to Ok wise guy. I'm sure you're excellent a..., posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 27, 2005

Aaron,
After avoiding the real world for 26 or so years in school you are just starting to pay anything in. 2 Years maybe?
I guess what you're doing might still be avoiding the real world but I presume you are getting paid for it.
But,I didn't make the rules.The government played Santa Claus for alot of years and guess who gets to pay for it?
Yup,you,should you have a job and make any money.Your granny and maybe your folks got to make out on it.Consider it a gift to them.I will make out on it less than them and more than you,most likely.This is where all the good ideas
that come out of the ivory towers start getting paid for.Let see, I figure you have about 40 more years to pay in unless you get rich early.That seems highly unlikely considering our recent conversations,unless its coming from daddy.
I remember when my boss first took social security out of my check when I was 16.I had counted on getting the full amount.I was standing there going WHAT? He said,son,your are just starting to find  out how things work.
I'm not shooting any models myself but I have no problem with it.I enjoy looking at them,in person and in photos,but do not kid myself many of them are relationship material yet even if I was alot younger.I don't think its a big deal.Does that make someone a pervert and incapabel of finding a real relationship?I don't think so.And some guys might seem a little hardened and skeptical after alot of real experience.But even most of them would still tell you that they hope to find that one good relationship that is right for them.
About my own finances,I will admit all my mistakes.Knowing better and doing better are not the same.If they were I would be rich.I would have had to do nothing more than keep what I once had.Still I can't resist a little education for those who don't know any better.
So,like my boss said,son you are just starting to find out how things work.Lifes lessons are best learned with first hand experience,which you,doctor,are a little short on.
For all this doctor business you  are still pretty verde  detras de orejas.
So who is responsible for taking a simple discussion of an investment,what else do you call money you spend hoping for future results,and turning it in to a bit of an insult trade? Lets see,my opinion,you 80%,me 20%.But perhaps I am too generous again as usual in my life.My biggest fault.Thats where my money went.Even though I kick myself sometimes I also kind of like that part of myself.And I really can't complain about the way things have turned out.

Pete

[Fuzzyone]

... in response to Ok wise guy. I'm sure you're excellent a..., posted by Dr Aaron on Feb 27, 2005

I cannot believe my tax dollars went to support the collage you went to.

[Pete E]

... in response to Timeshare 101 for  dummies, posted by Pete E on Feb 27, 2005

In this internet age there is the opportunity for disgruntled buyers to be heard.There is even a web site called paypalsucks.
Why don't you do a little search and see if someone else has figured out what thet bought yet?
I don't know about your particular deal,but there has to be thousands of a little smarter now people posting about their timeshare experience on theweb.

Pete

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: There's more to life than...., posted by Pete E on Feb 26, 2005

Aaron,
You did a very possitive post about Santa Marta.In it was the mention of the timeshare which Hoda questioned then I chimed in on.I feel a little responsible for this heading in a negative direction because I basically said something negative about something you had bought,but it wasn't personal,things like time shares just drive me crazy,particularly when people fall for the trade idea.Its possible but difficult to do much with that.You would have to be extremely flexible to ever get a match.
BUT,to take that and turn it in to your big negative post you did all on your own.If you are that sensitive to any form of critisism its going to be a tough ride for you.
And this doctor thing.I never jumped on that,but it seems you think that makes you some form of expert.Maybe,within your particular field of study,but it gets no points here  and people negatively react to it.

Pete

[Dr Aaron]

... in response to The thing I feel  bsad about is, posted by Pete E on Feb 26, 2005

my vacation package to even criticize it. It is with a consortium of entertainment resort chains that permit me, or anyone else I will allow, to stay at any one of their locations.

One visit a year to any one of the locations would cost between $500 US to $1000 US, per person, at regular prices.

My package permits multiple visits to any one location internationally, much more flexibility for when I can visit, food entertainment and drinks, and the option to bring guests all at a cheaper rate. It was a promotion, particulalrly for people who travel frequently (multiple trips per year). It's not an investment, nor is it a real estate deal.  

You should have kept your criticisms to youself, or asked for clarification before you made comments. As for criticism from other people on this board, it doesn't mean anything to me.

And as for my professional title, there is no big deal about it, although I'm happy I didn't get side tracked by some woman or group of immature men that would put my professional goals and income earning power into jeapordy. I consider that the biggest sucker deal going. Wouldn't you?
 
Period.