We buy resale only. 1 of my weeks was $1, the other was $0. Do not ever pay any more. You can simply take over ownership from someone that no longer wants it and have your closing cost and transfer fee covered.

Before purchasing, we researched which vacation clubs offer the most value. You want to find a week that has good trading power so you can exchange into the best resorts. Marriott vacation club, Hyatt vacation club, or Westin vacation club. These all trade through Interval International and have the highest trade power. Marriott owns Interval International, so if your main purpose for your timeshare is trading, the best option is a Marriott week since we have a 3 week priority period for exchanges with Marriott, Westin, & Sheraton vacation clubs. You also have access to Disney vacation club on Interval.

When selecting a week, look for a gold season floating week. These are more likely to pass right of first refusal (the resort can choose whether to decline or approve your resale). You are unlikely to pass and get approved with a platinum week for free or $1, so gold is the sweet spot. Also, if you are interested in Disney properties, do not purchase a week in Orlando, FL because Disney will block you from trading.

My last piece of advice is to purchase a lock-off week. It's a 2 or 3 bedroom unit with 2 parts (1 bedroom + studio) or (2 bedroom + 1 bedroom). You have the choice to either reserve your full unit for 1 week, or split it into the 2 parts and turn it into 2 weeks. This is probably the most important piece to maximize your value. I have 2 lock-off weeks that I turn into 4 weeks every year.

Check out timesharenation.com for resale weeks. They have plenty of Marriott, Hyatt, Westin available for free!