202: Estate Planning Misses: The Timeshare Problem No One Talks About

202: Estate Planning Misses: The Timeshare Problem No One Talks About

From Absolute Trust Talk by Kirsten Howe: Attorney and podcaster

February 26, 2026 · 12 min · Episode 202

About this episode

Kirsten Howe discusses the importance of addressing timeshares in estate planning to avoid probate issues for families.

That timeshare you've been putting off dealing with? It could become a probate headache for your family. In this episode of Absolute Trust Talk, managing attorney Kirsten Howe breaks down the two types of timeshares — traditional deeded ownership and modern points-based systems — and explains why both need to be addressed in your estate plan. She walks through what's involved in transferring a timeshare to your revocable living trust, why it matters to act while you're alive, and what really happens when a timeshare is left unaddressed after someone dies — including the possibility of probate in multiple states. Plus, she covers your real options for getting out of a timeshare and the scams to watch out for along the way. Time-stamped Show Notes: 0:00 Introduction 0:43 To get things started, Kirsten highlights why timeshares matter in estate planning. 1:15 What is a timeshare? Deeded real estate ownership that is shared with other families. 2:38 Points-based timeshares are a modern alternative in which you purchase annual points rather than owning real estate. 3:18 Transferring a timeshare to your revocable living trust requires contacting the resort company and retitling the…

People in this episode

Host: Kirsten Howe

Topics covered

  • estate planning
  • timeshares
  • probate
  • revocable living trust
  • transferring property
  • timeshare scams

Keywords

  • timeshare
  • estate planning
  • probate
  • revocable living trust
  • deeded ownership
  • points-based systems
  • transferring timeshare
  • timeshare scams

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Florida, Hawaii, California

More episodes of Absolute Trust Talk

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Absolute Trust Talk podcast page.