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NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

Get Out of a Timeshare and Find Down Payment Help to Buy a Home

Sep 24, 2026 · 37m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Learn how to escape a timeshare contract, plus what kind of help exists if you want to buy a home. How do you get out of a timeshare you no longer want? Elizabeth Ayoola talks with travel Nerd Craig Joseph about a listener whose parents are paying yearly fees on an Orlando property they can barely use anymore. You'll hear why these timeshare contracts are so hard to unwind, what maintenance fees tend to run, and why there's often no cap on how fast they climb. Then, can you really get free money to buy a house? Sean Pyles, CFP®, Elizabeth Ayoola and senior news writer Anna Helhoski are joined by mortgage Nerds Abby Badach Doyle and Kate Wood to discuss how down payment and closing cost…