If you decide that you want to make one more kamikaze run at the resale market, your best bet is to try to undersell your competition. That's right: Look at what prices other units similar to yours, in your geographic region, are getting from resale buyers, and then price your unit just a hair lower than those final sale prices. You are almost certain to find a taker, even if it is a bargain-basement bottom feeder who trolls for unfortunate situations like yours all year round.

Of course, by taking this route you will likely be setting yourself up for a financial loss that is even greater than you had previously anticipated, but if time is the most important factor in your decision to sell — if you simply have to dump your timeshare and move on, for whatever reason — then for you, taking that loss may be worth the peace of mind that will come with signing the sale papers and moving on.

You may actually find yourself in a position where you have a paid-off timeshare unit from which you have gotten quite a good deal of value over the years. You may want to sell simply because you no longer want to pay the annual maintenance fees and occasional special assessments. In this case, you can list your timeshare for anywhere from $1 to $1,000, and you likely will find a taker quickly. The dollar amount may mean a break-even deal for you over the long haul, but that is nothing to sneeze at in the world of timeshare ownership. It's kind of like leaving an Atlantic City casino with the same $500 you had in your pocket the minute you walked in. You may not have won the jackpot, but at least you weren't among the countless big-time losers who walk away with nothing every single day.

If none of these options sounds right for you, there are others that you can consider, including auctions, charity donations, and permanent swaps with other timeshare owners. Again, they may not bring you the financial satisfaction you desire, but they will at least get you out of your timeshare ownership contract.