Buying Marriott Resale

[peppersmom]

Hello:
I have little experience with timesharing, except for using a few of my friend's Marriott weeks. My question is that she would like me to purchase one of her weeks which is a Silver Season at Ocean Watch in SC..she claims it is great for trading as well. We were at the resort this month and an owner we met there was clearly upset about this particular season and the difficulty in getting a desired week. My husband is very leery about taking the leap into this venture and would rather rent a week than buy. I am so confused... any thoughts on buying a resale as Marriott is selling points, not home resorts/seasons as done in the past?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bobcat]

Hello:
I have little experience with timesharing, except for using a few of my friend's Marriott weeks. My question is that she would like me to purchase one of her weeks which is a Silver Season at Ocean Watch in SC..she claims it is great for trading as well. We were at the resort this month and an owner we met there was clearly upset about this particular season and the difficulty in getting a desired week. My husband is very leery about taking the leap into this venture and would rather rent a week than buy. I am so confused... any thoughts on buying a resale as Marriott is selling points, not home resorts/seasons as done in the past?

Thanks in advance.

With the price drop in Timeshares and the fees go up every year, I would rent. Ocean Watch can be a hard trade to receive or a good silver week to book if you own. If you purchase, you need to call or be on line at 9 A M the day you can book your week if you own. Good Luck.

 

[yumdrey]

If you want to travel oceanwatch in silver season every year, maybe buying that week makes sense - especially if you want oceanfront unit.
However, silver season is relatively easy to trade in, so I would buy something else which has lower maintenance fee.
You can rent silver season week close to the maintenance fee which does not make sense to buy.
So my point is:
buy somewhere else if you are considering trading
rent if you don't plan to visit there every year

 

[tiel]

Hello:
We were at the resort this month and an owner we met there was clearly upset about this particular season and the difficulty in getting a desired week.

It can be difficult for owners who want to be there the first 2 or 3 weeks or so of silver season to get a reservation. These weeks are desirable because the air and ocean temps are still nice and warm, the crowds are gone, and there is still a lot of daylight. We love it there then, and have been able to secure reservations for the first week most years (including 2012), and for the second week when we couldn't get the first.

This year, around the pool, we heard a number of people complaining they weren't able to get reservations for these weeks (1st or 2nd) for 2012, and they were VERY unhappy. They said they had been online and ready to go at 9:00 EDT (going so far as to sync their clocks) for the 12-month inventory release but got nothing. They blamed the lack of availability on the DC...though they couldn't really explain their reasoning on that.

Anyway, if you really really want to go there during these weeks, you might be frustrated as a resale owner, though rentals would probably always be available. I don't know how many silver weeks went into the trust, but you might also be disappointed as a points owner, and you'd be spending a whole lot more besides. So unless you really want to be an owner right now, I think I'd rent (maybe even renting from your friend), to see how well it fits into your lifestyle and budget.

Renting is a one-time commitment, while owning is forever...more or less.

 

[Patri]

If you buy from a friend, you may lose a friend.
(If you become unhappy with the purchase in the future).

 

[peppersmom]

Thanks for the responses...Still up in the air since I would like to own (husband not so much). I think renting may be the way to go for now...until we see somethat may be the right price, right place and at the right time!

 

[4Reliefnow]

Stop!


Look at the resale and rental market for weeks on Ebay.
Be sure to look at the completed listings by clicking a box near the bottom of the left hand side.
Most Silver weeks are $1

I recommend you rent a few more times until you find a platinum week for a very low price.

In Hilton Head you can get some nice weeks including Easter with the Gold Season. But never Silver (IMHO)

 

[Stefa]

Take your time and figure out what you really want to own. Just because your friend wants to unload her week doesn't mean you have to be the buyer.

There are several keys to successful trading:

--Reserve a good week.
--Place your request early.
--Be somewhat flexible about when and where you want to travel.

If you can travel at the last minute, flexchange is a great option.

Keep in mind that the person who wasn't happy with their trades may have been placing requests for a summer beach week five months out and being frustrated when what they wanted was never available. No timeshare will be a good trader (outside of flex) if you don't plan and have a good strategy for getting what you want.

 

[pianodinosaur]

I purchased MMVL summer season on ebay last year. We love the rocky mountains in the summer.

We won't go every year but will go frequently. I suggest that when you purchase a TS that you buy at a place and time that you will use.

 

[4Reliefnow]

Ebay has 100 listings for Marriott off season weeks for under $100. Search Marriott Timeshare. Select category timeshares for sale, Sort price lowest first. These are the dregs. See that half the listings don't even sell; most offer free closing.

Ask yourself if you really want to vacation at the beach after it gets could. Why not at least look fot a Gold Season? If your vacation time is scarce and you can afford platinum, it is a great value. I saw Gold Barony Beach for $3,000.

 

[zcrider]

I would never buy any TS in silver season or whatever they call their least desirable weeks at any given company. Those are always the ones you see listed for free and often the owner has to pay the closing costs and next years MF just to rid themselves of it when they no longer want it. Buy top season or during summer break when families need them ( except maybe places with extreme heat that would keep people away) and you will always have some market when you are ready to sell. That is my opinion.