Confused

[Charles Thring]

I have an opportunity for a time share in Vegas, can I please get opinions on wether this is a good deal and a good fit for us, and would I be able to use this ownership for trade in Anaheim...
Here is a copy of the email:

What I have is a 2 bedroom lockout unit, what this means is that it is basically 2 x 1 bedroom units that can be used by 2 unrelated parties with full privacy.

The timeshare is for week 6 at the Grandview Las Vegas, week 6 is usually the 2nd week of Feb reach year. So you can either use the week by arranging directly with the resort.

I have a weeks membership with RCI so what I do is bank the weeks with RCI, depending on how soon in the year you bank depends on what the "Trading Power" points is. I also deposit the weeks as 2 separate 1 bedroom apartments as this maximizes the number of points that you receive. Last year I received 2 x 16 points = 32 points for the weeks. You can then use the points to book other resorts all over the world. With RCI you can also book the resorts on behalf of family and friends by getting a gift certificate in the name of the person staying at the resort. If you book the resort close to the travel date you can get some real bargains and only pay a few points for the room, I have attached a printout of what's available at Grandview and how many points it would cost through RCI Weeks. So with the 2 x 1 bedroom apartments I received 32 points Trading Power so I could book 2 x 1 bedroom weeks at Grandview for the 2nd week of Feb 2018 for around 12 points, so by using RCI weeks you get exactly the same weeks at the resort (or another week or resort) and also have 20 points to use elsewere. I found this worked really well for me at the time but as my wife and I have now divorced my holiday patterns have now changed so I am not using the timeshare as much as I once did so I want to pass it on to somebody else.

The Maint fees are currently $765 per year and I have recently paid the 2018 fees so these are in credit as per below.

 

[rhonda]

FWIW ...

Going by the info you posted above, using the Grandview would carry the following annual costs:
* $765/y dues on the 2BR Lockout at Grandview
* (Are property taxes included in the annual dues?)
* Annual RCI Weeks Membership: ~$100 (must be paid for current year and one or more future years as your exchange travel window; i.e. you can't book a trade beyond your paid membership subscription)
* Exchange fees: ~$230 per trade for RCI Weeks
* Deposit Combine fee: $120 (optional; used to rally your multiple deposits into a single pool of TPU for greater trade power)
* Destination resort fees. For example, the Anaheim property referenced later in this post imposes a mandatory Parking fee for inbound exchange guests of $11.00 per day, plus tax, U.S. dollars.

I hope to come back to edit this post with the 2018 and 2019 RCI Week Trade Power Units (TPU; aka Trade Power points; not be be confused with RCI Points which is something entirely different) for the Grandview Week 6 and a few samples of Anaheim TPU vales.

EDITED to add: I was unable to verify the Grandview Week 6 TPU values at this time. (The Deposit calculator didn't want to play with Safari and I don't care to mess with a login through FF right now. Sorry!)

Anaheim options currently offered through RCI Weeks:
Peacock Suites #4029

Anaheim, CA USA

44 Reviews
Exchange Trading Power Range :34 - 44
OR Price: USD 949.99
25-Aug-2018 - 30-Dec-2018

There were a total of 32 different check-in dates offered. All were 1BR Partial Kitchen configurations. 13 of the weeks had TPU requirements between 37-39 TPU. The remaining dates fell between 40-44 TPU.

I don't think the GrandView is going to give you sufficient trade power for more than 1 week of travel each year for Anaheim?
-------

For the comparison purposes, $790/year covers 10,000 WM Credits (aka Points). 10k WM credits is generally (loosely) considered a 2BR week in high season at most resorts. Several resorts, including the newer LV resorts and Anaheim property, carry higher point values as you've likely found through the WM Resort Gallery linked earlier in this thread. 10k WM credits includes only 1 housekeeping token. If you book one stay each year the housekeeping is covered (included, free). If you use the 10k points to book multiple short stays ... the first stay each anniversary year is covered by the account's annual housekeeping token and you will pay a housekeeping fee for the follow-on visits based on the unit size of each stay.

Link to the current WM Maint fees table:
Link: https://www.worldmarktheclub.com/education/pdfs/WorldMark_Dues_Schedule.pdf

WM owners are not required to use an external exchange company (but are permitted to do so, as their choice). WM owners do not pay an 'exchange fee' when booking inside the WM network of properties. WM owners would not be paying a parking fee at either of the Anaheim properties.

 

[Charles Thring]

Hmmmmm....sounds more attractive to me. So where to look for something fitting for us in worldmark?

 

[Charles Thring]

Looks like the wife is really interested in the dolphins. Would fit our Disney plans, and would be easily traded for Vegas......is that a good idea? And what would we expect to pay, and is there availability?

 

[rhonda]

Hmmmmm....sounds more attractive to me. So where to look for something fitting for us in worldmark?

We purchased our most significant WM account from http://www.redseason.com many years ago. They made it an easy, well managed transaction. (WM accounts can be combined ... so you can 'grow' your account, as needed, on your own schedule.) There are also nice accounts on eBay from time to time -- but watch carefully for all fees involved in the transaction: closing (not required by WM), transfer (yes, required by WM), repayment of current or prior-year dues, etc. (The extra fees aren't "bad" - but factor them all in when comparing different account listings.)

As for buying Dolphins Cove specifically, I've seen a few weeks on eBay but don't track them as we already had WM. Hoping others chime in here for you!

 

[dagger1]

I'm afraid I'm not much of a sports fan, but am a lover of Las Vegas. My wife and I just like to go and unwind. We gamble a bit, but not excessively so. We see the odd show, but it's more spending time together for us.

Charles Thring: X2 for us! We LOVE Vegas!!! There should be an annual TUG Vegas get together for all those who love Vegas.

 

[Charles Thring]

Has anyone heard of timeshare nation? Reputable? Good? Anything to be wary of?

 

[VegasBella]

If you're determined to buy and you don't want points then personally I'd suggest getting a week at a resort in Anaheim you like that works for your schedule and then trading into Vegas when it works rather than buying in Vegas and trading into Anaheim. There's more availability in Vegas to trade into, less in Anaheim.


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[Charles Thring]

If you're determined to buy and you don't want points then personally I'd suggest getting a week at a resort in Anaheim you like that works for your schedule and then trading into Vegas when it works rather than buying in Vegas and trading into Anaheim. There's more availability in Vegas to trade into, less in Anaheim.


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I am not determined to buy, I just don't understand the "point" system. So I would buy a point contract instead of an actual physical timeshare? I can see the possible advantages, but don't know anything about it

 

[rhonda]

I am not determined to buy, I just don't understand the "point" system. So I would buy a point contract instead of an actual physical timeshare? I can see the possible advantages, but don't know anything about it

re: section in bold, quoted
Glad to read that! Perhaps your post #33, checking on a particular broker/dealer, could be read and interpreted as "anxious and ready to press the [Buy it Now!] button." Timeshares are, after all, often an emotional purchase. ;-) Furthermore, you are in a chat room (here) with a group of addicts. ;-)

Addicts, or not, it is often encouraged to plan 6-12 months researching timeshare before your first purchase. Keep going on your present research trail -- you are asking good questions!

FWIW, this addict owns Worldmark (as stated on my profile on the left edge of the screen?), a fixed summer week at a coastal resort in Southern California, some points with Disney Vacation Club and a "membership" for Wyndham point rentals. I've also owned, past tense, a fixed week in South Africa (for trading purposes) and a "full share" at a local Ranch property. Timeshares aren't "one and done." No single timeshare product 'does it all.' The first timeshare often leads to a second timeshare with a different goal in mind. Step carefully, friend. You might get hooked -- like the rest of us.

 

[Charles Thring]

I guess that's the part I'm Missing....you speak of points, yet you own a socal fixed week...
I'm eager to get into timeshare, but I'm not rushed. I'm looking for the most equitable "best fit" but am still struggling with exactly what that might be. Please explain the "point" process..does it involve a "home" resort, and how would I go about it. $800 to $1000 per year seems like a comfy area to begin

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[rhonda]

I am not determined to buy, I just don't understand the "point" system. So I would buy a point contract instead of an actual physical timeshare? I can see the possible advantages, but don't know anything about it

Glad you put it that way. Indeed, points might, depending on the system, seem ethereal. One does need to question, "What are the points tied to?" "Can the points change value?" "Could the disappear altogether?"

The answers will vary for each point system.

For Worldmark: The points represent your "share" in the entire portfolio of real estate held by Worldmark the Club, a California non-profit mutual benefit corporation. The point value of any given unit type can be rebalanced across a year's period - but the total points (of the entire year for the unit) cannot change from year to year. As for WM's possible demise: I doubt it will happen but such an undertaking would certainly be heavily regulated, orderly and all current owners will be paid back out from the proceeds.

For RCI Points: You own a specific week at a specific timeshare property. The points assigned to that week are used only for exchanging the week through RCI's exchange program and can change. Could the RCI Points program terminate? Maybe, but in the end you will continue to own the underlying resort week.

For DVC Points: You 'own' a specific "share" of time at a given resort and unit. The points represent your size of that share. The ownership has a set expiration date (25-50 years from now) and will terminate. Can the point values change? Yes, the total points for a resort (all units/weeks) can be rebalanced but the total number of points cannot be increased or decreased.

This is just a sample ... but yes, good to be asking the questions!

 

[VegasBella]

I guess that's the part I'm Missing....you speak of points, yet you own a socal fixed week...

Rhonda owns both a traditional deeded week (fixed summer week) and points through another system. Many of us own more than one thing. I own two fixed weeks and one float week. All of mine are deeded; I don't own any points.

Read through the articles here: http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/tug_timeshare_advice.shtml

 

[Charles Thring]

Ok....so. What is best...deeded fixed....deeded float...points......lol, damn I need a beer

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[rhonda]

I guess that's the part I'm Missing....you speak of points, yet you own a socal fixed week...
I'm eager to get into timeshare, but I'm not rushed. I'm looking for the most equitable "best fit" but am still struggling with exactly what that might be. Please explain the "point" process..does it involve a "home" resort, and how would I go about it. $800 to $1000 per year seems like a comfy area to begin

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VegasBella is correct: the timeshare I mentioned as "mine" are each different products. The WM points are not related to the SoCal fixed week.

As for the question of "does [points] involve a 'home' resort": the answer varies based on the specific point system. WM? No home resort; DVC? yes, a home resort; RCI Points? yes, a home resort; etc.

See TUG advice page comparing the most popular point systems: http://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare-system-comparison-chart.html)

Choosing (or 'researching') a Point System would start with questions such as:

a) Which system has resorts in locations I intend to visit? Are the locations "internal/native" to the system or are they "affiliated" properties operated under different rules, treated as an exchange, burdened with added fees, etc?

You've identified these as Las Vegas and Anaheim. There are many timeshare options in Las Vegas but few in Anaheim. Anaheim has:
- Disney Vacation Club (DVC) at the Grand Californian. Really nice property, great location for Disneyland -- but no internal options for Las Vegas.
- Shell Vacation Club, recently moved under Wyndham as a separate group, has both Anaheim and Las Vegas.
- Wyndham, has both Anaheim and Las Vegas.
- Worldmark, managed by Wyndham, has both Anaheim and Las Vegas.
- Others? (I can't think of any others... but it has been a long day and I haven't yet cleaned the kitchen.)

b) Which system meets minimum requirements for creature comforts? (Likely all those listed above)

c) Given my budget for annual dues, how many points and what can these points do (or how can I use these points)?
Example of modeling WM reservations within your stated budget of $800-$1000/year:
- Own 10k WM credits (aka points). 2017 dues: $790.04
- Book WM Dolphins Cove, 1BR unit, 3 night weekend (check-in Thur; check-out Sun) for the bi-annual D23 Event. Cost:6750 WM credits + 1 free housekeeping token.
- Book WM Las Vegas Blvd, Studio unit, 3 night midweek (check-in Mon; check-out Thur). Cost: 2250 WM credits + $64 housekeeping charge (studio unit) + $8.82 tax
- Book WM Las Vegas Blvd, Studio unit, 2 night midweek (check-in Wed; check-out Fri) on Bonus Time. Cost: $121.02 including taxes

This gives you 3 separate trips (1 Anaheim, 2 LV). You've spent a total of $983.88 (annual dues, 1 housekeeping, 1 Bonus Time fee). You've spent 9300 WM Credits from the current year and allowed 700 WM credits to add to next year's balance.

d) Can I book similar travel more efficiently using other methods? Which method is best-bang-for-the-buck or best-bang-for-my-time, etc.?

Ok....so. What is best...deeded fixed....deeded float...points......lol, damn I need a beer

LOL, no one thing is 'best' for everyone. That is how many of us wind up with multiple timeshare!

But my, oh, my. I could get my former Ranch timeshare back ... I'd be one happy gal. That was as near 'perfect' as it comes for me. Oh, well. Time moves on and things change. Sniff, sniff!

EDITED TO ADD link to thread sharing stories of what we TUGgers love about our timeshares: http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?threads/why-did-you-buy-and-is-it-worth-it.243762/

 

[Charles Thring]

Ok,. Starting to get it. So let's say I want wm as stated above with 10,000 credits. Anaheim still being preferred destination. How do I get started with buying said credits. Worldmark seems to be my best fit so far.....damn I wish I could sit down for a beer with you and pick your brain.

Worldmark it is!!! Ready and willing, where do I sign up

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[presley]

$800 to $1000 per year seems like a comfy area to begin

Is that for just one week or 3? You mentioned earlier that you wanted to stay in a timeshare 3 weeks per year. What you quoted is pretty much what I expect to pay for one week.

Worldmark it is!!! Ready and willing, where do I sign up

Are you sure you want to buy Worldmark? It's a good product and it has the locations you want, but just making sure you are sure before you buy. You can certainly rent a stay or more before buying to see if you like it.

If you are totally determined to buy Worldmark, you can start by looking here: https://wmcredits.net/ That shows you resale prices and annual dues. To learn how to use Worldmark, read here: wmowners.com You'll want to look at the points chart to see how many points it takes to stay where you want to stay and during the season you want to stay. That will give you a good base for how many points you need to buy. I'm thinking you'll want to start with about 20,000 for what you've said so far and then you can add another purchase later if you want to.

Keep in mind that whenever you stay at Worldmark, they will hound you to buy more points directly from them at ridiculous prices.

 

[Jan M.]

Charles Thring: X2 for us! We LOVE Vegas!!! There should be an annual TUG Vegas get together for all those who love Vegas.

Count us in for the Vegas trip!

 

[rhonda]

Ok,. Starting to get it. So let's say I want wm as stated above with 10,000 credits. Anaheim still being preferred destination. How do I get started with buying said credits. Worldmark seems to be my best fit so far.....damn I wish I could sit down for a beer with you and pick your brain.

Worldmark it is!!! Ready and willing, where do I sign up

Heh, heh. Slow it down ... 6 to 12 months of research, remember?

Spend some time pouring over the WM Resort Gallery focusing only on the red dots for any given state/province/region (red dots = in-network, native WM locations rather than the various affiliates). Drill down into resort info pages for a handful of locations and study the point charts for understanding. Do the resort locations you want have the unit sizes you want? Do you understand the point values across the week (Fri/Sat highest, Sun mid price and Mon-Thur lowest) or seasons? Can you use the point charts to model how 10,000 WM credits might be used?

Then read the WM Club Guidelines. (This will take a few passes and, perhaps, another beer.) Try to get your head around sections B.5 (reservation windows) B.8 (length of stay requirements) and B.20 (cancellations). Once through that exercise take a mini-test: How early could you book WM Dolphins Cove for a 3-night weekend in July? How early could you book a mid-week stay at LV? How about a 3 night visit to WM Canmore-Banff in late January?

Consider renting a reservation through an owner to "feel through the process." Let the owner know you are considering a WM purchase and want feedback on how difficult or easy the reservation is to book given your chosen location, unit size and dates. You've already read that Cindy and I have different perspectives on "ease of booking our desired reservations" concerning WM Dolphins Cove.

 

[rhonda]

Is that for just one week or 3? You mentioned earlier that you wanted to stay in a timeshare 3 weeks per year. What you quoted is pretty much what I expect to pay for one week.

Charles: are you seeking 3 full-week stays (1 wk Anaheim, 2 weeks LV) ... or three visits annually where each is less than a full week? This certainly makes a big difference relative to budget and 'ease of working w/in the system.' (Full weeks are easier to book at the 13-month reservation window than partial weeks at the 10-month window.)

Are you sure you want to buy Worldmark? It's a good product and it has the locations you want, but just making sure you are sure before you buy. You can certainly rent a stay or more before buying to see if you like it.

Agreed! Rent first, if possible.

You'll want to look at the points chart to see how many points it takes to stay where you want to stay and during the season you want to stay. That will give you a good base for how many points you need to buy. I'm thinking you'll want to start with about 20,000 for what you've said so far and then you can add another purchase later if you want to.

Or ... own a smaller number of points with the notion of paying cash for add-on reservations through the year via Bonus Time, Inventory Special, Monday Madness, etc.?

I've just pulled a spreadsheet of our WM reservation history going back to Nov 2001. (Our earlier reservation is captured somewhere on a different computer -- but does not appear in our online history ... so I'm not including it for now.) The spreadsheet shows:

• 129 separate reservations (excluding both II and RCI exchanges)
• 316 nights (the total nights of the 129 separate reservations; the average falls between 2 to 3 nights per reservation)
• ~40% of our reservations are CASH reservations! Drilling down a bit deeper, I see 206 nights on Credits and 110 nights on Cash. I've been rather successful using Monday Madness and Bonus Time. (I rarely use Inventory Specials or FAX.)

So ... I favor "buy sufficient credits to semi-guarantee the big plans ... use cash to fill in the gaps." I especially appreciate that the cash reservations include the added housekeeping charge ... eliminating that added barrier between me and a getaway.

 

[Charles Thring]

Ok, let's start here (I sometimes think too big)
I want one week in Anaheim for starters as my main goal, as we stay cheap in Vegas regardless...
So, if I was to buy one week in Anaheim, or rent one week in Anaheim...what would be costs and advantages.
I'm not afraid of commitment (I've been married 33 years), but I am afraid of mistakes. But I do know that Anaheim will be a yearly destination for the next 10-15 years.

As a side note, I just wanted to express my deepest appreciation to this site and its members. I have been truly blessed to be so quickly accepted....treated with superhuman patience, and flooded with incredible information that I am sure I would not have received anywhere else....
Thank you all so very much.

 

[Tamaradarann]

I would appreciate any advice I can get to achieve my goal.
My wife and I are Vegas and Disney fanatics, and try to do Vegas twice a year, and Disneyland once a year. I need to find something that will get us closer to that goal.
I am of course looking for the best bang for the buck, lowest purchase price and closing costs, and the lowest maintenance fees.
So here we go.....
What is a triannual resort....what difference in weeks color....are fees paid yearly or quarterly....how do I book at something other than my home resort...and lastly, am I making the right choice.

Thank you for any responses, and thanks to TUG for this wonderful resource!

My initial thoughts about your primary interest in vacationing in Vegas and Disney was that HGVC has some very good possibilities. First of all I will concur with others in this group that you should buy resale. The cost of an annual timeshare resale will be less than a tri-annual one from the developer.

However, any HGVC purchase whether directly through HGVC or Resale will give you "Open Season" privileges which is the ability to book nights for cash without using any of your points. The cost could be as low as $80 a night for a Studio. In both Vegas and Orlando the open season availability is great most of the time. You could use the points you get for your purchase to reserve vacations in other resorts with less availability, or during high demand period where the open season availability may not be there. However, when you clarified that you meant Disney in Anaheim instead of Orlando that might not work for you. We have been to both the Anaheim and Orlando Disney and we feel that the Orlando Disney is far superior with many park options versus Anaheim.

 

[Charles Thring]

Unfortunately, we live on the west coast of Canada.....much closer to Disneyland. We have taken around 18 trips to Disneyland California...and 3 to Disneyland Florida...we also love universal Orlando...have a friend that works there.

 

[presley]

You can price out rentals vs. buying by looking at ads. We have a marketplace here. You can also check Ebay, Redweek.com, myresortnetwork.com

I often see fixed/floating weeks for sale for Dolphin's Cove for very cheap. Dolphin's Cove has regular weeks to buy as well as the points option which has been discussed already.

Since you said you already stay cheap in Vegas, you probably get a better deal than what you'd get with a timeshare over there. Once you own a timeshare in Anaheim, you can join RCI and get a week in Vegas on their Last Call deals (if you can travel in short notice) for under $300. which is significantly less expensive than owning a timeshare in Vegas. It really boils down to how picky you are about when you travel and where you are willing to stay. Of course, you may be better off staying in a hotel in Vegas if you are a member of their rewards programs.

 

[dagger1]

Ok....so. What is best...deeded fixed....deeded float...points......lol, damn I need a beer

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We own CWA points (Club Wyndham Access) to travel to many different locations, such as Flagstaff, Durango, Taos, Myrtle Beach, San Antonio Riverwalk, Washington D.C., New Orleans, etc., and be able to (try to) get 2 and 3 BR units for approximately the price of a hotel room (generally off season travel). We have 2 fixed, deeded weeks (same weeks, same unit) at Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch because it is only a 3 hour drive from us and we take our kids and grandkids every June. We are considering a fixed deeded week/unit at Hyatt in Key West just for an annual Keys retreat for us and another couple. We plan on using the Hyatt fixed week/unit every year, and not trade (although you can if you want.). We use Wyndham for various and differing annual itineraries....