Timeshare Rookie [Fractional Ownership]

[Craisegolfer]

Hello TUG Members,

I'm researching the idea of purchasing a timeshare, however, everything I see is based on weeks. I'm interested in the idea of purchasing multiple months. Is purchasing multiple months in different locations a viable option in timeshare ownership?

Kind Regards,
Gerald

 

[VegasBella]

From what I understand there are a handful of resorts that offer larger shares of the resort than one week in one unit, but they are far and few between. It's definitely not a common model. Maybe other Tuggers can comment.

 

[TUGBrian]

sounds like you want to look into fractional ownership, this is generally far more costly (and the resorts offering this are far more limited)

 

[Craisegolfer]

Hello Brian,

Thank you very much for the reply! Where do you suggest I start researching fractional ownership. We are researching the idea of being gone three months out of the year. One month in the late fall and January and February. Each month potentially a different location. I appreciate your thoughts!

 

[TUGBrian]

can find some discussions on it here in the non-traditional ownership forum

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=48

 

[VacationForever]

Technically you can buy into a points-based system snd buy lots of points. That way you can book a block of time without the stress of trying to make exchanges to string the weeks together. Fractional ownership locks you into the same place every year, which is not what you want, as I am reading.

 

[TUGBrian]

id think booking multiple MONTHS using points would be nearly impossible no?

 

[VacationForever]

id think booking multiple MONTHS using points would be nearly impossible no?

As long as you have the points, you can book months. There is no restrictoon.

 

[TUGBrian]

oh sorry, im sure its theoretically possible, i just meant realistically? is it possible to book a month or more straight with points?

in all systems or just some?

(this is for my own morbid curiosity now...lol)

 

[Craisegolfer]

Hello Brian and sptung,

Please keep the banter going...it's helping educate me.

Now I need to learn more about points based systems.

 

[vacationhopeful]

I have FIXED WEEKS at a VRI resort. Some are converted to RCI points ... have at least 8 weeks in a row (same checkin day of week, mostly same unit size) in late Jan thru mid March .. .weeks 4 thru 10 (or 11). I also have converted fixed weeks in RCI Points in the Summer Prime season at same resort which gives me HOME RESORT priority BOOKING window.

So I can with very LITTLE planning ... go roost from Week 52 thru Week 10 1/2 block from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean with free parking in Ft Lauderdale. I could also take a week here and there and vacation 6 miles NORTH in Pompano Beach .. in those fixed deeded weeks I own there.

PS The resort staff figured out YEARS ago .... how to keep most stay-overs in the same unit for extended lengths of time ... Inbounds ALL want an OCEAN VIEW unit ... regulars rather sleep in later and drink on the balconies as the SUN GOES DOWN. Plus, the bars and vehicle traffic plus sirens seem to happen on the OCEAN side of the building. So the 1 or 2 Week staying guest, is happy to accept an ocean side unit and the stay overs, just smile as they stay in the one unit for several weeks in a row...enjoying sunsets views of the intercoastal waterway.

 

[VacationForever]

oh sorry, im sure its theoretically possible, i just meant realistically? is it possible to book a month or more straight with points?

in all systems or just some?

(this is for my own morbid curiosity now...lol)

This is what points managers do with the popular Worldmark and Wyndham resorts. You can book 365 days a year straight out if you so wish and you have the points to do so. For example, Marina Dunes is one of the popular resorts (near Monterrey), you can book starting in April through October in one booking and rent those weeks out separately.

 

[VacationForever]

So 10K points in Worldmark gives about 1 week in a 2 Bedroom. 100K points will give you 10 weeks. 200K points give you 20 weeks worth. You can do it online at 13 months and book them.

 

[TUGBrian]

interesting, although to do that (consecutive full month) youd literally have to book at the beginning of the 13month window every year?

and resale would be out, dont they have a shorter window?

 

[VacationForever]

interesting, although to do that (consecutive full month) youd literally have to book at the beginning of the 13month window every year?

and resale would be out, dont they have a shorter window?

You will book at 13th month ahead and block book at one go. No difference between resale and developer credits/points/contracts.

 

[TUGBrian]

i dont think that is the case with all points systems though? would be important for the OP to reserach before buying!

 

[VacationForever]

I know that Worldmark allows you to book it that way. I don't see why Wyndham and Marriott DC points would not operate the same way, based on everything I have read.

I won't include RCI points in the same bucket as RCI points only allow you to book what is available in their exchange system.

 

[WinniWoman]

Smugglers Notch offers fractional ownership. In fact, I received an email today from the resort stating they have a few Family Shares(1/3 year ownership) for sale. 16 weeks which include 4 weeks summer and 4 weeks winter. 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom. Available in Falcons, Trailside Highlands and Kestrels- all lovely buildings/units. Supposedly very motivated sellers. The resort assists Family Share owners with the resales. (They stopped assisting club owners with resales unfortunately)

Here is the link: http://www.smuggs.com/re

They also have winter share, half year and full ownerships.

The only concern I would have if I were you would be trying to rent the weeks you don't use- very hard. Also, the maintenance fees for all those weeks would be in the thousands.

 

[Craisegolfer]

Is there a specific points program you would recommend? I need to learn how these programs work...Again, this is all new to us.

 

[Craisegolfer]

Thank you Mary Ann! Very interesting. It's amazing how many options are available.

 

[Passepartout]

I see many multi-week stays at a favorite Mexico west coast TS of ours. it books through either VRI (weeks) or Vacation Internationale (points), so if you have the points, long stays are possible. The catch would be amassing all the necessary points resale, then unloading them when you are ready to stop actively traveling.

Jim

 

[sue1947]

This is what points managers do with the popular Worldmark and Wyndham resorts. You can book 365 days a year straight out if you so wish and you have the points to do so. For example, Marina Dunes is one of the popular resorts (near Monterrey), you can book starting in April through October in one booking and rent those weeks out separately.

WM has put in some new rules to limit the ability to rent out weeks separately from a long booking. However, if it is for your own use, you can book as many nights as you want. The online calendar will only allow up to 30 days but for more than that, you simply call in. Once you book over 30 nights, the Transient Occupancy Tax charged by many localities no longer applies.

Most think timeshares are week based. This is no longer true. You can buy points and book any number of days you want, depending on the rules for that system. With WM, you can start any day of the week for any length;3 nights or 13 or 23 or 33 etc. You have to book at least 7 days in red season from 13 months to 10 months before the start date and, at 10 months, you can book less than 7 days.

Each system is different and it makes no sense to try to figure out the rules of each before narrowing things down. Start with this thread http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=208742 and that should help narrow down the options to a manageable few. The real key is location and quality.

Tuggers Ron and Joan are timesharing full time using a combination of timeshares. Their blog is here: http://ronandjoanjourney.blogspot.com/

So answer the questions in Denise's thread and narrow down which systems best fit what you want. Then start investigating those systems. It might be that a series of weeks works for you or a couple of point systems makes sense. Bottom line, the 3 months isn't a big deal in timesharing. 'Regular' (if there is such a thing) timeshares can work well for you especially if you want to go to different locations.

Sue

 

[harveyhaddixfan]

I was curious so I looked at my resort in NC in RCI points. It appears that RCI has a limit of 3 consecutive weeks booked at the same time. I tried 10 different check ins and got no more that 21 days straight.

 

[Craisegolfer]

Sue,

Thank you so much for detailed post...this helps immensely!

Kind Regards,
Gerald

 

[mtwingcpa]

I'm researching the idea of purchasing a timeshare, however, everything I see is based on weeks. I'm interested in the idea of purchasing multiple months. Is purchasing multiple months in different locations a viable option in timeshare ownership?

I've seen a number of resorts in Washington state where the basic unit of ownership is 4 - 8 weeks. But the weeks are not consecutive. Rather, they are equally spaced throughout the year, and then the calendar jumps forward one week per year so that over time all owners have equal shot at holiday weeks, etc.

I haven't seen any that sell in full months, or that would allow you to choose only certain months (rather than a prescribed/rotating schedule as noted above). So I suspect you would simply have to purchase individual weeks as necessary to accomplish that goal.