Official: SVR Falls and Springs will be invited to join SVN

grgs · Jan 21, 2009

abdibile said:
All this info given does not make too much sense.

I think I get it:

Existing Owners who purchased at the Sheraton Vistana Resorts (Falls and Springs) before September 23, 2008, will be given the opportunity to join the Starwood Vacation Network (SVN) in the Spring of 2009.

I believe this refers to owners who originally purchased direct from the developer. I'm guessing that Sept. 23, 2008 was the start date for developer sales that came with SVN.

Existing Owners who purchased through resale by December 31, 2007 and reflect in our system by March 31, 2008 will be eligible to join SVN in the Spring of 2009.

As it states, this applies to resale owners. So far, then, resales purchased after 2007 will NOT be eligible for SVN.

Sales is currently offering Starwood Vacation Network (SVN) membership with all new purchases at the Falls and Springs. SVN membership will be effective for 2010.

All developer sales of Falls & Springs units will now include SVN. (Again, I'm guessing this probably started on Sept. 23, 2008.

Glorian

Ken555 · Jan 22, 2009

I purchased two Falls weeks resale in May 2008.

I'm sure I won't be alone in taking action should SVN not permit me to join the club with these units when other owners are, especially now that they've segregated owners into two classes (based on where you purchase) with different dates. At worst, SVN should use the Sept 23, 2008 date for Falls/Springs for all owners of record as of that date.

While SVN may provide inconsistent communication at times, something tells me their own lawyers haven't reviewed this new change yet. I'm not going to worry until they officially announce the invitation to join SVN, and at that time if I'm not permitted to join I'm sure many of us will discuss our options.

If you haven't yet purchased a week resale and want to try, then I suggest buying at one of the phases that have yet to start renovations, not Falls.

nodge · Feb 6, 2009

nodge said:
. . . this month's MSC is a featured article titled “Everything you wanted to know about the Sheraton Vistana Resort Refurbishment.”

The number one most frequently asked question regarding the VR Refurbishment according to SVO on MSC is (drum-roll please) . . . .

"Can I request a Kosher package?"

Hey Gang,

If you check out MSC today, you'll see that -- through no prompting from us owners here on TUG and purely on its own accord -- MSC’s editors have updated the FAQ section in the article "Everything you wanted to know about the Sheraton Vistana Resort Refurbishment" to now link to individual brochures and FAQ about each VR phase.

My mind is swirling with all of those detailed facts and figures presented. For example, I had no idea that it cost $15,400 PER VILLA just for "Demolition/Renovation" of each Cascades unit. SVO also goes out of its way to say that "Starwood Vacation Ownership does not receive any profits from the refurbishment. In fact, the company is required to pay the refurbishment fee for any Vistana Cascades villa that it owns, just like any other Owner."

The most interesting thing in the FAQ section I read was that SVO appears to now be plugging the resale site www.resalesmart.com.

"Q: If I choose to do so, how do I sell my villa?

SVO's Answer: You may log on to www.ResalesMart.com to list your villa."

FYI,

-nodge

DeniseM · Feb 6, 2009

Does Starwood own resalesmart.com? If you click on "About Us" on the website, "us" is Starwood. :shrug:

pointsjunkie · Feb 6, 2009

so if the buyer is buying on that site and starwood owns it does the units come with all the SVN benefits? if it doesn't wouldn't it be a very gray area? i would think if starwood is selling those TS's that have been given back Like that couple who wrote a few days ago then starwood should give all the benenfits IMO.

DeniseM · Feb 6, 2009

The site specifies that is it an advertising forum and the timeshares are being sold by owners. What I was saying is that the website itself appears to be connected to Starwood - I just found it odd, that when you click on "about us" you get a description of Starwood.

The process is a simple one. The site is like a classified ad in the newspaper. The seller clicks on "Sell a Week", fills out the form and for a yearly price of $50 their advertisement is posted on this site.

The buyer can search for villas for sale using the "Buy a Week" link that will enable them to search by a variety of criteria, list and sort the list of available villas.

Buyers will contact the seller directly. All transactions made at this site are private sales between the unit week owner, as seller, and the buyer. Sellers and buyers will need to provide their own closing agent and financing.

nodge · Feb 7, 2009

DeniseM said:
Does Starwood own resalesmart.com? If you click on "About Us" on the website, "us" is Starwood.

Yes.

Here is the "who is" printout from Network Solutions identifying the registrant of www.resalesmart.com:

Registrant:
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc
Domain Admin
1111 Westchester Ave
White Plains, NY 10604
US
im-admin@starwoodhotels.com
+1.9146408100 Fax: +1.9146408100

Domain Name: RESALESMART.COM
Registrar of Record: Corporate Domains, Inc.

Starwood appears to have owned this domain name since June 8, 2000.

The plot thickens . . . . .

-nodge

clsmit · Feb 7, 2009

You'd think Starwood would be buying up anything under, say, $3000 from this site just to have the inventory. I feel for the people listing their property for over $20,000.

And it costs $50 to list your property.

abdibile · Feb 9, 2009

clsmit said:
You'd think Starwood would be buying up anything under, say, $3000 from this site just to have the inventory.

This would be a cool exit strategy foe just $50!

Has anybody experienced them buying from the site?

A lot is advertised below $ 3,000

Ken555 · Feb 9, 2009

abdibile said:
A lot is advertised below $ 3,000

Many of them are not worth $3,000 in the current market.

suskey · Feb 9, 2009

What about the Palms section?

Susan

amanven · Feb 9, 2009

DeniseM said:
The site specifies that is it an advertising forum and the timeshares are being sold by owners. What I was saying is that the website itself appears to be connected to Starwood - I just found it odd, that when you click on "about us" you get a description of Starwood.

If this site is an advertising forum for buyers and sellers to get together and is indeed Starwoods , why would they have anything to do with something like this. I doubt they are getting rich off the $50.00 listing fee so why would Starwood support the very resale market that undercuts their developer pricing so drastically?

SDKath · Feb 9, 2009

I know! I don't understand this at all? It is wierd to think Starwood would be involved in resale transactions, which can be frought with errors and problems. Frankly, I am surprised at their poor judgment about this. Maybe this is why they don't advertise it much??

Katherine

abdibile · Feb 14, 2009

I contacted several of the people who posted their Vistana weeks at below $ 3000, some even at $1 (all weeks are in phases that have not yet paid the assesment) .

NONE of them has received an offer from Starwood to buy back the week even at $1.

Looks like Starwood really only set up the page to have "a solution" to point owners who want to sell (and earn the listing fee...).

svn · Feb 18, 2009

plans by section

Can one of the owners who has access to the site, please post a summary of their plans by section? I am looking to buy into Vistana Resort and am hoping there's a section left (Courts?) that they still haven't announced plans for refurbishing and I can beat them to the punch...

DeniseM · Feb 18, 2009

svn said:
Can one of the owners who has access to the site, please post a summary of their plans by section? I am looking to buy into Vistana Resort and am hoping there's a section left (Courts?) that they still haven't announced plans for refurbishing and I can beat them to the punch...

Be aware that you probably won't be able to join the SVN if you buy now...

svn · Feb 18, 2009

Does that apply even to the sections they haven't announced any plans for yet (am assuming there's still some sections left that have not been discussed)? If so, my idea of beating them to the punch doesn't really work out. Thanks for pointing that out DeniseM

tlpnet · Feb 19, 2009

svn said:
Does that apply even to the sections they haven't announced any plans for yet (am assuming there's still some sections left that have not been discussed)? If so, my idea of beating them to the punch doesn't really work out. Thanks for pointing that out DeniseM

I believe that all sections have announced plans for renovation.

-tim

Official: SVR Falls and Springs will be invited to join SVN

grgs

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Ken555

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nodge

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abdibile

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