Dr.K
TUG Member
I have been reading extensively on this website, which is AWESOME!! I see DeniseM and other tuggers have been very helpful with advice to newbies, so I hope I can also get some good advice here.
I am close to negotiating a price for a 3-bed GOLD Holiday annual-use week at Marriott Marbella Beach Resort. Here are my answers to DeniseM's newbie questions:
1) Where do you want your home resort to be? Marbella, Spain. I lived in Spain for three years, I speak Spanish and I love the idea of being able to visit with my family (2 of my children are half Spanish). We visited there 2 weeks ago and I loved it. I wanted to buy a week from the resort sales rep, but my husband and a friend frowned at me 'till I quit talking to him. :rofl: :rofl:
2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time? maybe trade more than visit. I thought that buying a 3-bed gold holiday at MMB would be a valueable trade.
3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Europe, Caribbean, Asia. And US after we become too old to travel internationally
4) How many people do you usually travel with? We have recently started getting together with 3 of my grown children around Christmas (we are tied to the academic calendar; I am an academic and one son teaches in So Korea), so we will be more comfortable in a 3-bedroom. I noticed that the variable cost difference (mtce fees) between a 2 and 3 bed is minimal, but a 3-bed should be a more valuable rental unit and trading unit, right?
5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? Locked into academic calendar (and consulting/research work during parts of summer). 6 of the MMB Gold weeks are in February & October (during the college semester) and are useless to me. I am focused on Gold Holiday to get Christmas week. The 3 weeks in May/June are also a great time to get away just after 2 semesters of teaching and before my summer research/consulting schedule starts.
6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Yes
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time? Yes
8) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? Cost is not important, but value is.
9) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year? same as above
10) Are you a detail oriented planner? Yes.
11) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes, but I am hoping to get a unit that would fetch a good rental price in years when no one in my large family could use it (likely to be used by my kids if not by us).
Assuming I agree on a final price with one of the parties with whom I am negotiating, I need referrals to a good closing company that can handle a transaction in Spain.
Also, as a condition of the purchase, I want a confirmed reservation in my name for Dec 24-31, 2011 that conveys to me. How do I coordinate that this detail doesn't get dropped along the way? I want the closing company to watch for this detail too, is that possible? I don't want the unit if I can't use it for Christmas this year.
Also, a condition is that all mtce fees be paid up. One seller suggested that if I want 2011 usage I must pay back the seller for the 2011 mtce fees which have already been paid. I think this is a point of negotiation, do you?
Thanks for your help! I have been glued to the website for about a week now---don't tell my boss!
I am close to negotiating a price for a 3-bed GOLD Holiday annual-use week at Marriott Marbella Beach Resort. Here are my answers to DeniseM's newbie questions:
1) Where do you want your home resort to be? Marbella, Spain. I lived in Spain for three years, I speak Spanish and I love the idea of being able to visit with my family (2 of my children are half Spanish). We visited there 2 weeks ago and I loved it. I wanted to buy a week from the resort sales rep, but my husband and a friend frowned at me 'till I quit talking to him. :rofl: :rofl:
2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time? maybe trade more than visit. I thought that buying a 3-bed gold holiday at MMB would be a valueable trade.
3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Europe, Caribbean, Asia. And US after we become too old to travel internationally
4) How many people do you usually travel with? We have recently started getting together with 3 of my grown children around Christmas (we are tied to the academic calendar; I am an academic and one son teaches in So Korea), so we will be more comfortable in a 3-bedroom. I noticed that the variable cost difference (mtce fees) between a 2 and 3 bed is minimal, but a 3-bed should be a more valuable rental unit and trading unit, right?
5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? Locked into academic calendar (and consulting/research work during parts of summer). 6 of the MMB Gold weeks are in February & October (during the college semester) and are useless to me. I am focused on Gold Holiday to get Christmas week. The 3 weeks in May/June are also a great time to get away just after 2 semesters of teaching and before my summer research/consulting schedule starts.
6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Yes
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time? Yes
8) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? Cost is not important, but value is.
9) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year? same as above
10) Are you a detail oriented planner? Yes.
11) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes, but I am hoping to get a unit that would fetch a good rental price in years when no one in my large family could use it (likely to be used by my kids if not by us).
Assuming I agree on a final price with one of the parties with whom I am negotiating, I need referrals to a good closing company that can handle a transaction in Spain.
Also, as a condition of the purchase, I want a confirmed reservation in my name for Dec 24-31, 2011 that conveys to me. How do I coordinate that this detail doesn't get dropped along the way? I want the closing company to watch for this detail too, is that possible? I don't want the unit if I can't use it for Christmas this year.
Also, a condition is that all mtce fees be paid up. One seller suggested that if I want 2011 usage I must pay back the seller for the 2011 mtce fees which have already been paid. I think this is a point of negotiation, do you?
Thanks for your help! I have been glued to the website for about a week now---don't tell my boss!
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