Highlands at Sugar - Need some info

My sister-in-law is looking at acquiring a week here from a widowed friend who no longer uses it. I told her I would see what I could find out for her on TUG but there aren't any recent reviews and no sales info.

She thinks the friend is about $1500.00 in arrears for MF and wants about $4500.00 for it. I told her to find out what week it is and to be sure it's paid for in full.

Has anybody been to the resort in the last year and can anybody tell me what the current MF for a two bedroom are? I see in an old post that they were $641 in 2011 and have to assume they are higher now.

The older reviews mention the resort was getting a bit dated. Have any renovations/upgrades been done recently or might she be looking at special assessments sometime down the road?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Julie

I'm not familiar with the name. Where is it?

It's in Banner Elk, NC. I haven't seen it, but the highest rated resorts in the area are Chetola and Blue ridge Village. I'm afraid that my feeling is that the owner would be lucky to give this one away......

Several thoughts, based on internet research. I know nothing, personally, about the resort.


1) reviews on Redweek.com, Trip Advisor and TUG weren't bad. Sort of Average to Excellent. A few terribles but only a few. If I were trading in, I'd still go.


2) I'd want to know WHO is going to pay the overdue maintenance fees. To ask a selling price and expect the Buyer to pay the late fees is a little much. I'd counter-offer with " I'll pay the late maintenance fees and the closing costs, but you will sell it for $1". Or some similar type of offer. Then tell her the alternative is selling it on eBay.


3) Your SIL should remind the owner that timeshares depreciate like cars, unless they are the top-notch ones. The Seller appears to be a little unrealistic about timeshare resales in the current market.


4) Does your SIL live close enough to go for a visit and check out the resort herself? Or take a little mini-vacation? The resort has a nice looking website. She could go and stay for a couple of nights.


5) Does your SIL want to use the resort? Does she want to trade it? Is she knowledgeable about timeshares and their issues? Timeshare ownership is complicated, these days, and getting worse.


Food for thought.
NKN

First bit of advice for anything, Google it.

there's enough info to give you at least an inkling. Lots of reviews thru Tripadvisor and others...yelp, yahootravel, etc.

I personally wouldn't touch it. If it was a great place, you (and we all) would have heard about it.

Skied there during college years....horribly inconsistent snow, if any. Condos were adequate, nothing more.

Every year seems like a lean year. They try to blow snow but even when they do, it's aggravating and not fun. More like skiing on ice at all NC ski resorts. So crowded some days that all you can do is make 4-6 runs in a full day. Long lift lines. Actually a bit dangerous with crowds in those conditions. Dated condos abound. I wouldn't take one for free.

If you ski and must drive from eastern USA, go to Snowshoe, WV. If you ski and can fly, go to Park City,Utah or Colorado resorts. If you just looking for a nice mountain chalet to get away, look around Grandfather Mountain, NC or Gatlinburg, TN.

If you're really considering it, visit and look at them...even rent one for a weekend. Don't rely on anyone's advice, sight unseen, ever.

Its a nice place on top of the mountain with a tiresome drive up and down.

You can pick up a much better one at blue ridge village for peanuts on ebay. Bllue ridge village is much nicer with maint fee for a 2 bedroom around 570.

brv is a much better choice.

I owed near there and have traded into a couple resorts in he area. I have not seen that one but there are none in the area that I would pay $4,500 for.

It gets tricky when dealing with friends and your SIL could easily lose a friend over a TS deal.

These two auctions are for the same unit and it did not get a bid. Fixed week 25 with reasonable MFs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-HIGHLAN...=Timeshares&hash=item4d17f84f01#ht_5864wt_986

Perhaps you SIL could somehow show the friend that these are not selling at any price and should maybe pursue a deed back.

Well, I own there and thought I gave it back. I mailed them the deed and didn't hear anything so thought it was taken care of. I had never ever been late but I got ill and could not do anything about it. I talked to her again because I got a bill and she told me many owners had walked out but she would try to keep lawyers from calling me. It looks like I owe around $6400. It is a 1br , the week of the Highland Games . This is one of the most requested weeks. It is an older resort but they keep it nice and well maintained. If she would like mine, she can have it if she wants to pay what I owe. I'll pay the transfer fee. It's not much of a deal but best I can do. I'm not paying them any more money and they understand that.

Now before someone accuses me of walking away, trust me when I say I did not want to. I bought it in the 80's and was NEVER late until I gave it back, four years ago.

shaggy

Any Highlands at Sugar owners out there?

I understand SPM Resorts is now managing this resort. Have any owners heard whether the Board is contemplating a renovation?

Maple_Leaf said:

I understand SPM Resorts is now managing this resort. Have any owners heard whether the Board is contemplating a renovation?

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Sound like a special assessment is coming to pay for the renovation. Just be careful and take your time and please do not sign any transfer documents. .

pedro47 said:

Sound like a special assessment is coming to pay for the renovation. Just be careful and take your time and please do not sign any transfer documents. .

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Thanks, sounds like good advice. Don't worry, I'm just nosing around to see if any owners know whether a renovation is in the works.