# RCI Maintenance Fees (Where are the cheapest ones?)



## bekachan (Oct 13, 2009)

Hello again.

I am hoping to purchase a timeshare with RCI points.  Which locations tend to have the cheapest/ lowest maintenance fees?  I noticed that Las Vegas is cheaper than Orlando but I am guessing there may be some better areas.  

Thanks


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## Larry6417 (Oct 13, 2009)

*My 2  cents.*

Unfortunately, neither RCI nor the TS themselves make it easy to compare. After all, if RCI points: MF ratio were known for every TS, then only the better ones would be bought. A good rule of thumb would be to aim for 100 RCI points per dollar of maintenance fee. The location of an RCI points property is less important than the location of an RCI weeks property. You can use the points to go anywhere you want. You can "cancel" your annual RCI point allotment and attend the TS yourself if the TS is desirable. 

Two common RCI points TS you may hear about are Grandview (in Las Vegas) and Rayburn Country Club in Texas. According to Scott Riddle, who runs Trading Time, RCC has the lowest increase in MF of all RCI TS. Keep in mind that different TS within Rayburn have different RCI point values, so the RCI points:MF ratio will vary with each property. For example, the TS I own at Rayburn are 3BR worth about 61,000 RCI points for $416 MF (the RCI points to MF ratio is ~ 147 point per dollar). Grandview also has different point values depending on the size and time of year. The best I've seen at Grandview is 122,000 RCI points for a MF of ~ $650 (~188 RCI points per dollar). Unfortunately,  these are quite expensive, even on eBay; I've seen them go for as much as $5,000. Also, the  MF rise more quickly than RCC's. I first looked at these last year. At that time, the MF was only $599, which gave a ratio of over 200 RCI points per dollar. 

Another consideration is Points-for-deposit (PFD), which allows RCI weeks owners to "deposit" their weeks to get RCI points instead of trading the week. There is a nominal ($26 I think) to do so. I'm not familiar with all the best PFD TS. I am purchasing a TS at Dikhololo, a South African TS. A 3BR TS there would yield 53,500 RCI points for a MF of about $350 (the MF depends on the Rand:USD exchange rate). 

Good luck!


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