# Hawaii Snowbirds



## talkamotta (Dec 20, 2007)

Im getting closer to retirement.  Love my home and Utah.  Dont like the cold and snow.  I have some timeshares in Florida that are floating.  Have been reading the posts on SW Florida Snowbird Season.  Getting harder and harder.  Thought I would mix what I have with my timeshares in Hawaii.  I have one every year and one eoy. This week I bought another every year at Pahio KaEoKai, got it for a good price $1850 for a 2 bedroom. 

My question is this?  How hard is it to get those Feb and March weeks? Especially weeks in a row.  For those of you who have multi weeks do you use them all at once or divide them up.  It seems that some of the Hawaii timeshares are going pretty cheap, (not so cheap on mf).  There was always the rummor that Hawaii was more expensive but not counting air, I find that food and car rentals are will equal out to Florida.  

What are your thoughts


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## DaveNV (Dec 20, 2007)

In my limited experience, the end of February to the end of May is pretty easy to get.  After about the first of June until the following earlier-February dates, things may not be as easy to book.  But it's all about timing and availability.  Booking earlier may get you the better timeframes you want.  February and March are still during the primary rainy season in Hawaii, and I'd expect most casual visitors there would want either warmer/sunnier weeks, or the holiday periods.  So you'd have less competition for those weeks.

And even if Florida may be a bit cheaper dollar-wise, I think it's still more crowded at any time of year than the outer islands of Hawaii.

Hope this helps a bit,
Dave


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## sun starved Gayle (Dec 20, 2007)

I have been dreaming of spending extended time in Hawaii when we retire too.

 My observation is there seems to be a lot of very last minute Hawaii available.  People always have to cancel plans, be it work or family or finances, whatever. Hawaii is a different animal than the rest of the USA. You can't drive to the destination, and last minute airfare is pretty expensive, so you really narrow down the pool of people who are able to take advantage of these last minute weeks. Just look at the sightings board for recent example of CHRISTMAS weeks sightings in some very desirable properties in Hawaii. You just do not often see these desirable last minute sightings for properties on the main land.  And if they appear, they seen gone in an instant.

I think if you booked your RT airfare, and maybe your first week, I believe you could fill in the remaining weeks quite easily and inexpensively. You can see these last minute weeks with very weak deposits.

Ebay has some screamin' last minute vacation rental deals too, I'm talking 2 or 3 days from the start of the rental week.  I have seen some weeks go for a couple hundred dollars.

If you did not want to spend a lot of money on inter-island airfare you could concentrate on just one island.  I would pick Kauai or the Big Island of Hawaii because they have the most availability.

Of course this would involve traveling with a laptop so you could plot your course of action. Your weeks might overlap, and you might find your self needing somewhere ot stay for just one night.  That's where priceline would come in for me.  And it would involve moving each week. But to me the saving would be worth it.

JMHO
Gayle


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## jacknsara (Dec 20, 2007)

talkamotta said:


> ...  ... This week I bought another every year at Pahio KaEoKai, got it for a good price $1850 for a 2 bedroom.  My question is this?  How hard is it to get those Feb and March weeks? Especially weeks in a row.  For those of you who have multi weeks do you use them all at once or divide them up.  It seems that some of the Hawaii timeshares are going pretty cheap, (not so cheap on mf).  ...


Aloha,
If all your ownership is Pahio (Wyndham) and you are willing to submit your reservation at the earliest date (first of the month 14 months ahead), then scheduling multiple weeks is repeatable / reliable in peak months- i.e. easy.  The only anxiety inducing twist is when the weeks begin in different months.  (Jan / Feb).  We've been doing it for a few years now.
If you own in different resort systems, it might be a bit trickier, but I would speculate quite doable. I'd recommend studying each reservation system thoroughly.  If they have different reservation submit/confirm times, just request the longer lead one first.  If they have the same submit/confirm times, submit the more competitive (faster to fill) one first.  Then wait for confirmation before submitting second request - and specify must begin on exactly which dates (either before or after) first reservation.

MFs are high if you compare to alternatives at non peak season.  For us, the prime advantage of owning and paying those high MFs is the access & control we have to prime weeks in preferred units.
Jack


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## Kauai Kid (Dec 20, 2007)

We've been able to get 2 or 3 weeks in a row in the same unit for Oct, Nov-Dec, and Jan. But we book a year in advance too.

Be sure and factor in the time required to get to and from Hawaii.  Flying is a pain anymore.  Wish Scotty could just beam me up and over.  With non stops from LAX, SFO, and PHX to the outer islands is certainly is more convenient than going thru HNL.

Sterling


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## jacknsara (Dec 20, 2007)

Aloha Gayle,
About the only detail you left out is having lots of low MF antarctic blue weeks on deposit to grab those last minute cancellations with.
I'm just beginning to study up on RTU (primarily Mexican) resales with just the right termination to match our intended retirement usage. (Un)fortunately, retirement is still many years away.  We got lucky with our Pueblo Bonito resale - its MF escalation is linked to US inflation index.  I need to eventually learn about any other resorts that do that.
Jack


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## EZ-ED (Dec 20, 2007)

We own three weeks on Maui (Kahana Falls) and can schedule 18 months in advance:whoopie: . For 2009 we asked for any 3 consecutive weeks on high floors from Feb 1 to March 15. We got the last week in Feb and the first two weeks in March  and are now considering some trades to other islands with mainland resorts we own. We should be able to get another week and maybe two if we are patient and has been mentioned last minute trades in HI are available if you move quick.


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## talkamotta (Dec 21, 2007)

Thanks

I have an every year at Sands of Kahana and now Pahio Ka Eo Kai and I have an eoy at Pahio Ka Eo Kai.  I have been bidding/watching Kona Coast II.  I went up to $3300 on the last one but it sold for over $5K. 

I did the ff mile thing with Delta last year when we went to Maui and Kauai and Delta changed my flights so I had to rent a hotel room for one night.  Ive moved over to United FF because they had more availability, but that could change at anytime.  2008 my son will be using my 2 weeks for his honeymoon but 2009, I would like to try the 3 week run when its cold at home.


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## sun starved Gayle (Dec 21, 2007)

jacknsara said:


> Aloha Gayle,
> About the only detail you left out is having lots of low MF antarctic blue weeks on deposit to grab those last minute cancellations with.
> I'm just beginning to study up on RTU (primarily Mexican) resales with just the right termination to match our intended retirement usage. (Un)fortunately, retirement is still many years away.  We got lucky with our Pueblo Bonito resale - its MF escalation is linked to US inflation index.  I need to eventually learn about any other resorts that do that.
> Jack




Aloha Jack!

I was thinking of using Worldmark points and reserving blue studios with those.  I have a lot of time to think about it though, we are at least a dozen years from retirement, but I can dream can't I?!

Gayle


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## Mimi (Dec 22, 2007)

We always book our weeks in a row. Since we own Summer season at Kona Coast, which can be reserved 2 years in advance, we usually get 4th of July week and have our Maui Schooner and Pono Kai reserved before or after that. This year, we changed our FF flights when Trading Places came through with two weeks in Oahu June 7th (Wyndham Waikiki Walk) and June 14th (Shell Marina). Our kids and grandkids will arrive on June 21st and we will all fly to Kauai, then Kona and end with Maui. Life is good!


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## barndweller (Dec 24, 2007)

We will be staying in Hawaii from February 23 through March 25 this time. It involved a week we own, two weeks exchanged through 2 different exchange companies, a privately exchanged week and a few days using DRI points. Everything is in 2 bedroom units none on Maui and none are Marriott. We only have one overlapping day and we used FF miles for the RT tickets. We bought 1 inter-island flight.

It can be done but takes a lot of computer time and exchange requests placed early. We will be spending the coldest/snowiest month here at home basking in the warmth in Paradise. I don't even care if it rains! I'm already starting to plan for 2010.


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## talkamotta (Dec 24, 2007)

Thanks to everyone

Three years ago, for me, going to Hawaii seemed impossible.  Now I am worried about getting my muti weeks in a row.   My problems seem rather minor.  I still have lots to learn about timeshareing.  Its a changing world and at least in some areas I want to be able to stay afloat.  

Thanks to all of you for everything you have taken the time to educate me. 
Have a wonderful and safe holiday season, Im at home in Utah with all the new snow, but after driving in it and shoveling the long driveway, Hawaii seems so wonderful.  My son who came in from Florida went skiing today thinks Im the lucky one.  :whoopie:


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## catwgirl (Dec 25, 2007)

Talkamotta, 

When I toured Kona Coast II recently, the salesman said they had some resale weeks at Kona Coast I.  The prices were really reasonable.  I don't remember exactly but I think it was something like $1600 for a one bedroom unit and $2400 for a two bedroom unit.


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## talkamotta (Dec 26, 2007)

catwgirl said:


> Talkamotta,
> 
> When I toured Kona Coast II recently, the salesman said they had some resale weeks at Kona Coast I.  The prices were really reasonable.  I don't remember exactly but I think it was something like $1600 for a one bedroom unit and $2400 for a two bedroom unit.



Thanks,  I will check into it.


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## JLB (Dec 26, 2007)

Sorry I missed this, but I see you mention SW FL Snowbird Season.  I wonder who might have been talking about that!!!

Hawaii is similar.  Stuff starts getting hard to get about the same time, Christmas.

If you haven't noticed, some SW FL stuff showed up in the 14-day window, starting 12/16.  I grabbed one of them yesterday.


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## jacknsara (Dec 29, 2007)

sun starved Gayle said:


> Aloha Jack!
> I was thinking of using Worldmark points and reserving blue studios with those.  I have a lot of time to think about it though, we are at least a dozen years from retirement, but I can dream can't I?!
> Gayle


Aloha Gayle,
That's a great idea.  How many points does a WM blue studio cost?  If reserved way in advance?  If reserved less than ?? days before check in?
Mahalo,
Jack


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## JLB (Dec 31, 2007)

To follow up, several years ago one of Ken May's assistants told me that she never books an exchange ahead for Hawaii.  Because that trip is more involved than drive-to destinations, there are almost always last minute cancellations.

Other TUGgers and I have followed the 14-day window, and for most of the year it is plentiful.  It does become sparse in January.

Sparse, however, is not non-existent.  There still are last-minute cancellations in Hawaii Snowbird Season.  With this thread in mind, I searched the Hawaii 14-day window this morning along with my daily searches.

Kuhio Banyan Club  (#1297) 
Honolulu, HI  96815, USA 
Available Unit Size:  S - S 
Check-in Date:  01/05/2008 	

Kahana Falls  (#2788) 
Lahaina, HI  96761, USA 
Available Unit Size:  1 - 1 
Check-in Date:  01/06/2008	

The Cliffs Club  (#5124) 
Princeville, HI  96722, USA 
Available Unit Size:  1 - 1 
Check-in Date Range:  01/04/2008 - 01/12/2008

Today you could book a decent resort for this coming Friday and Sunday, plus another one for Saturday.  You could do it with any deposit.

A suggestion I have made before, have done myself, and will repeat, is to confirm an exchange into a suitable resort early-on so that you can go ahead and make plane and rental car arrangements.  Then, keep searching until the day you no longer can.

For two weeks, we _switched_ to 2-bedroom Gold Crowns on the beach from 1-bedroom standard resorts off the beach on Kauai.  For our first FL week starting Saturday, I have _switched_ the resort twice, winding up with a 2-bedroom on the beach just last week.

In each case RCI confirmed the new resort with the week used to reserve the original resort, and the week used to put the new resort on Hold was returned to the Spacebank no worse for wear.

Yes, it will take another exchange fee to do this.

Feel free to contact me for specifics, if this is not clear. 



JLB said:


> Sorry I missed this, but I see you mention SW FL Snowbird Season.  I wonder who might have been talking about that!!!
> 
> Hawaii is similar.  Stuff starts getting hard to get about the same time, Christmas.
> 
> If you haven't noticed, some SW FL stuff showed up in the 14-day window, starting 12/16.  I grabbed one of them yesterday.


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## oakleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Being a Hawaii snowbird sounds like a great idea. Nobody has discussed transportation. Most people drive their own vehicles to Florida for snowbird season. What would you do in Hawaii for 1,2,3 months? Renting by the week could get pretty expensive.


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## JLB (Jan 2, 2008)

Good question.

A variation on the recent transporting a car to Tucson thread.


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## Tiger (Jan 2, 2008)

Lawai Beach Resort has some long term parking. I don't remember the rate but it sounded reasonable at the time.


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## alanraycole (Jan 2, 2008)

*Priceline*

That is the answer to the rental car question.

Did you know you can rent a car through Priceline for less per month than you can lease (based on all charges associated with a two year lease, prorated monthly)? Believe it or not, that is what I do 12 months a year, no matter where I am. I always enjoy a nice new car for less per month than I would pay for the same car in a two-year lease!


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## Tiger (Jan 3, 2008)

alanraycole

What do you do about insurance since I think the credit cards would fight your system should there be a claim


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## alanraycole (Jan 3, 2008)

Tiger said:


> What do you do about insurance since I think the credit cards would fight your system should there be a claim



I do own an older car which has full coverage. The insurance on that, of course, covers any rental, supplemented by the credit card insurance.


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