# QM Resorts - Thunderbird Resorts (Sparks NV)



## dragonlady (Jun 14, 2017)

I inherited a deeded TS - Thunderbird Resorts in Sparks NV from my mom and dad.  Part of the reason I picked it up from them was that NV is close to home (CA), and it is part of the RCI group, so I simply folded the account into my existing RCI account, providing me with additional points to use to travel.

Thunderbird is an older resort that is currently trying to upgrade all their units (carpets/paints, new furniture, new electronics - TVs/etc).  To come up with all this money they are doing/did two things.  One they joined a consortium of resorts called QM Resorts (influx of money and advertising) and raised a special assessment (maint fees).

It seems that by using the special assessment, they are pressuring deeded owners to sign their deeds over to QM resorts in exchange for promised lower yearly fees along with 3 weeks of vacation vs a single week (3 weeks anywhere in their system of 6 resorts in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area) vs only a single week in Sparks.

You lose access to the RCI point system, but gain access to Interval International and something call SFAccess.

All this for only a one time cost of $5,000!!!  (ie you get to buy your timeshare again, but this time with no deed).  You are part of the club!!! (Silver/Gold/Platinum levels).

They have approached us twice now, once providing us with a free 4 night stay at our resort, and now via a conference phone call.

The have convinced approximately 83% of the former owners to sell/trade out to the club, partly through the enticement that club owners do not have to pay the special assessment.  

The sales guy even tried telling us that our heirs would be stuck with the TS if we did not do this, but if we went with the club, our heirs could simply forfeit the TS back to the trust (which is the club).

Why they would even finance us in the endeavor with a 10% downpayment and pay over time.

Anyone else here dealt with these guys?


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## tschwa2 (Jun 14, 2017)

It is doubtful that 83% of owners have switched.  That is just another pressure tactic.  I would certainly not make any changes based on the commissioned sales staff warning over a special assessment.  Even if it comes there is no guarantee that the club members will be immune.


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## dragonlady (Jun 14, 2017)

The special assessment has occurred.  I have the bill for it already.  To be honest, they really did need to update/repair.  They deferred to much the past 10 years, and we do have to keep up our investment (and who wants to stay at a dilapidated place).


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## macmanrider (Jan 8, 2019)

If it's all ready points and you use points to travel why have a different system to deal with. I have a friend that has a place in Tahoe that was his parents. He has never seen it but pays the m/f and uses the points to go to Mexico ever year.


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## Pierce (Jan 9, 2019)

Your family will never "have" to take over deeded real estate if they are not on the deed.


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## macmanrider (Jan 9, 2019)

Pierce said:


> Your family will never "have" to take over deeded real estate if they are not on the deed.


Ture. And some family members don't want it we bought from family at Costa Sur. In Mexico you can only own a deed for 30 yrs. Best place to buy a timeshare. You can renew it in 30 yrs so who ever what's it can renew it or we let it go.


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## macmanrider (Jan 9, 2019)

dragonlady said:


> The special assessment has occurred.  I have the bill for it already.  To be honest, they really did need to update/repair.  They deferred to much the past 10 years, and we do have to keep up our investment (and who wants to stay at a dilapidated place).


My aunt owns there she doesn't use it anymore


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## macmanrider (Jan 9, 2019)

macmanrider said:


> My aunt owns there she doesn't use it anymore


Try looking at redwolf lakeside lodge in North Tahoe lake nice place and closer you can use rci points. Just a thought


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## Guitarmom (Mar 21, 2019)

I had family living in Reno for a few years, and I regularly stayed at Thunderbird during that time. I'm very glad to hear that they're upgrading. It was sorely needed.

I've noticed that I can no longer find Thunderbird in RCI. Do you know what happened,  or am I missing something? 

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


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## mjm1 (Mar 21, 2019)

Thunderbird was the first timeshare we ever bought and that was in the mid-80’s. We lived in San Jose at the time. We used it a couple of times and didn’t really care for it or Reno, so we traded it through II. We were approached about joining QM for several thousand dollars and declined. In around the year 2000 we decided we didn’t want it any longer and started upgrading to Marriott and later Vistana. 

There wasn’t and probably still isn’t a good market for that resort, so I called and asked if they would take the deed back. They did and even waived the $300+ maintenance fee that was coming due. I figured we wouldn’t have cleared that much if I could even find a buyer, so we accepted their offer. It was a pretty easy and quick process. You should talk to them to see if that is an option.

If so, you can find nicer and better options to buy on the resale market. Look at the TUG Marketplace and Redweek.com.

Best regards.

Mike


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## dragonlady (Apr 27, 2019)

Guitarmom said:


> I had family living in Reno for a few years, and I regularly stayed at Thunderbird during that time. I'm very glad to hear that they're upgrading. It was sorely needed.
> 
> I've noticed that I can no longer find Thunderbird in RCI. Do you know what happened,  or am I missing something?
> 
> Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk


Still listed:

Thunderbird resort in RCI


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## dragonlady (Jul 29, 2020)

So went to Thunderbird a couple weeks ago, to relax, and get out of local quarantine.  We self isolated the entire time we were there, only going to the grocers, and either having food delivered or ordering take out.  
The BBQ place within walking distance has some good food.
The units are still being updated we noticed that maintenance and moving crews were moving into and out several of the units, taking out old stuff and putting in new.  The assessment for the upgrades is complete, and we stayed in one of the newly updated 2 bedrooms.  
All new paint, and floors were updated.  There were new TVs (flat screens) and the rest of the furniture seemed updated.  Sheets and pillows were new and the bed was comfortable.
The fridge/washing machine/oven were updated to low to mid range appliances, with no ice maker in the freezer.  They did give a couple of ice trays to make it the old fashion way (fill the tray, pop out the ice).  Place setting in the room were enough to handle a huge party of 10.
The pool and jacuzzi were closed due to covid restrictions, and there was no time sales presentations.  The club house was open for laundry and use of the fooseball table, the pool table, and card tables.  Guests were requested to wear masks at all times and not to have any more than one family at a time in each club room/area.  The restroom in the club house was closed.

No mid week maid service, as they are only doing a deep clean once the unit is vacated by each visitor.
Though if you ask, they will deliver extra linens or towels during the week.
The Air conditioning worked premo, keeping things nice and cool for the Summer heat.  Wifi was adequate, though there were dropouts that our roku noticed by dropping in the middle of a program.

They still need a pizza wheel cutter in the room and a pizza pan, but otherwize the pots and pans were adequate.
Out patio was out looking toward the central quad of the campus and the birds and butterflies were nice, though there are no squirrels or other wildlife.


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## sjsharkie (Jul 29, 2020)

I wouldn't pay $5K to trade-in.

1.  I own at Tahoe Chaparral (deeded week) and I love QM as a management company.  These are not high-end lodgings, but they manage the property well and things are fixed when broken.  This keeps mf fees low.
2.  TC is truly HOA controlled... there are no board-affiliated members, and it makes a difference.  I can't say the same for Thunderbird, but if you go with the membership plan, you are forever tied to whatever rules they put in place for now and in the future.  With your deeded TS, you own it -- yes, rules can change, but they can't take your deeded week away from you.
3.  Special assessments suck, but let's be honest...Thunderbird needed to be overhauled.  I'm not a fan of buying in Sparks because it is lower demand than say Tahoe where QM manages a couple resorts (2 North, 1 South).  

If you were to join, how would this improve your ownership?  I don't know how much the special assessment was, but are they waiving that to join the club and what are your supposed "lower maintenance fees".

Hope this helps.  I like QM as a management company, but I certainly wouldn't join their club as i preferred my deeded week.

-ryan


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## dragonlady (Jul 29, 2020)

We did not change and join their club plan as it would have removed us from RCI. Plus we would have lost our deed and simply had shares in their corp. Plus they were members of Interval International. Which is not as robust as RCI. 

So we will keep our deed and our RCI exchange value to travel. 

Sent from my LG-LS998 using Tapatalk


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