# WSJ Update - Owners Watch Out



## Loriannf (May 2, 2006)

Hi all, we just returned from our week at WSJ and scheduled an owner's update - they don't have a general one anymore, you have to privately schedule.  Several things of interest to note:

1)  If you own in Buildings 41 and 42, 31 and probably 32 (the "older" units), you're going to be assessed a special assessment in the range of $1400 - 1900 next year because they are completely redoing the units.  Buildings 41 and 42 will be done in September/October 06; Building 32 is probably not going to be done this year, but soon.  Supposedly they are putting in around $60-70,000 per unit on the upgrades.  The decor will be somewhere in between the "urban" look of the "new units" and the current, more island themed decor.

2)  Inventory is getting very low.  We were looking to buy a week 16, 3 bedroom, but they are completely sold out in all unit sizes for week 16.  We own week 17, 3 bedroom, so we ended up buying a week 18 (gasp, yes from the developer) 3 bedroom, building 43.  There were two other week 18 3 bedrooms available, but were in the "older" buildings and thus subject to the "assessment."  When factoring in the assessment, and the fact that the maintenance fees are the same, and that they were giving us 120,000 StarPoints, we decided to buy from Starwood.  We had been looking for resale, but adjacent weeks to ours were not coming up and we didn't want to take the risk of buying a week and trying to shift it to coincide with our current week. 

3)  For those of you interested, there is still a Week 7 3 bedroom available, listed at about $112,000.  There were several other Platinum Plus 3 bedrooms available (around 9 weeks), and the price was averaging $75,000.00.  

4)  Storage rooms are available to some owners of more than 2 weeks, but at
an annual fee of $500.00.  We tried to get them to give us one, but no deal.  When we first bought WSJ, they were giving people who owned 3 weeks storage units as part of the deal, so we thought we'd try to get one, until we found out that now there's a fee.

If anyone has any questions, post here, or email me and I'll try to answer.

Lori


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## DavidnRobin (May 2, 2006)

Hi Lori -

Welcome back - Thanks for the update.  Are you going to write a trip report?  We would be interested in reading about your WSJ and STJ experience as we are going in 7-weeks (yippee!)

Have buildings 33 and 34 already been upgraded?


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## Loriannf (May 2, 2006)

Robin:

Trip report will probably be posted by end of the week on VINOW; here if others request it.  Re:  Buildings 33 and 34, my understanding is that they were the last ones finished, so they don't need updating.

One thing I forgot to add to my previous post - the Westin is in talks with the VI government about converting some of the existing hotel rooms to Studio, 1 Bed and 2 Bed timeshare units; although anything is speculative and subject to "island time".  Apparently, the resort is in high demand and more and more people are requesting "condo" style units with kitchens.  Thus, the hotel would have fewer rooms - and higher prices.  I don't know what this would do to the value of the existing Studio, 1 bed and 2 bed units, but if the demand is there, then I think those owners who are renting might be able to get good prices.

Lori


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## OCsun (May 2, 2006)

Hi Lori,

I was in unit 4111 last week.  Wasn't the weather great!  Congratulations on your new purchase.  Once again we had a great vacation.   

The newest of the buildings on the hill is building 31 which was completed two years ago.  Building 32,33 & 34 will be renovated.

During our owners update the assessment amounts given were $900-$1,400.  Starwood is currently finalizing an announcement to owners so we should find out soon.

The three bedrooms will have new kitchens, new bathroom fixtures and all new furnishings to match those in the newer units.   It's funny because I like the island look of the older units better than the retro look of the new units.  Starwood wants to be consistent with their new retro streamline look.   

The newer units are very nice especially the upstairs bedroom and bathroom set-up.   However, the living room and dining rooms in the older units are larger than the new units and the palladium windows allow additional light.  It will be interesting to see if the kitchen updates will require additional space. 
Updated or not we love the three bedroom units at the Westin. 

We own week 16 and met someone else who was ready to buy week 16.   As a matter of fact he gave me a deposit to rent my unit next year.      Pam


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## DavidnRobin (May 2, 2006)

Pam -

Are you saying that Building 34 is due to be renovated and will have an addition assessment?


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## Loriannf (May 3, 2006)

Pam:

We must have been there at the same time, we were in 4114 April 22-29!  Frankly, that unit clearly needed the update; I was appalled at its condition.  We own 4210, week 17, but were vacationing during week 16.  I was glad that our friends had to cancel at the last minute; we had raved about how great it was and think they would have thought we were crazy.  The list of things wrong and in disrepair at the unit would be very long.  I did make numerous complaints while we were there.  

So, then, you ask, why buy another unit?  Because we love St John!!! and we bought the new unit in building 43, a recently finished building.  

We were told the assessments could be as high as $1900 per unit depending on how the bids come back.

Lori


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## BocaBum99 (May 3, 2006)

Wow.  When I saw this post, I thought the Wall Street Journal published an article warning timesharing owners about something that would negatively impact them.


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## OCsun (May 3, 2006)

Robin, 

It sounds like your building will be renovated which means an assessment.  To the best of my knowledge all the building's on the hill accept #31 will be renovated.  When these building were initially sold building #31 was only a shell with the interior being completed just two years ago.   Hence only building #31 would not need to be renovated.  


Lori,

Wow that's too bad about your unit.   
We probably saw each other at the Westin and did not even know it.  Our week 16 is in unit 4111 and we did not have any major complaints.  The dishwasher does need to be replaced but it did work fine minus one wheel.  Our experience was completely different.  The stove looked new and the counter top was in good condition.  One blade on the living room ceiling fan was missing but overall the unit was in good shape and the carpet looked brand new.  Our issues were minor and all were handled immediately.

Funny issue!!!
One evening we were preparing to grill out by the pool when we discovered we needed matches.  My husband went in search of matches, first to the  deli then to the lobby.  Back at the villa. . . the outside door bell rang, which I thought was my husband, who had forgotten his key.   Instead there was a Westin employee who told me he was there to light my fire.  :whoopie:  
I said  . . . WHAT?   He then showed me a lighter and said the lobby sent him to assist us with lighting our grill.   

It seems this employee was near our villa when the call came across his walkie-talkie that we needed matches to light a grill.  My husband was walking back to the villa and arrived just as the grill lite up.    Needless to say we had a good laugh over that one.  

I took time to answer a satisfaction telephone survey from the managers office on Wednesday afternoon.  As a thank you, for my time, they sent a basket of goodies and alcohol to our villa that evening.  

Pam


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## Loriannf (May 4, 2006)

Pam:

Your grill store is funny, because I think they might have been trying to come light our grill!!!

When we arrived we were assigned 4215, but it wasn't ready.  We wanted to wait, but were moved to 4114.  4215 had a brand new shiny gas grill; as I expected because we got one of those quarterly update newsletters stating all of the units now had gas grills.  Imagine my dismay when I discovered at dinner time that 4114 had a charcoal grill; we ate out Saturday night.  Sunday, I did our shopping and picked up charcoal, only to realize that I had no matches.  I called Service Express at 4:30 to ask where on property I could get matches, and they said since Westin was now non-smoking, matches weren't available on property.  I asked what were we supposed to do?  They said they would send someone down to light our grill.  I asked that they come at 5:30.  At 5:45 (allowing for island time) I called, and they said he was on his way; at 6:00 they thought he had already been there.  Finally, at 6:15 an employee arrived to light the grill.  Thank goodness I remembered to ask him to leave the matches - I didn't want to go through this every night, as we grill out most nights.  During this time, I also found out the doorbell for our unit wasn't working; he could have been there at 5:45 and we never would have known it.  Oh, well, that was only part of the problems we had, but as I said, we still went ahead and bought another unit.

Lori


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