# Help me pick a Timeshare



## dadof2boys (Mar 14, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> *Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.
> 
> If you click on QUOTE at the end of my post, the questions will open up in a new window for you to answer:
> *
> ...




1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
Driving distance, we live in northern San Diego area. So Palm Desert, Northern California, Arizona, Nevada?

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
I would say 50/50

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Cabo San Lucas
Tahoe
Coastal California
Wisconsin (to visit family)
Disney World (hey, if I had a timeshare opportunity there, maybe I'd actually go)
4) How many people do you usually travel with?
Four of us total: 33y.o., 33y.o., 6y.o., 4y.o.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
I am a teacher and my wife a stay at home mom, so I know I am free two weeks in December, 2 weeks in March/April, 10 weeks in summer, and 1 week in November (all prime weeks)

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes, we cruise about twice a year and always book about a year out.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Prefer to

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
That's tough, I mean what's a 5 to me may not be to someone else? How about this: We have stayed at our friends timeshare in Palm Desert, Marriott Shadow Ridge. I felt that was a 3/4 and we loved it. Now, it was not a high end resort to me, but very comfortable and well maintained. 

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?

Can afford or would like to spend? I want to put in a pool in my backyard as well, so I would like the initial cost to not exceed $3k. The way I'm looking at it is that the cost we spend each year on our cruises will be about what the maintenance fees and food will cost using a timeshare. So I would like to not lose too much money to start with as I will be paying for it yearly as well. 

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
I am comfortable spending around $2,000 current dollars understanding that those fees will increase with inflation, the same way the cost to rent a hotel room would increase? (not sure if that part is correct)

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes! I love every aspect about the planning of a trip. My DW on the other hand is fine just finding out what we are doing when we get there, oddly enough she reserve the right to not approve of it once we are there. Even though she wants nothing to do with it before hand. Go figure. All that to say, planning is half of the fun. 

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?

Yes, it's hard to swallow, but yes.


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## BJRSanDiego (Mar 15, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> 1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
> Driving distance, we live in northern San Diego area. So Palm Desert, Northern California, Arizona, Nevada?
> You live in a good location for timesharings.  Within driving distance you have Palm Desert, Big Bear, Tahoe, Vegas, etc..
> 
> ...



I suggest that you take a look at Marriott in Palm Desert.  There are 4 different areas.  If you are likely to want to go there in the prime season, get a Platinum unit.  It'll probably cost you more like $4K with about $1100-1300 a year MF.


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## presley (Mar 15, 2014)

Do you want day use at your home resort?  If so, the Grand Pacifics in Carlsbad offer day use and if you buy a summer week, you will have very high trading power in RCI.  You could have a beach day and then shower at the resort and warm up in the jacuzzi before you drive home. RCI would get you the Disney exchange.

Welks in Escondido may offer day use.  That isn't too far a drive for you if you want a random pool/resort day.  Welk trades in II so you wouldn't get a Disney resort in exchange, but you'd get tons of other resorts in Orlando.

WorldMark is a points system.  It doesn't have any day use, but it has resorts in all the locations you want to visit.  That saves $ on exchange fees.  When you exchange, you have a membership fee + exchange fee + sometimes TOT and resort fees added on.  Some exchanges add up to cost another $400 on top of what you pay to own.


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## Beefnot (Mar 15, 2014)

presley said:


> Do you want day use at your home resort? If so, the Grand Pacifics in Carlsbad offer day use and if you buy a summer week, you will have very high trading power in RCI. You could have a beach day and then shower at the resort and warm up in the jacuzzi before you drive home. RCI would get you the Disney exchange.
> 
> Welks in Escondido may offer day use. That isn't too far a drive for you if you want a random pool/resort day. Welk trades in II so you wouldn't get a Disney resort in exchange, but you'd get tons of other resorts in Orlando.
> 
> WorldMark is a points system. It doesn't have any day use, but it has resorts in all the locations you want to visit. That saves $ on exchange fees. When you exchange, you have a membership fee + exchange fee + sometimes TOT and resort fees added on. Some exchanges add up to cost another $400 on top of what you pay to own.



Welk trades in both II and RCI. Not sure what drives ability to use either for exchange though.  Marriott Desert Spring Villas II would be a good option for a timeshare in driving distance. Marriott Newport Coast is a bit pricier than OP would like. There are a boatload of nice Marriott in Orlando to trade into.


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## VegasBella (Mar 15, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Driving distance, we live in northern San Diego area. So Palm Desert, Northern California, Arizona, Nevada?



If you're limited to school breaks and you plan to visit your home resort half the time, then I would not recommend Palm Springs/Palm Desert area, Vegas, or AZ unless you love hot hot hot weather. Any of those locations will have Summer availability if you ever want to go there but unless you really enjoy the heat (some people do) I would not recommend it.

Prime for Palm Springs is Spring
Prime for Vegas is New Years Eve

There are lots of great options in the San Diego/ Orange County/ LA area. I suggest you consider those timeshares. 



dadof2boys said:


> 4) How many people do you usually travel with?
> Four of us total: 33y.o., 33y.o., 6y.o., 4y.o.


If your family does not increase in size then you should be OK with a 1 bedroom in many places but you might be more comfortable with a two bedroom, particularly as your children get older. 



dadof2boys said:


> Can afford or would like to spend? I want to put in a pool in my backyard as well, so I would like the initial cost to not exceed $3k. The way I'm looking at it is that the cost we spend each year on our cruises will be about what the maintenance fees and food will cost using a timeshare. So I would like to not lose too much money to start with as I will be paying for it yearly as well.


This comment about wanting to put a pool in your backyard makes me think you would not be taking much advantage of day use at a nearby resort.
But if you chose not to add a pool to your home then you might want to consider a nearby resort with a nice pool that offers day use. 
Do you visit a nearby relative and there's a TS with day use nearby? That might be a nice option - visit grandma and spend a day at the TS pool.



dadof2boys said:


> 10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
> I am comfortable spending around $2,000 current dollars understanding that those fees will increase with inflation, the same way the cost to rent a hotel room would increase? (not sure if that part is correct)


So this part is interesting to me. Generally if someone is willing to spend that much on MF then they're also willing to spend quite a bit more than you mentioned spending on the initial purchase. (Or they buy multiple TS and pay a total of $2k in MF). It makes me think that you might be better served by either choosing a points program or just waiting for the right deal (getting the TS you want at a bargain, not at the current market value). 

Personally, I think that if you buy a deed then you should get something that's most likely to hold its value. That means prime location and prime season.

 Now, there are inefficiencies in the system and other people will look at the ratio of MF to TPU and they will determine a TS's value that way, which is all fine and good, but that's more subject to change over time than location and season. One would hope that the market would naturally correct those inefficiencies eventually, so if you choose to play that way then the notion of spending half your time at your home resort goes out the window - instead you just go where the market winds take you and find the best deal. Which, in my mind is better served by opting for a points program. Sure, you spend a little more buying points but you don't have to constantly evaluate the MF to TPU ratio and buy and sell and buy and sell.

That's just my take on things. I'm relatively new to the game, though, so take it all with a grain of salt.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 15, 2014)

Thank you guys for all of the responses. We did enjoy the Marriott in Palm Desert so that has been one of the thoughts. Also, someone mentioned day use. That was a selling point for Welk. They allow day use and their Esondido location is only about 30 minutes from where we live. We stayed their last summer and were pleasantly surprised. The pools, water slides, and splash pads were awesome! I could definitely see us going for the day during the summer. 10 weeks off in the summer sounds great, but trying to entertain a 4 and 6 year old gets daunting. Hopefully day use would help us out with that. 

All that to say, I think we now may be leaning towards Welk. What are all your thoughts on that? Will it trade okay?


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## Beefnot (Mar 15, 2014)

Welk (namely the 2br Lawrence Walk Resort Villas section, not Villas on Green or Mountain Villas) is indeed pretty awesome, and we are going for our third year in a row next month on an exchange. It is very easy to exchange into via II in non-summer months. It may be difficult to exchange into in summer, I dunno.  If it is that easy to trade into, I wonder about its exchange value in II.  In RCI, it takes more trading power to get into, so maybe it has more trade value in RCI, I dunno.


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## Beefnot (Mar 15, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> One would hope that the market would naturally correct those inefficiencies eventually, so if you choose to play that way then the notion of spending half your time at your home resort goes out the window - instead you just go where the market winds take you and find the best deal. Which, in my mind is better served by opting for a points program. Sure, you spend a little more buying points but you don't have to constantly evaluate the MF to TPU ratio and buy and sell and buy and sell.



MF/TPU arbitrage is not necessarily inefficiency. Maintenance fees, location, and time of year are not always functions of each other. So these "inefficiencies" as you call them may exist into perpetuity. I can have a prime Hawaii studio at MF cost of $500 that provides the same or greater trading power as a 2br prime coastal California unit with MFs of $1200.

As for points, both Wyndham and Worldmark have a number of nice resorts in driving distance, although Worldmark is on steroids with the number of resorts in the western region. If clean, comfortable, flexible, drivable, variety, and occasional luxury fit the bill, then Worldmark is definitely a winner.


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## vacationhopeful (Mar 15, 2014)

Shell has resorts in your area of the country.

As for day use, it is resort by resort AND they can limit the number of day guests due to occupancy level at resort or any other reason. I have seen day use at a Wyndham resort, but only because the prior management company (also called the developer) had allowed it for 30+ years. But I suspect it will go away - as a cost saving measure in the next 5 years (as the older users leave).


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## dadof2boys (Mar 15, 2014)

I did call and check with Lawrence welk about the day pass. Mainly because I was worried that the benefit would not be passed onto a resale. Anyhow, they do allow any members (resale or not) to use the resort. Two guests allowed with each membership card.


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## Icc5 (Mar 16, 2014)

*Love Welk*



dadof2boys said:


> Thank you guys for all of the responses. We did enjoy the Marriott in Palm Desert so that has been one of the thoughts. Also, someone mentioned day use. That was a selling point for Welk. They allow day use and their Esondido location is only about 30 minutes from where we live. We stayed their last summer and were pleasantly surprised. The pools, water slides, and splash pads were awesome! I could definitely see us going for the day during the summer. 10 weeks off in the summer sounds great, but trying to entertain a 4 and 6 year old gets daunting. Hopefully day use would help us out with that.
> 
> All that to say, I think we now may be leaning towards Welk. What are all your thoughts on that? Will it trade okay?


We have owned at Welk (villas) for the past 20+ years and love it as have everyone that has stayed there with us.  We have several other timeshares also.  For whatever reason Welk doesn't seem to get a lot of points from RCI for trade value.  It is by far the most relaxing resort I own and have ever traded into.
Bart


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## VegasBella (Mar 16, 2014)

Beefnot said:


> MF/TPU arbitrage is not necessarily inefficiency. Maintenance fees, location, and time of year are not always functions of each other. So these "inefficiencies" as you call them may exist into perpetuity. I can have a prime Hawaii studio at MF cost of $500 that provides the same or greater trading power as a 2br prime coastal California unit with MFs of $1200.



It seems like we may have a misunderstanding. I don't recall ever saying that a prime HI studio with a low MF is a poor value. Indeed, HI is a great location and virtually any season is a good bet (however, HI doesn't fit the OP's bill because it's not "driveable"). I agree that some inefficiencies may exist into perpetuity, for example, the fact that many deeded TS owners pay the same MF regardless of season but the ones who own off season weeks have lower trading power and cannot rent out their units to cover MF whereas the ones who own prime season may have greater than reasonable trading power per dollar spent on MF. And that seasonal difference is often only very marginally reflected in resale prices (example: prime sells for $2k on eBay whereas off season sells for $1). 

I'm simply suggesting that a buyer should consider location and season because those are less likely to change. MF change at the whim of the HOA. Likewise, TPU change at the whim of the exchange company. Thus the value derived from MF/TPU ratio is subject to change... whether the cause of the change is increased market efficiency or some other reason doesn't matter. However, value derived from location and season (value to the owner who may use the resort at least 50% of the time) will not as easily change. 

So for example, a HI or Tahoe TS with high TPU and low MF might be a great deal today. But if either the TPU or MF change, it becomes virtually useless to these owners. OTOH a SoCal TS at a nice resort with either a Summer fixed week or prime float is likely to still hold some value to these owners because even if they can't exchange it they can still use it!

I also happen to believe that TS in great locations during desirable seasons are easier to unload, thus limiting the buyer's longterm risks of a TS purchase. However, I think there's a lot of room for improvement in the area of resales marketing that might change that.

Of course, none of this matters much if the OP chooses to opt for a points system that's not based on a deed.

All of that said, I think anyone considering buying a TS should re-evaluate their reasons for wanting to do so and they should investigate whether or not a TS purchase is really the best way to meet their vacation/travel goals.


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## Beefnot (Mar 16, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> It seems like we may have a misunderstanding.



I don't believe I am misunderstanding you, but you are definitely misunderstanding me.



VegasBella said:


> I don't recall ever saying that a prime HI studio with a low MF is a poor value.



Nor did I ever state or imply that you did.



VegasBella said:


> MF change at the whim of the HOA.



That is too flippant a comment about MF. If it is generally true that MF change on a whim without defensible data and info to support the changes, then it makes zero sense to own under any circumstance, whether one loves the location or not. MFs are generally a reflection of what it costs to maintain the resort. The biggest variables might include refurb assessments and management company overhead (e.g. DRI, Marriott, etc.), which is why some will choose not to own in developer-controlled systems or where the reserves appear to be under-accrued.



VegasBella said:


> Likewise, TPU change at the whim of the exchange company. Thus the value derived from MF/TPU ratio is subject to change... whether the cause of the change is increased market efficiency or some other reason doesn't matter. However, value derived from location and season (value to the owner who may use the resort at least 50% of the time) will not as easily change.



Again, too flippant a comment. Setting aside exceptions like RCI assigned TPU to some Vacation Village properties (e.g., Parkway, Grandview), trading power is generally a function of the location and season. In order to encourage owners to deposit high demand properties, there must be a carrot. Trading power is not a function of MFs. There may only be an indirect correlation in that high TPU areas may tend to be in places where maintenance needs tend to be higher (e.g., beach). But MFs are not always consistent for every property in that location, nor are high trading power locations always in high maintenance areas. 

Thus, there will always be ways for shrewd individuals to exploit these so-called "inefficiencies". And even if things do change, people may choose to change their portfolio. That goes for both the buy-to-own camp who grow sick of their location or growth in MFs and serial exchangers who are no longer receiving the same trading value.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 16, 2014)

After purchasing many timeshare weeks over the last 10 years, the only one I truly never trade and love to visit is our Maui timeshare.  We now own 3 annual weeks there in the unit type that is oceanfront.  It's the only one to own and use exclusively in our portfolio, in my opinion.  It's an ordinary place, but the fees are now $1,400 per year.  Rick says "ouch" when I pay the fees.  No way are we trading it.  

I sold our Pono Kai, our Kahana Villas, and converted our Shearwater and Bali Hai into Wyndham points and got platinum with Wyndham.  

I use our California Club Shell Points for Rick's and my trips to San Francisco and Anaheim, but we have also gotten great trades through Shell.  Our daughter rents our Wyndham points for us.  WorldMark, I bought to use, but we haven't used them for anything but exchanges so far. (It's cheap to use them that way.)  WorldMark requires some major planning ahead.  My cousin, who is younger than me by 18 years, owns WorldMark, which he bought directly from the developer years ago, and he has no trouble booking what he wants.  I wonder if he gets perks we don't get as a developer purchase? 

Highly recommend buying a points system, but I wouldn't buy Wyndham again because Wyndham lies at the sales table and hassles us constantly. We are just trying to pay our annual fees with Wyndham, and we want to put it on monthly payments, but what an ordeal!  I really dislike Wyndham, but the customer service people are nice.  I get a feeling they are as frustrated as I am. 

If only Shell had timeshares on Maui!  That would be ideal for booking weekday airfares with points.


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## Beefnot (Mar 16, 2014)

Yes, I own Shell too and do like the system.  Their system is very flexible, the points trade well in II, and contracts can be acquired off of ebay for free. The only reason I hesitate to recommend them is that they have an embarassment of a a website. If one goes in knowing that it is a truly horrible site, then take Shell for a whirl.


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## uscav8r (Mar 17, 2014)

+1 for Worldmark. I personally like a bigger system that allows for flexibility without going the exchange route. Exchanges may be hard to come by if you really want high demand time at high demand locations. If you are truly a planner, a points TS could work very well for you. 

Worldmark also exchanges extremely well and you can pick your own exchange company (II or RCI or both!). I have not tried it, but some WM regulars have gotten a week at a high end Marriott or Starwood for as little as the equivalent of $240 in mf.

Are WM properties decked out like the Ritz Carlton? No, they might be more Holiday Inn, Hyatt House, or Residence Inn quality but the mf price and flexibility are well worth it IMHO. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## VegasBella (Mar 18, 2014)

Beefnot said:


> Trading power is not a function of MFs.


I have never suggested there was. If you believed I claimed the two were functions of one another then you have grossly misunderstood me.

In regards to my being "too flippant" about how easily MF or TPUs change, we can agree that perhaps my use of the word "whim" was too strong. But my point remains that when it comes to the value of a timeshare, MF and TPUs are variables whereas the location and contracted season are not. Should a buyer consider MF and TPUs? Yes. I have not claimed otherwise. I have simply said that s/he should prioritize location and season.

Let me make an analogy: Someone who chooses to buy a timeshare on the basis of its low maintenance fees relative to its trading power (with moderate consideration of location and season) who plans to simply later "change their portfolio" if the ratio becomes unfavorable is like a day trader whereas someone who chooses to buy a timeshare on the basis of location and season (with moderate consideration given to MF and TPUs) is more like an investor in an Index Fund. They both have their place in the market and both are reasonable ways to value risk/reward, but one requires much more effort, skill, and knowledge. One is clearly the "safer bet."


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## Beefnot (Mar 18, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> I have never suggested there was. If you believed I claimed the two were functions of one another then you have grossly misunderstood me.


 
But you did suggest there was.  Well, not sure if it is textbook mathematical definition of "function", but I am speaking to your consideration that a low MF/TPU ratio is somehow an "inefficiency".  I pointed out that MF/TPU ratio is not necessarily an indicator of an inefficiency at all.



VegasBella said:


> Now, there are inefficiencies in the system and other people will look at the ratio of MF to TPU and they will determine a TS's value that way, which is all fine and good, but that's more subject to change over time than location and season. One *would hope that the market would naturally correct those inefficiencies eventually*, so if you choose to play that way then the notion of spending half your time at your home resort goes out the window - instead you just go where the market winds take you and find the best deal.


 



VegasBella said:


> Let me make an analogy: Someone who chooses to buy a timeshare on the basis of its low maintenance fees relative to its trading power (with moderate consideration of location and season) who plans to simply later "change their portfolio" if the ratio becomes unfavorable is like a day trader whereas someone who chooses to buy a timeshare on the basis of location and season (with moderate consideration given to MF and TPUs) is more like an investor in an Index Fund. They both have their place in the market and both are reasonable ways to value risk/reward, but one requires much more effort, skill, and knowledge. One is clearly the "safer bet."


 
TPU is generally a function of location and season; the more prime the location and season, the higher the TPU generally speaking.  Thus these so-called day traders are more often than not implicitly buying on the basis of location and season as well.   In either case, one is not really "safer" than the other, especially in cases where the acquisition cost approaches zero (or as is the case in my purchases, negative) and the disposition cost is commensurate with the acquisition cost.

The real debate is about buying to trade vs buying to occupy.  And even then, the only thing "safer" about buying to occupy is that it may require less knowledge and effort.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 19, 2014)

Alright everyone, I made my first TS purchase. We bought 240,000 welk points every other year. It will give us day use at the Escondido location (we live about 30 minutes away) and if we go with the smaller one bedroom S-TH we can use it ten nights a year. So we will try to use the points wisely. 

So the one thing I am worried about is that WELK has the first right of refusal. I'm worried that they will purchase the timeshare back rather than allow us to purchase it for the low price we paid. I guess we will see.


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## uscav8r (Mar 20, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Alright everyone, I made my first TS purchase. We bought 240,000 welk points every other year. It will give us day use at the Escondido location (we live about 30 minutes away) and if we go with the smaller one bedroom S-TH we can use it ten nights a year. So we will try to use the points wisely.
> 
> So the one thing I am worried about is that WELK has the first right of refusal. I'm worried that they will purchase the timeshare back rather than allow us to purchase it for the low price we paid. I guess we will see.



That was quick! But I guess you've been considering Welk and other options for a while. Enjoy your vacations!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## VegasBella (Mar 20, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Alright everyone, I made my first TS purchase. We bought 240,000 welk points every other year.



 Congrats!
I hope everything works out well for you and you get what you're looking for in timesharing. Please report back to let us know how things go.


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## Beefnot (Mar 20, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Alright everyone, I made my first TS purchase. We bought 240,000 welk points every other year. It will give us day use at the Escondido location (we live about 30 minutes away) and if we go with the smaller one bedroom S-TH we can use it ten nights a year. So we will try to use the points wisely.
> 
> So the one thing I am worried about is that WELK has the first right of refusal. I'm worried that they will purchase the timeshare back rather than allow us to purchase it for the low price we paid. I guess we will see.


 

I doubt Welk will excerise ROFR, so the timeshare will probably be yours.  From what I understand, the best villas are still the Lawrence Welk Resort Villas (the oldest section), which only has 2BRs.  So for 1BR reservations, you will choose from Mountain Villas (the newest section) or Villas on the Green.  You will want to read TUG reviews to help inform which of the two you would prefer to stay at.  Congratulations.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 22, 2014)

I hope so! We should find out Monday whether or not it's ours. Funny thing is we are going tomorrow for a three day stay as a part of taking the presentation and tour. I figure they can explain how it all works to me, even though I'm not buying. 

As soon as I find out if Welk used their FROR I will post back. Keeping our fingers crossed!


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## presley (Mar 23, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> I hope so! We should find out Monday whether or not it's ours. Funny thing is we are going tomorrow for a three day stay as a part of taking the presentation and tour. I figure they can explain how it all works to me, even though I'm not buying.



They can be very aggressive.  Be sure to wear your body armor.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 24, 2014)

Alright, did the presentation. It wasn't too bad. The guy seemed a little upset that we weren't interested in purchasing. However, they were charging $20,299 for a two bedroom lock off every OTHER year. 

Here's to further hope we get our timeshare on the resale market. Still haven't heard back from WELK regarding the FROR.


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## bjones9942 (Mar 24, 2014)

Congrats on finding something that fits your needs, and not buying from the developer/operator!!  I know you'll enjoy your purchase in the years to come!


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## Beefnot (Mar 24, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Alright, did the presentation. It wasn't too bad. The guy seemed a little upset that we weren't interested in purchasing. However, they were charging $20,299 for a two bedroom lock off every OTHER year.
> 
> Here's to further hope we get our timeshare on the resale market. Still haven't heard back from WELK regarding the FROR.


 

Nice!  It should pass.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 26, 2014)

Just heard back today, the timeshare is all ours! 

I really want to say thank you to everyone on this board and really the site as a whole. If it hadn't been for you guys I would have lost $20,000! Our family is really excited for the opportunity to use this thing.


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## spaulino (Mar 27, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Just heard back today, the timeshare is all ours!
> 
> I really want to say thank you to everyone on this board and really the site as a whole. If it hadn't been for you guys I would have lost $20,000! Our family is really excited for the opportunity to use this thing.



Congratulations! How exciting... I too am looking to purchase a resale in HI. But Welks does interest me.... do you know how many points it costs to stay for a night? We live in CA too and maybe an hour away from Escondido and would like to enjoy the property maybe a few days out of the year.. but maybe split them up into 2 or 3 separate stays... I heard from an owner to make sure whatever I purchase do allow day stays and does not cost me any pts... anyone know how Welks pts work? I tried looking for a thread here for Welks but no luck.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 27, 2014)

spaulino said:


> Congratulations! How exciting... I too am looking to purchase a resale in HI. But Welks does interest me.... do you know how many points it costs to stay for a night? We live in CA too and maybe an hour away from Escondido and would like to enjoy the property maybe a few days out of the year.. but maybe split them up into 2 or 3 separate stays... I heard from an owner to make sure whatever I purchase do allow day stays and does not cost me any pts... anyone know how Welks pts work? I tried looking for a thread here for Welks but no luck.




We live in Temecula, about 20 minutes from the resort. Yes, the do allow free day use. That was one of our primary reasons for choosing Welk.

It takes 12k points per night S-Th for the smaller 1 bedroom and 18k points per night S-Th for the lager 1 bedroom. Friday and Saturday nights are 30k points each night. We don't plan on using the points for weekend stays as it's more than double. We will do 5 night stays to stretch the number of nights we can stay with the amount of points we purchased. 

Welk is building a location in Hawaii. You had mentioned that was what you're interested in. Also, there is a 2 bedroom lock off floating week for Marriott Ko'olina at sum day vacations. That location is on Oahu, but it has it's own beach cove to swim at and his right next door to Disney's new Aulani resort. Just FYI.


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## dadof2boys (Mar 27, 2014)

Also, spaulino: I forgot to say thank you.  We are VERY excited about our purchase. We LOVE the Welk in Escondido. We just stayed there for two nights last week. We have two boys 4 and 6 and they love the place!


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## spaulino (Mar 30, 2014)

dadof2boys said:


> Also, spaulino: I forgot to say thank you.  We are VERY excited about our purchase. We LOVE the Welk in Escondido. We just stayed there for two nights last week. We have two boys 4 and 6 and they love the place!



Oh cool.. I'll look into Welk. Maybe I will call and ask for a free stay and see the presentation.... Do you know if they offer that there? If so, do you have the info/number? I will also look at the other website you said... I have been looking for Ko'Olina and just waiting for a good deal.. I'm in no rush so I have all the time but hopefully it'll come soon cuz I'm looking for 2015 use but if it doesn't come before summer, then I might have to look into 2016 use since if it passes that 1 year mark, I will not be so lucky to book for Aug 2015, it wont be available by then. Enjoy your new Welks unit.


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## uscav8r (Mar 30, 2014)

spaulino said:


> Oh cool.. I'll look into Welk. Maybe I will call and ask for a free stay and see the presentation.... Do you know if they offer that there? If so, do you have the info/number? I will also look at the other website you said... I have been looking for Ko'Olina and just waiting for a good deal.. I'm in no rush so I have all the time but hopefully it'll come soon cuz I'm looking for 2015 use but if it doesn't come before summer, then I might have to look into 2016 use since if it passes that 1 year mark, I will not be so lucky to book for Aug 2015, it wont be available by then. Enjoy your new Welks unit.




Go to WelkResorts.com. There should be a "Book a Tour" link at the top of the page (it might be on the "Ownership" page vice the homepage, but I can't tell on my iPhone). 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dadof2boys (Mar 30, 2014)

spaulino said:


> Oh cool.. I'll look into Welk. Maybe I will call and ask for a free stay and see the presentation.... Do you know if they offer that there? If so, do you have the info/number? I will also look at the other website you said... I have been looking for Ko'Olina and just waiting for a good deal.. I'm in no rush so I have all the time but hopefully it'll come soon cuz I'm looking for 2015 use but if it doesn't come before summer, then I might have to look into 2016 use since if it passes that 1 year mark, I will not be so lucky to book for Aug 2015, it wont be available by then. Enjoy your new Welks unit.




I just called them directly. It was $129 for two nights in their one bedroom suite. The presentation wasn't bad at all, no one was pushy.


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## spaulino (Mar 31, 2014)

uscav8r said:


> Go to WelkResorts.com. There should be a "Book a Tour" link at the top of the page (it might be on the "Ownership" page vice the homepage, but I can't tell on my iPhone).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



OH great thanks! I will do just that when we're ready... probably in the next month or so after spring break.  

Thanks dadof2boys.


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## talkamotta (Apr 1, 2014)

presley said:


> Do you want day use at your home resort?  If so, the Grand Pacifics in Carlsbad offer day use and if you buy a summer week, you will have very high trading power in RCI.  You could have a beach day and then shower at the resort and warm up in the jacuzzi before you drive home. RCI would get you the Disney exchange.
> 
> Welks in Escondido may offer day use.  That isn't too far a drive for you if you want a random pool/resort day.  Welk trades in II so you wouldn't get a Disney resort in exchange, but you'd get tons of other resorts in Orlando.
> 
> WorldMark is a points system.  It doesn't have any day use, but it has resorts in all the locations you want to visit.  That saves $ on exchange fees.  When you exchange, you have a membership fee + exchange fee + sometimes TOT and resort fees added on.  Some exchanges add up to cost another $400 on top of what you pay to own.



GREAT ADVICE 
I went to Grand Pacifics in Carlsbad and Welk in Jan.  I have always loved Welk. I got my Welk trade through RCI, so I think it trades in both.   I enjoyed Grand Palasades Carlsbad very much, I talked to people out in the pool and many were owners that live close by.  They have a program that you can rent one or two days fairly easily.  The owners were all very happy with being owners and the resort.  Both resorts trade very well.  Worldmark has always been great for people that live in the West.  

It will be hard finding enough points in Worldmark or Welk with the $$$ you have put aside for your initial purchase..... you might have better luck with Carlsbad (not sure how they work).


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## MangyCat (Jun 8, 2014)

talkamotta said:


> GREAT ADVICE
> I went to Grand Pacifics in Carlsbad and Welk in Jan.  I have always loved Welk. I got my Welk trade through RCI, so I think it trades in both.   I enjoyed Grand Palasades Carlsbad very much, I talked to people out in the pool and many were owners that live close by.  They have a program that you can rent one or two days fairly easily.  The owners were all very happy with being owners and the resort.  Both resorts trade very well.  Worldmark has always been great for people that live in the West.
> 
> It will be hard finding enough points in Worldmark or Welk with the $$$ you have put aside for your initial purchase..... you might have better luck with Carlsbad (not sure how they work).



Greetings! I thought I would chime in and ask a few questions since I, despite my efforts of running all the numbers don't see what many people are saying is bad about timeshares from the owners. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Forgive me if I am jacking your thread but I would like to purchase one that is perfect for my family while not feeling like I got screwed.

I have stayed at the Grand Palasades in Carlsbad and loved it but it was my mom's timeshare. I'm not exactly sure how they work there but the wife and I just went and did the presentation at Welks in Escondido today and got the Villa, 21,995 deal (300,000pts) for 2 Welks weeks (2 bonus weeks with the exchange) and 5 Welks days that can't be exchanged (can be put toward the HOA dues and pay them off). 

Now when purchasing, I ran all the numbers and this technically was the best deal especially since the numbers above was for a Villa and by separating the Villa to one room exchange you can double your weeks. You get more bang for your buck and the 14.9%, while it sucks, if paid off by selling or renting out your Welks days and one Welk week, I can make enough to pay it off within a few years. At least until I started reading here which made me not understand the "Maintenance fee's." What exactly does this entail? If I exchange the Welks week for say, a place out in Rome, Italy, what am I looking to pay for fee's? They said there was the $50 processing fee and the $164 a week for the exchange. If it was during the bonus week, it would be $249-$349 depending on the size of the room. Is this too good to be true? 

I'm not looking to ever use the Welk's Resorts as I just want to vacation in other countries. My only idea is to exchange them and save a buttload of money which I understand sales men edify everything but I couldn't see anything in the contract that could really contradict their claims.


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## Beefnot (Jun 8, 2014)

MangyCat said:


> Greetings! I thought I would chime in and ask a few questions since I, despite my efforts of running all the numbers don't see what many people are saying is bad about timeshares from the owners. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Forgive me if I am jacking your thread but I would like to purchase one that is perfect for my family while not feeling like I got screwed.
> 
> I have stayed at the Grand Palasades in Carlsbad and loved it but it was my mom's timeshare. I'm not exactly sure how they work there but the wife and I just went and did the presentation at Welks in Escondido today and got the Villa, 21,995 deal (300,000pts) for 2 Welks weeks (2 bonus weeks with the exchange) and 5 Welks days that can't be exchanged (can be put toward the HOA dues and pay them off).
> 
> ...



You just signed the deal yesterday, so you can still RESCIND, which I must impress upon you to do. It is in your best interest to RESCIND the contract. 

First, there is no good reason to pay $22k for the same unit that can be purchased for 90+% cheaper on the resale market, especially considering your primary objective would be to exchange it.

Second, buying Week with the primary aim to exchange is a poor choice, even if you got it for free. While I find it to be a wonderful resort, its trading power is just okay. The maintenance fees are around $1,200 or more annually, so when you add a $200 exchange fee, I would not advise paying that type of coin for a middling trader. These MFs represent your portion of the resort's annual average operating costs (HOA dues). You pay this into eternity, and they will continue increase over time. I pay less than have Welk's MFs for one of my timeshares and get equivalent to greater exchange value. If you are looking to purchase to exchange internationally, you need to do some serious research here on TUG so you do not end up royally unsatisfied with your choices.

Third, you will barely be able to cover your MFs by renting your week, if you are lucky. Actually, you will lose money. 

Fourth, as for the $249 - $349 exchange fees, I am supposing that is probably vouchers for RCI weeks, which as an RCI member you wouldn't really need a voucher for anyway. I think more of a sales gimmick. But either way, I am fairly sure there are significant restrictions on availability for those. When you go to use them, you could be really surprised that the only international availability is in a crappy Mexico studio. Those extra weeks are more for domestic excess inventory that the exchange companies try to offload. You aren't going to get primo stuff.

So in summary, you will do yourself an immense favor by canceling the contract according to the rescission rules included in your document bundle. Then research for several months, and if you still fin timesharing to be a good move, BUY RESALE. Take your wife out to a nice dinner to celebrate the tens of thousands you save.


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## Rent_Share (Jun 8, 2014)

Here is what you just bought is worth if you had to sell it

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Welk-Resort...4366080?pt=Timeshares&hash=item417fa49280hing 

Maintenance Fees are $ 1,333 per year, until you find a willing taker

The three R's

Rescind
Research
Resale

Before you have a fourth R

"Regrets" 

for not rescinding while you had a chance

Anything you were offered will be available to you again if your research says it's worth the what full freight cost is versus resale $ 21,994 extra.

 YMMV

 Welcome


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## VegasBella (Jun 8, 2014)

Rent_Share said:


> The three R's
> 
> Rescind
> Research
> ...


Cute. I like it.



> Anything you were offered will be available to you again


Most likely true for almost any timeshare. 

However, the smaller ones will have fewer available desirable units/weeks later on, though even they will very likely still have whatever you're looking for again later if you're willing to pay developer prices or inhouse resale prices.

There are many timeshares that you can get very cheaply very easily and then there are a few that require extra effort to get a good deal.


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## vacationhopeful (Jun 8, 2014)

MangyCat said:


> Greetings! ....
> 
> I'm not looking to ever use the Welk's Resorts as I just want to vacation in other countries. My only idea is to exchange them and save a buttload of money which I understand *sales men edify everything *but I couldn't see anything in the contract that could really contradict their claims.



I am going to be very brief .... (TS) salesmen just plain out & out LIE --- if their lips are moving, it is NOT TRUE!

Rescind! TODAY! NOW, in writing as called for in your contract. 

You need to LEARN A LOT MORE before sinking $22K into a "using this to go overseas". Unless you mean travelling to Mexico (which you can RENT Mexico TS for below MF costs), you will not be travelling the world. 

And do NOT answer the phone when they call you -- hang up immediately. 

Please - $22,000? Check eBay. Check Redweek.com. Check the TUG Marketplace.  Yes, $1 sales are almost the NORMAL on eBay ... many go unsold at that price.

Do you hear *YOUR $22,000 loan at a high interest rate circling the toilet bowl *in a downward flushing sound? You are flushing $14,000 AWAY....


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## Beefnot (Jun 8, 2014)

vacationhopeful said:


> ...
> 
> You need to LEARN A LOT MORE before sinking $14K into a "using this to go overseas".
> ...
> ...


 
No, worse. OP is on the hook for $21,995 at 14.9% interest.


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## MangyCat (Jun 11, 2014)

Thank you guys for the quick responses, as mine wasn't quick at all...

I have the rescinding letter all written up and ready to send but I am curious on what I should do with all the vouchers they gave me. Do I send them back with the rescinding letter? They are 1yr free golf, 2 free plane tickets to Europe and a Dinner voucher. Also have the vacation gift they gave me for showing up. Or do I just take the whole binder with all the vouchers and shove it in a box labeled, "Bad Impulses" and never look back?


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## presley (Jun 11, 2014)

MangyCat said:


> Thank you guys for the quick responses, as mine wasn't quick at all...
> 
> I have the rescinding letter all written up and ready to send but I am curious on what I should do with all the vouchers they gave me. Do I send them back with the rescinding letter? They are 1yr free golf, 2 free plane tickets to Europe and a Dinner voucher. Also have the vacation gift they gave me for showing up. Or do I just take the whole binder with all the vouchers and shove it in a box labeled, "Bad Impulses" and never look back?



You should return anything that came with the purchase if you don't want to pay for those items.  They will be able to charge you for each unreturned item.  The free gift for showing up is yours.


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## MrockStar (Jun 11, 2014)

Just Curiouse, We own Bluegreen and booked poni kia for ouir Daughters wedding gift. How did you like the resort and the Island?


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