# Welk trading power in RCI



## Vacationsarefun (Sep 21, 2012)

I am looking for an RCI-affiliated timeshare which I would partly use and partly trade. One property I am interested in are the Welk resorts in Escondido (Resort Villas or Villas on the Green). As I am not yet a member of RCI I have no access and no idea how these timeshares would trade. If someone would be so kind as to look up how many TPUs on average a Welk deposit would bring I would highly appreciate it!


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## mjm1 (Sep 21, 2012)

We have owned Welk both in the older resort villas and now in their platinum points program.  We are members of II rather than RCI.  Their older units are in both RCI and II, but their newer points program and related units are only in II as I understand it.

We have found that the trading power in II has been very good.  In II, we also get an Accomodation Certificate (AC) that gives us an extra week from II for a fee based on the size of the unit.

Unfortunately, I can't provide any insight into RCI.


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## Vacationsarefun (Sep 22, 2012)

mjm1 said:


> We have owned Welk both in the older resort villas and now in their platinum points program.  We are members of II rather than RCI.  Their older units are in both RCI and II, but their newer points program and related units are only in II as I understand it.
> 
> We have found that the trading power in II has been very good.  In II, we also get an Accomodation Certificate (AC) that gives us an extra week from II for a fee based on the size of the unit.
> 
> Unfortunately, I can't provide any insight into RCI.



Thanks for the information - good to know that Welk trades well in II. Hopefully, someone else will still provide some information on RCI.


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## catwgirl (Sep 24, 2012)

I played a little bit with the original Welk 2 bedroom villas.  Points ranged from a low of 25 to a high of 42 for a July week.  Christmas and New Years weeks were 37 TPUs.


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## Vacationsarefun (Sep 24, 2012)

catwgirl said:


> I played a little bit with the original Welk 2 bedroom villas.  Points ranged from a low of 25 to a high of 42 for a July week.  Christmas and New Years weeks were 37 TPUs.



Thank you very much! That is very helpful.


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## Guitarmom (Oct 7, 2012)

We bought a Welk Villa on the Green resale which included 15 years of pre-paid RCI membership. VOG also includes an II membership, so I am a member of both exchange companies.

I'd class Welk as a super trader in II and a strong trader in RCI. My mother owns at Carlsbad Inn, and she gets double the amount of RCI "points" that I get with Welk -- she can trade ANYWHERE, even the Manhattan Club in New York at a moment's notice. Welk isn't that strong, but it's no slacker.

One more intangible for you. Staying at Welk is always a great vacation. You'd be happy with your home resort. I sure couldn't say that about the first timeshare we owned.

Best of luck to you!


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## Guitarmom (Oct 7, 2012)

*Some Hard Data*

It took awhile to get RCI's Deposit Calculator to work, but I have some actual numbers for you.

If I exchange my Villa On The Greens unit as a 2 bedroom in 2014, I would get 28 TPU's.

If I exchange only 1 bedroom, I get 23 TPU's.

The Deposit Calculator told me 23 TPU's for a 1 bedroom with a "Partial" kitchen. The Calculator wouldn't let me pick a 1 bedroom with a "Full" kitchen. The reality is that the large 1 bedroom units have a full kitchen, and the smaller 1 bedroom units have a partial kitchen. So if the Deposit Calculator is right, even the small 1 bedroom gets almost as many TPUs as trading in both sides together. Guess I'll be trading one bedroom at a time! With RCI's ability to combine deposits, I could pay an extra $100 and get 46 TPU's!

If you are still considering a Welk resale, I have to tell you that I feel like the Villas On The Green are the sweet spot for trading. You have the flexibility to use it as a two bedroom, or use one bedroom and trade the other. We have four adult children who will sometimes vacation with us, so we often prefer a larger unit. I use the small one bedroom to trade into the 2 bedroom (original) Villas. The annual maintenance fee for a 2 bedroom VOG is about $400 lower than the equivalent number of Platinum Points. As I said, sweet spot.

Again, I wish you the best of luck with your decision.


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## Vacationsarefun (Oct 7, 2012)

Guitarmom said:


> It took awhile to get RCI's Deposit Calculator to work, but I have some actual numbers for you.
> 
> If I exchange my Villa On The Greens unit as a 2 bedroom in 2014, I would get 28 TPU's.
> 
> ...



Thank you very much for going to the trouble to get me all this information. Welk is definitely on my short-list of possible timeshares. I will keep my eyes open for a resale week and if I do decide to go with something else I will definitely try to trade in!


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## Guitarmom (Oct 7, 2012)

We had a very smooth transaction with www.calresorts.com, and I highly recommend their resale services. They specialize in Welk resales, although serve as a broker for many other resorts. Further, the owner, Brent Jex, has been extremely helpful whenever I've had questions (like when we made the mistake of going on Welk's "Owner's Update" -- really a high-pressure sales pitch to spend a small fortune.)

You do have to be careful when buying a Welk resale: If the deal looks too good to be true, Welk will most probably exercise their right of first refusal. Calresorts.com is very experienced with this "mousetrap" and can guide you as a buyer to a successful purchase.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Oct 9, 2012)

You can use platinum points to go through RCI. I think you just pick a week, as if you were going to use it, and then deposit it to RCI or any of the other trading companies.
Li


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