# Lake of the Ozarks Trading Power



## kjgrain (Jun 12, 2006)

I was wondering if anyone can help me out.

We own week 32 two bedroom Gold Crown at Lakewoods at Osage Beach at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.  There are limited units and most are used by owners sot here are not many trades made into the resort during the summer.

In my test trades using my points account and my Maui trader I have been unable to ever pull any Lake of the Ozark weeks for the summer even a year in advance.  Because of this I would think that this would be a pretty decent trader considering that the Lake of the Ozarks does not have very many GC 2br TS and this is a nice summer week to go boating and is located right on the water.

Yet when I go to use this week that I have banked 10 months in advance of the check in date I'm unable to pull up virtually anything that is decent.  I can't even pull up a two bedroom in the off season.

Can anyone who knows Missouri and the LOTO area tell me what I did wrong and help me for next year because I don't want to bank it if I won't be able to get any trades with the unit. (We won't be able to use our unit this year or next because it interfears with the 4-H state fair in Iowa where our children will be showing livestock)


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## riverdees05 (Jun 12, 2006)

I have a 2 bedroom floating week, non summer.  I have exchanged twice, once in October into Silverleaf's Timber Creek Resort in Missouri and this year into HGVCLUB ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP for November 4, 2006. Both of these were red weeks.   Does Lakewood deposit your unit and week with RCI?  Can you deposit more than 10 months out, I have gotten better exchanges with my other resorts if I deposit them 12-24 months out, but Lakewood for floating doesn't allow you get your unit that early.


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## kjgrain (Jun 12, 2006)

Yes Lakewoods deposits my week and my unit.  I can deposit a head of time and was thinking to do that for next year but if I'm going to get poor weeks offered to me when I have deposited a great summer week on the water with a boat slip then I was thinking that I might take my chances and try to rent the week out myself next year.

I heard that to rent out your week you really don't get very many responses untill it is 30- 60 days away and by that time it is way to late to deposit with RCI for an exchange.


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## JLB (Jun 12, 2006)

LOTO is a tougher summer trade than Branson and Table Rock Lake because there are so few resorts at LOTO.

For this summer and next here's what I see for LOTO:  *6 Resorts have availability *

There are actually a couple weeks for this summer.

When I check this summer and next for Branson, I see:  *17 Resorts have availability   *

Week 32 is getting a tad late, because of schools starting, but it should still be a decent trader.

You need to deposit at least 12 months in advance in order to maximize trading power.  We deposit our weeks 24 months in advance.

I and others I compare with have sensed that searching has been a little screwed up recently.  We've noticed things that don't seem to make sense.

There is quite an Iowa contingent at LOTO.  We met a Des Moines couple at the Branson Corvette Show this past weekend.  They now live at LOTO.  They say they have Iowa get-togethers and there are normally more than 100 at them.

We stayed at Lakewood and it is a nice location.  Nice resort.

Do you own an interest in the boat slip, as part of the ownership of your week, or does the resort own the boat slip(s)?


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## dougp26364 (Jun 12, 2006)

While there are few exchanges available into LOTO during the summer months, my bet is that there isn't that strong of a demand for them either. Which could be why you can't get a decent exchange during prime season tmies. Even though you can't exchange into LOTO, if there's not that much demand they're not going to assign it to much power. But, this is just a guess. You'd think that even if there's not much demand, when there are literally no units deposited to fill that demand then those units would pull some decent exchanges. 

October in Missouri and November in Vegas are pretty much shoulder season. I can easily pull October weeks anywhere in MO while summer weeks can be slim pickings unless I plan early. I can always take one of my non-vegas weeks and pull good resorts in Vegas for Nov-Feb (excluding the NYE) with even my weakest resort (Grand Regency @ Thousand Hills in Branson).


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## rapmarks (Jun 13, 2006)

I own at lakewood too.  Which week is week 32?  We own a floating week.  Perhaps we can do an exchange with you next year, your week for mine if that interests you.  I do like going to Lakewood in Sept or October, nice weather, smaller crowds.  I don't pull much with my Lakewood week either, but sometimes manage to get good things thru persistance.


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## BocaBum99 (Jun 13, 2006)

WorldMark Lake of the Ozarks still has plently of availablility for this summer in all size units.

If someone wants to go there, all you need to do is find a WorldMark owner and do a direct exchange or rent one.  Very easy to get.


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## kjgrain (Jun 13, 2006)

OK here we go:

1.  Our week is usually the 2nd or 3rd week in August.  We have unit 403 one of the newly refurnished units and we are lucky there are only about 7 steps.  Yes we would be willing to do a trade so something that won't interfear with the fair.

2.  As for the boat slips.  I believe that Lakewoods owns the slips but as an owner you are entitled to use one for the week you are there if you bring your boat.  Other wise if you exchange into LW you have to pay $200 for the week or $40 per day if you bring your boat.

3.  Because we always bring our boat I'm not sure about this policy but I think owners are entitled to 10 hours of using either the pontoon or the ski boat if they chose to do so.

4.  I'm really surprised about the demand.  Everyone that we know goes to the LOTO for at least one week and some go for a couple of weekends during the summer to go boating.  I must be hanging with the wrong crowd I guess.


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## Garrick (Jun 18, 2006)

I also own at Lakewood and I don't know how it trades yet.   This is our first year banking a week as we bought a house on the lake....  I'm hesitant to sell our Lakewood week as I really like the resort and the boat slip or use of a rental boat are awfully good deals.  I do know that it's been pretty difficult to trade into the resort during boating season but we've managed it quite well the last few years.  Averaging 2 trade in's per year in addition to our owned week.

Lakewood is definitely the best on-water resort there.   Worldmark is newer but it's boat slips aren't covered and they're on some really rough water and have been damaged, so only half are useable at this time.


Garrick   21.4mm


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## rapmarks (Jun 18, 2006)

Garrick, the reason you have been able to trade into there is because you are an owner.  I can trade into summer weeks even if I own a float week, but don't get other good summer trades.

KJ    I bet if you called cheryl and told her about your conflict, she would have someone who wants to trade with you.  They do that for about $50, used to be free.  They are very accomodating.


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