# Fairshare points and maintenance fees--which resort to buy?



## rickandcindy23 (Mar 30, 2007)

I am really considering Fairshare points and have been watching these big packages on ebay going cheap.  I am so interested in the system and would really love to start with a big package of points, probably 500,000 or more.  The maintenance fees just seem so high!   

Is there a better resort to buy into for lower cost and what would be the advantage of Fairshare over my regular old weeks in the RCI system?  I want to use the points to my best advantage.  I really want to exchange into Bonnet Creek, too.


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## johnmfaeth (Mar 30, 2007)

Hi Rick and Cindy,

There is a lot to be said for the home resort advantage which gives FSP owners at a certain resort a 2 month reservations "lead" over FSP owners from other resorts.

So I would say to buy at least some of your points at the resort you most prefer.

Good luck!

John


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## mshatty (Mar 30, 2007)

Cindy,

Except for the 13 month to 10 month reservation period at your home resort, points are points. So your best strategy is to get the most points for the least cost and least MF.

Most FF resorts have availability at 10 months and less. Bonnet Creek is not hard to get at 10 or 9 months. It will continue to be available with the additional construction of more units.

The best deals for FF points are usually already converted red fixed or floating weeks for a 2BR or 3BR lockout. You can determine the MF per 1,000 points. A very good MF rate (including the Fairshare Plus fees) is $3.50 or less per 1,000 points. $3.50 to $4.50 is okay. $4.50 and up are not so good.

Some of the new FF resorts have very low MF rates. However, once the developer leaves, often times these resorts will raise their MF rates to fund reserves that the developer may not have created or funded sufficiently.

If you can find a FF Sea Gardens (Waterfall section) 231,000 point 2BR lockout converted fixed week, it's a very good deal. MF, FSP fee, Fl taxes are $784 per year. That's $3.39 per 1000 points. Another good one is FF Williamsburg at Kingsgate, 238,000 points, 3BR LO converted fixed week. However, there is a $338 special assessment that runs through 2008. But after that, it can be a very low rate per 1000 points.

Some of these weeks are hard to find because those who own them, usually will keep them.


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## bnoble (Mar 30, 2007)

I'd check BC availability for you for President's Week and New Years (we are nearing the end of the 13-10 month period for the former, and past it for the latter), but of course the web site is horribly broken.  Still.


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## Jya-Ning (Mar 30, 2007)

EL Cid is lowest one if you want that many points.  It has different fee structure than most FF's.  It charge FSP membership + a Fix cost charge by El Cid + cost based on UDI points.  Cost based on UDI points currently for all othe FF resort is from $3 per 1K to $8 (SA + Tax)  per 1K.  El Cid is around $1.5 (sorry I have no idea exact number for current year).  But the fix cost is high.  I don't know the current year's cost, so could not tell the min points to recover this fix cost.  But with 500k, it probably can cover.  Plus it is RTU, so it is dirt cheap (although most FF are dirt cheap).  But they come out their own program, so you will see less and less their FF tied contracts.

The newest resorts usually has lowest MF if they are not around beach.  It does not have any reservation funds to start with.  FF will hold the HK.  And there will be no unpaid MF.  So you probably can expect that hold for 3 years than you need to run (sell in 1 month like).  Since the 1st year resort has not actually build complete, so you will not see it on market.  that leave you 2 more years.  And since they are new, their price is usually high in the first 2 years, so it is not good idea unless your point range is over 4M

Then the fixed converted week.  Their fee structure is FSP membership + total cost per unit/52.  So the prime week and large unit will give you best deal.  If it is less than 2 bd and shoulder week (or if after converted, it gives you less than 154k), it will not give you any benefit over UDI.

Then the UDI in in-land, no big city, the fee structure for UDI is FSP membership + total cost/total udi in that resort * the UDI you own in that resort.  In-land usually has less chance to get hit by SA, no big city usually gives you cheap labor salary to start with.

Find a place where you like to go.  Go to Yahoo FF site, joint the member, check to see the UDI units in their file system.  If it has more than X unit (you made a reasonable guess, at this moment, I use 200), you should be O.K. in most of the reservation time.  Then you can go with lowest MF.  If it is less than that, then you need to go with home resort route.   However, if you don't plan to tie all your points in one resorts, I will not worry too much about MF unless it is really in high side, I will go with home resort especially if it is very convient in your travel path (easy drive or cheap airline ticket), just make sure you buy enough to cover the stay in your home resort you like.  So if you like stay 7 days with need of 2 BD, buy points covers that.

Jya-Ning


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## joestein (Mar 30, 2007)

Maybe you should start with a smaller points package.  I use my points primarily as deposits into RCI.  I mostly deposit 28K at a time, and I get around 5 weeks of use each year out of my 161K points.  Most FF except Myrtle Beach during the summer and Alexandria, Washington DC are easy trades.

Joe


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## bookworm (Apr 1, 2007)

Joe,
It sounds like you have been able to make a lot out of your points (and as a result, a number of weeks out of one maintenance fee plus exchange fees.) I've read a few posts on the board and in the Fairfield Yahoo Group suggesting that this may be getting more difficult to do (at least in the last year or so). Do you find that that is true? Are you mostly trading into RCI for Fairfield weeks or others as well? Are these high time trades or mostly low time trades? Thanks for your insights (I am also thinking of buying Fairfield Points resale).
Angela


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## Eileen A. (Apr 1, 2007)

Not sure if anyone else mentioned in the posts above but the Florida properties also charge a real estate fee which adds to the yearly MF costs. I believe I pay an additional $150 per year on my 154,000 point package.  If I had it to do over again I would not have bought in Florida.


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## Don (Apr 2, 2007)

That's high!  our 168K EOY in Orlando is $42 a year. Are your taxes for a beachfront resort and every year usage?


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## Eileen A. (Apr 2, 2007)

I checked and the amount I paid this year was $140.14.  That is for an every year 154,000 pts at Palm Aire in Fort Lauderdale.


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## bnoble (Apr 2, 2007)

For me, the question isn't what the taxes are; the question is what is the total annual cost: (MF+taxes+FSP).  If the total number I pay is low enough, I don't particuarly care who it is that gets paid.  Many FF Florida deeds are on the high side, but not all.


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 2, 2007)

bookworm said:


> Joe,
> It sounds like you have been able to make a lot out of your points (and as a result, a number of weeks out of one maintenance fee plus exchange fees.) I've read a few posts on the board and in the Fairfield Yahoo Group suggesting that this may be getting more difficult to do (at least in the last year or so). Do you find that that is true? Are you mostly trading into RCI for Fairfield weeks or others as well? Are these high time trades or mostly low time trades? Thanks for your insights (I am also thinking of buying Fairfield Points resale).
> Angela



Not truely.  I think this is seasonly and depends on what RCI is doing.  But I don't think anyone can really compare a generic deposit since it is not suppose to be the best week, and none actually can use it to search and none can tell you the story of what happen with on-going search.  But overtime, I believe it will balance itself out depends on RCI's week availability.  Overtime, you will find you can use generic deposit to get certain type easily and certain trade will be hard no matter how you try.

Jya-Ning


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 2, 2007)

Check the Yahoo group database, there is one that will allow people put down what they exchanged using the deposit.  You can sort on the first column to see the most recent data.  

Jya-Ning


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## Summit1231 (Apr 4, 2007)

Rick and Cindy,

Not sure where you live in Colorado, but don't overlook FF Pagosa. This is our home resort converted fixed red week 2 Br at 126K points. We took the points is points approach with FF and wanted a resort we could drive to if needed.

It is a very scenic 5 hr 20 minute drive from Denver. 

How it works for us

o FF Pagosa has some great 1 Br units
o Often they have discounted points requirements ( 10-35% )
o You can take 3 or 4 day blocks as well as full weeks
o We really enjoy September and October time
o If we run out of points we purchase more from FF
( Restrictions apply on cost and quantity )
o We deposit to RCI and have gotten some good trades

I can not really say if RCI trades have gotten better or worse since we have only been at it a couple years.

We are frugal travelers with the ability to travel in off season.  So for us we have been able to get several weeks a year out of our annual maintenance fees.


BTW, I enjoy your contribution to posts on this message board. I have been somewhat envious of your RCI Weeks / Points. Maybe the grass just always looks greener over the fence.

The reliability of the FF web site might not be as good as what you experience with the RCI web site.


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 4, 2007)

*Thank you for the kind words, Summit1231.*

We have actually exchanged into Pagosa Springs, back when the kids were very small.  Now our youngest is 26 and a new mom herself.  We stayed in a strange house that was kind of round, with a staircase from a garage that went straight up into the unit from the car.  It seemed older, but we liked it. It had a hottub, too.  Pagosa Springs may not always have been Fairfield??? The tour we took is fuzzy.  I don't remember much of anything about it, but it has been about 25 years.  

I actually have been watching Pagosa Springs points.  Don1947 was going to buy some points through Pagosa Springs because he liked Colorado and thought they would be a good value.  I haven't seen him post in over a year, but he was very sold, so I was considering it.  

We have been collecting timeshare for a number of years but only had six three years ago, all in Colorado, and now have 15 weeks!  We use everything we have, whether we use them on vacation, deposing them for RCI points, or renting the Hawaii weeks.  I think it would be great if we could sell some of our weeks and buy into a points system that we could really use to our advantage.  RCI is not cheap to use for points transactions.  I want to exchange into Orlando cheaply, for one thing.  I keep reading about small FF points' deposits and how they are pulling resorts in Hawaii.  I want to do that!


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## Summit1231 (Apr 4, 2007)

Cindy,

I recall the Pagosa Springs units you are describing but have not stayed in those units. There are several complexes at Pagosa. We have never examined or stayed at our unit ( Points is Points ). 

It sounds like you have a boatload of options with 15 timeshare weeks. 

I have investigated the various points systems. Worldmark and Bluegreen also look attractive in their own way.


Like a previous poster said, If you can plan way in advance and reserve through FF, a FF Bonnett Creek might be a plausible exchange ( while the resort is being constructed - who will know upon completion ). However, it takes a bunch of FF points to get a prime Bonnet Creek week. We have stayed at Bonnet Creek and it is very very  nice. 

If you just want Orlando the small FF deposits to RCI ( 28 to 70K FF points ) generally show us oddles of weeks in Orlando RCI Resorts ( and other over build areas).

Trades to Hawaii FF via FF points also take a bunch of points. Trades to Hawaii FF via small ff points deposits to RCI are sometimes attainable with a long lead time or short lead time. Trades to Hawaii non-FF are pretty sparce with a small FF deposit.

It seems to be at the pleasure of FF to make such Hawaii units available via a bulk spacebanking RCI. FF might be letting you trade in so they have an opportunity to sell more ff weeks/pts. And then you may then be restricted from trading to that resort for several more years. Hawaii weeks just seem to be getting more valuable and I would not be surprised if the lower FF point expenditure trades to Hawaii FF become more difficult. 

You expressed that RCI was not cheap for points transactions. FF trading through RCI also has some  significant RCI exchange expenses to consider.

FF does give you options. You can optimze FF points for a lot of weeks if you can plan in advance or on short notice and want to go to overbuilt areas during an off season. OR you can use a bunch of your FF points for super nice week(s). 

Works for us.

Bob


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 5, 2007)

I really should sell some of our older weeks and try out Fairfield.  Hatrack suggested both Fairfield and Worldmark for us, yet we bought all these additional weeks in other spots.  I just did not listen.   

At least I stopped drooling over DVC points.  They are so expensive and I can get there during the off-season with Foxrun.  

I did list a few of our weeks on various resell sites.  I would really like to get enough cash together for a large points package and will take all of your advice and buy inexpensive points with the lowest maintenance fees I can find.  

As far as PAHIO is concerned, I don't think they will offer anything that appeals to me.

Jya-Ning, how do I join the Fairfield group?  I already have a membership in PAHIO, Twin Rivers and Foxrun Yahoo groups, so it should not be difficult.  Do I need an invitation to join?  I tried to join about two years ago and was turned down because I was not yet an owner.  Now I own PAHIO/Wyndham, so that should qualify.


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## dopeyfav (Apr 5, 2007)

*FF points for RCI exchange*

Bob,
I am new to TS; I have FF points & therefore exchange via RCI.  I have been told conflicting things about RCI 28K deposits.  Is this an option for me as a FF owner; if so, how do I go about seeing availability with RCI?  Is this deposit & exchange conducted the same as depositing my "week" with RCI?  I appreciate the information, as I am attempting to get the most from my TS and there is a lot to learn and it seems like this is the place to do it.  Tx
Rhonda


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 5, 2007)

rickandcindy23 said:


> Jya-Ning, how do I join the Fairfield group?  I already have a membership in PAHIO, Twin Rivers and Foxrun Yahoo groups, so it should not be difficult.  Do I need an invitation to join?  I tried to join about two years ago and was turned down because I was not yet an owner.  Now I own PAHIO/Wyndham, so that should qualify.



for Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fairfield_timeshare.  You don't need to be owner to jointin.  You do need to fill in a questionary.  And if you setup another mail address for that member, you need to check the mail box, because the moderator will send you mail through that box to make sure it is not spam.



dopeyfav said:


> Bob,
> I am new to TS; I have FF points & therefore exchange via RCI.  I have been told conflicting things about RCI 28K deposits.  Is this an option for me as a FF owner; if so, how do I go about seeing availability with RCI?  Is this deposit & exchange conducted the same as depositing my "week" with RCI?  I appreciate the information, as I am attempting to get the most from my TS and there is a lot to learn and it seems like this is the place to do it.  Tx
> Rhonda




Not Bob, but if you purcahse (resell or retail), you can deposit 28k (blue stdio) to RCI and try to get a week exchange from RCI week inventory.  It will have the trading power of a blue stdio.  Except sometime you will have owner perference on all FF deposit, and sometimes, you may enjoy the bulk space bank when some resorts' trading power get lower, or sometimes you may catch 45 day's inventory.

There are three ways to do it
1. you ask FF-VC to connect you to FF-RCI VC for a search first deposit, and tell FF-RCI VC you only want try 28k, they will do the search and tell you the availability, you need to let them know if you don't want your point stay in RCI side.  I believe if you don't find match and don't let point stay in RCI, it will not be charge for one transaction, but it has been a while since last time I use this feature.
2. you ask FF-VC or their internet site that you want make an RCI deposit, you pick size and use year end time.  It will be a non-searchable deposit (Generic), you can call FF-RCI VC to do search or put on-going search, you can also look at the sighting of this forum (by become the member), and try to match that way.  Or you can have your own searchable week, and when you see something you like, call FF-RCI VC to match it with your RCI deposit, once deposit, your point will not be back.
3. you ask FF-VC or their internet site (which has an option) that you want an RCI searchable (Visible) week.  It actually give you a real FF week.  Depends on availability, it maybe good and maybe lousy.  You can use that week to do your own search.  It has very limit number every year, so most of the time, you will get generic one unless you check your RCI account and tell them to roll it back.

They use to allow you to ARP at your home resort and deposit that week to RCI.  They take it away last year.

If you buy from developer, or pay them $2,395 to convert a week or pay them 2,395 to joint Plus Partner, you can use the same point grid to access RCI point resorts (except FF's own resort).  And if you need only stdio at blue season, that will be the amount you put, you need to call FF-VC for that.  It is not searchable, they have to do the search for you.

Jya-Ning


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## Summit1231 (Apr 5, 2007)

Rhonda,

Jya-Ning is much more experienced in FF than myself. As Jya-Ning suggests - join the Fairfield Yahoo group. ( I recall you may have to setup a Yahoo ID to join - but that is free ) or maybe you already have a Yahoo ID.

I am relative new owner and still learning. The FF Yahoo group has helped me immensly. They have a lot of information online and in archives of summary documents. 

It took me several months of reading and digesting those materials to figure out how best to use our points to meet our needs. There are really a lot of different options that you can explore.  

Bob


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## dopeyfav (Apr 7, 2007)

Jya-Ning,

Thank you for the info.  You referenced in point #2, sighting via this forum.  I am a member, could you tell me how to do that?

Thank you,
Rhonda


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 7, 2007)

dopeyfav said:


> Jya-Ning,
> 
> Thank you for the info.  You referenced in point #2, sighting via this forum.  I am a member, could you tell me how to do that?
> 
> ...



http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=3

Jya-Ning


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## akfoss (Apr 9, 2007)

*FF Point Packages and Size*

Befpre jumping in to Fairfield points with a large purchase, I would suggest starting with 100k-200k first.  For one thing, you can always add points later and even consolidate points into one account, so you won't lose much.  

I have owned 210k annual points at Fairfield Las Vegas Grand Desert for the last 3 years.   During that time, I have made multiple 28k point deposits into RCI and used them for 2 bedroom units in Orlando, Massanutton and Hawaii Kona Resort.  To do this, I have taken advantage of bulk deposits and have been willing to travel during non-peak periods, but trading the equivalent of a blue studio for a 2 bedroom red unit is never a bad deal.  I have also used 52-80k points each to make multiple 3 or 4 days stays at Grand Desert.  Lastly, I was able to take points one year and get a prime summer beach week in Myrtle Beach and rent it for enough to pay maintenance fees to cover 2 years.

Another point that I have not seen mentioned yet is that it is easy to get other members to rent you points for a reasonable cost, or to trade points from one year to another with other members of the Yahoo list.  I have made trades or rented points each year which keeps me from having to buy additional points, but I can get points I need pretty easily.  

So, before splurging for 500k points and then realizing you don't need that many, I would suggest starting small, getting some experience, learning how to maximize points via trading or with RCI, and then if you need more, they will likely be there.  

Allan


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## FlyingBoat (Apr 10, 2007)

Been sitting here for three days and still no response to get accepted into the Yahoo Fairfield group.


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 10, 2007)

I have been watching a small points package on ebay to try on for size.  I just need to sell a few of my weeks before buying more.  I don't think I can wait that long.   I am anxious to try it out.  

I would like an invitation to the Yahoo Group.  How do I get one?


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 11, 2007)

FlyingBoat said:


> Been sitting here for three days and still no response to get accepted into the Yahoo Fairfield group.



1st Check the mail box you put when you apply for membership, to make sure if there is a follow up questions you have it answered and return.  Generally, you need to provide why you want joint, what type of FF property you actually owns (where and how many), and the state you live

2nd, it is end of tax season, and the moderator will need to take a personal break after that.  If there is any backup plan, you may get in if there is no issues.  Otherwise, you need wait a little longer.

Jya-Ning


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## Jya-Ning (Apr 11, 2007)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I would like an invitation to the Yahoo Group.  How do I get one?



Go here, and apply

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fairfield_timeshare/

Jya-Ning


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 11, 2007)

Thanks for your help again, Jya-Ning.


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## bnoble (Apr 11, 2007)

No invitation necessary: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fairfield_timeshare/

Click on "join".  Be sure to use an email address that you check regularly.  Glenn (the Yahoo group moderator) is on vacation at the moment.  He'll be back in a week or two; you might not be added until then.


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