# 10 day recission period expires Friday



## SandyJ (Jan 8, 2014)

My 10 day recission period is up Friday.

This is my deal.  This is my first timeshare purchase, and I have been researching diligently for several months and contemplating a TS purchase for several years.

I am acquiring a 2br cottage UDI timeshare at Christmas Mountain Village from the HOA.

I pay transfer fee of $250 and I will pay the final special assessment of $1032 in January of 2015. Other than that it is just my yearly maintenance fees of roughly $1000 due in June every year.

About our family. We are a family of 5, we have a 5yr old, a 3yr old and a 3mo old.  The oldest will start school next year but we haven't decided if we are planning on homeschooling or not yet.  

What we are looking for out of a TS...

1.) Flexibility
2.) Value
3.) ability to share vacation value with friends and family

I've read through all documents and everything is as represented.  I will receive the ability to make 

1 red week reservation
2 blue/white reservations and
1 reservation 45 days out.

The number of weeks allotted in this TS seems to offer the value, flexibility and share-ability that I was looking for.

While we are going somewhat away from TUG wisdom in that I am not necessarily "buying" where I want to go every year, but I do have friends/family in the Midwest that I will be visiting at least every other year.  And the places I do want to go are the more "built up" areas so I think exchanging will go ok.  

Places I am most interested in going to would be 

1.) Hilton Head
2.) Williamsburg
3.) Orlando
4.) Gatlinburg
5.) any other beach or mountain location in TN, GA, SC, FL, VA or NC.

Ive read every thread I can find on the CMV UDI and I believe this is what we want to do.  

I wanted to ask the Tuggers prior to recission expiring if there is anything I am not considering, am not aware of or have not thought of before finalizing this?


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## tschwa2 (Jan 8, 2014)

I wouldn't recommend it to a first time TS owner.  I think all TS's have a learning curve and this one is higher than most.  Also it seems to work the best for people who want to use it for 4 or more TS stays a year.  If you use it less the cost per stay is fairly high.  There is a lot of competition to rent out the units so I wouldn't count on extra income from that.

There are people who travel a bunch and jump in with both feet and it works out great.  If you are one of those people then go for it.  It does look like you have done your homework so you aren't going in totally blind.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 8, 2014)

<<<Deleted original comment>>>


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## CO skier (Jan 8, 2014)

*2 cents worth*



SandyJ said:


> ...
> I am acquiring a 2br cottage UDI timeshare at Christmas Mountain Village from the HOA.
> 
> I pay transfer fee of $250 and I will pay the final *special assessment of $1032 *in January of 2015. Other than that it is just my yearly maintenance fees of roughly $1000 due in June every year.
> ...



$1000 annual MF is unusually low for four weeks in a 2 bedroom.  Did you check the history of special assessments.  You may want to budget $300-500 dollars per year more than the MF and put the extra into a savings account to raid when the next special assessment arrives or they raise the MF to what it truly costs to run the place.



SandyJ said:


> ...
> 
> About our family. We are a family of 5, we have a 5yr old, a 3yr old and a 3mo old.  The oldest will start school next year but we haven't decided if we are planning on homeschooling or not yet.



Those 3 non-red weeks may not see much use if you get tied to a school calendar.  You can join an exchange company for additional cost, and pay more costs to exchange, but that can add up for 3 weeks per year.  If you live within 2 hours of the resort, maybe it is worth it if you just use only the weekends out of the 2 or 3 non-red weeks.



SandyJ said:


> ...
> What we are looking for out of a TS...
> 
> 1.) Flexibility
> ...



Did you look into a resale in the Wyndham system?  Based on the locations you listed, it would be a very good fit, and the points will offer you flexibility for more locations and shorter stays than the floating weeks timeshare.  The annual MF  might seem more expensive, but when you consider there are none of the exchange fees associated with using different locations in the Wyndham system, it might prove to be more cost effective for you.


Timeshares are easy to buy but can be difficult to sell.  What is your exit strategy if you grow tired of this resort in 5 or so years (it happens), and want to buy somewhere else?  The more difficult it is to sell, the more it will cost you to find a willing buyer.


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## SandyJ (Jan 8, 2014)

tschwa2 said:


> I wouldn't recommend it to a first time TS owner.  I think all TS's have a learning curve and this one is higher than most.  Also it seems to work the best for people who want to use it for 4 or more TS stays a year.  If you use it less the cost per stay is fairly high.  There is a lot of competition to rent out the units so I wouldn't count on extra income from that.
> 
> There are people who travel a bunch and jump in with both feet and it works out great.  If you are one of those people then go for it.  It does look like you have done your homework so you aren't going in totally blind.



I understand it is a complicated timeshare to get the most out of, but I'm a calculated risk taker, I'm willing to take a risk if I see good potential value.

 I've seen the weeks rent for around $200 right now which is pennies but I'm not counting on the rentals of the weeks to pay the MF.  Sure, I'd love to rent weeks to pay MF and vacation for free!  Who wouldn't love that! But That isn't the primary reason for buying.


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## SandyJ (Jan 8, 2014)

CO skier said:


> $1000 annual MF is unusually low for four weeks in a 2 bedroom.  Did you check the history of special assessments.  You may want to budget $300-500 dollars per year more than the MF and put the extra into a savings account to raid when the next special assessment arrives or they raise the MF to what it truly costs to run the place.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



There is a special assessment now, it is $1032 per year for 2013, 2014 and 2014. Because I take possession after the 2014 assessment is due I will only pay 2015.  It was a very steep assessment, glad I'm getting in on the tail end of that.  The upside is that all the units should be renovated and nice by end of 2015 

As for Wyndham, I agree that Wyndham is mostly in the places I would travel to, and I thought I had decided Wyndham was what I wanted to buy but then I read about house keeping credits! That all seemed very complicated to me by having to keep up with how many HK credits you have to be able to book.  Then potentially expensive to purchase additional HK credits.

But I will likely end up owning a Wyndham at some point! Seems you can't only have just one TS! 

I'm doing my best to pace myself though and NOT buy anything else until the transfer is complete on this and until I can see what I can do with this one!

As for exit strategy, since I'm getting it for just the cost of the last SA and transfer fee (total of $1282) and I see them advertised on different sites for $2K and up, so it would be my hope that I could get out of it if I wanted out. Probably not for a profit but at least a break even proposition!


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## sjuhawk_jd (Jan 8, 2014)

SandyJ, seems like you have done lot of research on a timeshare that is not worth researching in my opinion. 

Best way to travel is to buy a top notch trader (such as summer week in Virginia Beach) or Gatlinburg or Myrtle Beach (such as Sheraton Broadway plantation). This way, you can use your home resort or you can trade through RCI or interval to go to top notch destinations (and resorts) or even rent out your week. 

What you are buying is not worth much in trading or renting. Seems like you have time and interest in researching. If you spend that much time in knowing how to work Interval and RCI, you will get fabolous exchanges if you start with a strong trader instead of a mediocre one. There is a reason you are getting this unit through the HOA, so be skeptical of that.


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## CO skier (Jan 8, 2014)

SandyJ said:


> As for exit strategy, since I'm getting it for just the cost of the last SA and transfer fee (total of $1282) and I see them advertised on different sites for $2K and up, so it would be my hope that I could get out of it if I wanted out. Probably not for a profit but at least a break even proposition!



Well ... good luck with that hope filled strategy.

Timeshares that do not sell on EBay for $1.00 are regularly advertised for $10,000, $15,000, $20,000.  Without much effort, you could probably find your timeshare advertised for $12,000-$20,000.  The advertised price does not mean anything.

There are many very nice timeshares where owners advertise them with a full year's MF prepaid and all closing costs prepaid, and they still cannot find a buyer.  Some owners resort (no pun intended) to default to get out of timeshares they cannot sell.

You have researched how to buy a timeshare, but there may be a lot of research left to do on what it takes to unload a timeshare.

Here is something to review while you are still within the rescission period.  You only need to read the first five posts to get the idea:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174687

There are many other, similarly sad tales.

With too many resale timeshares, owners "pay for the timeshare" not when they buy it, but when it comes time to sell it.

Maybe you get $2,000 when you sell it, or maybe it costs you $3,000 to unload it.  If you are OK with it either way, then that is at least a realistic exit expectation.  If paying $3,000 to unload it is a deal breaker, you may want to reconsider while you can.


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## tschwa2 (Jan 8, 2014)

I had a very long message but I lost it.  

I disagree with the last 2 reply's. There are several TUGgers who know how to really max the ownership and get 100-200 tpu's a year or 10-20+ deposits that they spread between interval, RCI, RCI points and the independents.
It seems like the ones who know how to use it and get the most value are the ones who vacation 10+full weeks a year with at least some of them as off season.

You also need to factor in exchange company memberships, a few rci combine fees per year, exchange fees, and an additional HK fee per reservation.  If you only need 2-3 full weeks and a full partial weeks you won't use it enough to spread out the extra fees involved.

I forgot to add that the reason the HOA has the ownerships and are basically giving them away is because they accepted deedbacks during the super high assessment.  Not something that many resorts would do.  They are also fairly hard to market and explain how to use.  While you may not be able to sell for what you paid, I don't think you need to worry about having to pay more than the transfer fee if/when you move on.  This could change if another super high assessment comes along but that is true for any timeshare even Marriotts and Hyatts.


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## SandyJ (Jan 9, 2014)

*All good points and things to ponder...*

I never really thought in exact terms what it could potentially cost me to unload it, so that is something to think through, on yrs upfront MF, maybe an extra years paid MF closing cost and transfer fees would near $3K.  I could do that easily today but if/when the time comes that I need out, then I might not have $3K just sitting around.

I have thought much about how much is too much to pay in MF.  $1K is near the top of what I'm willing to pay, but MF only go up, how much can/will the TS market bear in increasing MF, at what point will there no longer be a value to buy/use a TS?


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## theo (Jan 9, 2014)

*No simple, easy answer...*



SandyJ said:


> <snip> ...how much can/will the TS market bear in increasing MF, at what point will there no longer be a value to buy/use a TS?



It's a very good question, but one with no simple or easy answer. In part, it's a "case by case" matter where individual perspectives dominate. My own view / perspective / personal opinion follows:

1. I assume that my timeshare ownerships have and will likely always have in the future little or no actual monetary value as a "commodity" or as an "investment" to be able to sell later. There will likely also be no "profit" (likely no "break even", for that matter). That's fine with me, since all of my weeks were bought resale and bought "right", price wise. Their "value" to me is in the actual use and enjoyment only (I don't rent out or "exchange" my weeks). Then again, all of my weeks are in high enough demand times and places that I could likely always (lawfully) part with any or all of them at no actual "out of pocket" expense to me. 

2. Maintenance fees will always go only upward. My own view is that as long as the maintenance fee cost is less than (...or at least, close enough to) the perceived personal value of guaranteed use and repeated enjoyment of a fully equipped condo unit in a time and place where I still truly want to go, I'm satisfied. 

So, where is the "pain threshold" when the maintenance fees exceed the value of use and enjoyment?
I dunno. YMMV.  Personally, I can't yet assign a hard number, but so far I still know with certainty that my perceived enjoyment remains *far* ahead of the maintenance fee cost. That "pain threshold" likely varies widely among different people and circumstances. YMMV, but "exit strategy" and potential (responsible, lawful, non-Viking Ship) "exit cost" is surely worthy of some thoughtful deliberation before jumping in with both feet into a costly, multi-week "UDI ownership" situation with its' own built-in, known complexities.


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## tschwa2 (Jan 9, 2014)

SandyJ said:


> I never really thought in exact terms what it could potentially cost me to unload it, so that is something to think through, on yrs upfront MF, maybe an extra years paid MF closing cost and transfer fees would near $3K.  I could do that easily today but if/when the time comes that I need out, then I might not have $3K just sitting around.
> 
> I have thought much about how much is too much to pay in MF.  $1K is near the top of what I'm willing to pay, but MF only go up, how much can/will the TS market bear in increasing MF, at what point will there no longer be a value to buy/use a TS?



$1000 is the base MF.  You need to add on $55 (I believe) for each reservation for HK.  You need to belong to RCI which adds another $89.  You will probably need to pay at least one combine fee to use the small tpu's for the white weeks which would be $109 and $209 for each exchange.  

So if you only make 4 reservations- and get about 60 tpu's and make 3 exchanges with rci you are looking at spending $1960 for each year or $22.60 plus $600 in exchange fees.  There are much less expensive ways to get 60 tpus.

An experienced megaTUGger can make 25 reservations- and pays $4460 per year for 360 tpus including exchange company and combine fees (s/he probably already has an rci and interval account but I am including those fees as well).  This brings the tpu's down to $12 a point plus oodles of options to use other exchange companies.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 9, 2014)

I personally would not do this deal or buy at that timeshare resort.  Don't get me wrong, I did a rental there for Thanksgiving 2012 and we enjoyed our stay although we did not use any of the resort's amenities.

This is what has me the most worried:  "There is a special assessment now, it is $1032 per year for 2013, 2014 and 201(5). Because I take possession after the 2014 assessment is due I will only pay 2015. It was a very steep assessment, glad I'm getting in on the tail end of that. The upside is that all the units should be renovated and nice by end of 2015."

Yes that is a steep assessment. But underlying how much it is, would be "WHY" it is.  S/A's that  are generally the result of a resort not charging enough in their annual fees to build up the necessary reserves for ORDINARY expenses that they should know they will have . . . i.e., such as the renovation you cite . . . are inexcusable and unfortunately over time, unavoidable.  Are you prepared for another similar SA in about 10-15 years when things need to be updated and replaced again?

Maybe that S/A is large enough to start funding their reserves?  As someone already stated, $1,000 for four weeks of use is very small and to me, doesn't seem to be enough to maintain the resort year-to-year on the routine expenses.  But what do I know . . . I haven't seen their financial statements or operational reports.

Personally, I would rescind and reconsider.  That said, it seems you really have your mind made up . . . so I wish you well in your new T/S ownership.


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## AllenWoodruff (Jan 10, 2014)

I have owned at this resort for over 6 years.  I have averaged 10-12 reservations per year.  I have a membership in RCI weeks, RCI points and II and have made deposits into all three.  I can tell you based on my experience, the red weeks (winter weeks and summer weeks) trade fairly well in II.  The red weeks get around 25-32 TPU in RCI weeks and 36,500 points in RCI points using the points for deposit which also has a $26 fee.  Note that you will have to have another resort in RCI points to take advantage of this method of deposit.  The white weeks get 13-18 TPU in RCI and don’t trade very well in II.  However, I have gotten several Marriott’s in the summer in Orlando with white weeks.   I usually will put several white weeks into RCI weeks and combine the TPUs to get a large TPU for tough trades.  

In order to get the max benefit out of this timeshare you have to be organized to keep track of when it is time to make another reservation and it also takes some time.  I usually travel 3-4 weeks a year and get 2-3 weeks for family and close friends and it has worked very well for our family.  

In my opinion, you need to travel at least 3 weeks per year to make this type of timeshare worthwhile as compared to other timeshares.   

Overall, I have been very pleased with my ownership of this resort even after paying the $3k special assessment.


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## JudyS (Jan 13, 2014)

Friday has passed -- SandyJ, did you decide to take this ownership?

Quite a few Tuggers own at this resort (including me), but there still are some misconceptions on this thread. A Christmas Mountain Village UDI ownership -- the ownership that SandyJ was considering-- is a fractional ownership that is legally deeded as three weeks per year. The MFs are about $1000 a year (not counting the special assessment), and there are also housekeeping fees of $65 per reservation. So, the resort doesn't have to provide four weeks of use for $1000, as Timeshare Von said. Rather, the resort is providing three weeks for the $1000 MFs, and also getting $65 per week in housekeeping fees, which works out to about $400 per week of use. 

I agree that $400 per week of use is a low budget for a two-bedroom timeshare, so the reserves are probably still underfunded and there could be another special assessment down the road. However, I would expect the size of the special assessment to be smaller than the current one. Christmas Mountain Village is now managed by Bluegreen but was built by another company. This is one of those cases where the past management budgeted poorly, and then the new management needed a special assessment to bring the resort up to their standards. 

Also, when figuring out how bad the special assessment was, remember that this is a fractional ownership, representing three weeks per contract. Yes, the special assessment of $3096 was high, but that's for three weeks of ownership, not for a single week of ownership. It was nowhere near as high, per week of ownership, as SAs have been at some other resorts. (Sheraton Vistana and Point at Poipu, I'm looking at you!) 

Now, Christmas Mountain Village has an unusual booking system. Owners are limited in how many reservations they can have at a time, not how many they can have per year. Because many owners book less than three weeks a year, there is quite a lot of availability. A diligent owners can book many, many weeks. There is one TUG members who said he booked 30 weeks in one year. (These were mostly last-minute weeks that were given to RCI for TPUs.) I book at least 12 weeks a year, and I'm not especially diligent at calling in and booking. In fact, I've sometimes gone several months where I'm busy with other things and didn't do anything with my CMV ownership. 

I would say that a CMV UDI is a great ownership, but it's a LOT of timeshare. It's only worthwhile if you can vacation at least 3-4 weeks per year, and/or are willing to rent out the higher demand weeks. 

As for resale value, there are a lot of angry owners because of the Special Assessment, so even when the Special Assessment is over, the value may stay low for a while. But before the Special Assessment, a CMV UDI Cottage ownership was going for $4,000 on the resale market, easy. (There are also some much-rarer CMV UDI Timbers ownerships that went for maybe 8k-10k before the Special Assessment. I would love to get one of those Timbers ownerships cheap, but they are VERY hard to find.)

Also, SandyJ, I have never before heard of anyone considering a CMV UDI as their first timeshare! That is very impressive! The CMV UDIs are a rather rare and "advanced" form of timesharing. Where did you hear about them?


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## scootr5 (Jan 13, 2014)

The Timbers units can be found, but require diligence and luck.


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## GrayFal (Jan 13, 2014)

JudyS said:


> Friday has passed -- SandyJ, did you decide to take this ownership?
> 
> Quite a few Tuggers own at this resort (including me), but there still are some misconceptions on this thread. A Christmas Mountain Village UDI ownership -- the ownership that SandyJ was considering-- is a fractional ownership that is legally deeded as three weeks per year. The MFs are about $1000 a year (not counting the special assessment), and there are also housekeeping fees of $65 per reservation. So, the resort doesn't have to provide four weeks of use for $1000, as Timeshare Von said. Rather, the resort is providing three weeks for the $1000 MFs, and also getting $65 per week in housekeeping fees, which works out to about $400 per week of use.
> 
> ...



Judy, this is a great insightful post.

I purchased a CMV UDI on ebay in October.

My usage will be a bit more simple.

My thought was that that if I made just three resies per year 1red/2white-blue the cost per week of $1,000 plus $65 x 3 = $1,200 / 3 = $400 per week.
Even with II exchange fee, this is under $600 per week.

For RCI, 4 (45 day) deposits x $65 plus $109 combo fee = 40-50 TPUs for $370 plus exchange fee.

In II, I have just confirmed a deposit to Tortola - Long Bay Beach Club.
In RCI, I confirmed Morritts Grand 2BR using only 2 deposits.

It is a complicated ownership, but if you have a plan, it will work for you….good luck!


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## GrayFal (Jan 13, 2014)

scootr5 said:


> The Timbers units can be found, but require diligence and luck.


For people who are buying to use, the Timbers are nicer, bigger and with 2 baths…congrats!


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## scootr5 (Jan 13, 2014)

GrayFal said:


> For people who are buying to use, the Timbers are nicer, bigger and with 2 baths…congrats!



I haven't been pushing too hard with it yet since getting it in October, but I've stayed at CMV for two long weekends and have Memorial Day weekend booked, I've deposited two whites to RCI, two whites to II, and have a week reserved for check in right before Father's Day in June that I'm going to try and rent. That's 8 weeks in 8 months.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 13, 2014)

JudyS said:


> So, the resort doesn't have to provide four weeks of use for $1000, as Timeshare Von said. Rather, the resort is providing three weeks for the $1000 MFs . . .



I (and others) were just going on what the OP said regarding their use, as they understood it:  "I've read through all documents and everything is as represented. I will receive the ability to make

1 red week reservation
2 blue/white reservations and
1 reservation 45 days out."

Sorry if I perpetuated the misinformation they had.


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## JudyS (Jan 13, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> I (and others) were just going on what the OP said regarding their use, as they understood it:  "I've read through all documents and everything is as represented. I will receive the ability to make
> 
> 1 red week reservation
> 2 blue/white reservations and
> ...


Von, I'm sorry if I seemed to be giving you a hard time. I wasn't trying to criticize you; I just wanted people to know what I was talking about when I said the resort had to provide three weeks for the $1000 MF, not four.

SandyJ is correct about the number of reservations an owner can have at one time. I agree that it's confusing -- UDI owners can in fact have up to four reservations at a time, including their last minute (less than 45 days out) reservation. But, even though owners can have _four reservations at a time_, the contracts are deeded as _three weeks a year_. 

There are 17 owners per condo. Some owners book tons of weeks and some book few or none. (When I bought my ownership, Bluegreen told me nothing had been booked on my contract for the past seven years.) If reservations were divided equally between owners, each owner would get only three weeks a year.

My impression is that when Christmas Mountain Village first opened, owners were only allowed three reservations at a time. The fourth reservation slot -- the 45 days or less reservation -- was added because Bluegreen found that weeks were going to waste. At least, that's how I think it happened. Maybe someone who has owned at CMV longer than I have can chime in.


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## SandyJ (Jan 13, 2014)

*My CMV*



JudyS said:


> Friday has passed -- SandyJ, did you decide to take this ownership?
> 
> ...
> 
> Also, SandyJ, I have never before heard of anyone considering a CMV UDI as their first timeshare! That is very impressive! The CMV UDIs are a rather rare and "advanced" form of timesharing. Where did you hear about them?



Hi JudyS! 

I decided not to recind. I am moving forward with the transfer. I wanted to ask for advice here though I case anyone knew of something I didn't. Such as doubling MF or added fees that were unknown to me!  I received lots and lots of good advice and lots of great opinions to ponder on how to use a TS and when what and where to buy a TS.

I found out about the CMV UDI through TUG of course! I read about the CMV UDI and I couldnt believe what I was reading! All those weeks for one MF! It seemed to be the perfect solution to what I was looking for. Value, flexibility and the ability to share my ownership with friends and family!


Then I found a link to a thread in the blue green forum giving info on who to contact at the HOA to inquire.

I emailed and they said they had one left, transfer fee $250 and I would have to pay final assessment in 2015. Sounded like a deal to me so I jumped on it! I wanted to get a very low cost or free TS and I wanted it to have a ton of flexibility/usability so I could figure out in depth how time sharing works!  I believe you truly have to own a TS to figure out all the nuances of using them to your best advantage. 

I almost decided to buy Wyndham points, but I found the CMV UDI and I decided to go with that instead (for now).  

I keep 6wks vacay in the bank a yr and I earn 4 additional wkd a yr so potential to take up to 10wks though I usually only take the 4wks.

Now I want to buy a cheap RCI points contract with low MF so that I can also use the CMV weeks as PFD....but one step at a time.

Thank you to all those who responded, you have my permission when I'm back here whining about the ownership or getting rid of the TS to say I TOLD YOU SO!!!! :hysterical:


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## JudyS (Jan 13, 2014)

SandyJ said:


> ...
> I found out about the CMV UDI through TUG of course!


Well, CMV UDIs are not a very common topic here, so I'll bet you really did your homework. 



SandyJ said:


> ...Now I want to buy a cheap RCI points contract with low MF so that I can also use the CMV weeks as PFD....but one step at a time.


I get about 100,000 RCI points a year from my CMV weeks, but there's the RCI points-for-deposit fees to consider, plus you have to deposit 90 days in advance to get full points, which ties up your CMV UDI reservation slots. I don't think I would have bought RCI Points just to use points-for-deposit. I already owned RCI Points when I bought my CMV UDI.


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## SandyJ (Jan 13, 2014)

JudyS said:


> Well, CMV UDIs are not a very common topic here, so I'll bet you really did your homework.
> 
> I get about 100,000 RCI points a year from my CMV weeks, but there's the RCI points-for-deposit fees to consider, plus you have to deposit 90 days in advance to get full points, which ties up your CMV UDI reservation slots. I don't think I would have bought RCI Points just to use points-for-deposit. I already owned RCI Points when I bought my CMV UDI.



I also looked into the Shenandoah Crossing UDIs, I may still buy there as that is an easy 4hr drive from me, but the HK fees there are $119 per week! And MF are $1190. All of that plus they had a fire in the main lodge building back over the summer (I think) and I've read lots of reviews that say the UDI cabins are very dated.  I think the SC UDIs maybe ripe for an SA.  

Hubby sure would love the horseback riding there though.

As for PFD, I'll hold on that until I see what I am or am not able to do with just the one TS.  Seems like ya can't own just one though!


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## JudyS (Jan 13, 2014)

SandyJ said:


> I also looked into the Shenandoah Crossing UDIs, I may still buy there as that is an easy 4hr drive from me, but the HK fees there are $119 per week! And MF are $1190. All of that plus they had a fire in the main lodge building back over the summer (I think) and I've read lots of reviews that say the UDI cabins are very dated.  I think the SC UDIs maybe ripe for an SA.
> 
> Hubby sure would love the horseback riding there though.


You obviously already know this, Sandy, but for others who are reading this, both Shenandoah Crossing UDIs and CMV UDIs let owners book tons of weeks as long as they only book four weeks at a time. As far as I know, they are the only resorts in the world with this type of reservation system. Both resorts were built by the same developer, then later bought by Bluegreen.  

At one point, I considered buying at Shenandoah Crossing, but I was buying to trade and felt the housekeeping fees were too high. My impression is that the horses are very expensive, and that is where Shenandoah Crossing's money goes. However, if you are buying to use and like horses, Shenandoah Crossing might work out very well for you. Even if they have a special assessment of $3000 like CMV did, if you are booking many reservations a year, the special assessment in not that high on a per-reservation basis. I suspect you can pick a Shenandoah Crossing up for free if you watch eBay for a while. Of course, if you wait, and they do have a special assessment, you may be able to find one with the special assessment partially paid, as you did with CMV.




SandyJ said:


> Seems like ya can't own just one though!


Yeah, timeshares are like potato chips -- you can't stop at one. It can be an addiction, let me warn you.


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## Timeshare Von (Jan 13, 2014)

JudyS said:


> Von, I'm sorry if I seemed to be giving you a hard time. I wasn't trying to criticize you; I just wanted people to know what I was talking about when I said the resort had to provide three weeks for the $1000 MF, not four.



I was just being sensitive that I had been pointed out by name, as if I was the source of the inaccurate info when someone else first commented that "$1000 annual MF is unusually low for four weeks in a 2 bedroom."

Sorry, I will drop it now.


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## JudyS (Jan 13, 2014)

Timeshare Von said:


> I was just being sensitive that I had been pointed out by name, as if I was the source of the inaccurate info when someone else first commented that "$1000 annual MF is unusually low for four weeks in a 2 bedroom."


You are right -- I confused someone else's post with yours. My apologies.


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## boyblue (Jan 13, 2014)

My concern as a former Wapato Point owner is that if you were ever to lose that average cost per night advantage or if CMV ever brought their MF close to average, it will be impossible to sell.  Wapato Point was the toast of the town a few years back but after above average annual MF increases I couldn't give it away.  I had to pay the HOA to take it back   I'm not comparing the ownership types because CMV is more dynamic but there is no getting around the fact that the fees might be too low (no silver or gold crown status)

I bought last year (ended up with 1 1/2 VVP's - 138,750 points for $1,017.00 in MF) and the only reason that I didn't even consider CMV is because I'm an RCI points guy & CMV doesn't work well with RCI Points.  I don't know if I'd ever buy a UDI but I do believe I should have taken a closer look at them.


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## persia (Jan 14, 2014)

Christmas Mountain rental prices are quite low, http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l2632.R2.TR6.TRC1.A0.Xchristmas+mountain&_nkw=christmas+mountain&_sacat=16123&_from=R40.


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## JudyS (Jan 15, 2014)

I've gotten in the $300 - $400 range for summer weeks, although I have to pay the $65 housekeeping fee out of that. I'm hoping that the new renovations increase the rental price some. However, I'm not holding my breath.


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