# Survey: Ontario maintenance fees



## strandlover (Jun 24, 2010)

*Why do Canadian timeshares tend to have high maintenance fees?*

There are several Canadian timeshare properties that interest me, however their high maintenance fees keep me away.  This includes in places like Mont Tremblant, Collingwood and the Muskokas.  I am looking on the East Coast exclusively.

Does anyone have any insight as to why the MFs are so high?  Can anyone recommend and Canadian TSs with reasonable MFs?

Many thanks...


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## am1 (Jun 24, 2010)

Minimum wage has gone up a lot in the last few years.  Recently to $10.25 I think.

Cold winters and hot/humid summers.  Hot is relative but everyone uses AC.  

Maybe high property taxes.  

Probably other reasons as well.


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## am1 (Jun 24, 2010)

Probably a lot of non-paying mud week owners if it is a fixed or floating week system.  This spring there was lots of last call availability.


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## Bib (Jun 24, 2010)

*What's your definition of "high" maintenance fees?*

We own EOY at White Point (NS) and our MF is under $600 (paid eoy) for a 2BR 1 bath cottage with all the ammenities (or 58000 points in RCI). Our week is at the end of August. I don't see this as overpriced, considering to book the same cottage right now through the resort is over $2000.


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## strandlover (Jun 24, 2010)

Bib said:


> We own EOY at White Point (NS) and our MF is under $600 (paid eoy) for a 2BR 1 bath cottage with all the ammenities (or 58000 points in RCI). Our week is at the end of August. I don't see this as overpriced, considering to book the same cottage right now through the resort is over $2000.



That does sound very reasonable, Bib and Nova Scotia is beautiful!


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## Maple_Leaf (Jun 25, 2010)

I am interested in the 2010 maintenance fees paid for 2BR 2BA units at Ontario timeshare resorts (e.g. Carriage Ridge, Royal Harbour, Calabogie, etc.).  I'll start it off...

Lodges at Horseshoe, 2BR 2BA, $708.80


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## Dori (Jun 25, 2010)

We own a red studio for 4 at Harbour Inn, and our MF's are around $360. 

Dori


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## strandlover (Jun 25, 2010)

Maple_Leaf said:


> What are the 2010 maintenance fees for a 2BR 2BA timeshare in Ontario (e.g. Carriage Ridge, Royal Harbour, Law Cranberry, etc.)?  Please list the resort and the fee.  Thanks in advance.
> 
> Lodges at Horseshoe = $708.80



I am not exactly sure.. the Carriage Ridge MFs are in the $750-800 range... way too much


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## Maple_Leaf (Jun 26, 2010)

*Carriage Hills and Ridge*

I understand that Carriage Hills is $844 and Carriage Ridge is $824.


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## itisme (Jun 27, 2010)

*Any insight as to why the MFs are high*



Maple_Leaf said:


> I understand that Carriage Hills is $844 and Carriage Ridge is $824.



Any Carriage Hills owners have insight as to why the MFs are high? I took a tour few years back and the MFs were around $500.  That is an increase of 70% over couple of years. 

I am looking to buy on eBay for own to use. There are a few eBay listings recently for $1 with seller paying closing and resort transfer. Tempted but wondering about the sky rocketing MF. Might still be worth it as I will save on exchange fees and I can hardly find a 2BD deposit (everyone deposits as 1BD and Studio). However, there are 2BD units currently available in extra vacations for July & Aug 2011 @ $818, around the same price as the MF.

Currentyl on eBay with seller paying all costs.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-BR-Canada-RED...md=ViewItem&pt=Timeshares&hash=item45f3a38b83


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## chicklet (Jul 15, 2010)

We own 2bed at Cranberry Resort in Collingwood.  We have off season time EOY with maintenance fees of $699.  Much too high for us since we hardly use it


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## Eli Mairs (Jul 15, 2010)

Deerhurst Resort - Two bedroom - $789. for this year.


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## Kola (Jul 17, 2010)

Does anyone own at Marriott's Residence Inn, Muskoka Wharf ?  What is it like at this resort and what are their M/T fees ?  Never been there before but will be there mid August.  Any advice on what to see in the area will be welcome.


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## Maple_Leaf (Oct 10, 2010)

*2011 Maintenance Fee*



Maple_Leaf said:


> I understand that Carriage Hills is $844 and Carriage Ridge is $824.



Reports are just in that the 2011 MF assessment at Carriage Hills is $940.


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## itisme (Oct 23, 2010)

*Carriage Hills MF*

2011 MF is $909. I paid yesterday.  Big portion of the increase is due to HST. 

Made a mistake in picking up Carriage Hills eventhough it was almost free. As far as SVC has control MF is going to be high.


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## SteveH (Oct 31, 2010)

Bib said:


> We own EOY at White Point (NS) and our MF is under $600 (paid eoy) for a 2BR 1 bath cottage with all the ammenities (or 58000 points in RCI). Our week is at the end of August. I don't see this as overpriced, considering to book the same cottage right now through the resort is over $2000.



Bib:
Is your resort still in developer sales?  If yes, then the developer is probably subsidizing the lower maintenance fees until the resort is nearly sold out.
My Calabogie Lodge 2BR is $735.65 for 2011.  New drinking water regulations, HST and minimum wage policies have all contributed to higher fees.  Also the fact the most Canadian timeshares are RTU and don't have homeowner associations probably works against keeping costs low.  These creeping costs are probably placing a lot of owners at the tipping point, especially with non-red weeks.
Steve


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## Maple_Leaf (Nov 18, 2010)

*The Lodges at Horseshoe*

$1108.21 for 2011, including special assessments.


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## Harmina (Nov 19, 2010)

*Harbour Inn*

Dori...the M.F.'s at Harbour Inn are getting to be ridiculously high.
I was shocked when I saw our invoice.....$450.87 for the studios!!
Still not a bad deal considering we didn't pay developer prices!


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## Dori (Nov 20, 2010)

Hi Harmina! I totally agree, but still way less than CH and others. I spoke to Mary a week or so ago, and it seems that lots of owners are getting rid of weeks due to the bad economy, and being shafted by RCI in terms of trading power. With the new system, I don't know yet what good my blue week will be. We are in south Korea now, visiting our son, so I'll do some playing around with our red week to see what it pulls. right now I have no blue weeks to test with. Apparently, if too many owners balk at the new MF's, they may ask us if we want to dissiolve HI, and sell it. Hmmmm. Might not be a bad idea??

Dori


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## Kola (Nov 20, 2010)

Does anyone own at Marriott's Residence Inn, Muskoka Wharf ?  What are their M/T for 2b unit ? 

K.


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## Harmina (Nov 20, 2010)

*Harbour Inn*

Hi Dori, we are owners at Carriage Hills ( week 26), thank goodness we bought a fixed week. At least the point value is good on that one!
Our maintenance fees are high, but compared to Harbour Inn - not really.
At Carriage Hills we can split our 2 bedroom with RCI for 2 trades ( studio and one bedroom). Therefore our MF's work out to be about the same ( $455 per trade) $450. for Harbour Inn's studio. We certainly get more value out of our CH ownership. We have stayed up there many times since we purchased in 1997. We use the one bedroom & trade with our studio. Certainly the accommodations are larger.   
We were at the owners meeting at Harbour Inn last June. They were talking then of perhaps selling the facility, as a lot of owners are older now & not using their timeshares & defaulting on their MF's. Therefore the rest of us are paying higher fees to keep it operational. I think it is going to get worse now, especially, with the low points that we are getting from RCI. There will be more owners walking away from it. We have always had good trades from our white & red week. I am thankful that last month I  confirmed  two consecutive weeks at the Scottsdale Camelback for next November using my 2012 white & red week. I had no idea then, that RCI was going to this point system for weeks owners.
Under the new system I would not have had enough points.
Perhaps we will just use our units up there. But then again, I am ok until 2013...maybe the place will be sold by then. I really think they need to do a survey @ Harbour Inn.
I really think more & more owners will walk away from their resorts & that will make it very hard for the rest of the owners.

Enjoy the rest of your visit in South Korea.

I didn't get out to the TUG meeting on Oct.31 as we were in Scottsdale from Oct.24-Nov.7
Hope to see you at the next one. I will look forward to your presentation on South Korea!


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## Dori (Nov 21, 2010)

I would really like to dump our blue week, but keep the red for now. From the limited time I have spent fooling around on the new site, it seems we can still get decent exchanges to LV and Orlando. I think the blue week will be a bust, but I haven't had time to really investigate. I'll call Mary when I get home and see what's up.

Dori


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## Harmina (Nov 21, 2010)

There are still good trades to be had even with less points as long as you can travel last minute. We like to book our vacations at least a year in advance, so of course it takes more points, but if we wait, the higher demand areas won't be available.
I just don't like how the M.F.'s at Harbour Inn took such a drastic increase.
The HST is also a significant factor.


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## westrougers (Nov 21, 2010)

*Trading Power*

Dori, hope you are having a great time on ur vacation. 

Just went on to RCI and was overwhelmed by the changes. I am surprised there are not too many comments on TUG about how these impact trading power. I have lots of questions. For example one of my Durbans expires January but has an 18 trading power. Another which expires in 2012 has only a 9 rating. Also I am considering merging about 5 units to combine the points which seems like a viable option.

Anyways hopefully the more knowledgeable users on TUG will provide some comments so the rest of us can be enlightened.

Mke


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## Harmina (Nov 21, 2010)

Mike...if you combine your points, just make sure you grab consecutive weeks if you end up with more than you need for the trade. Otherwise the remaining points go into a reserve pool that you can take out for a future exchange, but there is a charge of $116 + the $210 each time you use points from that pool to combine with another week that doesn't have enough points.
If for instance you had a resort that gave you 16 points & you required 17 points to get an exchange to wherever and you had 5 points in the reserve pool...it would cost $210. for the exchange fee for the week with the the 16 points plus $116. to use one point out of the reserve pool.


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## Dori (Nov 21, 2010)

Hi Mike. We have had an amazing time, and are just waiting to head to the airport for the long trip home. If you go to the Exchange Forums up near the top, there is a ton of information. Browse around in that forum and you will find so much information, as well as TUGgers opinions.

We'll be home Monday night, so if you would like to call or get together for coffee or dinner, just let me know.

Harmina, I totally agree. We'll see how the next few months pan out. They should know something more difinitive by February or March.

Dori


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## westrougers (Nov 23, 2010)

Dori, we will chat next week.

Mike


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## barto (Dec 1, 2010)

*Royal Harbour*

Just trying to remember what the 2010 fees were - something like $625 + $50 special assessment.  2BD, blue week, although I don't think the MF changes by season (most don't).

They've generally been among the lower MF for us, and we've done well with exchange via DAE.

Hope that helps.


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