# 3 Timeshares for Free!  I Need Help!  Where do I start?



## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

Sorry for this new thread.  I read other threads and did the search function as much as I could, but I just registered tonight.

My Dad passed away (years ago) and he had three timeshares in Marriot Cypress Harbour.  I am the youngest of five children.  They recently asked me if I wanted any of them, or all of them at no cost.  All I have to do is pay the maintenance fees.

I don't make a lot of money, but I also don't want any money left on the table.  They said they couldn't sell them in the current environment, and that they were going to give them back to Marriott.  

So my choice is to take them, or leave them be.  I believe that one of the weeks is for Easter weekend, and that my father paid more for that.  I am the youngest of five and I don't have much experience in this.  I really don't know how this works.  

I want to know if I should do this.  What should I do?  Where should I read?  I like talking to real people like this forum has.

Marriott has a high rating.  People like it.  I went there with my family and I liked it too.  It isn't just a mirage.  I have been there and the facilities are excellent.  But three units?  That will be three grand a year.

Can I rent these units if I buy them right now?  Will I take a big hit?  I am thinking that the payment is due and that my siblings aren't willing to pay anymore, and that they are releasing these properties at the last moment when I don’t have the time to rent them.  And I can’t afford not to rent them.  For a guy that doesn't make much and frequently in bad times skips vacations, paying all these fees seems like a disaster.

I told my wife about the call tonight.  I have an opportunity to get three of these extraordinary units for free basically.  My dad bought them and nobody else wants them.  I love the units myself, and I have two children.  Is this a good investment?  I am not even going to pay anything.  It is going to be deeded over.  I just don’t want to pay $3,000 and then have a bad feeling.  The most I would use it is 1 week a year.  The other two I would have to rent.  Is that easy?

This was sprung upon me tonight..  I don’t know what to say.  I am asking for your help.

Is it easy to rent these things?  Should I take all three?  Should I just back away and never look back?  Should I take the best one with the Easter Weekend?

To be honest with you, I am not a high flyer with a high disposable income.  My brothers and sisters all make more than me, and if they don’t want these units for free that means that they are worthless in some of my assumptions.  I have some successful siblings, and they didn’t want to touch it.  I am the youngest and probably the black sheep of the family, though you didn’t need all that information.  

I need to know how tough it is to rent these things out, even if I take a moderate loss in the first year.  I would need to rent them..  The market could come back, and in the interim I could use them with my family, but not all three. I do love the Marriot brand, and I think we could be leaving something on the table by just not paying the fees and giving them back.  This could also be a boon to me if in three years they are worth real money.

I don’t know what to do or what my options are.  I want to do the best thing possible, but I don’t know what that is. 

Another question is, if we get one of these units in our name and pay the money for a year, will it hurt our credit rating if we don’t re-up the next year?  We pay our bills, and I don’t want to commit to something like that if it would hurt our credit, or high school and college applications.  We may not make much but we pay our bills and have a perfect credit rating.  I don’t want to be in a situation where someone could say that we didn’t pay our bills.

So what do I do?  What are the risks?  What are the benefits?  Is Easter Weekend all that?  Should I at least snag that one?

God Bless you all for considering my thoughts and giving me some answers in advance.  Thanks for your help, both pro and con.  I will consider it all.  I have no idea and I need some help and guidance.


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## Ann in CA (Jan 3, 2012)

Since I don't own in Orlando, I can only give you general advice.  Since it is so late, you probably not get many answers until tomorrow, but I am sure many people will give you advice.

With my limited knowledge of Cypress Harbour, I would say an Easter week has excellent rental potential, as many families would choose Orlando for a vacation, and the villas provide a great place to stay, save on meals, and have fun without spending all days at the parks.

However, three weeks would be a pretty big project to take on if you are concerned about the additional annual expense.  You should find out exactly how much must be paid to bring the maintenance fees up to date.  As far as I know, you cannot just give the weeks back to Marriott, and you certainly should not have the deeds transferred to you if you have any thoughts of not keeping them if they are too much for you.  Then you alone would be the one on the hook for past and future maintenance fees.

As far as the weeks appreciating, if you start at zero investment, it is remotely possible they could be sold for more at some point.  However, with the economy today, many timeshare prices have been in free fall, and there may not be any appreciation. 

Again, this is just general observations, and I am sure that someone will be able to answer specifics concerning Cypress Harbour.  

Good luck.  If you can swing one week, I would go for that.  But be sure you know all the financial implications first.

P.S. Read "Dazed and Confused" thread about getting rid of a timeshare.  You could call the resale dept. as well, to see if they would take back two, if you want to keep one.


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## MALC9990 (Jan 3, 2012)

Just ask yourself one question. "Can you afford to spend in excess of $3000 every Dec/Jan on the MFs?"

Do you spend that sort of money and more every year on vacations?

Renting is not a given and has its pitfalls. Think long and hard before you decide.

In the end only you and your wife can decide.


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## capjak (Jan 3, 2012)

I would take 1 of the three and worst case you can sale it on ebay.

A Cypress Harbor Platinum season unit is wort something.

Of course assume you will be paying $1100 per year to continue to own it


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## GregT (Jan 3, 2012)

Welcome to TUG, and you came to the right place for information.

I would pass on all three timeshares.   One or more may individually have value and you probably could accomplish your goal of renting them and breaking even or possibly generating a modest profit, but the stress that would come from this would be significant.  

I don't mean just financial stress, although I believe that would come as well.  I believe the difficulty that comes from learning what you own, figuring out how to best utilize it, looking for renters, negotiating with renters, and hoping the renters don't trash it.   And the return from successfully renting your timeshares will not be huge.

These are good properties, but there aren't so good that you are being offered a can't miss opportunity here.  You can miss and the units could be vacant.

If you and your family want to adopt the timeshare vacation lifestyle, there are other more cost effective ways to approach it that aren't as dramatic as committing to $3,000 annually in Maintenance Fees.   

If you want to become a timeshare landlord, this is a long and complicated decision and I don't believe these are the best properties to do so.   

If you absolutely have to do something, take the best of the three and hope.  With a little more information, we could help you confirm which is the best of the three.

Good luck with your decision,

Greg


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## dioxide45 (Jan 3, 2012)

A lot depends on your desire to live a TS lifestyle. Do you need/want more space when you travel? Are you able to travel for at least one to three weeks a year? Given that these are Orlando weeks, I wouldn't expect to be able to rent this for any type of gain and renting for a profit will not be easy. Cypress Harbour didn't have any fixed weeks, so it isn't possible to own a specific Easter week. While it may be a unit that is in the same season that Easter falls, it is first come first served when reserving your week.

Are you also able to plan a year in advance? Reserving the best weeks require that you make your reservations 12 to 13 months in advance. Not everyone can or will plan that far in advance.

Given that these are being received out of an estate, they should still be able to be enrolled in the DC program. Do some more reading as the new program has some advantages for those that don't need a whole weeks vacation at one time or can't plan as far in advance.


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## jdunn1 (Jan 3, 2012)

If I were you I would just let these weeks go.  They should be worth a lot of money but they really aren't worth anything.  Lots of people talk about renting as if it is easy when the truth is, you have to discount your price to near or below maint. fees to get a renter.  Some people have good success renting and will likely chime in to explain their success but the truth is, the rental market is very depressed right now.  Lots of owners with unrealisitc prices but those weeks on redweek and here on TUG sit forever and I thin most age off the boards without a sale.

If you can affor more like 1,200 a year in dues, then by all means keep one of those weeks.  Just, as a person who has only been timesharing for less than 2 years, I have found Cypress Harbor to be about the most sure trade there is in the Marriott family for Orlando.

Not trying to discourage you in any means but your post was so long, this must be a gut wrenching decision for you and I would hate for you to be led into believing you can rent these weeks.  Maybe you might find one renter for one of the weeks, but I can't see there being much of a profit, if any.

You will be able to get some great trades if you keep the unit, but the dues will only go up and I would assume you will be at 1.2k a year for this resort within the next year or two.  Marriott has a history of increasing dues about $100 a year, a little less for some resorts, a lot more for others.

Good luck.


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## abdibile (Jan 3, 2012)

Taking all three weeks in your sitution sounds too much!

If you can travel there for one week a year, you should not own more than one week. Are you sure you can afford driving or flying down to Disney? Would you be willing to be close to Disney without spending a lot of money at the parks? 

A Disney vacation costs a lot of money even if you an stay in your won timeshare for just $1,100 annual maintenance fees.

As there are no fixed Easter weks at Cypres Harbour you should find out what exactly you would be getting and posting the info here before making any decision.

I do not think it is worth the potential upside of perhaps renting for $100 above maintenance fess and perhaps being able to sell them for $1,000 if you are really lucky. 

This small potential upside would involve a lot of work to find renters or buyers, cost money in advertising costs and bears a lot of risk to be stuck with the maintenance fees (that would of course hurt your credit if you stop paying it!) without being able to rent or sell the units.

Have you asked your sibling why they do not want to keep the weeks? I do not think it is too easy just to give them back to marriott without defaulting on the maintenance fees and hurting your credit.

I would pass this opportunity unless you

1) are really sure you can use the one week you take if it does not rent or
2) you have a lot of time and energy to really learn the rules of the timeshare game and can take the risks mentioned above


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

I think the first thing you need to do is find the specifics of each of the weeks- what season are they, what size units? Have any reservations been made for 2012? Are the annual MF's up to date and is any money owed (were there any loans to purchase)?

If everything is up to date and you can afford it, taking what appears to be a Platinum week could be a nice way for you and your family to get into timesharing, IF you can afford the $1000 a year annual fee and enjoy going to Orlando at least some years. 

Some things to consider- can you drive to Orlando? You mention you enjoyed going there; do you want to return frequently? Do you want to/ can you afford to go to other places at this point in your life and, if so, would you enjoy learning about timesharing and the ins and outs of trading? I sense money is tight, but not sure how tight it is. Especially if you could drive there, it could be a wonderful way for you to have a low cost family vacation. The benefit to Marriott timeshares is that you get resort amenities with apartment space, and can save a lot on a vacation with the kitchen facilities. So, there are a lot of pluses to ownership and use.

However, there is an annual obligation to MF's whether or not you use it. IF you reserve a prime week you may be able to rent it, but Orlando has tons of competitive rentals so the rental prices are not great, and I wouldn't take it planning to rent it. I'd only take it if I was planning to use it. 

There are other options, like enrolling the weeks in the new DC, etc.. Again, we'd best be able to advise you if we had more specifics as to what the weeks are, were they developer purchases, etc.? For example, they could all be high demand weeks, or two may be "mud" weeks and have little value. If all high demand weeks that can be enrolled in the DC, that may present some interesting options for you, but at the end of the day you have to be able to swing the 3K in annual MF's. If you can't afford that then it doesn't matter that the units are free, even if they are all Platinum (although prime units may have some resale value and be worth selling).

I think the biggest question is whether you can afford the 3k, or even $1000 each and every year, or whether it would quickly become an albatross. If you feel you'd like to dip your toes into timesharing, so to speak, and can afford it, then post back with more specifics and we'll be able to better advise you. Only take even one unit IF you'd really enjoy it and be able to make use of it, not because of obligation. 

Good luck!! If ultimately you do decide to take one or more units, stick around and learn how to best utilize the ownership. At any extent, if you are considering taking your siblings up on their offer, get the specifics from them and post the information here for better advice. If they don't know, get the unit numbers off the paperwork and call Marriott Owner Services for more specific information.


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## jimf41 (Jan 3, 2012)

I think you need to do a bit more homework before you decide. First you need to get access to your fathers MVCI account to see exactly what you are being offered. Second you need to know what season the weeks are in. It looks like they are Special season and that's good as they are the most valuable followed by Summer and Sport season. Third you need to confirm with MVCI that these weeks will transfer with all benefits. That means you can swap them for MRP's and enroll them in the DC exchange system if he hasn't done that already.

Assuming that they will transfer without a hitch and you can enroll them in the DC exchange you will have some financial decisions to make. A quick look at the rental prices on Redweek indicates that they really don't rent for much more than the MF's but it looks like they rent easily for about $300 less than the MF which would mean a $900 loss annually. If you can enroll in the DC and rent the points for $.45 you'd make an annual profit of about $500.

Right now you don't know anything about the options I've described. You'll have to immerse yourself in a crash course in Timesharing and that might be too much to take on right now.

One thing to consider. If those weeks are Special season and they are eligible for enrollment they would give you 7950 DC points. That amount of points will get you into a 2bdrm at Lahaina and Napili villas in Maui. A person desiring to buy that amount of points would pay almost $80,000  and have a $3054 annual MF.

Do your homework before you make a decision.


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## larryallen (Jan 3, 2012)

Let them go. You can't afford it. Plus, remember these timeshares could become worth LESS THAN ZERO... that is, you could have to pay to get rid of them! There are a lot of timeshares like that. So far I believe all Marriotts have stoped zero but that's not to say it will always be like that. It just doesn't sound like your income/assets would make this a wise move.  Good luck to you whatever you decide to do.


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## SueDonJ (Jan 3, 2012)

I agree with the others - timesharing is a very nice way to vacation but it requires an ongoing financial commitment as well as a working knowledge in order to make the most of it.  Only you can know if the financial commitment, including the extra travel expenses that have been mentioned, is worth it as well as if your budget can absorb it.  The working knowledge can be had for free here on TUG but there's a lot to learn and it's impossible for you to learn/know everything without practical application.  I hope your family is giving you some time to learn at least the basics so you can come to an informed decision.

Aside from your personal decision of whether to take one or all of the weeks, I'm extremely interested in how your family is eventually able to get rid of whatever weeks aren't wanted by any of you.  Specifically, I'd like to know if and how Marriott helps you, if you contact them prior to trying to sell the weeks on the external market.  Some owners love that their ownership is deeded and thus can be passed on to heirs but I'm not sure that's as much a benefit as a burden.  I really don't want to pass an ongoing financial obligation to my kids if they don't want it, but I've never seen a related discussion on TUG which involves heirs in that position.  It would be nice to gain some first-hand knowledge related to inheritance divestiture if you're willing to share it.

And finally, welcome to TUG!


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## DazedandConfused (Jan 3, 2012)

larryallen said:


> Let them go. You can't afford it. Plus, remember these timeshares could become worth LESS THAN ZERO... that is, you could have to pay to get rid of them! There are a lot of timeshares like that. So far I believe all Marriotts have stoped zero but that's not to say it will always be like that. It just doesn't sound like your income/assets would make this a wise move.  Good luck to you whatever you decide to do.



I agree, do NOT take them


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## Swice (Jan 3, 2012)

*Keep one*

We've found our timeshare is most beneficial with children.     The extra space... the laundry facilities... the ability to eat in the unit rather than a restaurant for every meal (kids get tired on vacation and you hate to waste money on food at a restaurant and sit through a meal when everyone is tired).

Other benefits:
1.    pack less-- roll on/carry on the plane and save baggage fees.   You can wash clothes in the unit.
2.    Sleep -- kids can go to bed early while parents stay up in another room.
3.    Usually nicer pools than a Fairfield or Courtyard or a Days Inn!

It's kinda funny that when you need a timeshare the most is when you can least afford it.    When you can "afford" it, your kids are grown.

Orlando has proven to be a much better trader than we expected (you just have to reserve a strong week for trading purposes).     

Actually, we have found ourselves going to Orlando because it's CHEAP!    Many times we've gone to Orlando because we've stumbled upon a $29 (each way) airfare.     We've used Interval getaways ($399 for a week!).   We bought ten day Disney tickets years ago that don't expire and locked in our prices.   We only go to a theme park a couple of days and spend the rest of the time at the pools, going to the Orlando Science Museum (free if you are a member of another science museum), walking around Downtown Disney (free), visiting some public parks and we eat many meals in the unit.   We also take along DVD's and microwave popcorn and have family movie nights (because we don't have the distractions we have when we're at home).

Our friends think we're crazy when they find out we're going to Orlando "again."    Since we've been many times, we don't feel like we "have to" do it all.   Orlando can be a great getaway and a place to relax.


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## Passepartout (Jan 3, 2012)

Let 'em go. For all the reasons above. You can always get free- or darn near free timeshares, but at this time of your life, timeshares are not a wise acquisition.

If you find out exactly what you have, and the Easter week one REALLY is fixed Easter week, AND you want to take on the obligation to vacation there year after year or put forth the effort and money to exchange it, keep that one. But don't feel obligated. 

It appears you have a one-time opportunity to pass on them. If you accept one or all of them, the ever increasing obligation goes on and on and on until YOU find someone to take them off your hands.

Jim Ricks


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## Lardan (Jan 3, 2012)

To me it boils down to cost of maintence fees, yes I can afford to pay them, no I can't.  I would definitely not take them if I had to depend on renting them out to cover (or a portion of) the maint. fees.  Why bother to have the hassel and stress of this when you can't afford to use them (or one)?

I am very sorry for you to be in this situation, but maybe down the road timesharing will be affordable to you.


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## jimf41 (Jan 3, 2012)

Swice said:


> It's kinda funny that when you need a timeshare the most is when you can least afford it.    When you can "afford" it, your kids are grown.



I absolutely agree. I'll add that when I first got into timesharing I though 2bd units would be fine. I didn't anticipate my kids would be so proliferate in the baby making thing. Now I've got eight grandkids and I wish I had bought all 3bdrms.


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## OldPantry (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> Sorry for this new thread.  I read other threads and did the search function as much as I could, but I just registered tonight.
> 
> My Dad passed away (years ago) and he had three timeshares in Marriot Cypress Harbour.  I am the youngest of five children.  They recently asked me if I wanted any of them, or all of them at no cost.  All I have to do is pay the maintenance fees.
> 
> ...



Hi novice.  Unless you have plenty of excess "fritter" money (I mean above and beyond ALL other more serious obligations), I would advise you to pass.  Recurring, ever increasing, obligations can sink a budget and ruin a credit rating (as would happen if you chose to default on the legal obligation to pay all maintenance fees).  Renting is no picnic.  I've been trying to rent a unit for months (redweek.com), with not even a nibble.  Save yourself the stress, thank the sibs for the offer, and go camping until your finances allow for fancy.


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## tahoeJoe (Jan 3, 2012)

*Who owns it now?*



Novice said:


> .
> 
> My Dad passed away (years ago) and he had three timeshares in Marriot Cypress Harbour.  I am the youngest of five children.  They recently asked me if I wanted any of them, or all of them at no cost.  All I have to do is pay the maintenance fees.



Wait a minute, your Dad passed away YEARS ago and just NOW you are being asked if you want the timeshares? Who is asking, your siblings? 

I don't mean to sound harsh or insensitive (and I'm sorry for your loss) but these questions matter. Who owns the TS now? Why are they giving it away now? If it is a money issue, and given the timing I assume it is, why don't they just "rent it out" for the MFs? Most likely because they can't. 

I'm not sure if your siblings (or anyone else who owns the TS now), give you the TS weeks, that you would qualify for all the benefits described in the earlier posts, specifically the Marriott reward point redemption or Marriott's Destination Club (DC) enrollment. Also, I'm not sure you can just "give it back" to Marriott. If the weeks were in probate maybe, but since your dad passed years ago probate is long over. 

I think in order for the membership of this board to help you, more background is needed.  Good luck to you, and with more specific information we can help you further.


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## windje2000 (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> . . . I can’t afford not to rent them.  Then don't try
> 
> The most I would use it is 1 week a year.  The other two I would have to rent.  Is that easy?  NO and you should therefore limit your consideration to one at most
> 
> ...



You've mostly asked and answered your own questions - Pass on all three


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

First off, I would like to thank everyone that has chimed in so far.  You have all given me some critical food for thought and I want you to know that I appreciate that.

It is a bit overwhelming since I got the call last night.  It is a lot to digest in a short period of time.  Half of me is excited and the other half is saying "Run Away!"

I got some more details on the units.

They are not for a specific week, but for a range of weeks.

Three units.

1 unit is in the "Special" season, which includes week 51 & 52, as well as week 1 to week 17.

2 units are "Sports" season, which I believe includes Thanksgiving if you can schedule it.  Obviously for 2012 that is not an option

The "Special Season" unit fees are $1,013.23 this year.

The "Sports Season" unit fees are $996.77 this year.

They told me that these units are eligible to be traded in for points.  Here are the points that they gave me.

Special Season can trade-in for 110,000 points.

Sports Season is trade-in for 90,000 points.

I think I forgot to write down the fees associated with trading in for points, unless it is $119 which I have written down on the pad aimlessly.

I don't know what that really means, but you guys wanted details.

They also told me that an interval account is $89 a year and the cost to redeem a week is in a range from $129 to 169.

More personal info:

The units were all in the name of my father, who passed away.  They were transferred into the name of my mother, who has dementia and is now in a home.  Apparently nobody else in my family is interested in taking these on, and they aren't doing my mom any good as she is in a nursing home.  I expect that they have already tried to sell them but to no avail, and that if I don't want them they will approach Marriott and try to get them to take them back.

Any other questions on details I will try to answer.

Thanks again and in advance, I am still trying to process my thoughts.


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## TheTimeTraveler (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> Sorry for this new thread.  I read other threads and did the search function as much as I could, but I just registered tonight.
> 
> My Dad passed away (years ago) and he had three timeshares in Marriot Cypress Harbour.  I am the youngest of five children.  They recently asked me if I wanted any of them, or all of them at no cost.  All I have to do is pay the maintenance fees.
> 
> ...







I would suggest that you donate all of them to a worthy charity and take advantage of the tax write off.   

A good, quick way to unload them, and maybe benefit financially....

Best of luck with your situation....




.


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## l2trade (Jan 3, 2012)

If it were me, I'd take all 3.


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## jimf41 (Jan 3, 2012)

Tough decision. It basically boils down to how much you can afford annually to vacation. It sounds like your current situation will not support a $3000 annual expense. Only you can decide that. As others have stated that's an ongoing expense and you would lock yourself into paying it for as long as you own the units. 

if you were to keep one I would keep the Special season and let the others go although I don't know how that could be accomplished without damaging the credit of you and your siblings. From what you've said your mother still owns them and regardless of her physical and mental condition she still is the one responsible for paying the MFs. Maybe Marriott will make an exception and help you out of this situation but as SueDonJ has posted none of us on TUG really knows how these types of situations are handled by Marriott.

As far as the fees are concerned you still have to find out if these weeks are eligible to be enrolled in the points system. If they are then an annual fee of $199 covers all the fees you mentioned for all three or $165 if you just keep the Special season week including the II fees.

Thanksgiving week 2012 is still available at Cypress Harbor.


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

Jim, they told me that the points were 110,000 for the special and 90,000 for the sports season.  Isn't that the points we are talking about or are their different kinds of points?

The thought that my mother would not be able to get out of this even while incapacitated kind of scares me.  If that is the case than maybe it should tell me something.

Did these things used to have a lot more value before the market crash?

Also, I called up for some information and I thought they said that Thanksgiving was already booked up.  Did you check that online?  I don't have the account information to access that at this point, and I am still waiting on a email from a family member to get those details.


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## Stefa (Jan 3, 2012)

Even holiday weeks aren't going to rent for that much more than the MFs.   Renting out the week will take time and effort.

I would pass on all three weeks.  At most you are going to net a few hundred dollars/year for renting the Special season week.  You are not sitting on a goldmine here.

The annual dues will only increase.


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## jimf41 (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> Jim, they told me that the points were 110,000 for the special and 90,000 for the sports season.  Isn't that the points we are talking about or are their different kinds of points?
> 
> No, those are Marriott Reward points. They are totally different from DC points you would get by enrolling in the DC point System and using those to book vacations. If you kept the weeks and enrolled them you would get 2650 DC points for the Special week and 1950 points each for the Sport weeks. With DC points Thanksgiving week is available and would cost 2250 DC points. I don't know if Thanksgiving week is available as a weeks reservation as I'd have to own a week in that season there to find out.
> 
> ...



You seem a bit rushed to make this decision. If that's the case then walk away. It takes time to figure out if this will work for you. If your Mom pays the 2012 MFs out of her assets then you've got some time to work this out and come to a decision. You've done one really smart thing so far. You came to TUG to look for information and advice before you decide. Keep asking questions. Folks up here will give a wide variety of opinions but we all like helping the new guys out when we can.

Welcome to TUG.


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## Ron98GT (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice, the topic of DC points keeps coming up.  Don't let that confuse you. If you decide to keep one of these TS's, you do NOT have to convert from weeks to points.  You can keep it under weeks and then use a week at Cypress Harbour, ot trade it for another Marriott in the USA (including Hawaii), Aruba, St Thomas or Spain.  Since it's a lock-off, you can even get two weeks from the TS.  I don't think that you mentioned where you live, but take a look at the following list and see if any of the following Marriott TS's (traders) are within driving distance:

https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/vacation-resorts/marriott-vacation-club-collection.shtml

Check out the "Travel Demand Index" on the following link for Cypress Harbour:

http://www.intervalworld.com/web/cs?a=1503&resortCode=MCP&parentResortCode=MCP



This will give you and your family a nice 2 bedroom, 2 Bath, TS/condo with washer/dryer to stay in on your vacations.  You'll save money by eating your meals in the TS, instead of restaurants (huge savings).  You just have to pay for the transportation to your favorite destination.  You can stay at a nice resort (instead of a hotel/motel) that might other-wise cost you $300, $400, or $500 per night PLUS 10/11% tax (IF you would even stay there), instead of your yearly MF fee.

Tell your siblings that you'll take the "Special" TS only and NOT the other two.  That would allow you to book any of the 52 weeks (adds Christmas & New Years).  This adds value, which is subjective.


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## bogey21 (Jan 3, 2012)

*You don't have the knowledge (re timeshare weeks) or the resources to take them.  Don't let anyone talk you into taking them!*


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 3, 2012)

I would sure be torn on this decision.  I love Cypress Harbour.  Between CH and Vistana Villages, I can never choose without a lot of thought.  

But owning in Orlando is rather silly for us, because we can get exchanges cheaper than the MF's on those CH weeks.  

The market was better a few years ago, but you may never get more than a few hundred $ for these weeks, but who can tell.


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## ScubaKat (Jan 3, 2012)

Ron98GT said:


> Since it's a lock-off, you can even get two weeks from the TS.  I don't think that you mentioned where you live, but take a look at the following list and see if any of the following Marriott TS's (traders) are within driving distance:
> 
> https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/vacation-resorts/marriott-vacation-club-collection.shtml
> 
> ...



I wouldn't be tempted to take one...  Cypress Harbour does not have lock-off units.. We love timeshare vacations for all the reasons mentioned.. But it is easy to trade into Orlando for less than the MFs and not being a lock-off makes it an expensive trader for other resorts.


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## presley (Jan 3, 2012)

You can't plan on every making money with your timeshares.  

However, if you can afford to keep one, it can give you a lifetime of special family time.  You can vacation there every year, or trade into another Marriott, or even deposit into a small exchange company and get a week or more to use somewhere different.  

Bottom line, it will cost you money.  It will only help you if you plan to vacation regularly anyway.  If I were you, I'd keep one week, the highest rating one, and I'd plan to use it for my own family and not try to rent it out.  If you think that you won't get any personal use out of it, it will likely always be a pain for you.


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

What is a lock off?


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## Ann in CA (Jan 3, 2012)

A lock off is a unit that can be separated into a 1 bedroom and a studio and used as two separate weeks.


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

Ron98GT said:


> Novice, the topic of DC points keeps coming up.  Don't let that confuse you. If you decide to keep one of these TS's, you do NOT have to convert from weeks to points.  You can keep it under weeks and then use a week at Cypress Harbour, ot trade it for another Marriott in the USA (including Hawaii), Aruba, St Thomas or Spain.  Since it's a lock-off, you can even get two weeks from the TS.  I don't think that you mentioned where you live, but take a look at the following list and see if any of the following Marriott TS's (traders) are within driving distance:
> 
> https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/vacation-resorts/marriott-vacation-club-collection.shtml
> 
> ...



Is it really that easy to trade a "Special" timeshare?

I like the thought of having a kitchen.  Taking a family of four out for every meal is expensive and eating meals at home would save hundreds.  I like the thought of being able to exchange it to go to different places as well.

I liked the link you sent of Marriott.  I could see going to Boston and Williamsburg.  I could drive to Branson as well, never been there.  And I would also use it in Orlando.  Could I go to all of those destinations by trading in my "Special Season" timeshare?  Would I be forced into going in a non-peak time?

I am telling you when you look at all that stuff it just wants to pull you right in.  Who doesn't want to do all of that.  Talk about allure.  Like the ancient Sirens in Greek mythology that would lure sea travelers to their deaths.  I just can't stop thinking about it...


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## yumdrey (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> What is a lock off?



All Cypress Harbour weeks are dedicated 2 bedrooms, which is NOT lock-off capable. 
If you are not ready to use for yourself, just let them go.
If you decide to start timesharing and like Marriott system, you can buy platinum Cypress Harbour weeks for very cheap on ebay later. Or buy Grande Vista & Harbour Lake which are also in Orlando and lock-off capable.
Cypress Harbour is not a good resort if you consider renting, even for prime spring break week.


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## yumdrey (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> Is it really that easy to trade a "Special" timeshare?
> 
> I like the thought of having a kitchen.  Taking a family of four out for every meal is expensive and eating meals at home would save hundreds.  I like the thought of being able to exchange it to go to different places as well.
> 
> I liked the link you sent of Marriott.  I could see going to Boston and Williamsburg.  I could drive to Branson as well, never been there.  And I would also use it in Orlando.  Could I go to all of those destinations by trading in my "Special Season" timeshare?  Would I be forced into going in a non-peak time?



Trading is a game, and getting prime season or holiday weeks are very hard.
Williamsburg would be easy trade but not Boston. Only handful of Boston weeks (not prime weeks) are deposited to Interval International.
Beach resort during summer season and Hawaii resorts are extremely hard to get, so don't expect you can exchange into them. It can be possible at very last minute, but not well in advance.


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## Ron98GT (Jan 3, 2012)

yumdrey said:


> All Cypress Harbour weeks are dedicated 2 bedrooms, which is NOT lock-off capable.
> If you are not ready to use for yourself, just let them go.
> If you decide to start timesharing and like Marriott system, you can buy platinum Cypress Harbour weeks for very cheap on ebay later. Or buy Grande Vista & Harbour Lake which are also in Orlando and lock-off capable.
> Cypress Harbour is not a good resort if you consider renting, even for prime spring break week.



Yeah, I got Grand Vista (L/O's) mixed-up with CH (no L/O's), sorry.


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

jdunn1 said:


> *If you can affor more like 1,200 a year in dues, then by all means keep one of those weeks.  Just, as a person who has only been timesharing for less than 2 years, I have found Cypress Harbor to be about the most sure trade there is in the Marriott family for Orlando.*



I need to find out more about what a "sure trade" is.



m61376 said:


> If everything is up to date and you can afford it, taking what appears to be a Platinum week could be a nice way for you and your family to get into timesharing, IF you can afford the $1000 a year annual fee and enjoy going to Orlando at least some years.
> 
> Some things to consider- can you drive to Orlando? You mention you enjoyed going there; do you want to return frequently? Do you want to/ can you afford to go to other places at this point in your life and, if so, would you enjoy learning about timesharing and the ins and outs of trading? I sense money is tight, but not sure how tight it is. Especially if you could drive there, it could be a wonderful way for you to have a low cost family vacation. The benefit to Marriott timeshares is that you get resort amenities with apartment space, and can save a lot on a vacation with the kitchen facilities. So, there are a lot of pluses to ownership and use.
> 
> ...



I can drive there.  My wife may fly down a day late and leave a day early.  She hates long car rides but my kids would be up for it.  And renting a car can cost you $100 a day down there.  We used to drive down there and even take some coolers with food.  That is a little extreme, but you can save a lot by not eating every meal out.

I think that on balance it can be a high value vacation at an affordable price.  I love the units, and I love the lifeguard at the pool.  At a hotel often you have to watch your children every second.  At Marriott I wouldn't mind if the kids just left and went to the pool or to play putt putt.  I feel a lot safer.  It is a higher class of people in my opinion, and I value that at a premium when I am traveling with my kids.



jimf41 said:


> I think you need to do a bit more homework before you decide. First you need to get access to your fathers MVCI account to see exactly what you are being offered. Second you need to know what season the weeks are in. It looks like they are Special season and that's good as they are the most valuable followed by Summer and Sport season. Third you need to confirm with MVCI that these weeks will transfer with all benefits. That means you can swap them for MRP's and enroll them in the DC exchange system if he hasn't done that already.
> 
> Assuming that they will transfer without a hitch and you can enroll them in the DC exchange you will have some financial decisions to make. A quick look at the rental prices on Redweek indicates that they really don't rent for much more than the MF's but it looks like they rent easily for about $300 less than the MF which would mean a $900 loss annually. If you can enroll in the DC and rent the points for $.45 you'd make an annual profit of about $500.
> 
> ...



You post intrigues me.  I really have a lot to learn.  I do have my fathers account number and can now log on online.  What do I have to do to find out if "these weeks will transfer with all the benefits"?  What do I do now?



Swice said:


> We've found our timeshare is most beneficial with children.     The extra space... the laundry facilities... the ability to eat in the unit rather than a restaurant for every meal (kids get tired on vacation and you hate to waste money on food at a restaurant and sit through a meal when everyone is tired).
> 
> Other benefits:
> 1.    pack less-- roll on/carry on the plane and save baggage fees.   You can wash clothes in the unit.
> ...



I would want to do this because of the kids.  The last place we stayed on vacation we got a great deal, but when the rent is low expect to congregate with some low rent people.  I got friends in low places and all, but that is not how I want a family vacation.   If it was my wife and I on a weekend getaway that would be one thing, but I want my kids in a family atmosphere.  I took my kids to Cypress Harbour once.  We went fishing, on the boat, went to the pool and played putt putt.  They are now at an age where I could let them go to the pool on their own.  I couldn't do that at my last hotel.

And having your own bedroom with that kicking bathtub.  I don't have anything like that in my house.  Closing and locking the door with my wife beats the heck out of sharing a hotel room, and if we have to get two hotel rooms I might as well just pay the money to get this timeshare.


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## dmharris (Jan 3, 2012)

May be it's the pack-rat/hoarder in me but I hate to see these given away after your father invested in these knowing they could be handed down to his children.  I've started talking to my 20-something children about what will happen to our timeshare once my husband and I do all our vacationing in Heaven.  

'Swice' makes very good points about the benefits of timeshare vacations with families.  We wish we'd bought one earlier in our marriage.  

If you can swing it, I'd keep the best of the of bunch and use it to trade.  I'm impressed with how well Marriott's trade through the trading company, Interval International.  You and your family can take vacations to driving places once a year, cook most of your meals and have a grand time.  I lived in Cincinnati for 20 years and know you can get to many destinations within a day's drive.  You can get to Florida with an overnight along the way somewhere.  

The points you're referencing are Marriott Reward points.  If you don't use your timeshare, and if it works with inherited property, you can accumulate these points to exchange for hotel stays and other perks.  E.g. 300,000 points will give you at least 120,000 airline miles (you pick the airline and they're deposited into your frequent flier account) and 7 days in a hotel depending on the level of the hotel (4 star, 5 star).  So you could fly yourself and your wife to Europe and stay in a hotel in e.g. Rome for a week if you have enough points and miles.  Smarter people here will tell you how much each mile or MR point would cost if you were to buy them.

Everyone has their own opinion, I have mine, but you should know that I am a risk taker.  Others will be less so.  What are you?  Will you sleep at night with this decision?  Whichever way you go?   Go have a Graeter's and think it over.


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

Not to add to your indecision, but something to consider- while you can always buy a unit on the resale market later on, this is a unique opportunity- since it will be passed down it will retain the right to exchange for Marriott Reward points and to enroll in the DC. A resale week bought on the open market, even for a great price, in the future will not have those options.

Those 3 weeks could be converted to 6550 DC points. You could use the points from the special season week and one of the sport weeks to book a high demand week in Aruba, for example, which you could rent and cover most of the annual MF's for all 3 units. While Orlando weeks don't rent too well, enrollment in the DC will allow you to book elsewhere and rent that booking and, if chosen wisely, you could cover your costs. Even renting just the points would basically be a wash, and you'd have use/ownership of the weeks when you can afford to use them. 

There are many people buying points and spending lots of money to do so; the purchase price for that number of DC points is in the area of $65,000 today.

I know this probably falls into the area of rationalizing a purchase, but since you mentioned the cost savings of having a kitchen I have to say that when we purchased a few years ago my husband and I added up some of those silent vacation costs, and we came to the conclusion that for 5 people traveling eating in for breakfast, taking lunch stuff to the beach (we're not big lunch eaters but love to nosh), beverages (and we're not drinkers, so we were just considering the cost of soft drinks; if you add in beer, wine and other beverages the cost savings increases), and grilling for 2 nights (which we like to do just not to eat out every night), and subtracted the grocery store bill, we saved a good $800 or so, maybe more. Moreover, we eliminated the daily aggravation of where to go for breakfast- enjoying a leisurely breakfast on the balcony is a great way to start the day for us, and adds to the vacation experience. So the food savings alone for a family could easily offset the MF's just by eating in a couple more dinners, without detracting from the vacation.

While I am not a big fan of the DC program in general, the point conversion option may make this a very practical take-over for you, and I wouldn't be so quick to reject any of it.

I am guessing that, with MF's due next week, your Mom will have to pay the 2012 fees anyway; if that's the case, it would certainly give you more time to digest all of this and get more of an education as to what would be best for you. If the MF's is something you absolutely cannot afford then you should pass, but if it is something that would be difficult but doable it might be worth strongly considering, because with the DC point and reservation options open at other locations which command higher rentals, and/or renting the points outright, you would likely recoup most if not all of your costs. There are still some weeks that, even in this economy, consistently rent at high prices, even though the prices may be less than a couple of years back. On GregT's rental website you can see that points have been renting well too, which would be another way for you to simply recoup your costs for what you couldn't afford to use, while still retaining the ability to use them when you want to/can afford to.

Although my opinion seems to differ from a lot of the other posts here, I have to say I wouldn't walk away so fast. And, as much as it shocks me to say it (because I have found a lot of fault with the DC program how it was rolled out and points allocated), it is because these weeks should be eligible to join the DC that I would lean strongly towards taking them.


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## Novice (Jan 3, 2012)

My wife looked at people trying to get rid of timeshares for $1 on Ebay, and that scared her off the whole thing.  Also when some of these are renting lower than the maintenance fees, why wouldn't I just rent at Cypress Harbor instead of locking myself into years of obligations?

The trade in value and the ability to go to other places would be a huge selling point.  I don't need Hawaii.  The Caribbean would be nice, though I am sure that is tricky.

It would be interesting to see what destinations would be available to me right now if I was to trade in a Special Season week.  How do I find that out?  I think my wife is going to nix this.

One option I have thought about it keeping it in my mom's name this year and paying the yearly fee myself for the Special Season.  Then I could go and it would be like a trial run.  If the wife and kids say this is the way to go, then I put it in my name for 2013.  I am not sure if my sisters will be down with that, or if they will want me to try to take all three instead of the best one. 

Luckly the fine people here have convinced me that taking all three is not a sound decision.  I had delusions of grandeur.  I am glad that I came here.  I knew it was going to be informative right when I stumbled up it.  I like you guys.  

If we don't buy any of them perhaps I can rent from one of you some day!  I really needs a two bedroom with a kitchen.  It just makes the vacation that much better.


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## dmharris (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> You post intrigues me.  I really have a lot to learn.  I do have my fathers account number and can now log on online.  What do I have to do to find out if "these weeks will transfer with all the benefits"?  What do I do now?



I sent you a PM, I can walk you through this over the phone.


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

Just to clarify- there are two types of points. The week can be traded for Marriott Reward points, which can be used for vacation packages including airline miles.

The other types of points I am referring to are DC points. In June of 2010 Marriott rolled out a new vacation concept. They no longer sell weeks, but sell points. These destination club (DC) points can be used to reserve any of their properties, at different point costs. Legacy week owners who bought directly from Marriott or on the resale market before June, 2010 can choose to enroll those weeks in the DC program. You would then have the option of either using the week(s) as a week at Cypress Harbor, or converting it to points and choosing any of their locales (of course, different locations have different point costs, depending on location, time of year and size of unit). Reservations made with points can be used personally or rented to others. The points themselves can be rented to others as well.


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## seatrout (Jan 3, 2012)

m61376 said:


> Those 3 weeks could be converted to 6550 DC points..



you should check with Marriot on the above quote.  Not sure if those week can be converted to DC points as the deadline for conversion was long ago.  

They can however be converted to Marriott reward points for hotel stay.

On the resale market however, new buyer would not be able to get any of those perks


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## seatrout (Jan 3, 2012)

m61376 said:


> Reservations made with points can be used personally or rented to others. .



Are you sure of this facts??  Even reservation made with legacy points??

For example.  Ritz Carlton Abaco rents for 1K/night or 7K/weeks in the summer.  Points costs are minimal.


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## NJMOM2 (Jan 3, 2012)

Novice said:


> I do have my fathers account number and can now log on online.  What do I have to do to find out if "these weeks will transfer with all the benefits"?  What do I do now?



Do you also have the Interval account login too?  If you do you can play "What if?".  Login the Interval account and select the Exchange tab, My Units, and then select Vacation Exchange next to one of the weeks in the account.  When prompted for a reservation No. and check in date, make it up.  The reservations number needs to be 8 digits and start with an 8 or a 9 to fake the system.  Pick any check in date in your season to test.  (From comments made here pick Easter week for best trading week.)  Next step select "Search All Destinations" and enter some dates.

You will see a list of places you will be able to go.  Click on one and you will see the resorts you can get an instant trade into.  These are instant trades - left over weeks that did not match and pending requests.  However it will give you an idea of the trading power of the weeks.

I would suggest you try to keep at least one.  You will have full access to the Marriott program because it sounds like your parents bought the units directly from Marriott.  At a later date you can decide if you want to buy into the Destination Club program if you decide to keep any of them.  You will never have the opportunity again.  If at a later time in your life you decide to buy in and buy resale (paying more than $0) you will loose the options of trading for Marriott Rewards points that can be used for Hotels stays and Vacations packages along with the option to buy into the Destination Club program.


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## funtime (Jan 3, 2012)

*Take the one unit!*

Dear Novice:

   You asked "what time it is" and got back many responses as to how complicated watch making really is.  

      In other words, you have a lot of options and people are trying to educate you all at once as to everything you can do with your Marriott  timeshare. And for a further complication - you can have three, not one timeshare!! 

      You mentioned that you and your wife have kids and are on a budget.  Champagne tastes with a beer budget - yes!!!  However, I think that many of the posters went overboard to protect your wallet since that it is what you seemed to emphasize.

     You did not indicate whether or not  you have the time to work with potential trades of the unit or the time to work with placing an add on Redweek and myvacation resort.com to find a potential rental of the unit in years you did not want to deal with a vacation.  Somehow I think you are high energy person and do have the time.

    While you may get a better "deal" on an ebay auction perhaps you will not - most come with 500 to 600 in closing costs plus there is a Marriott Right of First Refusal.  And let's face it - you are unlikely to turn these units down and go buy on ebay.  So it really comes down to acceptance of one, two or three of these units.  

    I would take the one higher value unit. And if you spend $15 and join TUG you can get reviews of this resort which I believe ranks as a 9 or close to it on a scale of 1 through 10.   If you are as energetic as your posts indicate, I see a lot of family benefits (as explained in prior posts and which include savings for meals, quiet time at meals with the family and a lot of good family time together) and very little downside.  Marriott quality if very high and your children deserve the high rent Marriott two bedroom timeshare at a very reduced price (recurring maintenance fees.)  You did not mention where you live but if it is on the East Coast there are a ton of other Marriotts you can exchange into and drive to.    

    Unfortunately, a lot of folks on these boards are negative  for reasons that may take weeks of reading to discern.  I believe that they are overly cautious in my view as well.  You should do this because it will be a great family benefit to vacation in a two bedroom Marriott each year with Marriott quality amenities and co-vacationers.  TUG has a lot of insights and pretty soon you will be wheeling and dealing this timeshare like a pro.  And, I simply do not see the downside as those years when you chooose not to vacation, you can rent the unit.  While it is not as easy to rent an Orlano unit as one in a different location,  it is not impossible either and really you are not looking for a ton of "profit" just renting for a year when you do not want to use it.

 So, in my humble view, take the unit and enjoy it.  Funtime


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## dioxide45 (Jan 3, 2012)

I am not sure where or how your siblings tried to sell these three weeks. They either a) didn't try very hard, or b) priced them far to high. B is quite often what results in an unsold timeshare.

These are good Marriott timeshares and do have some if little value on the resale market. The Special week could probably get a minimum of $1000 on the resale market. The sport weeks probably could be given away on the TUG Bargain Board. As long as the 2012 MF are paid, then they should be able to sell these if priced right.

Of course paying $3000 in maintenance fees to sell the weeks for about $1500-2500 isn't a good investment, but if Marriott won't take the weeks back it is an option. Of course another option if Marriott won't take back the weeks is to just not pay 2012 MFs and have them foreclose. I don't know if there is an outstanding mortgage, but it doesn't really matter. Is saving your elderly mother's credit score really important at this point?


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

seatrout said:


> you should check with Marriot on the above quote.  Not sure if those week can be converted to DC points as the deadline for conversion was long ago.
> 
> They can however be converted to Marriott reward points for hotel stay.
> 
> On the resale market however, new buyer would not be able to get any of those perks



I don't understand what you mean by "the deadline for conversion was long ago."

Legacy weeks can still enroll in the DC points program and still at the initial introductory rate. While these rights don't transfer to a resale buyer, Marriott does transfer rights to heirs.

I really think the OP should look into the DC part of the equation, because he has a rare opportunity to get a lot of points with no monetary outlay, and can easily make reservations at properties that will rent well and offset the annual MF, while preserving those points to use differently at a later date should his financial situation change (when perhaps kid related costs decrease) and/or for a special occasion type trip that he might otherwise never be able to afford.

I tend to be conservative; that said, I would have a hard time turning this down if I had the opportunity.

My only regret about timesharing is that I didn't explore it while my kids were still kids. I have to tell you that the first time we vacationed in one, within two days my husband looked at me and said: "why would you ever want to vacation any other way?" We've traveled a lot over the years with kids and parents in tow, and I can say that timeshares eliminate a lot of the small vacation hassles. It is conducive to spending relaxed time with family and friends; does it get any better than that?!


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

seatrout said:


> Are you sure of this facts??  Even reservation made with legacy points??
> 
> For example.  Ritz Carlton Abaco rents for 1K/night or 7K/weeks in the summer.  Points costs are minimal.



I am certain that timeshare reservations made with points can be rented (according to customer advocacy, as long as you are not engaging in a commercial enterprise; I'm guessing that they might clamp down on someone doing it large scale as a business venture). 

I do not know about renting Ritz reservations, since I never specifically inquired about that.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 3, 2012)

m61376 said:


> I don't understand what you mean by "the deadline for conversion was long ago."
> 
> Legacy weeks can still enroll in the DC points program and still at the initial introductory rate. While these rights don't transfer to a resale buyer, Marriott does transfer rights to heirs.



I think the PP meant the deadline to convert 2012 weeks to points was long ago (Sept 30th to be exact).


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## m61376 (Jan 3, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> I think the PP meant the deadline to convert 2012 weeks to points was long ago (Sept 30th to be exact).



Oh- I was talking more in generalizations for future usage.

For 2012 use the OP would have to check and see if the weeks could be converted to points. Do the deadlines in place apply to the first year of membership? I'm not sure about that.


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## seatrout (Jan 3, 2012)

Did not know that we can still enroll to DC program is brought directly from marriott


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## m61376 (Jan 4, 2012)

seatrout said:


> Did not know that we can still enroll to DC program is brought directly from marriott



Both direct purchasers and purchasers of resale weeks before 6/20/10 can still enroll their week(s). The enrollment fees have remained unchanged: 595/695 for single/multiple developer weeks and 1495/1995 for resale weeks. There is still an 800 point enrollment bonus (one time).

Marriott has recently opened enrollment to resale weeks bought through their resale program, but not to any externally purchased resale weeks, and the option to enroll even Marriott purchased resale weeks is limited to those buying a substantial points package (?2500 points) at the same time.


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## rpw (Jan 4, 2012)

*my 2 pennies*

Forget all the trading and converting to points, that all costs additional money.

You don't need to enroll in Interval International, or the DC points program.  One of the first rules of timesharing is "own where you want to go".  You say you have memories of Cypress Harbor, so can your kids.

IF you are willing to drive from OH to Orlando (that's a 15hour drive) then you can control that cost to some extent.  You MIGHT get lucky and find cheap flights, but you have to fly yourself, your wife, and your kids and rent a car when you get there.  Those are also added expenses.

So if you ignore all the extraneous trading and converting to points it really is as simple as "are you willing to spend one week a year in Orlando for approx $160 a night for a 2 bdrm resort".  

Would you really commit to taking your wife and kids EVERY year to Orlando?

Because it's a 2bdrm with a washer/dryer and full kitchen, you can carry less clothes in your car and likely eat in for many of your meals (but that still requires some grocery shopping).

Me?  I'd probably do it.  But I'd only take the one that I had the highest probability of being able to use for years to come.  Also you'll have to work around a school schedule so take that into account.

I know it sounds risky, but one of the things that OWNING a timeshare does is FORCE you to take a vacation with your family every year.  It's too easy to say "we can't afford to go on vacation this year, maybe next" but the kids are only around for a number of years and then they are gone.

Personally, if you were willing to drive, I'd take one of those weeks that will work well with the kids school schedule.  Skip all the trading and enrolling for points and such, it's more money and you can always enroll in Interval International in the future when money is less tight and trading seems more appealing.

That said think long and hard about this, you are making basically a lifelong commitment.

Good Luck


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## dmharris (Jan 4, 2012)

rpw said:


> I know it sounds risky, but one of the things that OWNING a timeshare does is FORCE you to take a vacation with your family every year.  It's too easy to say "we can't afford to go on vacation this year, maybe next" but the kids are only around for a number of years and then they are gone.



This is precisely WHY we bought a time share.  We are self-employed = no paid vacation time, and we denied ourselves and our children vacations because of money.  I wish we'd bought one sooner so we had more memories with our kids.  But thankfully we did buy one and in five years we've taken 12 weeks of vacation with our lock-off and ACs.


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## rickandcindy23 (Jan 4, 2012)

The amazing thing to me: If you choose to give these to Marriott, they will sell each one of them to some buyer for $15-20K easily enough.  Consider that in your decision.  

But could you sell them for even  $1,000? Not likely.  Marriott will include Destination Club points with the sale, and you cannot do that.  You do have Marriott Points, which are more valuable because they cannot be transferred in the sale for $1,000.  

The DC points are something you may be able to add with a salesperson, since you are an heir.  

I would be as confused as you are with this decision.  But my instinct tells me not to buy Orlando.  These are free and at our favorite resort. 

I am no help.


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## Swice (Jan 4, 2012)

*cheap car*



Novice said:


> And renting a car can cost you $100 a day down there.



$100 a day for a rental car???     NO way.    

I always bid 17 or 18 dollars a day on Priceline and get it (usually full size).     Going in two weeks and didn't even have to "bid" and got $8 a day for full size using regular priceline listings.


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## SueDonJ (Jan 4, 2012)

rickandcindy23 said:


> The amazing thing to me: If you choose to give these to Marriott, they will sell each one of them to some buyer for $15-20K easily enough.  Consider that in your decision.
> 
> But could you sell them for even  $1,000? Not likely.  Marriott will include Destination Club points with the sale, and you cannot do that.  You do have Marriott Points, which are more valuable because they cannot be transferred in the sale for $1,000. ...



Marriott-direct Weeks with full benefits aren't available for purchase anymore.  These Cypress Harbour Weeks are available through Marriott's Resale Operations, though, as that office appears to be facilitating sales by existing owners.  A Special season Week is priced there at $8,100 and a Sport season Week is priced at $5,500.  Weeks purchased through that channel do include the Marriott Rewards exchange benefit but are not eligible for enrollment in the DC (unless the buyer also purchases a DC Points package at the same time.)

If these Weeks are sold on the external market by the OP's family, you're correct that they probably won't get the prices that the Resales office is commanding but neither the MR exchange benefit nor the DC enrollment option will transfer with an external resale to the new owner.  



rickandcindy23 said:


> The DC points are something you may be able to add with a salesperson, since you are an heir. ...



Any Weeks inherited by heirs or transferred to immediate family members usually have included all of the benefits _that the current owner enjoys_ including the MR exchange benefit.  It appears that the option to enroll eligible Weeks into the DC would also be included but we haven't seen any reports on TUG to confirm it.  (The DC is simply too new for all situations to have been reported yet.)  Some of the DC docs language is very confusing so I wouldn't say there's any guarantee of this - it appears it should happen but we just don't know yet.  



rickandcindy23 said:


> I would be as confused as you are with this decision.  But my instinct tells me not to buy Orlando.  These are free and at our favorite resort.
> 
> I am no help.



I can't imagine being in the OP's position of having to quickly absorb so much information in order to make a decision about something that could potentially enhance his family's vacation lifestyle but also is an ongoing ever-increasing financial commitment.  On the one hand the TUG mantra is to take your time and don't commit until you've learned all that's necessary to make the most of your purchase, but on the other hand this is a unique situation.  The OP stands to gain a nice Marriott timeshare with full usage value for relatively little if any cost (the transfer fees?) above the MF.  Most of us who know how to make full usage of Marriott timeshares see that this could be an excellent opportunity, but of course we understand more than the OP does.

I'm sorry, OP, that you and your family are struggling over this when you have so much more important things to think about right now.  It's understandable that you all want to get your mom's things in order and off-loading the timeshares and their financial obligations would be a big help.  But I still hope that your siblings aren't pushing you to make a quick decision (maybe they want an answer before the 2012 Maintenance Fees are due in the next couple weeks?)  If you keep thinking out loud here we'll help you flesh out the details.

I really like your idea of paying the MF for the Week you would be most interested in, and then using it with your family to see how you all feel about keeping it.  That way you and your siblings could begin the process to off-load the other two, you get enough time to learn more about how all of benefits of the third might work for you as well as how it will fit into your vacation budget, but you're leaving open the option to off-load it later if you don't want it after all.  That's a good plan.


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## m61376 (Jan 4, 2012)

SueDonJ said:


> Any Weeks inherited by heirs or transferred to immediate family members usually have included all of the benefits _that the current owner enjoys_ including the MR exchange benefit.  It appears that the option to enroll eligible Weeks into the DC would also be included but we haven't seen any reports on TUG to confirm it.  (The DC is simply too new for all situations to have been reported yet.)  Some of the DC docs language is very confusing so I wouldn't say there's any guarantee of this - it appears it should happen but we just don't know yet.



I thought it was posted that heirs could use inherited legacy weeks in the DC program. However, of course the OP should check this out directly with Marriott beforehand, and should be advised that they may have to go up the supervisory food chain to get this accomplished.

The other question that occurred to me, which I think has been questioned before, is whether the original owner has to have joined the DC first or if the enrollment could be subsequent to the transfer of property. That is also an important distinction to clarify.

If I was in the OP's shoes I would definitely check on this, because it might impact his decision. If he was looking at it solely for potential current use as a weeks property I would say that probably the special week might be a good thing to take. If he is willing to invest some time and energy into learning the system, and if the weeks can be enrolled in the DC program, than the accumulated points from all 3 weeks would enable him to make high rental reservations to cover the MF's (or most of it) from points from 2 of the weeks and still use the third week for personal use, while leaving the door open for different personal use for special occasions and/or as his finances improve.

The fact that ownership forces use in a sense is something that has meant a lot to many of us. It is easy either not to bother or not to spend the money, and one year goes into the next. Even though you certainly can spend quality time at home, I think the vast majority of us will say that we tend to spend more quality time with our families when we are on vacation- away from work, the stresses of everyday life, even the Internet; those moments create priceless memories! As someone else said, the kids tend to grow up fast; timesharing instills a love of family vacations, and I tend to see more grown up "kids" vacationing with parents and even grandparents, and later with their own children. And the nice thing is the kids are in a vacation environment where they see a lot of other people doing the same thing. That's why- and not to sound like a salesperson- for many of us the "value" is not simply the dollar and cents issue; moreso, it is the time we spend with our loved ones!


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## SueDonJ (Jan 4, 2012)

m61376 said:


> I thought it was posted that heirs could use inherited legacy weeks in the DC program. However, of course the OP should check this out directly with Marriott beforehand, and should be advised that they may have to go up the supervisory food chain to get this accomplished.
> 
> The other question that occurred to me, which I think has been questioned before, is whether the original owner has to have joined the DC first or if the enrollment could be subsequent to the transfer of property. That is also an important distinction to clarify.
> 
> If I was in the OP's shoes I would definitely check on this, because it might impact his decision. If he was looking at it solely for potential current use as a weeks property I would say that probably the special week might be a good thing to take. ...



That's exactly why I say that there is no guarantee about DC enrollment of these Weeks if they're inherited/transferred.  A few folks have asked questions and gotten contradictory answers, but there haven't been any TUG reports from somebody who has actually experienced the situation so there is no way for us to know what Marriott will or won't allow.

I would assume that a DC-enrollment would remain with a Week that is inherited/transferred among immediate family members (with the new owner perhaps required to pay another enrollment fee?)  I would also assume that as long as the enrollment window is open and a Week satisfies all other enrollment terms, then a Week which was un-enrolled prior to a family-inheritance/transfer could be enrolled by the new owner if the enrollment fee is paid.

But we all know what can happen when we make assumptions ...  No doubt you're correct that if the OP wants the DC enrollment option, he should get definitive answers to these questions - preferably in writing - from an authorized Marriott rep before he accepts a transfer.



m61376 said:


> If he is willing to invest some time and energy into learning the system, and if the weeks can be enrolled in the DC program, than the accumulated points from all 3 weeks would enable him to make high rental reservations to cover the MF's (or most of it) from points from 2 of the weeks and still use the third week for personal use, while leaving the door open for different personal use for special occasions and/or as his finances improve. ...



As much knowledge as we savvy TUG owners have, no doubt it's easier for us to imagine all the ways we could use/rent/exchange three Weeks that could be ours for only the MF costs.  But I'm in the camp with the others who say that in this situation the OP is simply too green to take on the financial commitment of all three.  If he only takes one and learns through experience that he probably could have taken all three, at least he hasn't lost any money and he'll still be able to dabble in the external resale market with its bargain pricing.  If he takes all three and finds down the road that he's in over his head financially and usage-related, he may have problems off-loading what he doesn't want then.  Taking on one week and learning as you go is doable; diving into timeshare ownership with three weeks right off the bat could be a nightmare.



m61376 said:


> The fact that ownership forces use in a sense is something that has meant a lot to many of us. It is easy either not to bother or not to spend the money, and one year goes into the next. Even though you certainly can spend quality time at home, I think the vast majority of us will say that we tend to spend more quality time with our families when we are on vacation- away from work, the stresses of everyday life, even the Internet; those moments create priceless memories! As someone else said, the kids tend to grow up fast; timesharing instills a love of family vacations, and I tend to see more grown up "kids" vacationing with parents and even grandparents, and later with their own children. And the nice thing is the kids are in a vacation environment where they see a lot of other people doing the same thing. That's why- and not to sound like a salesperson- for many of us the "value" is not simply the dollar and cents issue; moreso, it is the time we spend with our loved ones!



I completely agree with this (and love that you, m, stress it so often.)  Our timeshares have forced us to take vacations and now that our children are grown twenty-somethings, we love that they still enjoy traveling with us when they're able.  We're looking forward to eventually, hopefully!, traveling with grandchildren as well.  But minus the timeshares, I am just not sure that we would have developed a travel pattern at all.  We had years of not being able to afford vacations.  But we also had later years of being able to rent vacation accommodations and we simply didn't make the effort.  Owning forces us to make the effort!  I'm not even sure now that if we didn't own, we'd still travel the way we do.  I'd hope so, but I just don't know.


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## jimf41 (Jan 4, 2012)

I asked MVCI about this will/inheritance thing a few months ago. here is the reply

Dear James Freeman: 

Thank you for contacting Marriott Vacation Club. 

We received your inquiry regarding leaving your Marriott Vacation Club weeks to your children in your will. 

When your weeks are gifted or willed to a family member, defined as spouse, children, grandchildren, children of spouse or grandchildren of spouse, they do retain the ability to be enrolled in the Marriott Vacation Club Destinations program. The enrollment fee is waived, but it is necessary to complete a new enrollment agreement. You existing Vacation Club Points will remain in your account and future use years will be eligible to have usage assigned by the new Owner. 

Regarding your additional questions, inheritance is treated the same as any deeded real estate. Changes would be done through the re-writing of each deed owned. For specific legal implications of how to rewrite your deed, you may inquire with your estate planner. 

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via the e-mail address listed below or via our website at www.My-VacationClub.com. 

Best regards, 

Jeremy M.


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## winger (Jan 4, 2012)

I will offer our perspectives from our angle as relatively young parents with two young children (<10 yo) and hopefully Novice can relate to some of our experiences and views and find some use in his decision(s).

First, just a little background. We purchased our first TS unit about two years before we got married, before kids came along, before my career really started moving too fast.  Fast forward about a little over 15 years to today, we now own several TS units (both through resale and direct/developer purchases).  We have mainly exchanged our units over the years (through Interval International, Diamond Resort's internal system, personal exchanges with others, and finally we dibbled a little in Marriott's new DC program) having *very rarely* stayed at our home resort(s).  We purchased our original unit to exchange to places we saw in the sales lady's copy of the Interval International book (we are not really Las Vegas folk, though that is where our home base is) and we have NOT wavered for one instant from that original 'reason' for purchasing the unit.

Now, with kids in tow, careers in full swing with middle-age slowly approaching (reality is starting to hit when a recent visit to the optometrist included a conversation about bifocals   ), I can truly say that through the many ups and downs both DW and I have experienced in our lives so far, having our TS's has really been one blessing in the sense we have been FORCED to take regular vacations every year.  We have vacationed in places we very likely would have never been if it were not for having "pre-paid" trips, we have _many_ priceless pictures, videos and memories of precious family time to cherish for a lifetime and beyond, we have enjoyed the spacious accommodations at very decent prices, we have been fortunate to have friends and family join us (they would likely not have IF we were in hotels due to the cost), and with my son's many food allergies, having a guaranteed kitchen (even partial one such as at Marriott's Maui Ocean Club, original tower) it has been a godsend to have a choice to cook him meals, even for taking it to restaurants when the rest of us go out to eat.

We are just about to wrap up bookings for our 3rd major trip in 2012 (November in Kauai) and just because we have available space, this afternoon we called DW's god parents, whom we have not seen in about 16 years, and offered to have them join us for a week if they can find time off from their busy retirement.  This idea would NOT have even come up if we were renting a hotel.

Yes, the MF's have risen greatly, especially over the past five years to almost an unbearable level especially given the economy has had an effect on us, but the overall value (not just measured in $dollars) our TS ownership offers makes it very worthwhile to own versus the alternative.  Having experienced one true benefit of owning timeshares, which is when one has young children in tow, we do feel very fortunate.

We look forward to many more years of enjoyment - one day hopefully to bring grandchildren on trips with us (again, we cannot even imagine such a thing IF we depended on hotels or renting condos from others) !

All this enjoyment comes as a 'cost', if you can even call it that - which is it takes time and effort to learn how to best utilize the TS 'vehicle'.  Since you found TUG, as you can already tell, there are many TUGers here who are more than willing to help.


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## m61376 (Jan 5, 2012)

SueDonJ said:


> As much knowledge as we savvy TUG owners have, no doubt it's easier for us to imagine all the ways we could use/rent/exchange three Weeks that could be ours for only the MF costs.  But I'm in the camp with the others who say that in this situation the OP is simply too green to take on the financial commitment of all three.  If he only takes one and learns through experience that he probably could have taken all three, at least he hasn't lost any money and he'll still be able to dabble in the external resale market with its bargain pricing.  If he takes all three and finds down the road that he's in over his head financially and usage-related, he may have problems off-loading what he doesn't want then.  Taking on one week and learning as you go is doable; diving into timeshare ownership with three weeks right off the bat could be a nightmare.


In general, I tend to take a very conservative approach to things, and I certainly am not trying to encourage anyone to be reckless. The reason why I differ in my opinion here is that given that these are inherited weeks and that Jim has confirmed what I was sure I had heard/read (although the OP should certainly get his own confirmation in writing) about the eligibility to enroll these weeks, this a unique opportunity to get not only weeks but a substantial amount of DC points for free. These are not simply weeks that can be replaced for a few thousand down the road; if only the week usage was conveyed I would be in total agreement. 

While it would take a bit of an education, I think it is fairly safe to say that the OP could recoup the MF's on the extra weeks at minimum fairly easily, either by renting the points or reserving a higher demand destination with the points. There is a good chance he could recoup close to if not all the MF's for all 3 units using the DC points from 2 of the units if he planned properly. The extra work MAY be worth it if he feels that his finances may change over the next several years, allowing him perhaps to enjoy the extra vacation weeks at a later time.

Certainly, the safe thing would be for him to simply walk away or only to take one. BUT if he feels he wants to take the time and energy to learn the system and feels his family's lifestyle will be enhanced by so doing, I still think because of the uniqueness of the situation we should at least present him with other alternatives. It is unlikely in the future that he would be financially able to purchase the equivalent of this opportunity, since we're talking the equivalent of over 60 grand in DC points. 

It's a tough decision, and I hope even our disagreements help the OP get a clearer picture of his options. By now he likely has many more questions, and certainly should feel free to make further inquiries.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 5, 2012)

The only issue that I see is that these weeks are not being inherited. The deeds are still in the name of the mother who is still alive. Does passing the weeks to your children while alive carry the same rights as inheriting weeks upon death? I think Jim's response indicates, yes, but just something to verify.


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## windje2000 (Jan 5, 2012)

dioxide45 said:


> The only issue that I see is that these weeks are not being inherited. The deeds are still in the name of the mother who is still alive. Does passing the weeks to your children while alive carry the same rights as inheriting weeks upon death? I think Jim's response indicates, yes, but just something to verify.



I can tell you from personal experience that the answer is yes.  Just make the transfer contract absolutely explicit as to relationship of the donor and donee.  

The deed can reference a nominal pro-forma amount of consideration (ten dollars and other good and valuable consideration the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged) for contract purposes which will not affect the inter vivos gift status.

When Marriott records the transfer of ownership, verify immediately with owner services that the weeks retain their developer status, before the paperwork falls into a black hole somewhere.


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## SueDonJ (Jan 5, 2012)

jimf41 said:


> I asked MVCI about this will/inheritance thing a few months ago. here is the reply
> 
> Dear James Freeman:
> 
> ...





dioxide45 said:


> The only issue that I see is that these weeks are not being inherited. The deeds are still in the name of the mother who is still alive. Does passing the weeks to your children while alive carry the same rights as inheriting weeks upon death? I think Jim's response indicates, yes, but just something to verify.





windje2000 said:


> I can tell you from personal experience that the answer is yes.  Just make the transfer contract absolutely explicit as to relationship of the donor and donee.
> 
> The deed can reference a nominal pro-forma amount of consideration (ten dollars and other good and valuable consideration the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged) for contract purposes which will not affect the inter vivos gift status.
> 
> When Marriott records the transfer of ownership, verify immediately with owner services that the weeks retain their developer status, before the paperwork falls into a black hole somewhere.



Jim and windje, thanks for your posts.  Those are exactly the answers I would expect from Marriott and it's encouraging to know that the OP should be able to get them in writing before he proceeds with any transfers.

Dioxide's point is a good one, too, and it emphasizes what we and the OP still don't know:  if his mom's weeks are not enrolled in the DC prior to any inheritance/transfer of any of them, will he as the new owner be able to enroll them after a transfer if that usage is important to him?  Assuming the enrollment window would still open, they should be eligible because all usage options are supposed to run with such transactions ...  I would guess yes, but then again Marriott-direct purchases from the Marriott Resales office are not eligible to be enrolled.     I suppose the OP can ask for written confirmation prior to a transfer, or maybe whichever Week(s) he wants to keep can be enrolled prior to the transfer (whether it's done by his mom or by the sibling(s) who are authorized to act for her.)  He could work it out with them that he'll pay the enrollment fee (just as he could work out paying the 2012 MF as he suggested.)

Interesting topic.  I'm glad the OP found TUG and opened the discussion.


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## SueDonJ (Jan 5, 2012)

m61376 said:


> ...  It's a tough decision, and I hope even our disagreements help the OP get a clearer picture of his options. By now he likely has many more questions, and certainly should feel free to make further inquiries.



I hope so, too, m, that our differing opinions can help the OP reach a decision.  There's no absolute right or wrong here; only he can figure out what sounds right or wrong for him.


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## windje2000 (Jan 5, 2012)

SueDonJ said:


> snip
> 
> if his mom's weeks are not enrolled in the DC prior to any inheritance/transfer of any of them, will he as the new owner be able to enroll them after a transfer if that usage is important to him?
> 
> snip



Sue, a 'developer' week doesn't change its stripes in any way when transferred between family members in conformance with the rules in the Marriott terms and conditions.  It still can be exchanged for MRP, etc.

I've never seen any mention of a deadline associated with enrolling developer weeks in DC.

EDITED TO ADD:  JimF's post states that the DC enrollment fee will be waived in the 'family transfer' of an enrolled week.  That's news to me.


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## SueDonJ (Jan 5, 2012)

windje2000 said:


> Sue, a 'developer' week doesn't change its stripes in any way when transferred between family members in conformance with the rules in the Marriott terms and conditions.  It still can be exchanged for MRP, etc. ...



That's why I'd guess "yes," that if the OP takes a transfer of an un-enrolled Week from his mom then he should be able to enroll it himself as a new owner.  Should be able!  I wouldn't just assume it, though - I'd want written confirmation from an authorized Marriott rep.  If such a thing couldn't be obtained, then I'd look into having mom (or the sibling(s) authorized to act for her) enroll it prior to the family transfer.



windje2000 said:


> EDITED TO ADD:  JimF's post states that the DC enrollment fee will be waived in the 'family transfer' of an enrolled week.  That's news to me. ...



News to me, too, and good news!  But it's important to note that the specific details of Jim's question were in regard to a transfer of a Week which has already been enrolled.  It's great that Marriott wouldn't require the transferee of a previously-enrolled Week to pay another enrollment fee.  (Or initiation fee?)  But the OP's situation is different - we're talking now about a family transfer of a Week which hasn't been enrolled, so if Marriott allows the new owner following a transfer to enroll it, wouldn't they have to also collect the enrollment fee?



windje2000 said:


> I've never seen any mention of a deadline associated with enrolling developer weeks in DC.



No, but they've placed an end date on enrollment terms/costs several times now which they keep extending, and we don't know if there will come a time when DC-enrollment is no longer allowed.  I'd guess that time is a long time coming, if ever, but anybody's guess is as good as mine.


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## windje2000 (Jan 5, 2012)

SueDonJ said:


> But the OP's situation is different - we're talking now about a family transfer of a Week which hasn't been enrolled, so if Marriott allows the new owner following a transfer to enroll it, wouldn't they have to also collect the enrollment fee?
> 
> 
> No, but they've placed an end date on enrollment terms/costs several times now which they keep extending, and we don't know if there will come a time when DC-enrollment is no longer allowed.  I'd guess that time is a long time coming, if ever, but anybody's guess is as good as mine.



No question they would want their enrollment fee in the OP circumstances.

Regarding future enrollment, I've seen the 'soft' deadlines regarding enrolling pre-6/20 resale weeks, and the possibility of not receiving 800 pluspoints after a certain date.  

But I've never seen any mention of a deadline regarding enrolling a developer week.

No more DC enrollment?  Unlikely.  They want as many skimmees in their pool as they can get.


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