# Fiesta Americana vacation club - deal or no deal?



## Time traveler55 (Dec 31, 2013)

Newbie looking for advice. 
I have a friend giving me a FAVC and was wondering if this is a good deal or not.  Nothing is owed on the loan. There is a 100.00 transfer fee.
Property - Los Cabos
Unit - 1 Bedroom
Season - Platinum
Annual points - 4800
Remaining years - 35
Right now the maintenance fee is 638.88 and club fee is 128.00 annual
Open & Club season reservation fee- 50.00 ea
Points deposit to following year fee - 93.00
Points conversion into travel benefits - 93.00
RCI exchange - 209.00
Complimentary - home resort season reservation, borrowing points from next year, open season rates payment reservation.
All are US funds

Would I be able to give this away in 5 to 6 years from now. Is it worth anything if I sold it.

Anyone else has a membership to FAVC that would be willing to talk off line?

Thanks, Denise


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## LannyPC (Dec 31, 2013)

When it comes to buying a timeshare or vacation club membership (or in this case, just simply receiving free) you should ask yourself some soul-searching questions that only you can answer.

Questions such as:

"Can I afford the MFs and club fees each year?"
"Can I afford the airfare to get there each year?"
"When I am vacationing there, will I be able to afford doing various activities there?"
"Is this the place where I want to go year in and year out?  If not, what will my trading options be?"
"Will I desire other vacation options that don't involve TSs (eg., cruises, family camping trips, long weekend getaways, escorted tours, etc.)?"
"Does this TS have a positive or negative rental value-to-MF ratio?"
"Ten, fifteen, twenty years from now, will I see my traveling abilities and/or budgets diminish?"


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## Passepartout (Dec 31, 2013)

It probably doesn't have much trading power. It won't be worth any more in 5-6 years than it is now. About nothing. You can rent in Cabo- or about anywhere else- in Mexico- for the MF or less.

Purely dollars and cents, It would cost about $800 to use it. and $1200 to exchange it for something else. Even more when you include the RCI membership.

I would let this pass.

Seeing that you are new to TS, I'd advise getting a place you can drive to, that you would like to go at least half the time. That will ensure nice vacations, and the ability to exchange and go elsewhere. If it's in RCI, you can get Last Calls and Extra Vacay's to Cabo if that's where you want to go for under $300/week.

Best Wishes

Jim


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## Larry (Jan 1, 2014)

*HGVC affiliate*



Passepartout said:


> It probably doesn't have much trading power. Jim



Although I completely agree with the rest of your response I don't agree with your comment on trading power as this is an HGVC affiliate so It has very good trading power with 4800 HGVC points and by contacting HGVS they get priority trades with RCI

My friend owns here and he can only travel during week 51 or week 52 and has always gotten a very good trade for these high demand weeks such as.

Playa Linda Aruba (studio but was upgraded to 1BR when they got there)
Windjammer Landing St. Lucia (1 BR)
Hawaii at a Princeville Kauai resort (2BR) (don't know which resort)
Fiesta Americana Cancun (1BR)

He has gotten several other 2BR units all during week 51 or 52 at other nice resorts just don't remember where.


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## Helaine (Jan 2, 2014)

These responses are good.  I too have talked to people who have gotten good trades. I´ve only used it to trade to HGVC in Hawaii and Vegas and to Mazatlan - I go to Cabo most years.

I´m not sure why someone said it would be $1200 to exchange over your MF.  It would be the usual RCI or SFX fees over your MF which would probably be about $1200 total.

The airfare is an issue depending on how many people are traveling, and it will be a cost every year you go there, so if Cabo is not somewhere you want to go most years (or trade within HGVC and FAVC), it may not be right for you - there are cheaper traders.


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## Time traveler55 (Jan 5, 2014)

Thank you for your comments.  

I have not done much traveling in my life yet.  At 55 I want to start and would like to see places other friends talk about.  Being single it is not much fun or sometimes not safe to travel alone.  This maybe an issue.  I do have friends that would be willing to use a week.  I am guessing you can do that  if I can't travel that year.  I also could bank weeks to the next year. 

I have the statement of understanding to send in and the transfer would need to be approved before the contract is completed.  

I understand this is a big commitment and I need to weigh all the options.

thanks


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## Bill4728 (Jan 6, 2014)

I'm really unsure if the advice given here is accurate at all. HGVC weeks are still worth a significant amount of money. For a 4800 plat week at most HGVC resorts you should be able to sell for at least $5,000. Since Fiesta Americana vacation club (FAVC) is a sub system of HGVC I'd guess that they are worth a significant amount too. 

Maybe the thing to do is ask this question on the HGVC board. So I'm going to move this thread there.


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## vacationhopeful (Jan 6, 2014)

Being single does NOT stop a lot of us women from travelling. I go all the time - many times alone to places I have not been to. And I have always taken the thought to do a lot while there - many times after I describe my adventures, other people decide to travel next visit with me or to go along to a new spot.

I have done Mardi Gras, NYC, Biketoberfest, Disney, Las Vegas ... alone. I go so often to the South Florida area ALONE, I should be considered a local. And it is amazing is, I get many people to tag along either because they are confidant I will bring them back safety or I have been there before and must know my way around. AND I always have a good time or a REALLY GOOD story or two.

And my 4 siblings, will send their minor kids along with me, too. And I get the adults to go places to --- Phoenix (Spring training March 2013 and planned for March 2014), DVC (got my one sister to get an AP - annual pass on her 1st visit in 17 years) and different trip with 11 yo WILD CHILD nephew. 

Travelling helps to expand your interests and conversations. It widens the world of choices back home for food and knowledge. I have gone to MORE museums here after seeing and reading about art in my travels - my lawyer brother was stunned with my references and knowledge about Impressionism - while drinking wine at The Hilton Club in NYC with the older people who had years MORE knowledge and MANY more museums ... I just could talk better about Philadelphia's Art Museum & the Barnes Foundation collection .... they did admit, the new Barnes Foundation Museum was a trip they had to do.


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## easyrider (Jan 7, 2014)

Time traveler55 said:


> Thank you for your comments.
> 
> I have not done much traveling in my life yet.  At 55 I want to start and would like to see places other friends talk about.  Being single it is not much fun or sometimes not safe to travel alone.  This maybe an issue.  I do have friends that would be willing to use a week.  I am guessing you can do that  if I can't travel that year.  I also could bank weeks to the next year.
> 
> ...




I don't own this resort system but could easily spend a week here. We golfed in the area and explored the resort through a ts presentation. This is a really nice resort, imo, with many golf opportunities. The pools are great. All in all this is an opulent resort. The week banking is a plus, especially if you can bank forward a few years by paying the mf only. 

The opportunity to use multiple destinations is a plus but often times the best weeks are taken by home resort owners so you need to jump through the reservation window as soon as it opens.

The downside is the 35 year rtu. You could be 90 before your rtu expires. This resort rents out on other websites for about $800 - $1500 for a one bedroom unit making it easier for an individual to rent at affiliate resorts than to owner reserve as an affiliate, imo. I believe that some one would want this resort system for free in the future as it is a nice well kept resort system.

As you learn to use this resort system you might find that you like it and want or need a couple of more weeks. That what happened to me anyway.  

Bill


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## Helaine (Jan 7, 2014)

I go to FAVC Cabo San Lucas frequently and when I'm alone, they treat me very well.  It's very comfortable and the people are friendly.

Additionally, you can use FAVC points to stay in Posadas hotels all over Mexico and South America which is a nice perk.  I used points to book Mazatlan - not a resort, but a nice hotel on the beach with a gym, etc.  in town and not far from the Malecon.


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