# Full-time timesharing: Living Out of a Suitcase???



## ronandjoan (Sep 29, 2011)

When we started out on this “journey”, all of our friends asked, “Oh, how can you do that? I wouldn’t want to live out of a suitcase…”– because they didn’t understand that in a timeshare condo, we don’t HAVE to live out of a suitcase!  When we check in, Joan spends about an hour setting up all our little “homey” items: pictures, candles, flowers, table runners, placemats, and a few special knickknacks… 
    But, NOW, if there are no timeshares where we have to go to visit relatives (Ron’s HA!) or friends, or reunions, we are stuck with a hotel and suitcase living.

     It’s fine driving from timeshare to timeshare  ...much easier than packing up suitcases to fly. And we like to stay more than a month at a place too: St Augustine in January, yes, Mexico PV in Feb – yes, and Telemark other times during the year (sometimes 6 weeks!) . 
     But, we do NOT enjoy driving from hotel to hotel as we had to this year from Aug 6 to Sept 17, except for 7 days when we were at our son’s vacation condo in Seattle (but during that time, we had to move stuff in and out of the Seattle storeroom, plan our suitcase packing again, and then clean the condo for the renters to come… which took Joan 6 hours!)  Fourteen different hotel or room stays, some with friends, three airplane trips, plus many miles between some visits (we were in Springfield IL while SIL with Hospice nurses was in Atlanta, so we drove there and back again) = that is truly living out of a suitcase. 
     But that was NOT our plan….but because of certain constraints on our schedules, we did it!  
      So now we have another answer again to someone’s question about “With all your traveling around, do you know where you are when you wake up?”  Here’s the secret for keeping track of where you are:  Don’t move around too much with too short of visits!  Staying in a timeshare condo seems like a HOME, even with a couple of nights in one (which is one reason we like Wyndhams so much, there are so many we can drive to and spend a day or two), but if you move every night to different hotel rooms, that’s when you lose track of where you are!
       We are getting a little mixed up in our minds right now, being in a timeshare in Washington with our Seattle car, but not in Seattle.  It seems we should have our normal “timeshare” car with us (which is parked at BMI).


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## Keep Traveling (Sep 29, 2011)

When staying in the same place for 4-6 weeks, do they generally allow you to keep the same room, we are going to try it in Orlando this year...Maybe the Sheraton Vistana?

KT


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## cbm32 (Sep 29, 2011)

I am obviously not Joan, but I have had multiple week stays at the Wyndham Grand Desert in Vegas, Bali Hai on Kauai, and Bonnet Creek in Orlando and never had to change rooms.


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## Aussiedog (Sep 29, 2011)

*Thanks for the update!*

It is always so good to get your updates!  I have been following your adventures since you started your year-round TS living.  

I am so glad that you are doing well - safe travels!

Ann


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## got4boys (Sep 29, 2011)

Joan:

Love following your travels.

You are inspiring! We still have a few years left before we can travel for long periods of time. First we got to get the kids through college.

Peggy


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## ronandjoan (Sep 29, 2011)

Keep Traveling said:


> When staying in the same place for 4-6 weeks, do they generally allow you to keep the same room, we are going to try it in Orlando this year...Maybe the Sheraton Vistana?
> 
> KT



Hi Keep
Like cbm, we often get multiple weeks in the same room.  It just depends upon availability, and our schedule.  We always have 3 weeks in the same room at St Augustine and the 2 weeks PV in Feb (our fixed weeks) and usually add weeks in the same resort, but maybe have to move, which we just work out.  Same thing when we spent 6 weeks in Kona and Telemark; we  might have a couple of weeks in one place and then need to move.  The biggest problem is the food carry over week to week, and we solve that various ways.  

However I have heard of people staying longer in the same room: one man saud he was spending  10 consecutive weeks at the Resort on Cocoa Beach, all in the same room and all RCI exchanges.  I don't know how he did that; I can see owners doing it or planning for it at our Wyndham resorts.


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## dumbydee (Sep 30, 2011)

Love to read your updates.  You need to be working on a book about your travels.....to me it is very interesting.


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## Cathyb (Sep 30, 2011)

*How about paying Uncle Sam?*



ronandjoan said:


> When we started out on this “journey”, all of our friends asked, “Oh, how can you do that? I wouldn’t want to live out of a suitcase…”– because they didn’t understand that in a timeshare condo, we don’t HAVE to live out of a suitcase!  When we check in, Joan spends about an hour setting up all our little “homey” items: pictures, candles, flowers, table runners, placemats, and a few special knickknacks…
> But, NOW, if there are no timeshares where we have to go to visit relatives (Ron’s HA!) or friends, or reunions, we are stuck with a hotel and suitcase living.
> 
> It’s fine driving from timeshare to timeshare  ...much easier than packing up suitcases to fly. And we like to stay more than a month at a place too: St Augustine in January, yes, Mexico PV in Feb – yes, and Telemark other times during the year (sometimes 6 weeks!) .
> ...



Hello travellers!  Since you probably are not able to have mail sent to you, how do you handle receiving your Form 1040?  What do you use for a 'permanent address' on the form?

Since I just had cataract surgery, I wonder how you arrange having things like that done and still have to move from place to place?


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## learnalot (Sep 30, 2011)

Cathyb said:


> Hello travellers!  Since you probably are not able to have mail sent to you, how do you handle receiving your Form 1040?  What do you use for a 'permanent address' on the form?
> 
> Since I just had cataract surgery, I wonder how you arrange having things like that done and still have to move from place to place?



Hi Cathy,

In their blog, Joan describes early on how they went about setting things up.  There is a link to the blog on the bottom of her posts.  Most of their bills are set up as ebills but their physical mail goes to their daughter who sends them a package every couple of weeks.

Their blog is great.  Happy reading


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## yumdrey (Oct 1, 2011)

I really enjoy your update!
Now I am planning my own "semi full-time timesharing"!


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## sunshine4 (Oct 1, 2011)

I would love to hear about your tips for food preservation you might have when you do have to change units. We always stay multiple weeks and that can be a problem. I would imagine you are a pro by now. Thanks for sharing your travels with us.


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## Jwerking (Oct 2, 2011)

yumdrey said:


> I really enjoy your update!
> Now I am planning my own "semi full-time timesharing"!



Wow, Joan, just found your blog today - very interesting what you are doing esp since my hubby and I are planning on retiring in April 2012.  So we will be doing the same as Yumdrey soon and planning "semi FT timesharing".

Right now, I am going crazy trying to figure out how to use an Award RTW ticket on AA ( Oneworld Alliance) to go visit my daughter who is working in Korea for 3 years.  We will visit Korea and other countries in Asia and would like to include New Zealand.  Of course, if I book TS - I have no clue whether I can get there at the desired times on an award ticket since I cannot book my ticket until early Feb 2012 to achieve my desired plans.   With the RTW ticket, you have to finish the trip one year from the time of booking and I want to finish my trip in NZ in Feb 2013.

Anyway, I need to start planning my semi FT timesharing for the next year - 2014.  I would love to do a month or more in Puerto Vallarta - wow, wonder if that is actually possible with my Mayan Palace week by locking off my two BR and doing the same with the extra week they give you.

Wow, too much to dream about!

Joyce


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## sunshine4 (Oct 2, 2011)

Congratulation Joyce we are also retiring April 2012. :whoopie: Maybe will see you on our dreammy travels!


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## Patri (Oct 2, 2011)

Do you ever miss just hanging out with longtime friends? I'm sure you make friends wherever you go, but that's different from having a long connection with people. And being in the same room is different than keeping in touch over email or phone. Just wondering.


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## Kagehitokiri2 (Oct 2, 2011)

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/05/19/the-homeless-billionaire/


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## lprstn (Oct 2, 2011)

I love hearing about this option of retiring. And hope to do this in little ways the years before full-time retirement timesharing.

We are planning on taking a leave of absence for 3 months after our youngest leaves for college. 

My co-worker did this and I would love to do the same. He saved for 2 years and took 6months off to live in Africa with his family. Sigh...I can't wait for that to be me. I already know where we want to 'live' for our 3 month taste of retirement.


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## cmh (Oct 2, 2011)

lprstn said:


> I love hearing about this option of retiring. And hope to do this in little ways the years before full-time retirement timesharing.
> 
> We are planning on taking a leave of absence for 3 months after our youngest leaves for college.
> 
> My co-worker did this and I would love to do the same. He saved for 2 years and took 6months off to live in Africa with his family. Sigh...I can't wait for that to be me. I already know where we want to 'live' for our 3 month taste of retirement.



And where would that be?


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## ronandjoan (Oct 3, 2011)

*Paying the IRS!*



learnalot said:


> Hi Cathy,
> 
> In their blog, Joan describes early on how they went about setting things up.  There is a link to the blog on the bottom of her posts.  Most of their bills are set up as ebills but their physical mail goes to their daughter who sends them a package every couple of weeks.
> 
> Their blog is great.  Happy reading



Hi to All, thanks for all the nice comments.
Just to update how we handle the bills.

We actually have two places to get mail: 

1)     Our son’s address in Seattle.   We have all our magazines go there, personal mail (e.g. Christmas cards – granddaughter Natalie says, “You guys get more mail than we do!”) and some companies that send mail there, e.g. RCI, Wyndham, and our Seattle bank,  any mail that is not urgent, since they do not forward mail.  (They are Generation X’s, that use digital and internet communication more!)  

2)     Back in Ohio, where our official residence is, we have a box in  a UPS Store, especially for certain bills, like our credit cards, which might be sending notices  and we have that mail shipped to us wherever we are, whenever we decide.  It has worked out very well; they are super nice there at the store.
      There are some websites which cannot have a different shipping address from a delivery address so sometimes that is a problem. (like AT&T!)

Taxation
IRS.  Since our official residence is still Ohio, that is where our driver’s licenses and car licenses are registered and therefore also our taxing address. We are in the process of changing it to Seattle since in Ohio we have state income tax, village income tax and school income tax, none of which Washington has. However, even though we can get a library card with a cell phone bill and bank statement address, we can’t get residency without a utility bill address! (Many states are that way, as we checked several, thinking of options.)  We are in the process of figuring out how to do that, and have about got it solved.

     Registering the car that we bought here in Seattle (for Seattle use!) in 2010 was quite a chore! See the posting in our BLOG for Oct 8th , Nov 16th, 19th, for the process we had to go through!


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## ronandjoan (Oct 3, 2011)

marlee73 said:


> I would love to hear about your tips for food preservation you might have when you do have to change units. We always stay multiple weeks and that can be a problem. I would imagine you are a pro by now. Thanks for sharing your travels with us.



Hi Marlee,
  I count a lot! :rofl: 
more about that later!!!!!! :whoopie:


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## Carol C (Oct 3, 2011)

Ray Harper and currently Joan and Ron have been such an inspiration to TUGgers who plan extended timeshare stays during retirement. Me, I wanna be just like Joan when I grow up...might even stay in St Augustine for a month from time to time!


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## MLR (Oct 3, 2011)

*I may have missed the answer to this one.....*

How many actual timeshares must one own in order to have enough to timeshare FULL time?  This may have been addressed elsewhere - but most of us only have one timeshare :0)

How many would you need in order to timeshare, say, 3-4 months in winter?

Just curious. Sorry If this was already in a post somewhere.

This FT time-sharing is an interesting concept. For now, we barely are able to use our one and only timeshare - due to care-giving duties. But, one can dream!


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## TSPam (Oct 3, 2011)

Hi
I have a good trading points based timeshare that gives me 3 or 4 studios a year in lowest season or 2 2 bedrooms in the lowest season. It would be less than a week in high season.

I use these weeks to end up with 5 months away from the cold of Ontario, Canada in 2 bedroom units (sometimes a one bedroom for a holiday week).  I stay in Orlando in the fall until end of January than to Hilton head for February and Williamsburg for March. It is not the warmest but sure better than home. I use my studios to book Thanksgiving, Christmas, New years, Presidents week and Easter (when early-- otherwise I am home). I book getaways for December as they are usually very inexpensive. I book them when there is a get a bonus week with getaway. I also book getaways for Williamsburg (with bonus week) I use the 4-XYZ that I can get with the exchanges to fill in the other weeks farther out than the bonus weeks let me. I use the bonus weeks at 60 days. I used bonus weeks for the weeks before thanksgiving and will use some after Easter this year.

I am not trying to see fabulous places but live in the winter in a warmer place. I love Disney so Orlando is good for me.

My MF are $1100 and I end up with all the fees and II fees and getaways at under $300 a week. This year it will be 20 weeks in Marriotts


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## tonisimo59 (Oct 3, 2011)

*newbie*

could you please explain the xyz program? I don't know how it works. Also, how did you get 20 weeks in Marriotts? Were any of them getaways?


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## TSPam (Oct 3, 2011)

tonisimo59
There is good info on the sightings/distressed thread about XYZ and one on the exchange thread. Yes I said that I got getaways in December and March. Probably 7 or 8 weeks.


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## DerekS (Oct 3, 2011)

Jwerking said:


> We would like to include New Zealand.  Joyce /QUOTE]
> 
> Hi Joyce
> 
> ...


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## MLR (Oct 4, 2011)

*Can't find this thread*



TSPam said:


> tonisimo59
> There is good info on the sightings/distressed thread about XYZ and one on the exchange thread. Yes I said that I got getaways in December and March. Probably 7 or 8 weeks.



I searched for XYZ and found nothing. Would like to read about this. Can you provide more info or direct me to the link?


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## TSPam (Oct 4, 2011)

I bumped the xyz thread in the sightings posts so you could find it more easily.
I wasn't sure how to post the link directly.
hope it helps.
PM me for specifics if you like


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## lprstn (Nov 17, 2011)

I see Joan and Ron fly a lot in their travels. I don't believe we'll have to do that since our family lives within a 12 hr driving window to the places we want to tromp on, but it's really nice to hear of all the options.


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## VacationForever (Nov 17, 2011)

Joan, How do you deal with medical health insurance providers/doctors/prescriptions when you are not "home" in Seattle?

Thanks, SP


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## JudyS (Nov 17, 2011)

MLR said:


> How many actual timeshares must one own in order to have enough to timeshare FULL time?  This may have been addressed elsewhere - but most of us only have one timeshare :0)   ...



I would guess that most timeshare owners worldwide have only one week. But many people on TUG have lots! Timeshares are like potato chips--it's hard to stop at one. I have 20!

For someone who wanted to timeshare many weeks per year, a Christmas Mountain Cottage UDI would be ideal. This type of ownership allows many reservations per year, with a low cost per week. Also, Christmas Mountain weeks can be traded in many different exchange systems.  Currently, the Christmas Mountain HOA (or rather, one of the Christmas Mountain HOAs-- there are several HOAs there) is giving away free UDIs. There is a thread on the Bargain Board about the giveaway. 

TSPam's approach of using various bonus weeks and Getaways (II rentals) also works, but I think a Christmas Mountain UDI would be even better, because it would allow for booking many exchange weeks per year as well as Getaways.


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## ronandjoan (Nov 17, 2011)

lprstn said:


> I see Joan and Ron fly a lot in their travels. I don't believe we'll have to do that since our family lives within a 12 hr driving window to the places we want to tromp on, but it's really nice to hear of all the options.



Hi lprstn,
yes, we fly a lot and it makes it a LOT HARDER to live this way....And Yes, it is tiring!  BUT, we have family obligations, as most of you know, my mother is in Seattle with total dementia and we try to get there every 4-6 weeks, .  Then, my stepmother dies last November, so my dad is more anxious to have more visits (he's 2 hours north of Seattle.)  And my MIL has Alzhemiers, so we see her when we can (saw her last month at a timeshare week in Branson, as she is in Little Rock.)

Compared to that, it's easy to go from timeshare to timeshare , e.g. in FL!  

I see you have units in Hawaii - we just arrived in Kona Tuesday night and were pretty tired...takes a day or two to recover.....as our son said, "Mom, travel is hard on the body."
Oh, surely not for us!


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## ronandjoan (Nov 17, 2011)

sptung said:


> Joan, How do you deal with medical health insurance providers/doctors/prescriptions when you are not "home" in Seattle?
> 
> Thanks, SP




Hi SP,
Good question!

Well, "home" is not Seattle....at least, not yet!  we are just there often because of my mother..and we can stay in our son's condo there, Usually just a few days at a time......and that's not long enough for DH!  but our schedule takes us away from Seattle more - wanting to be in warm climates- 
 (we just arrived in Kona Tuesday, away from the RAIN, and DH is now saying, "NO, I don;t want to go back to SEA [in a month]!")

but as per doctors!  we are actually in very good  straits now since we switched our medical care to Seattle last March; prior to that, our doctors were in Ohio!  And for the first 2 years, we were going to Ohio 2 or 3 times a year, but now...no.  No plans to go there in 2012.  We really needed to get care where we were more often, and because of the family obligations, Seattle was it.  

If you have read our BLOG, you know that DH got pancreatitus last Sept 
(2010) and we went to a nearby small regional hospital in Ottawa IL and then had to go to clinics along the way later for follow-up blood tests (Wi, MO, FL).  We were not near Ohio and our primary care physicians.  

As we were getting different numbers for "normal" readings, I asked my nurse friend [in Nashville] about them and she strongly "suggested" that we sign up with medical services whom we can see regularly.  So we changed to Seattle and are very happy.

BTW, DH is in very good shape medically....diabetes is totally under control...due to our strict diet ...which, howver, makes it even harder to travel and fly.  Gone are the days of grabbing a bagel or a bowl of cereal for breakfast, and ice cream for a snack!


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## VacationForever (Nov 17, 2011)

ronandjoan said:


> Hi SP,
> We really needed to get care where we were more often, and because of the family obligations, Seattle was it.
> 
> If you have read our BLOG, you know that DH got pancreatitus last Sept
> ...



Great that your husband's diabetes is under control.  I am very familiar with being good with the diet to help keep diabetes under control, plus exercise.   

I am reading that there is no silver bullet to the issue of health care though.  It's always been our concern as we will travel alot more in our retirement in another 3 years or so.  

Thanks for sharing!  SP


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## lprstn (Nov 17, 2011)

Oh you are in Kona! I love Kona. We are planning our next trip back in 2013. Wish I could go like ... now.


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## SknyTXGal (Dec 28, 2011)

*5 couples sold homes; Full-time timesharing; Interested*

Yesterday I met 5 couples at the resort I'm staying at.  They all sold their homes and are living their travel dreams via timeshare stays.

Most of them sold their homes and used the proceeds to purchase Wyndham presidential or points plus to stay at Wynham Marriotts through retirement.  The Wyndham points owned: 2.2M, 1.8M, 4M, 2M and 3M.

What got my attention is their stories and their monthly expenses.  One couple has a fixed pension of $1650 a month. Their state raised their property taxes and with inflation they could no longer afford to stay in their home.  Sold house, bought points.  They have presidential status with ability to reserve early; however, usually book 60 days or less at resorts with low reservations (off-peak) to get the 50% point discount.  They live at resorts for months at at time..  Get discounts and priority access to great golf courses, etc.  They say it's better than a retirement home and cheaper. They purchased: $13k for 157000 points with maint fees around $50/month. $600 a yr/157000 = $3.82/1000 points per yr.  

Math:  a 77k stay at 50% off =38,500 pts/wk.
38,500 pts x 52 weeks = 2,002,000 pts.  or 2002 K points. 
Maint calc:  $3.82 x 2002 = $7647.62 maint costs for the entire year!
  or $7647.62/12 months = $637.30 per month fees

These maint costs cover all phone land line, power, water, cable, trash pick up and property taxes and insurance. For those with Presidential status it also includes maid service 2 times per week.  What a bargain!    

I own a home.  I now realize full-time Timesharing might save me a lot of money.    My annual home property taxes and insurance alone $5000.  With utilities, my annual utilities easily exceed $8000.  Home maintenance is not cheap either, roofs, plumbing, etc.  I had an epiphany.. If your health is good, full-time TS seems like a great option..

I'm not sure what one would do when health issues would occur, e.g. major surgeries, etc.  Staying in one place year round might be an option...  It seems it might take more than $2M points to get to stay in one place for a long time.  

I did not have a chance to talk to each couple individually.  Some are staying at the resort year round.

This is very intriguing and I would like to learn more.


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## alexadeparis (Dec 28, 2011)

SknyTXGal said:


> Yesterday I met 5 couples at the resort I'm staying at.  They all sold their homes and are living their travel dreams via timeshare stays.
> 
> Most of them sold their homes and used the proceeds to purchase Wyndham presidential or points plus to stay at Wynham Marriotts through retirement.  The Wyndham points owned: 2.2M, 1.8M, 4M, 2M and 3M.
> 
> ...



Something is off with this math and the points owned. If they only own 157k points, I don't see how they are stretching these to over 2M points. Furthermore, $13k might be the right retail purchase price for 157k points, but this is not vip and won't get the 50% point discount. If you meant to say $130k for 1.57M points, I still don't see how this stretched to over 2M points. And they would probably be better off buying 4M points resale, with double the maintenance fees and no 50% point discount and saving the $130k purchase price (in my above example) and spending $15k per year in MF - it would take a long time for them to break even at that purchase price. But that's all speculative. I still say there is a typo somewhere in that math.


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## Rene McDaniel (Jan 1, 2012)

SknyTXGal
Guest

TUG readers beware!  This person (SknyTXGal) appears only posts to tell us about fabulous deals Wynham sales people are offering.

The numbers don't add up, and it sounds like a lurking timeshare salesperson to me.  Their only other post is about fabulous Wynham point offerings and all that can be done with them.  Buyer beware!!!


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## Ridewithme38 (Jan 1, 2012)

If you ignore the 157k junk....and just use these numbers



> Math: a 77k stay at 50% off =38,500 pts/wk.
> 38,500 pts x 52 weeks = 2,002,000 pts. or 2002 K points.
> Maint calc: $3.82 x 2002 = $7647.62 maint costs for the entire year!
> or $7647.62/12 months = $637.30 per month fees



These numbers seem to add up and be correct...without the 50% discount, that $637 would double


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## rrlongwell (Jan 1, 2012)

alexadeparis said:


> ... I don't see how they are stretching these to over 2M points ... MF - it would take a long time for them to break even at that purchase price ...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ronandjoan (Jan 4, 2012)

SknyTXGal said:


> Yesterday I met 5 couples at the resort I'm staying at.  They all sold their homes and are living their travel dreams via timeshare stays.
> 
> Most of them sold their homes and used the proceeds to purchase Wyndham presidential or points plus to stay at Wynham Marriotts through retirement.  The Wyndham points owned: 2.2M, 1.8M, 4M, 2M and 3M.
> 
> ...



1.  I would like to know which resort you were staying at when you met these 5 couples, some of whom were staying there year round.  We have found that most Wyndham places are difficult to get into during peak times at the 60 day window.

2.  There is no way a 157k purchase gave Presidential [Reserve]status.

3. Yes, their report of MF in the ~$3/1k points is probably incorrect: way too low, which would raise their annual costs.

4.  How did they stretch a 157k ownership to over 1M points... 

I can believe maybe one person might have found some loophole I the system and done this. (?), but 5????


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## SknyTXGal (Jan 5, 2012)

Answers to your questions:
1.Wyndham Ocean Ridge.  Occupancy was low, less than 50% between Christmas and New Years Day.  Each of the couples had mapped out which resorts had low occupancy for the next 12 months and knew where they were planning to go.  The Wyndham representatives at the resort stated that they helped individuals who are heavy users of their points map out their points to maximize their point values for 52 weeks or for snowbird escapees their escape months.  In fact, Wyndham reprs stated they plan on officially launching a new service to assist Presidential owners with this goal.  Apparentely they have realized this service provides value to the customer that differentiates their company and products from the competition.  They are officially going to market the service, track their performance, etc. 

2. There is no way a 157k purchase gave Presidential [Reserve]status.  
The 5 couples own >1M points, purchases =  "The Wyndham points owned: 2.2M, 1.8M, 4M, 2M and 3M."

3. Yes, their report of MF in the ~$3/1k points is probably incorrect: way too low, which would raise their annual costs.  
Agree, Wyndham representatives quoted to me an average of $5- $6/1k points.  However, these 5 expert couples learned how to locate the resorts with the lowest maintenance costs and buy them (legacy units).  Some purchased their initial points via third party resale, then purchased their "final" big batch thru Wyndham and negotiated for Presidential status on all the points because they purchased so many points.  If you buy 2M thru third party resale, then buy 1M to get Presidential status, good negotiation skills will get you what you want.

4. How did they stretch a 157k ownership to over 1M points...
The couples did not stretch 157k ownership to over 1M points.  I used the maintenance fees rate the couples were paying #3/1k points on the bulk of their points. I validated this maintenance fee rate is still available via purchasing Wyndham points through third party resale organizations with legacy units.  

According to my calculations, with Presidential status, reserving a hypothetical unit at 50% off a 77k week would require 2002 K points for one year, 52 wks.    Math:  a 77k stay at 50% off =38,500 pts/wk.
38,500 pts x 52 weeks = 2,002,000 pts.  or 2002 K points. 
  Note: Some of the 5 couples choose resorts with less point requirements per week than 77k.  With Presidential they would get a free upgrade to a larger unit.

Hope this answers your questions.


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## avad88 (Jan 5, 2012)

*Question for Joan*

Thanks, Joan, for all your tips. I love following your blog and as a travel nut myself, I'm envious. I would love to try timesharing for a year, but my husband is reluctant. We also have elderly Mothers (mine with dementia) and new grandkids. However, I've almost talked him into "trying" it next winter in FL, (we are on the East coast) and I know I need to begin planning and reserving now for 2013. We are with DAE, RCI weeks and II, but the TPUs are highest in FL and warm areas in the winter and we have only 2 weeks with II. 
My question is how early do you usually reserve your weeks in the FL areas for winter?  How much time do you usually devote to securing trades?
Thanks again, and happy traveling!!
Ava


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