# Harborside Trading



## peter (Mar 19, 2007)

I'v put in a bid for a week 17 2BDRM LO and I was wondering what kind of trading potential this week would have within harborside ( PREFERABLY DURING WINTER WEEKS) or maybe even the SVO network? Whats the best way to go through a closing in the Bahamas?
Any help is greatly APPRECIATED


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## gmarine (Mar 19, 2007)

If you are going to need a winter week then you should buy a winter week. Counting on trading a week 17 for a peak winter week is a recipe for disappointment.

Closings in the Bahamas generally take a few months and cost between $1500 and $1800 ish.


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## mariawolf (Mar 19, 2007)

According to my chart Week 17 is Platinum (winter)and is worth 148,100 points so you should be able to make reservations 10 months out--which I think is the timeframe for a reservation in your own season but not your own week?? I am pretty sure about that but not 100%. 
That is assuming it is Phase 1--not that familiar with Phase 2 except I think it is all float.
Curious about asking price.


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## mariawolf (Mar 19, 2007)

By the way new maintenance fees out today for that unit--$2231.31 so double check what you will be paying or if owner paying make sure they pay this new amount--usually bills come out earlier but I think this year due to this larger increase (close to$300 I think)  they came out later and are due 4/13.


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## DeniseM (Mar 19, 2007)

peter said:


> I'v put in a bid for a week 17 2BDRM LO and I was wondering what kind of trading potential this week would have within harborside ( PREFERABLY DURING WINTER WEEKS) or maybe even the SVO network? Whats the best way to go through a closing in the Bahamas?
> Any help is greatly APPRECIATED



St. John, Harborside, and Maui, are the 3 hardest exchanges in the SVO system.  If you really want a particular season/week, you need to buy a week during that season.


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## Steamboat Bill (Mar 19, 2007)

DeniseM said:


> St. John, Harborside, and Maui, are the 3 hardest exchanges in the SVO system.  If you really want a particular season/week, you need to buy a week during that season.



This is good advice...if it sounds too good to be true...it probably is.


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## peter (Mar 19, 2007)

Thanks for the help everyone


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## peter (Mar 19, 2007)

The bid is for phase 1. Is there a preference between phase 1 or 2? Is it true that 1 may have better views?


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## mariawolf (Mar 20, 2007)

Phase 1 does have better views but it also pretty much depends on the check in day--Sat,Sun arrivals are generally the best views of the marina==Sunday arrival has a view of pool and maybe the harbor.


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## arlene22 (Mar 20, 2007)

Short of owning the actual week you want to go every year, this is the best you can do. Week 17 is in the platinum season, so in Phase one, that means you can start requesting a platinum season reservation at 12 months out. Practically speaking, you will have a better chance at 10 months out, because that is when the fixed/float weeks start to float. However, you CAN go on waiting list for your preferred week at the 12 month mark, as long as you are requesting the same season (in this case, platinum) and villa type you own.

As far as trading within SVN, StarOptions are StarOptions. Your 148,100 StarOptions will trade the same as anyone else's-- it's all subject to availability (Elite members get some preferential treatment, but basically, this is how it works).

Phase one 2 BR L/O is larger (sq. ft) than Phase two. The decor is very different, with phase one being bright caribbean colors and phase two being more sophisticated neutrals. Personally, I prefer phase 1. You cannot beat the view from the Saturday checkin building (building 7). Phase two is newer, with flat screen tvs, dvd players, etc.


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## peter (Mar 20, 2007)

SO if I have week 17( which is plat.) am I garanteed a week within plat. if I get my name in on time or if not, at what time do I go back to my week 17?
Can I always go outside of plat. and get a week and if I get my name in on time what are my chances of getting into WSJ or  Haw. or other SVO
Thanks signed 
DENZER :


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## DeniseM (Mar 20, 2007)

peter said:


> SO if I have week 17( which is plat.) am I garanteed a week within plat. if I get my name in on time or if not, at what time do I go back to my week 17?
> Can I always go outside of plat. and get a week and if I get my name in on time what are my chances of getting into WSJ or  Haw. or other SVO
> Thanks signed
> DENZER :



It's not just a matter of getting your name in on time - First of all, units have to be available to reserve (other owners have to deposit them) and secondly, you have to get your reservation in BEFORE all the other owners who are competing for the same date.  

If you are flexible as far as when you can go, Maui is pretty doable, but WSJ is the hardest exchange in the Carribean, and definitely the hardest exchange in the SVN.  I tried last summer for several days to make a WSJ Resv., and they finally took pity on my 5 am calls and told me there was NOTHING available for the whole month for which I was calling!  

Other SVO properties are easier, especially during the off-season.  But, since there is such high demand for Harborside, you might do better by renting it for big bucks.   Since SVN is going to have a LOT of units on Maui, when they are all completed, there may be even more availability in the future.


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## peter (Mar 20, 2007)

You mentioned renting it for big bucks, would I want to rent week 17 or try & get a more desirable week to rent out and what do you call big bucks? will it cover interest on investment plus MF? Can you exchange directly with other owners within Harborside or say WSJ?


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## LisaRex (Mar 20, 2007)

I'm hoping with the new SVO properties, these Caribbean locations will not be as difficult to get into with an internal trade.  Hurry up and build, SVO!


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## DeniseM (Mar 20, 2007)

peter said:


> You mentioned renting it for big bucks, would I want to rent week 17 or try & get a more desirable week to rent out and what do you call big bucks? will it cover interest on investment plus MF?



Interest on "investment?"  Whoa!  

First of all, buying a timeshare is not an investment, unless all your investments lose money!     Buying a TS - especially one of this caliber, is purely a luxury purchase. 

Just my opinion, but, I personally don't believe you should finance a TS, unless maybe you can finance it with a low interest rate, home equity loan, so at least the interest is tax deductible.  If it were me, I would look for something that I could pay cash for.  Making a monthly payment plus a big yearly MF would take most of the fun out of timesharing for me...

Back on topic - I don't know about interest, but you should be able to rent it for more than your MF.  Look in the TUG classifieds to see what other Tuggers are asking for rent.
Harborside Classifieds



> Can you exchange directly with other owners within Harborside or say WSJ?



A couple of years ago a Tugger put together a private, SVO owner's exchange board, and he did a nice job of it too - but not one exchange ever materialized.  My understanding is that WSJ owners use their week or rent it, it's just to valuable to exchange.  You might do an internal Harborside exchange, but probably not for a more desirable week than the one you own.  However, you should have no trouble doing a private exchange with a Maui owner.


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## Transit (Mar 20, 2007)

"Investing in Harborside"This is not a new idea. It looks like Harborside has become a part time rental business .I counted over 200 rentals available on just 2 websites for the year.


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## gmarine (Mar 20, 2007)

Transit said:


> "Investing in Harborside"This is not a new idea. It looks like Harborside has become a part time rental business .I counted over 200 rentals available on just 2 websites for the year.




I think the reason for the large amount of rentals is a lot of people purchased who then realize they cant even afford the maintenance fees and have no choice but to rent. 

Think about the amount of people who purchased weeks from the developer for upwards of $25000 and financed at 10-15% interest. These people need to rent for $5000 or so per week just to break even. 

Looking at a timeshare as an investment isnt a good idea. Especially one with such a high cost and maintenance fees of over $2000 per year.

If your financing this purchase you should seriously reconsider.


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## Loriannf (Mar 21, 2007)

*I'd certainly trade my WSJ for Harborside*

We own WSJ 3 bedrooms and I've been trying since November for a 2 bedroom Harborside for the summer.  If you have a Harborside summer week, in a 2 bedroom lockout, I'd certainly say you'd have a good chance of a direct exchange into WSJ. 

Until SVO takes a hard look at demand and availability and adjusts the StarOptions, I think few WSJ units, particularly 3 bedrooms, are going to be deposited internally with SVO.  

Lori


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## arlene22 (Mar 21, 2007)

peter said:


> SO if I have week 17( which is plat.) am I garanteed a week within plat. if I get my name in on time or if not, at what time do I go back to my week 17?
> Can I always go outside of plat. and get a week and if I get my name in on time what are my chances of getting into WSJ or  Haw. or other SVO
> Thanks signed
> DENZER :



You are guaranteed your week 17 IF you call SVO before the 10 month mark and confirm with them that you want it. If you do not call, your week will begin to float at 10 months. If you want a different week within platinum, here are some scenerios:

a) you call for a different platinum week and it is available (yay) - you give up your week and take that one; b) you call for a different platinum week and it is not available - you give up your week and go on the waiting list; c) you call for a different week and it is not available - you keep calling and trying, but do not give up your week 17, so you will always have that to fall back on. That is an advantage of having the last week in platinum season. 

Starwood is pretty conservative with the wait list. If they don't think you have a good shot at getting it, they won't let you on the wait list. 

If you want a different season at Harborside, other than platinum, or a different villa type than what you own, then you will have to wait until 8 months out to reserve, and you will be competing with all the other SVN owners from other SVN resorts. You may have thought that owning platinum meant that you could reserve any week all year long within the owner preference period, but that is not the case. You only have preference within your own season and villa type. 

If you want to reserve a different SVN resort, then you wait until 8 months out and try at that point. Again, if what you want is not available but the wait list is available and you take that option, you will have to forfeit your week 17 reservation in order to go on the waiting list. You can always keep your confirmed week 17 and keep calling every day to see if what you wanted opens up. 4 and 5 star elites can keep their reservations while they are on the wait list.

I have never heard anyone complain that they gave up their week for the wait list but it didn't come through. If that has ever happened to anyone here, I would like to know, because it is a bit of a "leap of faith" (no pun intended) to give up your reservation for the waitlist...


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## mariawolf (Mar 21, 2007)

I agree about wait list--I was on it for Thanksgiving and got it.
Also own in Platinum and will say have not had issues getting other weeks in season--I own week 1--but 10 months is where you will be more successful because that is when fixed owners don't call by then their units float.
Summer is the season you will have issues if you think you want to trade to that.


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## peter (Mar 21, 2007)

Thankyou these were the answers to my questions I was looking for. The interest I was refering to was the rate you lose by not having the money in the bank or someother interest bearing investment, not the interest on borrowed money. I think it is important to consider the WHOLE cost in owning a timeshare, whether financially or personally


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## tsnewbie1 (Apr 3, 2007)

*harborside week*

I'm also interested in purchasing a platinum season 2BR LO phase1 at HS but not deeded for president week. 2 questions:
1. what are most popular weeks at HS that season?
2. will it be extremely difficult to get those wks based on your experiences?



arlene22 said:


> You are guaranteed your week 17 IF you call SVO before the 10 month mark and confirm with them that you want it. If you do not call, your week will begin to float at 10 months. If you want a different week within platinum, here are some scenerios:
> 
> a) you call for a different platinum week and it is available (yay) - you give up your week and take that one; b) you call for a different platinum week and it is not available - you give up your week and go on the waiting list; c) you call for a different week and it is not available - you keep calling and trying, but do not give up your week 17, so you will always have that to fall back on. That is an advantage of having the last week in platinum season.
> 
> ...


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## arlene22 (Apr 4, 2007)

tsnewbie said:


> I'm also interested in purchasing a platinum season 2BR LO phase1 at HS but not deeded for president week. 2 questions:
> 1. what are most popular weeks at HS that season?
> I have tried for President's Week and Easter Week. Both are extremely difficult to reserve if you don't own those weeks; however, I have, with persistence, been able to do so.2. will it be extremely difficult to get those wks based on your experiences?Yes.



It is quite a pain to reserve President's Week in phase 1, without owning it. If you absolutely have to have President's Week, and you are not willing to buy week 7, you may be better off buying phase 2, where everyone floats.


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## tsnewbie1 (Apr 4, 2007)

arlene22 said:


> It is quite a pain to reserve President's Week in phase 1, without owning it. If you absolutely have to have President's Week, and you are not willing to buy week 7, you may be better off buying phase 2, where everyone floats.



Is President's week always week 7, or sometimes in week 8? I'm hearing different opinions on this...

Has anyone here ever been denied President's week (when not owning that week)?

Also, how does that work in Phase II, where no one has a deeded week -- how does HS assure you'll get 'any' week in the Platinum season? (Or did they just sell/max-out 17 weeks x 'number of units'?)


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## arlene22 (Apr 4, 2007)

President's Week is occasionally week 8. But most of the time it's week 7. 

I have been able to make the PW reservation for the past three years, but not without great effort.

I believe phase 2 was sold as pure float within season. You have a deeded week for recording purposes, but no preference for that week. I do not own in phase 2, so someone correct me if I'm wrong here...


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## patty5ia (Apr 4, 2007)

*PLEASE, use amount and number correctly.*

When you can count them, use number.  When it can't be counted, used amount.
For example, there will be a large number of quarts of milk available.  And there will be a large amount of milk available.
Get it?


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## saluki (Apr 4, 2007)

patty5ia said:


> When you can count them, use number.  When it can't be counted, used amount.
> For example, there will be a large number of quarts of milk available.  And there will be a large amount of milk available.
> Get it?



No........


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## DeniseM (Apr 4, 2007)

patty5ia said:


> When you can count them, use number.  When it can't be counted, used amount.
> For example, there will be a large number of quarts of milk available.  And there will be a large amount of milk available.
> Get it?



When you want to refer to a post, go to the post and use the quote button, then  put your post in the same box - that way we will know what you're talking about.  Get it?


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