Woodstone at Messanutten

[bgva]

I would like input from the community on a timeshare I purchased today for $5990. The property is Woodstone at Massanutten resort in Virginia. It's a floating unit, week number 40, luxury partial kitchen. My maintenance fee is $237.25 annually. It's a bi-yearly with a bonus week annually from RCI. The RCI exhange fee globally is $239.

What say ye?

 

[Synergy]

Rescind! I've been looking for specific weeks of the ownership you just bought, and people are giving them away for free. Trust me, there's nothing in developer ownership with Vacation Villages that is worth six grand. Rescind, research, and if the idea you purchased for still seems like a good plan for you, you'll have your choice of Massanutten ownerships for next to nothing - maybe even actually nothing.

 

[bgva]

Rescind! I've been looking for specific weeks of the ownership you just bought, and people are giving them away for free. Trust me, there's nothing in developer ownership with Vacation Villages that is worth six grand. Rescind, research, and if the idea you purchased for still seems like a good plan for you, you'll have your choice of Massanutten ownerships for next to nothing - maybe even actually nothing.

Thanks so much for your input. I actually really like Massanutten. I don't know if I can get the gold cards through resale (which is where you get the country club benefits).

Mostly, I wanted to use the timeshare for exchange and country club benefits (I should have said that in my original post). Do anyone know if renting week 40 is possible, likely? Or renting any week there if I rescind (thinking about it).

 

[Synergy]

I know next to nothing about the gold card, except that no, you don't get that with resale. Hopefully others will know what 'day use' privileges you get for being a gold card owner vs being a resale owner. I do understand how highly sold of those kinds of privileges can be valued, you just want to make sure that you're getting what you think you're getting.

As for exchanges, it totally depends on what you're trying to do. If what your want to do is trade back into Massanutten in week 40, I think you're fine. The exchange fee will actually be a little less than you thought. Renting should also definitely be an option. If you're trying to get to higher demand places, I'd generally advise you stick to midsummer weeks ownerships, to maximize the trading power you'd get.

Edit : my response assumed you'd end up deciding to get a resale week which might well not be the right choice for you. I think the folks here have a link for how to rent Last Call weeks without having RCI. I imagine (hope?) is slightly more expensive to the public than it is for owners, but it might still be cheaper than the ~$450 a week you'd be paying...

 

[bgva]

Since my purchase price is so low, in my mind, I was thinking I could rent my week out and recoup some of my fees (if I could get a thousand a year, maybe,for my week). I'd be content with a less than $300 maintenance fee for the foreseeable future. But, I'm starting to wonder if that is likely. Also, all the other benefits that came with that seem less desirable. For example, in the presentation, they really emphasized reduced airfare, cruises, and car rentals. But, from perusing the interwebs, it looks like RCI's "discounted" prices are comparable to a good Google search. Also, I'm even learning that a lot of people can't get the exchanges they want. So, it feels like I basically would just be paying to get my money back, which is obviously pointless.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[BobDE]

I have been an owner since 1991 (before Al Gore invented the internet). I have NEVER used the Gold Card. Look on eBay and see what you can buy a timeshare for. I wonder how many people are trying to rent. I am thinking that it would be a lot of competition. Rescind now. That deal will always be there if you want it!

 

[Eric B]

Bottom line up front, you should probably rescind now and consider buying/obtaining resale. Your read on the RCI discounts seems accurate to me; you can find the occasional good deal through there for car rentals, etc., but those aren't limited to retail purchasers. The payback period on gold card benefits, if you actually use them, is very long even at a $5990 purchase price when you compare what you can get a week there for resale.

There are currently 8 free Woodstone weeks, 5 Summit weeks, and 3 Regal Vista weeks available on Timeshare Nation (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Drg71NVXGz8jKbq8h9TAwLw1CxRCdLAZ1j8upwjTXic/htmlview#). They actually cover the closing and resort transfer costs if you'll take over a timeshare from them; they are paid up front by resorts or people that are divesting them. Had I known about them when I started timesharing years ago, I would not have a Massanutten gold card myself, which I have only used for some minor discounts when staying there.

I have used the occasional free week that Massanutten/Vacation Village gives me for their 5-year anniversaries. I've also been happy to pay my MFs early and get the trading power boost weeks. Neither of those is associated with a developer purchase, though. I believe that the extra vacation certificate they give you for RCI isn't restricted to developer purchases; in any case, if you make a copy of it and do wind up rescinding, which I recommend, RCI will still honor it - those are more of a way for RCI to market excess resort inventory and get an exchange fee from you than an expense to Massanutten/Vacation Village.

If you really want to owner there and are trying to avoid the resort fees, Mountainside Villas occupants aren't charged them and they have somewhat better privileges because it's an older part of the resort and no longer actively being sold. You can find resale units available there on the HOA web site at http://www.mountainside-villas.com/unit-for-sale/. They also exchange in II, which is a good option to have.

As for renting out the week, I haven't tried doing that with mine, but have seen posts by @tschwa2 about renting out there in the past. Look through the US - Eastern States Timesharing forum for posts about Massanutten and you might find further information that is good to have from the customer side. In any case, if you are planning on trying to rent out weeks and have the opportunity to do some research before buying or deciding to rescind this one, Interval International provides some information on what timeshare weeks throughout the year have the greatest demand; here is their Travel Demand Index that applies to Massanutten; it looks like week 40 is ok, but not as good as weeks 25-30. (There is a 2 BR Woodstone week 27 on Timeshare Nation that would be free and there are three Mountainside Villas on the HOA site in that range that be either closing costs only, $1500, or $2500 negotiable.) Bear in mind that the demand index from II covers more than just the Shenandoah valley and doesn't look like it takes into account any demand for skiing at Massanutten, which might get some higher demand in the winter months, but wouldn't, IMHO, affect week 40.

 

[dukebigtom]

Woodstone is almost always available on RCI and/or II. So, in my opinion, owning there is not worth the initial cost or the maintenance fees. I think lots of people fall prey to the sales pitch about it being such a good trader and buy for that reason and the relatively low costs. But, I think there are lots of people trying to trade the resort or rent it, so very competitive. Bottom line, all the advice you’ve been given above seems reasonable. But, of all the info given, the “rescind and look online for a netter deal, maybe even free”. For what it is worth, I own a number of timeshares and bought all as resales. I have never paid more than twenty cents on the dollar compared to developer prices and often much less. (Free).

 

[Eric B]

Woodstone is almost always available on RCI and/or II. So, in my opinion, owning there is not worth the initial cost or the maintenance fees. I think lots of people fall prey to the sales pitch about it being such a good trader and buy for that reason and the relatively low costs. But, I think there are lots of people trying to trade the resort or rent it, so very competitive. Bottom line, all the advice you’ve been given above seems reasonable. But, of all the info given, the “rescind and look online for a netter deal, maybe even free”. For what it is worth, I own a number of timeshares and bought all as resales. I have never paid more than twenty cents on the dollar compared to developer prices and often much less. (Free).

Actually, Woodstone doesn't trade in II but only in RCI. You're right about the availability for Massanutten weeks, though. On the plus side for owning there is the RCI points or TPUs per MF$ when you use them to exchange.

 

[Grammarhero]

Why buy for $6k when you can get for $1?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Drg71NVXGz8jKbq8h9TAwLw1CxRCdLAZ1j8upwjTXic/htmlview#
Sort by Resort, then scroll to W.

 

[Grammarhero]

Since my purchase price is so low, in my mind, I was thinking I could rent my week out and recoup some of my fees (if I could get a thousand a year, maybe,for my week). I'd be content with a less than $300 maintenance fee for the foreseeable future. But, I'm starting to wonder if that is likely. Also, all the other benefits that came with that seem less desirable. For example, in the presentation, they really emphasized reduced airfare, cruises, and car rentals. But, from perusing the interwebs, it looks like RCI's "discounted" prices are comparable to a good Google search. Also, I'm even learning that a lot of people can't get the exchanges they want. So, it feels like I basically would just be paying to get my money back, which is obviously pointless.

Any thoughts on this?

We hope that your rescission went well. Care to update us?

 

[Xan]

I would like input from the community on a timeshare I purchased today for $5990. The property is Woodstone at Massanutten resort in Virginia. It's a floating unit, week number 40, luxury partial kitchen. My maintenance fee is $237.25 annually. It's a bi-yearly with a bonus week annually from RCI. The RCI exhange fee globally is $239.

What say ye?

I used to own fixed wk 39 at Woodstone, 4 Bd/yearly. I gave it away last year and paid all transfer fees.

I never stayed there, considering I wanted the use of an outdoor pool to use, (past season), and the place wasn’t my style. (Did a free owners weekend at the Summit part in the winter.)

I don’t know anything about a Gold card.

Massanutten has its own rental department that you pay a fee to have them take care of everything, but there is no guarantee that it will rent or maybe only a few days will rent, which still covers your yearly MF. (You get a check and a 1099 for tax purposes a few weeks after the rental.)

You can rent it yourself, but you have to write out a permission letter for the renter so they can get the weekly ID card. Plus, there may be additional cleaning fees. Learn from the rental department.

Week 40 usually has some major events going on in the “Valley” or at Massanutten.

It’s excellent for trading...I would get two weeks in 2 bd units, which I almost always traded into Hawaii, but I already own 3 oceanfront units on Kaua’i and couldn’t vacation that much, so it had to go.

I would rescind and rent, or go for a free one or a floating week!

Keep in mind that if you do keep it, and rent it out through them, most rentals don’t come until about a week or two before your booked week is.

You can trade through DAE, which is free. You don’t have to be an RCI member to own at Massanutten, that only gives you benefits of the extra week for depositing early and possibly more trading choices. It really depends on if that is where you really want to vacation or just trade it, or rent it.

I’m glad I now only own my 3 units on Kaua’i, since that is the only resort we want to stay at from now on, once we can afford to not have to rent them out for a few years until we make a move back home several states away, we will be back on Kaua’i on the oceanfront.

Seriously consider rescinding if it’s not too late, unless you really like that resort and being stuck with a fixed week! (I’ve never seen a summer week come up for trade between RCI or DAE, unless it showed up last minute, which would of been too late for me, since I plan my vacations a year in advance.)




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[bgva]

Thanks everyone! I decided to rescind based on your comments.