Why are there so many SDO units for sale and why are they selling for pennies on the dollar ? I have seen many 1 BDs for sale between 500 -1000 for platinum EY. Is there a major assesment coming due or is it built on Love Canal ?
SDO Rules.
SDO consistently rates among the top 10 resorts in Scottsdale on
TripAdvisor, and it has one of the lowest maintenance fees within SVO.
All of the individual villas were remodeled a couple of years ago (by the same design firm that is currently doing Vistana Resort and Vistana Beach club), but SDO’s remodel was done WITHOUT any special assessments.
As far as trading ability goes, SDO gets the job done.
Here are a few trades I’ve found and/or made with my SDO.
SDO doesn’t border a fancy-pants hotel or golf course. Rather, it has a vacant lot (usually with a bunch of campers parked on it) to its immediate north, an apartment complex to its immediate south and another timeshare (
Villa Mirage) directly behind it. A tastefully landscaped fence around SDO’s outer boundary prevents an easy walk to any of these places though.
I think part of SDO’s perceived reduced value is caused by the fact SVO was selling Westin Kierland Villas (“WKV”) timeshares just down the road for so long. In the process of building up steam for its then new WKV, it probably indirectly deflated SDO’s steam in the process. Moreover, WKV
IS on a golf course and adjacent to a fancy-pants hotel (Westin Kierland) with all the rights and privileges vested therein.
Between the two, if money were truly no object, WKV would win hands down, but money IS an object, and with resale SDO prices and its maintenance fees so low, SDO is a true diamond (not even in the rough).
DIGRESSION ALERT:
I digress here, but I finished my book early at WKV last time, so I ended up reading the Spa "services menu” provided in the room. I’m not making this up, but the "Agave" spa at the Westin Kierland hotel actually offers an “ice-cream pedicure.” Apparently, you pick your favorite ice cream flavor and instead of eating it, you soak your feet in it. They then follow it with (and I’m still not making this up) “a sherbet scrub and a topping-flavored masque” all for only $110. Sheesh. (BTW, who is ever going to taste this final "masque" coating? Yuck.)
Well shortly after reading this, we all went to the WKV family pool and found a couple of lounge chairs in a nice shady spot right under a tree. The WKV pools are fancy like that with real trees surrounding the family pool instead of the rather stark awnings and umbrellas at the SDO pools. After setting up shop and starting to relax, a bird who was looking for a handout while resting in the tree above me, decided to relieve himself right on my head. My wife gave the usual response we have when such situations arise in our family: “That’s good luck!”
The only thing I could think was “Don’t tell the ‘Agave’ Spa or we’ll be charged $110 for this.”
BACK TO THE POINT:
I guess what I’m saying is that perception and reality often differ. The Agave Spa is able to use this imbalance to convince people to spend $110 for $2 worth of ice-cream. In contrast, SDO suffers from a negative perception/reality balance whereby you can currently buy $110 worth of ice-cream for $2. Which is the better deal? It’s all in the perception.
-nodge
Oh Yeah, don't sit under any trees at WKV's pools or for that matter any other pools where they serve food. One would think that this issue would be a key factor in tree selection and placement for pool areas 101, but apparently SVO didn't take that class. -n