Want to buy Orange Lake resale after reading here and renting from someone. Questions!

[Aytons4him]

Been reading LOTS on here and we have come to the conclusion that with our lifestyle (9 kids) ability to travel in low seasons (homeschooled) that we want to buy somewhere warm, fun and drivable for us. (We are Canadians)
We rented Orangelake from an owner here and just got home last week. We loved it! Went to a presentation but knew better as we had read here first Goodness are they ever high pressure though... awful!!

So as we have been combing different resale boards we are trying to figure out why there is such a vast difference in maintenance fees for the same thing?? Same village, same weeks, same size unit and yet 200-300 difference in maintenance fees.

Why is This?
And what keeps those in charge from not just bumping you up to whatever everyone else is paying?
Are there rules in place at all when it comes to raising maintenance fees?

 

[tschwa2]

You may be looking at old MF that haven't been updated. Some people may not include the property tax in the amount of mf that they report.
At OL there is a slight difference between different villages. The biggest difference is River Island. There is also a differences in the amount of property tax usually based on the size and season which can account up to $120 or so between high and low season.

Travelling in low season won't help if you are buying a deeded week at OL resale. You will pay close to $1000 in MF regardless of the week you own and you can only use the deeded week (not points) if you buy resale at OL.

 

[Aytons4him]

Oh ok, the not being updated makes sense. And if they are not including the taxes as well. Yes, the weeks that have been converted to points seem to have higher maintenance fees. But I understand those go back to fixed weeks anyway if they are bought resale.
We aren’t interested in points anyway as we just don’t need that flexibility. With this many children we aren’t flying anywhere lol.
Right now we can rent for less than some are paying in maintenance fees. This makes us question whether we should buy....
We want to buy for the security of having that vacation every year there, but what stops them from continuing to hike maintenance fees really crazy?

 

[tschwa2]

There are those that own a premium week that have converted and now can get 2 lower season weeks for points they get for their prime week. They can rent for less than weeks owners pay in MF. There are also weeks owners who can't find anyone to rent for enough to cover their MF's so they are willing to rent for less to cover some of it. If you can travel during lower seasons, you will likely be able to find premium Orlando resorts for less than weeks owners pay for MF's.

 

[Bmatrose]

I agree with tschwa2. If you only plan on going off season, look to rent from an owner or even through ihg. Doesn't make sense to pay the maintenance fees forever when you can rent for less.

 

[Aytons4him]

Ok makes sense. I guess I just worry about NOT being able to rent eventually at that great cost. I want to make sure I can stay there for no more than 1000. And I love the idea of that guaranteed vacation every year and not having to wait till 2 months before to try and get a good price.
Hmmmm. What to do.

 

[Sshine]

We are in the process of buying a 3 bedroom fixed summer week at Orange Lake. We are buying resale of course! Ive gone every year, same week, since I was a kid (my parents own here). But now that I’m older & married with kids of my own, my husband & I wanted to guaranee that vacation every year with our own kids. I really like the tradition of it & that it’s close enough to drive to from our house. We love it & can’t wait for our closing to be complete. There have been very few years my parents weren’t able to use theirs...like for a wedding one year & in that case they rented it out for more than what their maintenance fees were. I also think owning is nice if you have a large family because it’s hard to rent a 2 or 3 bedroom hotel & have all the amenities you get for the same price as what maintenance fees are. For us, it works & is something we look forward to every year.

 

[Aytons4him]

Thank you, this is helpful. I guess that’s what we are thinking too. A guaranteed vacation that also forces you to save monthly for it because those maintenance fees are coming whether you are ready or not. In a big family, it’s easy to put off vacation as there is always something that you feel might be more “responsible” to put money towards.
We added up what it costs for us to take our kids away just for a simple weekend in a plain hotel suite for 3 weekends a year doing one thing “special” each time and it’s more cost than a week at OL. And our kids would rather skip those weekends and instead go to Florida once a year.
We want to buy for these reasons but then I see the rental budget board on here last night and think wow, but we could save even more just renting every year!
If there was a way to know that the maintenance fees aren’t going to go up crazy every year I think that would help squish the anxiety we feel a bit.

If you don’t mind me asking what are your maintenance fees for the 3 bedroom you’re buying? What village?

 

[Sshine]

I completely understand. We are currently in the process of buying our unit, so I can only go off our estimated maintenance fees of $1,040 which is for a 3 bedroom in the east village. My parents have owned for several years & their maintenance fee has gone up over the years. Unfortunately, I think that is just standard.

 

[LannyPC]

Right now we can rent for less than some are paying in maintenance fees. This makes us question whether we should buy....
We want to buy for the security of having that vacation every year there, but what stops them from continuing to hike maintenance fees really crazy?

...which is why renting might make more sense in your case. You mentioned that you looked at TUG's Last Minute Rental board. Did you know that you can also advertise there up to 45 days in advance that you want to rent from someone? Chances are good that someone will have something for you, especially if that person has a points package and can scrounge up something with his points.

I know many who buy like the philosophy of "It forces you to travel". Fair enough. But things happen in life that force you to not travel such as a major illness or job loss. As well, there just might be something come up where another travel option might be more desirable such as a family camping trip or cruise, etc.

And to anyone who is contemplating buying a TS, most here on TUG would recommend that you very carefully think about how you will get rid of it once it no longer suits your needs or tastes. You might be surprised how many people come here on TUG asking how to get rid of their respective timeshares after owning them for only a few years. Continuously rising MFs, as you mentioned in your post, is one factor.

 

[Tank]

Price of everything goes up in time, at our houses also.
Updates, remodels , grooming the grounds, all these Needed to keep owners / guests happy cost lots of money. Expectations are very high.
"Dated" timeshares are called out.
Raises to employees , we all want raises.

So the cost will go up - gradually with time that's inflation.

Knowledge is power also, at Orange lake a studio up to a 3 bedroom can have the exact same MF. So the 3 bedroom owner is way happier on the purchase than the 1 bedroom owner when they find this out.

I know a lady from Canada that has a 3 bedroom @ river island the week of spring break she wants to sell and I'm sure you would save money owning vs renting this week, but if you were able to travel off peak you would save money renting.

Again knowledge is power!

 

[Aytons4him]

Ok yes I forgot about that 45 days board. That’s a good idea! As I was thinking I would have to be scoping the board daily to see if what I want comes up.
I’m thinking we are going to wait and see how renting plays out for us for a couple of years but if one of the weeks we really wanted comes up with a really motivated seller whereas we just need to take over the maintenance fees and there is virtually no cost in buying we may take the plunge.
I would be content to rent and see how that works for us. Plus I guess it would allow us to check out a couple other places to stay in Orlando. I would love to stay at both bonnet creek and Sheraton vistana. We have only stayed at OL and summer bay.

 

[Aytons4him]

@Tank thats true. You want the place to stay upkept and nice and not become dated.

I guess I just don’t understand why maintenance fees seem to differ so much. How do they decide what the maintenance fees will be?

Can they hike them dramatically or is there something in place that only allows them to raise them slightly every year?

What policies are in place or is there none?

 

[Aytons4him]

I completely understand. We are currently in the process of buying our unit, so I can only go off our estimated maintenance fees of $1,040 which is for a 3 bedroom in the east village. My parents have owned for several years & their maintenance fee has gone up over the years. Unfortunately, I think that is just standard.

That’s Sounds great!! Just over 1000 for a 3 bedroom! We have seen such a vast array of differences in maintenance fees on the resale boards. There is a 3 bedroom with maintenance fees of 700 but the resale cost is in the thousands. And then you’ll see a two bedroom with maintenance fees of 1200. Just dont understand. Similar weeks and villages.

 

[Venter]

If you really want to know what you are getting into regarding unit and MF's then ask for an Estoppel for the add you are interested in.

There is a board that meets and decides on the maintenance fees every year and take into consideration things like paying staff, bills like water and electricity, redecorating,(mostly soft furnishings every five years and hard every 10 - there is an estimated amount put away for it every year), special assessments(for any storm damage etc.) and so on. There is normally not any rules that say you cannot increase it over a certain amount(in Spain however it is not allowed to increase more than inflation).
The boards are either independent or developer controlled and owners do get to vote on who sits on the board most of the time.

 

[Aytons4him]

If you really want to know what you are getting into regarding unit and MF's then ask for an Estoppel for the add you are interested in.

There is a board that meets and decides on the maintenance fees every year and take into consideration things like paying staff, bills like water and electricity, redecorating,(mostly soft furnishings every five years and hard every 10 - there is an estimated amount put away for it every year), special assessments(for any storm damage etc.) and so on. There is normally not any rules that say you cannot increase it over a certain amount(in Spain however it is not allowed to increase more than inflation).
The boards are either independent or developer controlled and owners do get to vote on who sits on the board most of the time.

Ok, thank You!! Now off to read what estoppel means lol!

 

[LannyPC]

Now off to read what estoppel means lol!

https://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare_estoppel_letters.html

 

[Aytons4him]

https://tug2.net/timeshare_advice/timeshare_estoppel_letters.html

Perfect thanks!! I just got back on here to search

 

[SabresFan]

That’s Sounds great!! Just over 1000 for a 3 bedroom! We have seen such a vast array of differences in maintenance fees on the resale boards. There is a 3 bedroom with maintenance fees of 700 but the resale cost is in the thousands. And then you’ll see a two bedroom with maintenance fees of 1200. Just dont understand. Similar weeks and villages.

Asking price is different from selling price, just like when you are looking for a house.
Also, if you are comfortable going off season, consider something like tripbeat.com. They rent weeks for $399 and up, and they just had a sale of buy-one-get-one free (sale is no longer active). For traveling in peak seasons you probably won't find much there though.
I've been seriously considering buying Sheraton Vistana - you should be able to pick up a week for $1 or so, and the maintenance fees seem reasonable to me, although it varies a lot by the phase you buy in (like a low of $700 ish to a high of $1200 ish). I'm probably not going to take the plunge there just because I need more flexibility than the typical Fri to Fri or Sat to Sat week, so more likely to go with a point based program. But you should be able to find multiple options in the Orlando area that are reasonable. Just focus heavily on the maintenance fees - the acquisition price should be low for just about anything in Orlando area other than DVC or Marriott.

 

[rickandcindy23]

What's so much better about Orange Lake? We had a terrible experience there years ago, and I mean 15+ years ago, which colored my opinion of OL, and I cannot imagine going back again.

There are other Orlando resorts, and there are other resorts you can buy to exchange in cheaper, too. I agree about renting for a while. Renting can be much cheaper.

 

[Sshine]

What's so much better about Orange Lake? We had a terrible experience there years ago, and I mean 15+ years ago, which colored my opinion of OL, and I cannot imagine going back again.

There are other Orlando resorts, and there are other resorts you can buy to exchange in cheaper, too. I agree about renting for a while. Renting can be much cheaper.

We love Orange Lake! Not sure what you mean by “what’s so much better”...not sure what you are wanting to compare it to, but...Our family has gone for the past 20+ years & we love it. We love the staff, the other families we have met, the pools, lazy river, golf, restaurants & bars, Starbucks, ice cream, put putt, kids area, etc all that you can do without leaving the resort. It has something for everyone in our family. Plus the fact they offer shuttle service between the “villages”. They are constantly cleaning & updating things. I know everyone has their own preferences but these are some of the things we love the most about orange lake.

I also agree with you about renting. I think renting here & other places around Orlando will give you a good idea if it’s the place for your family or not.

 

[Aytons4him]

Asking price is different from selling price, just like when you are looking for a house.
Also, if you are comfortable going off season, consider something like tripbeat.com. They rent weeks for $399 and up, and they just had a sale of buy-one-get-one free (sale is no longer active). For traveling in peak seasons you probably won't find much there though.
I've been seriously considering buying Sheraton Vistana - you should be able to pick up a week for $1 or so, and the maintenance fees seem reasonable to me, although it varies a lot by the phase you buy in (like a low of $700 ish to a high of $1200 ish). I'm probably not going to take the plunge there just because I need more flexibility than the typical Fri to Fri or Sat to Sat week, so more likely to go with a point based program. But you should be able to find multiple options in the Orlando area that are reasonable. Just focus heavily on the maintenance fees - the acquisition price should be low for just about anything in Orlando area other than DVC or Marriott.

Yes that’s true, asking price is different than selling price, but I have been so surprised by how much many are listed for. Do they not see these go for $1 elsewhere?
The most expensive ones are on sellmytimesharenow. I even inquired about a couple of them and no response. I’m thinking the provider encourages the seller to hold out for these thousands they will one day get back while they personally rent out the sellers week ever year for a profit. The maintenance fees are $700 and then they probably rent the week out for 1200+ somewhere and just give the seller his dues back.

 

[Aytons4him]

What's so much better about Orange Lake? We had a terrible experience there years ago, and I mean 15+ years ago, which colored my opinion of OL, and I cannot imagine going back again.

There are other Orlando resorts, and there are other resorts you can buy to exchange in cheaper, too. I agree about renting for a while. Renting can be much cheaper.

Oh that’s too bad! This was our first time there and we absolutely LOVED it. The resort was clean and beautiful. Lots to do and the shuttles were super handy for our big kids to get around. We loved that we were in a quieter village and really liked the north pool.
However, I do like the idea of testing out some other Orlando places by renting. I think after reading here from everyone that may be wise.

 

[LannyPC]

Yes that’s true, asking price is different than selling price, but I have been so surprised by how much many are listed for. Do they not see these go for $1 elsewhere?
The most expensive ones are on sellmytimesharenow.

The answer is either No or some owners are just delusional. Unfortunately for people in both categories, that's what sets them up to fall for the infamous upfront fee resale/rental scam.

As for Sell My Timeshare Now (SMTN), there have been plenty of threads about this company. It is a very high-priced listing service that gets owners by telling them that this website is for owners who are seeking to get "full market value" (ie. tens of thousands of dollars) whereas, in the minds of SMTN, a more modestly-priced listing website such as TUG or Red Week is for owners who want to desperately shed their TS just to get rid of the MFs and don't care how much (or how little) they get for it.

 

[DrQ]

Our resort was absorbed by Orange Lake, we upgraded to HICV. We are going to the mothership in October for a family get-together. I will reserve my opinion until afer that.