AlwaysOnTheRoad
newbie
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2018
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 3
1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
Primarily US destinations - we occasionally travel overseas, but most travel is in North America, Caribbean, or Central America.
2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Trade almost all the time. That said, having a home resort in south Florida that included day use privileges would be very appealing, if such a thing exists.
3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Honestly don't care, we just enjoy getting away. We like big cities, mountainside cabins, and everything in between.
4) How many people do you usually travel with?
80% of our travel is just the two of us, where even a hotel room is acceptable, but being able to get a much larger unit when we want to travel with family and friends is pretty important to us.
5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Anytime, though we tend not to travel during holidays because we are paid handsomely to work them. We avoid peak season due to flight loads.
6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Technically, yes - but realistically, we only take one or two week-long trips a year that are bid that far out. The vast majority of our trips are a few nights, planned 1-8 weeks out.
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Usually not. We primarily get away for 2-4 nights, typically midweek. We only take one or two week-long trips a year - those are the trips we usually need a much larger unit.
8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
We are really, really not picky. We camp as often as we stay in nice hotels, and happily stay pretty much anywhere without bedbugs.
9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
Technically no limit, but if it starts approaching the cost of a new RV and tow vehicle, my partner will question my sanity. So, uh, less than 50k? I don't want to spend that much, even on a whole slew of ownerships, but price isn't a deal breaker if the value is there.
10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
Well, we spent almost 10k last year on hotels and airbnb stays. I could see us being willing to spend that as a lump sum each year if we were able to avoid hotels completely, but that doesn't seem realistic. The dollar amount really isn't an issue, though, we're a DINK household with plenty of disposable income.
11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Very much so, in that I am a hotel and airline points addict. No problems setting my alarm to score newly released award seats on planes, jumping through hoops to meet promotion terms, or constantly checking refundable prices to grab price reductions. On trips themselves, though, we're very go-with-the-flow. What could ruin a vacation for some detail freaks is just another adventure for us.
12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes, though ideally we would choose ownerships that would be easier to give away or even sell.
Anyway, I've been reading extensively here and now know just enough to know that we don't know much of anything. We figure we're most interested in points programs, because of our frequent short (last minute) trips. I'm quite lost as to how the different 'closed' programs work for resale purchases of points, though. Housekeeping fees may even make the whole idea less appealing, though after a couple disastrous airbnb experiences we'd likely be willing to pay some amount extra to avoid similar issues in the future. In my head we'd end up with several properties in more than one program.
We are tempted to start with an RCI points membership with a low mf to point ratio, and build from there. Their low priced week-long getaways might work well for us, even for shorter stays.
Any and all advice is welcomed and appreciated!! Thank you for reading our missive ;-)
Primarily US destinations - we occasionally travel overseas, but most travel is in North America, Caribbean, or Central America.
2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
Trade almost all the time. That said, having a home resort in south Florida that included day use privileges would be very appealing, if such a thing exists.
3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Honestly don't care, we just enjoy getting away. We like big cities, mountainside cabins, and everything in between.
4) How many people do you usually travel with?
80% of our travel is just the two of us, where even a hotel room is acceptable, but being able to get a much larger unit when we want to travel with family and friends is pretty important to us.
5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Anytime, though we tend not to travel during holidays because we are paid handsomely to work them. We avoid peak season due to flight loads.
6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Technically, yes - but realistically, we only take one or two week-long trips a year that are bid that far out. The vast majority of our trips are a few nights, planned 1-8 weeks out.
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Usually not. We primarily get away for 2-4 nights, typically midweek. We only take one or two week-long trips a year - those are the trips we usually need a much larger unit.
8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
We are really, really not picky. We camp as often as we stay in nice hotels, and happily stay pretty much anywhere without bedbugs.
9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
Technically no limit, but if it starts approaching the cost of a new RV and tow vehicle, my partner will question my sanity. So, uh, less than 50k? I don't want to spend that much, even on a whole slew of ownerships, but price isn't a deal breaker if the value is there.
10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
Well, we spent almost 10k last year on hotels and airbnb stays. I could see us being willing to spend that as a lump sum each year if we were able to avoid hotels completely, but that doesn't seem realistic. The dollar amount really isn't an issue, though, we're a DINK household with plenty of disposable income.
11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Very much so, in that I am a hotel and airline points addict. No problems setting my alarm to score newly released award seats on planes, jumping through hoops to meet promotion terms, or constantly checking refundable prices to grab price reductions. On trips themselves, though, we're very go-with-the-flow. What could ruin a vacation for some detail freaks is just another adventure for us.
12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes, though ideally we would choose ownerships that would be easier to give away or even sell.
Anyway, I've been reading extensively here and now know just enough to know that we don't know much of anything. We figure we're most interested in points programs, because of our frequent short (last minute) trips. I'm quite lost as to how the different 'closed' programs work for resale purchases of points, though. Housekeeping fees may even make the whole idea less appealing, though after a couple disastrous airbnb experiences we'd likely be willing to pay some amount extra to avoid similar issues in the future. In my head we'd end up with several properties in more than one program.
We are tempted to start with an RCI points membership with a low mf to point ratio, and build from there. Their low priced week-long getaways might work well for us, even for shorter stays.
Any and all advice is welcomed and appreciated!! Thank you for reading our missive ;-)
