There's a lot of information to digest. Maybe another example will help...
At the end of 2012, I was given (literally) from TUG members, 2 timeshare at Sheraton Vistana Resort (Orlando), and another 2 at Sheraton Broadway Plantation (Myrtle Beach). All four units are 2BR/2BA, and all are for the best seasons (eg Platinum.) The buyers paid the closing on all but one, so with the closing cost on that one unit, my total expense for "buying" 4 every year 2BR/2BA timeshares was about $250.
4 weeks every year - a total of $250 in up-front costs, and then about $3800 a year in maintenance fees. But for that $3800, I get 4 weeks of 2BR condos. About $135 a night. Or. compared to two hotel rooms, $68 a night per room.
(Oh, I forgot to mention, two of those units... the people who so graciously gifted them to me had not used their 2012 weeks, so I also got 2 weeks free.)
So far, using Interval International, I have traded one of those free weeks for a 2BR/2BA at the Westin Ka'anapali in December, and the second free week I have traded (again through Interval International) for the Kauai Westin Princeville Resort in December. I have also traded one of my 2013 weeks for the Marriot Ko Olina on Oahu.
Three weeks in hawaii, 2BR units:
$250 up front
$0 maintenance fees for week 1
$0 maintenance fees for week 2
$960 maintenance fees for week 3 (remember, this unit did NOT come with a free week, so I am counting the 2013 maintenance fee I paid on this unit
)
$417 (3 exchange fees at $139 each)
$89 for my 1 year Interval Internation membership fee
----------------------------------------------------
TOTAL FOR 14 NITES AT WESTIN AND 7 NITES AT MARRIOTT:
$82/night or $41/bedroom
What did I give up by not being an owner who bought direct from Starwood?
- I can't use Starwood's internal system for trades. But so what? My maintenance fees PLUS Interval International fees are still much lower than the maintenance fees for a developer-purchased unit in Hawaii
- I don't have staroptions. No problem. I have 4 weeks of timeshares to use at a low price, I don't need the points.
- I won't get the rooms with the best views at the resorts I traded into, but for me that's not important
- I will have some nominal charges at these resorts that I would not have as an owner (e.g., maybe parking, maybe a resort fee, etc.)
- I'm sure there are other things I have given up, but I can't think of them right now so they couldn't be that important to me LOL
LESSON: Listen to everything stated above. Figure out what's important to you, understand your different options for meeting your goals, THEN AND ONLY THEN should you consider buying (or taking some free weeks that someone graciously gives away.)
