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benifits of owning versus exchanging

chellej

chellej

TUG Review Crew
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I have found the perfect timeshare for me in Hawaii.


However, the maintenance fees are significantly higher than if I were to exchange in. It is not a slam dunk to get this resort every time we go but I have been sucessful enough with other nice locations on Kauai.

Soooo other than not being at the bottom of the list when it comes to room assignment as being an exchanger, can you think of any other benefits?

I can easily see us using this timeshare eoy (and it is an eoy unit) and other than I really just want it, I can not quite justify the several hundred dollars more for a view. Cost for the actual purchase is minimal. I was actively looking for this exact unit several years ago before the crash and could not find one for less than $7000- $10000. That is what is partially appealing too.
 
The reason we own in Hawaii is that we want to stay in an ocean front unit every single year, and be guaranteed of getting the exact weeks we want.

If you post more details, we may have some options for you.
 
Especially in an area like Hawaii where drive to is not an option the ever rising cost of both travel and annual fees make it unattractive to own there. Right now renting is your very best bet as that often yields a lower than annual fee (or at least lower than annual fee plus purchase cost even if spead over 10 years) AND can guarantee the view if that is something you desire and may not even be guaranteed by owning. You can be far more selective by renting even more so than by trade. Right now renting what you want may br the very best answer for timeshare use especially in non-drivable locations.
 
I have to agree with the last poster. Renting is potentially a much better deal than owning or exchanging right now. Just go to Ebay and see all the ads for 2BR units renting for a song.

And i am saying this as an owner of 2 weeks at Ko Olina.
 
Well cooler heads prevailed. I let it go - It was a 2 bed at Hanalei Bay resort. There are a couple annual one bedrooms out there but the eoy 2 bed was really tempting because we would use it and we tend to go eoy.

I really had to resist a shearwater a couple of months ago too... I wish the market would go back up so I wouldn't have such temptation.
 
chellej said:
Well cooler heads prevailed. I let it go - It was a 2 bed at Hanalei Bay resort. There are a couple annual one bedrooms out there but the eoy 2 bed was really tempting because we would use it and we tend to go eoy.

I really had to resist a shearwater a couple of months ago too... I wish the market would go back up so I wouldn't have such temptation.
Click to expand...
I have a feeling that prices will go lower yet so you did right. JMHO.

It is very easy to buy a timeshare but not easy to sell them today unless you are willing to pay all the closing costs, etc. Just read some of the ads here and elsewhere.

timeos2 said:
Especially in an area like Hawaii where drive to is not an option the ever rising cost of both travel and annual fees make it unattractive to own there. Right now renting is your very best bet as that often yields a lower than annual fee (or at least lower than annual fee plus purchase cost even if spead over 10 years) AND can guarantee the view if that is something you desire and may not even be guaranteed by owning. You can be far more selective by renting even more so than by trade. Right now renting what you want may br the very best answer for timeshare use especially in non-drivable locations.
Click to expand...
John, I have to agree with you. Right now renting is the best option as you can rent exactly what you want and rental rates are down but that may change again.

If you like to stay longer than a week, you may look at renting a condo in a nice project that is on the beach and you don't have to move week after week. Some people want to stay in luxury resorts only but not everyone and a great ocean view is an ocean view no matter where you are.

Once you own a timeshare condo or points, you are married to the yearly maintenance fees and they seem to only go higher each year plus you have the uncertainty of airline fares and lately the high car rental fees too in HI because of the extra taxes they love to charge the tourists.

Gasoline prices go up and down nationwide so that is a problem that is in all 50 States.
 
We were naive and learned the hard way about being exchangers vs owners. After being treated like a bunch of intruders and unwelcome guests by a Wyndham establishment, we understood why we were treated so much better at the resorts where we owned.
 
I would also say renting is the way to go.... unless you need/want to travel during holiday or super prime seasons.

In that case if you can find a good resale, then ownership is the right way to go because you will pay a high premium to rent these super high demand weeks.

Otherwise there is so much inventory out there there is no need to own.
 
The biggest advantage to owning is that you will have an extremely good excuse for going to Hawaii. "I paid for it and how foolish it would be to not use my week" The second biggest advantage is the stress reduction I have felt every single time we travel to Hawaii. Less stress means longer life. Maintenance always responds to owners, apparently seldom to exchangers.

The biggest disadvantage is the airfare, maintenance fees, special assessments, ever increasing property taxes, and car rental costs. Hawaii timeshares are especially poor financial investments--just like a new car, they depreciate, have ever increasing maintenance costs, etc.etc.etc. They aren't financial investments but for us longevity investments.

I bought a Maui Schooner 2 br 2 bath every year on Maui for $1 on ebay this year and the owner paid all the closing costs.

We own 9 Hawaii weeks so it is obvious where my heart is.

Go for it--you'll never see cheaper prices.:cheer:


Sterling
 
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I own in Hawaii. I wish I'd have stuck to renting. Exchanging is too iffy and owning is too restrictive and costly. Plus there's something to be said for trying out different properties.
 
Hey Lisarex

want to give away your WKORVN and go back to renting?
 
I bought a Kauai timeshare for almost nothing on ebay because I want to go there every year, have a guaranteed oceanfront view, and the MFs are less than a hotel for the week. Yes, I could rent at the same place or a more expensive timeshare. But I've checked rental prices, and they are higher than my MFs far enough out when I need to make plans and book a decent airfare. Of course, if I could rent six weeks in advance, the price is great. But that doesn't fit my schedule.

I also own Hilton (but not in Hawaii) because I can book what I want in Oahu or the Big Island at nine months out and get three weeks for less than $1000 MFs.

Like Denise, I don't want a parking lot view in Hawaii. (I own at the same place she does.)

To each his--or her--own.
 
ampaholic said:
Hey Lisarex

want to give away your WKORVN and go back to renting?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, but my villa is still worth ~$25k. And I'm been able to recoup my MFs+some the years that I don't use it.
 
Kauai Kid said:
The biggest advantage to owning is that you will have an extremely good excuse for going to Hawaii. "I paid for it and how foolish it would be to not use my week" The second biggest advantage is the stress reduction I have felt every single time we travel to Hawaii. Less stress means longer life. Maintenance always responds to owners, apparently seldom to exchangers.

The biggest disadvantage is the airfare, maintenance fees, special assessments, ever increasing property taxes, and car rental costs. Hawaii timeshares are especially poor financial investments.

I bought a 2 br 2 bath every year on Maui for $1 on ebay this year and the owner paid all the closing costs.

We own 9 Hawaii weeks so it is obvious where my heart is.

Go for it--you'll never see cheaper prices.:cheer:


Sterling
Click to expand...

We're not quite where you are, Sterling, yet...:D

We've added two more Hawaii weeks in the last few months at prices like you mentioned, bringing our total to 5 1/2 Hawaii weeks.

How about an addendum to the old saying to make it: "home (and timeshares) are where the heart is"!

Aloha,

Marty
 
I have always done very well with my exchanges, the only bad one being the first trip to HHV we had a view of the construction of the Grand Waikikian. Last trip we were in Kalia tower and had a front corner room with and excellent view.

2nd worst was Pahio Kauai Beach villas we had a pool view.

All the other timeshares we have stayed at we have done well with the locations/views; Westin Princeville, shearwater, The Cliffs, shell beachboy, Marriott beach club, the Bay Club.

I have not even stayed at Hanalei bay resort but we toured it and really considered buying it then but it was a flakey arrangement with David Walley resort back when it was quintas....Glad I didn't do that. So now that prices are next to nothing, it is so tempting because we really loved the resort. My common sense side though says I can exchange in for $500 less than maintenance fees so it is down to can the benefit outway the cost difference. If only money did not matter......
 
I personally could never justify the maintenance fees for Hawaii timeshares even though we go there every other year and will probably try to take our "big" holiday there every year from now on.

Exchanging is much better financially for me and while a good view is a perk, it's not enough to make me pay 50 to 100 percent more for a week there.

If I didn't own timeshares now, I'd definitely just rent.
 
Just bought my 2nd Hawaii week.

Just bought my 2nd Hawaii week.:D :D
I'm done for a while now. I now have all I can use.

That's the way I look at it. If you buy what you can use,
you can't go wrong. Prices on some units can't go lower.
I got my last one for a $1 and the closing costs were paid
also. I think these prices are here for a while but you never know.

Renting isn't always stress free, especially if you've never rented
from that person before. As for the MF's, I've been looking at a lot
of timeshares and I don't see any low MF's. A week in a one bedroom at
Christmas Mountain in Wisconsin dells(about 10 miles from my house)
is almost what I'm paying for a week in Hawaii.
MF's are hard to judge because you have to compare apples to apples.
The one thing you can't get around for Hawaii is the airfare. That's
where the extra expense is.

Hopefully in another 5 or 6 years, prices are still good so I can add a few
more weeks like some of you guys and I'll spend a whole month there.:D

Keep exchanging may be a good alternative but you always have the doubt
about getting exactly what you want. That's one of the best things about
owning.
 
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It may be less expensive to exchange or rent last minute

But when I plan our Kauai trips, I know that we will be in our ocean front suite, not a parking lot view or garden view.

I guess it just matters what is important, a couple of dollars or 2 to 3 weeks of special ocean front views.

fwiw,

Greg
 
As others have said it really depends on what's important to you.

Before we had kids we traveled off season and a garden view was perfectly fine.

Now that my kids are in school we can only travel during peak season. I am so glad that I own 4 Hilton weeks (3 of which are in Hawaii). We've had a blast spending 4th of July at HHV and I always get the views I want.

Plus we purchased at pre-construction price (over ten years) before Hilton realized they could charge an arm and an leg. So even when I factor in the purchase price plus MF, for me it's still a better deal then renting.
 
I guess a "view" from a Hawaii timeshare really doesn't matter --- as I'm writing this in our ocean front corner unit at the Valley Isle (Maui) timeshare, listening to the ocean "roar".

Too bad we have to leave tomorrow --- and don't get back to Hawaii until October, When we will be at the Kona Hawaiian Resort for 3 weeks. Being retired DOES have advantages !!!

Tony
 
aliikai2 said:
But when I plan our Kauai trips, I know that we will be in our ocean front suite, not a parking lot view or garden view.

I guess it just matters what is important, a couple of dollars or 2 to 3 weeks of special ocean front views.

fwiw,

Greg
Click to expand...

Many will say a good view doesn't matter. I don't believe that to be true. I believe 100% of people would say "all things being equal" they would prefer a nice oceanview if afforded to them.

So its really a matter of some not thinking its worth the extra money it generally does cost for a nice oceanview.

For me ownership among other things gives us the views that we so desire.
 
I've never rented a timeshare; I'd rather pay for a hotel room. There are too many potential problems with renting, and I'm not willing to take the risk.
 
Another consideration is whether or not the timeshare is in a mini system where you can book a specific view. This is the case with Hilton points: own where the MFs are cheaper but book oceanview in Hawaii.
 
linsj said:
I've never rented a timeshare; I'd rather pay for a hotel room. There are too many potential problems with renting, and I'm not willing to take the risk.
Click to expand...

If you rent from an established Tugger, I don't think there are any more potential problems than with renting from a hotel. - Plus you will save $$$ and get a full condo, instead of a single room. In fact, it's rare to hear complaints about private TS rentals.
 
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DeniseM said:
If you rent from an established Tugger, I don't think there are any more potential problems than with renting from a hotel. - Plus you will save $$$ and get a full condo, instead of a single room. In fact, it's rare to hear complaints about private TS rentals.
Click to expand...

This is true as far as complaints go. And there are truly only a few differences/negatives regarding renting from TS owner vs. hotel/resort that I can think of. For some one of them is a big one, and perhaps the other is as well. To me the pricing save for me would warrant renting from a reputable TS owner.

The ones I can think of are, the private individual almost never will give you a cancellation clause. Heck with Marriott and the like you can cancel up until the last minute and TS owners simply can never do that.

Also TS owner rentals can't generate MR points for rental costs.

Other than that I can't think of any other advantage a hotel/resort can offer.

Occassionally a renter will bring that up and I'll be like "sorry I'm not a hotel so I don't have the same cancellation policy"
 
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