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Best way to trade timeshare?

ultrac4

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Hi,

I own a week at the Sheraton Vistana in Orlando and want to trade my week of ownership for 2016. What is the best way to trade? Should I join RCI? Thank you very much for the advice.
 

DeniseM

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Sheraton Vistana RESORT or Sheraton Vistana VILLAGES?

Did you buy resale or from the developer?

What phase of the resort?

What size unit?

Where do you want to go with your exchange?
 

ultrac4

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Its from Sheraton Vistana Resort.

I bought it resale from our neighbor, which has a 100 year deed.

It's a 2 bedroom Villa with 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs bedroom, sleeps 8.

I don't know what "phase of the resort" means?

We are looking for a ski area in Denver (priority #1) or beach #2.

Thanks.
 

got4boys

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Do you have a unit number?

Sheraton Vistana has multiple phases.

It sounds that you may have a Courts unit with the upper and lower.
 

DeniseM

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Its from Sheraton Vistana Resort.

I bought it resale from our neighbor, which has a 100 year deed.

It's a 2 bedroom Villa with 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs bedroom, sleeps 8.

I don't know what "phase of the resort" means?

We are looking for a ski area in Denver (priority #1) or beach #2.

Thanks.

SVR is divided into different phases or sections - each section has a name.

You own a timeshare that can be traded with either RCI or Interval International.

The trades you are looking for are very high demand prime exchanges, but you may not have enough trading power for the top resorts/dates in those categories.

You may have enough trading power for an off-season ski week, but you may not have enough for a high season ski week.

What "beach" area are you thinking of?

The advantage of depositing it with Interval is that you will have priority for other Starwood deposits. There isn't a priority in RCI.

At the top of the forum there is a detailed article about how to exchange with Interval.
 

Passepartout

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Long story short, People DO simply swap between one another, but probably the easy way, assuming the week is in your name, would be to check one of the free exchange companies- SFX (San Francisco Exchange) or Platinum Exchange, or Dial An Exchange, Or Trading Places. They allow you to search for the resort you'd like to exchange with before depositing your week. You can join- that costs a fee whatever exchange your resort is associated with. The big ones are RCI or II. They cost around a hundred a year, then around $200 to make the exchange. Their advantage is having a LOT more inventory to exchange into. Disadvantage, you have to deposit your week first.

Clear, huh? Sorry.

Jim
 

ultrac4

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Thank you very much for the info. I'll start reading about Interval

Yes, I do have a "Courts", Unit 74. Wow you guys know a lot about these timeshares :)

What happens if you don't have enough trading power? Can you pay additional $$ to get more power to trade with?

What would be your advice on trading the timeshare? This year will be our 2nd year going there since the kids loved it last year. I don't want to go in 2016 so need to make other arrangements. Our kids are school aged so need to go during summer break. I guess I don't have enough power to go during winter break.
 

DeniseM

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What happens if you don't have enough trading power? Can you pay additional $$ to get more power to trade with?

With RCI, you can deposit the usage of 2 years, and pay $99 to combine the TPU (trading power units) for higher trading power. But it sounds like you already used your 2015 usage, so you wouldn't be able to do that right now.

With II, there is no way to combine 2 years usage, because it's not a points system.

What would be your advice on trading the timeshare? This year will be our 2nd year going there since the kids loved it last year. I don't want to go in 2016 so need to make other arrangements. Our kids are school aged so need to go during summer break. I guess I don't have enough power to go during winter break.

For a summer 2016 exchange, you should deposit your 2016 week, and put in an on-going request ASAP - this is like wait-listing.

You want to request as many dates, and areas as possible, to increase your chances - like the whole summer when your kids are out of school. If you just request one week, and one resort, you are unlikely to get it.

You will have to pay the maintenance fee on your 2016 usage to deposit it.

Where do you want to go in the summer? What area?
 

silentg

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Also, look into Dial an Exchange
 

ultrac4

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For a summer 2016 exchange, you should deposit your 2016 week, and put in an on-going request ASAP - this is like wait-listing.

In order to do the above, would I need to join RCI 1st, deposit my week then see what's available?

We've been going to Maui and Destin, FL for the past 2 summers. Any similar beach area would be find with us. I would like to spend less on airfare in 2016 summer vacation, so Hawaii would not work.

On another note, I paid $1K for the timeshare and maintenance is $950. Was that a reasonable buy?
 

DeniseM

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We've been going to Maui and D
On another note, I paid $1K for the timeshare and maintenance is $950. Was that a reasonable buy?

I just gave away a 2 bdm. at this resort for free, and paid all the closing costs, so $1,000 is probably a little high, but still far less than what the developer charges.

In order to do the above, would I need to join RCI 1st, deposit my week then see what's available?

Yes and no: You do have to join, pay, and deposit, but when you put in an ongoing search you are putting in a request in advance and hoping that what you want will be deposited. That way you already have your request in BEFORE the deposits come in.

The exchanges that you see sitting there online are the leftovers, that are still available after all ongoing searches have been filled, so you have a much better chance if you put in an on-going search.

Of course, if if an exchange you want is already sitting there, you can exchange for it, but the best deposits are snagged behind the scenes with ongoing searches and never appear in the online inventory.

There are no guarantees with exchanging - your place you bet and hope you get lucky. If not, you still have your deposit to use for another exchange.
 
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BluePrelude

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Can you trade your points within SPG network?

I am new in the trading process.... but can you bank them and use them in 2017, maybe for a different resort?
 

DeniseM

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I am new in the trading process.... but can you bank them and use them in 2017, maybe for a different resort?

The OP bought on the resale market so he has no Staroptions.

Except for 5 resorts, you don't get Staroptions on a resale, so you have to use an exchange company.

With a resale you never get Starpoints at any resort.

StarOPTIONS = Starwood timeshare points

StarPOINTS = Starwood hotel points

*It looks like you bought from the developer so you had both Staroptions and Starpoints.
 
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Marathoner

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You may have enough trading power for an off-season ski week, but you may not have enough for a high season ski week.

I own a week at Sheraton Vistana Resort. It can trade into most of the available premium ski resorts in Interval. SVR prime weeks have plenty of trading power in II.

I have traded for prime and holiday ski resort weeks in Park City, Steamboat Springs, Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge, and Vail. Tradeable resorts include Grand Timber, Grand Lodge at Peak 7, Sheraton Mountain Vista, Worldmark Steamboat Springs, and Ridge Tahoe. The main thing is to plan and place your requests a year ahead of time or roll the dice and try to get a good week which may show up during flexchange (i.e. within 60 days of the visit). If you look at available weeks in Colorado between Dec 23 and Mar 30 2016, you should see plenty of decent weeks that may suit your skiing preferences.

Which mountain and what size/type of unit did you prefer to trade into?
 

bjones9942

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From what I understand, availability in the Mexico timeshares is pretty good. I just looked at airfare from Austin to Puerto Vallarta, and it wasn't sky high. Just another option to think about.
 

DeniseM

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I own a week at Sheraton Vistana Resort. It can trade into most of the available premium ski resorts in Interval. SVR prime weeks have plenty of trading power in II.

Since the OP has children, they probably need a school holiday and that's what I meant by a prime week. Christmas, New Years, and President's weeks are the prime holiday ski weeks and are usually difficult exchanges.
 

silentg

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Look into Vermont or New Hampshire even upstate New York, like I said in previous post check out Dial an Exchange. No fee to join.
Silentg
 

silentg

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Oops I see you are from Texas, may want to check areas not so far north.
 

ultrac4

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I really appreciate all the comments from the forum. Thank you all for the advice. I'll do my research and see what I can trade my unit with.
 

silentg

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If you become a member of TUG you can check out the exchanges in Marketplace!
 

needhap

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Also thinking of exchanging

I was also thinking of exchanging my 2 bedroom in Vistana villages. I wanted to put in an on going request for 2016 but I am unsure of how to do this. Any help would be appreciated.
 

DeniseM

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See the Starwood and II sticky at the top of the forum


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

HudsHut

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<snip>

Yes, I do have a "Courts", Unit 74. Wow you guys know a lot about these timeshares :)

<snip>
Our kids are school aged so need to go during summer break. I guess I don't have enough power to go during winter break.

Does your children's school give you a week of vacation during ski season? If so, what week?
If not, when were you planning to ski?
Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter?
 

ultrac4

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Yes, we have a week off during March 14-18. Would love for great beginner slope somewhere near TX.
 

DeniseM

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Yes, we have a week off during March 14-18. Would love for great beginner slope somewhere near TX.

If you join TUG, you will have access to the TUG Resorts and Reviews where you can research what ski areas have timeshares and are closer to you.
 
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