Blue Tree Resort - Lake Buena Vista

[kjsgrammy]

Any TUGer's that are owners at above resort? Have some questions regarding resort: What are annual MF's? Are taxes included in MF's? Any special assessments being charged or scheduled in near future?

Have read TUG reviews and appears to be a quieter resort (which we like). Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[AwayWeGo]

Outstanding Orlando Timeshare Location.

Any TUGer's that are owners at above resort? Have some questions regarding resort: What are annual MF's? Are taxes included in MF's? Any special assessments being charged or scheduled in near future?

Have read TUG reviews and appears to be a quieter resort (which we like). Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

Blue Tree is right across the street (literally) from Cypress Pointe Phase 1 & 2, so it shares that same great Orlando timeshare location.

If I'm remembering right, according to some TUG-BBS entries a while back Blue Tree has become another link in the WestGate timeshare chain. Blue Tree doesn't appear to be building any new units, so it's unclear why an aggressive timeshare builder-seller like WestGate would want to get involved. I mean, what does the official developer at an older resort get to do beyond inviting owners & guests to go on on timeshare sales presentations in hopes of getting them to buy more weeks & points at other timeshares?

Apparently there are rival HOA-BODs at Blue Tree -- 1 WestGate-controlled & the other independent -- that are vying over control of various features & facilities of the resort as a whole -- swimming pool, check-in desk, etc. I don't know what that's all about.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[rickandcindy23]

Alan, they are actively selling Blue Tree and are grabbing prospects at Universal Studios. We were stopped by a guy scheduling tours while passing Dueling Dragons. He called it "Westgate's newest acquisition." Our son went on the tour with his girlfriend. They wanted the discount they offered. I think it was a dinner and show, but I cannot remember.

I instructed him not to buy, and he heeded my warning. He was very impressed with the deluxe two bedroom units that were remodeled and had king beds with whirlpool bathtubs and told me to definitely try the resort again as an exchange. I won't. I would get the small two bedroom with the queen bed and ordinary bathroom.

I think I would fall down and die if any of my kids were taken in by a timeshare presentation of any kind. They know the bargain trades we get with our Colorado and North Carolina weeks. But I still worry about it.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Blue Tree Still Selling? Who Knew?

Alan, they are actively selling Blue Tree and are grabbing prospects at Universal Studios.

Whoa! Who knew? Hard to see where Mr. WestGate is getting any Blue Tree units to sell to folks, since no new construction is going on over there. Maybe WestGate took a bunch of Blue Tree units as trade-ins when they sold units at WestGate Lakes, etc.

I think I would fall down and die if any of my kids were taken in by a timeshare presentation of any kind. They know the bargain trades we get with our Colorado and North Carolina weeks. But I still worry about it.

I don't think I'd physically keel over if that happened to my kids, but I certainly know how you feel. In fact our son (the older 1) & daugher-in-law are down in Orlando now, right across the street from Blue Tree at Cypress Pointe Phase 2 with their little boy age 4, & I think the prospect of Disney ticket discounts might have lured them into signing up for the SunTerra "owner update." They are pretty savvy folks, however, so I doubt they'll spring for anything SunTerra wants them to buy. Plus, they get to use our timeshares & timeshare points (The Chief Of Staff's & mine, I mean) any time they want, so they don't need to buy any timeshares of their own. I'm just semi-surprised they're willing to subject themselves to 2 hours of arm-twisting & to entrust our grandson to the on-site Kiddie Club just for ticket bargains.

Sales Pitch Update : Just heard from our son. The "owner update" was off-site because of construction at Cypress Pointe -- held instead down at Grand Beach or some other SunTerra operation. The big news was the Diamond Resorts recent takeover of SunTerra. The kids must have handled it right, because our son said they were out of there, with their promised freebies in hand, after just 55 minutes including breakfast. Our grandson just sat on mom's or dad's lap chowing down -- didn't even have to go to Kiddie Club. Once the sales weasels caught on that the Old Folks spring for the (resale) timeshares & the younger generation goes on the vacations, then church was out.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[Janette]

We bought wk 52 at Blue Tree many years ago and it has proven to be a good trader and we have enjoyed time spent there. Westgate did buy up the unsold units so there are two management companies on the property. We have a delux two bedroom unit that is NOT part of Westgate. Our maintenance fees have stayed in the $500 range. Our management company just opened a new reception area that is very nice. We have not complaints.

 

[timeos2]

Blue Tree a troubled resort but not like you think

Blue Tree is an example of what can happen when a company tries to take over by steamrolling the individual owners. Unfortunately the documents for that resort were so poorly written that Westgate was able to actually split the place into two parts by buying the unsold inventory and ejecting the legitimate Association (owners) from at least some of the common areas and literally running their own resort operation within a resort. The new building that the legit owners have built under the management of SPM is testimony to their willingness to stand up to King David and his goons. They deserve the support of everyone that appreciates the value of owner operated resorts vs the never ending involvement of the developer and sales groups. They really have fought the good fight against a bully. Westgate may have a legal right to do what they have done but it is another blot on an already outstanding history of disdain for owners and boorish behavior. I only regret that I own anything they even remotely touch. If the value ever came back to my resale purchase price I'd dump it in a minute.

 

[nkldavy]

Blue Tree Improving

As my recent resort review indicates, this resort has come a long way since Westgate became the "developer" in 2002. If their reviews in 2007 match or exceed the ones they got in 2006, they'll be a five star resort. The two staffs work well together. The tug-of-war is above their pay grade. We look forward to taking all our kids and grandkids there again in 2008 as we have every other year since 1998. When my wife and I were there last month, the resort was in the best shape since we bought in 1996.
Uncle Davey

 

[jphillips131]

The MF's are about $450 and it includes taxes and a reserve fee. I have attached the Blue Tree website that is associated with SPM Resorts. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions - let me know.

http://www.bluetreeowners.org/

Julie

 

[timeos2]

Actually with reserves and taxes it's $525 or $531 (deluxe) for two bedroom units. Still a low fee for Orlando.

 

[breezylawn]

:whoopie: We own a one bedroom there, but never have used it. We generally trade and it is a good trader. However, we stop by there when we are in Orlando and all of the units look nice. Everything seems to have been given a face lift and the location is just great. However, now we have put it up for sale on Bidshares and it's so darn cheap we can't believe it has not sold............it's cheaper to buy it than to vacation at one of the local hotels there!!!! Go figure Bill

 

[timeos2]

Sale will be subject to King D ROFR

:whoopie: We own a one bedroom there, but never have used it. We generally trade and it is a good trader. However, we stop by there when we are in Orlando and all of the units look nice. Everything seems to have been given a face lift and the location is just great. However, now we have put it up for sale on Bidshares and it's so darn cheap we can't believe it has not sold............it's cheaper to buy it than to vacation at one of the local hotels there!!!! Go figure Bill

Remember that any sale now has to go through the Westgate ROFR. While I'd be questioning their right to require that of non-Westgate owners such as you the Management of Blue Tree, and I assume their lawyers, say it can be enforced. That may make any sale a problem. Westgate is a curse on every timeshare owner but especially those of us who are even remotely tied to them.

 

[AwayWeGo]

R.O.F.R.? Or R.O.F.L.?

Remember that any sale now has to go through the Westgate ROFR. While I'd be questioning their right to require that of non-Westgate owners such as you the Management of Blue Tree, and I assume their lawyers, say it can be enforced.

Whoa! That's a stumper. I mean, if I bought a Blue Tree timeshare deed way back when with no ROFR clause in it, how can anybody impose a ROFR requirement on me after the fact without my consent? Doesn't make sense. Doesn't add up. Do you suppose they've put in ROFR just to see if they can get away with it, realizing legal challenges are expensive? Are they, in effect, banking on the likelihood that nobody wants to run up, say, $10,000 in attorney fees just to sell a $5,000 timeshare? Even if that's what they're up to, how do they get the deed-recording folks to go along with it? I mean, shucks, I could simply declare that from now on I have ROFR for all the deeds at your timeshare. But if I did that, nobody would pay 1 bit of attention. So why does anybody pay attention when WestGate lays on ROFR retroactively? Sounds lots more like a case of ROFL. :rofl: :hysterical:

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[timeos2]

Like Prego sauce it's in there

Whoa! That's a stumper. I mean, if I bought a Blue Tree timeshare deed way back when with no ROFR clause in it, how can anybody impose a ROFR requirement on me after the fact without my consent? Doesn't make sense. Doesn't add up. Do you suppose they've put in ROFR just to see if they can get away with it, realizing legal challenges are expensive? Are they, in effect, banking on the likelihood that nobody wants to run up, say, $10,000 in attorney fees just to sell a $5,000 timeshare? Even if that's what they're up to, how do they get the deed-recording folks to go along with it? I mean, shucks, I could simply declare that from now on I have ROFR for all the deeds at your timeshare. But if I did that, nobody would pay 1 bit of attention. So why does anybody pay attention when WestGate lays on ROFR retroactively? Sounds lots more like a case of ROFL. :rofl: :hysterical:

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Alan - It's not just Westgate. Sunterra snuck one into the later versions of the DOS documents at Cypress Pointe too. Of course they don't exercise it, but its in there. Now our Attorneys told us that it doesn't apply to owners or resale buyers (which inherit the original sales terms) who purchased before they added that clause. Which for 99% of CPR owners is the case. But it has been in the CPGV docs for many years and would apply to a good portion of those owners IF they ever decided to enforce it.

Developers, especially in the sales mode, are not friends to owners. They do everything they can to hang on long after they should be gone in most cases. ROFR is one of the worse of the ways they can do it. It does nothing to benefit owners, although many are under the mistaken impression it does. A guaranteed buy back floor price WOULD benefit sellers but ROFR only frustrates buyers and further depresses resale value like almost everything else developers do. ROFR doesn't mean you would get whatever the going rate for your time may be but that they will steal it from your legitimate buyer for whatever they offered even if its thousands below what they (the developer) would be willing to pay. You still get only what you were asking, usually less a ton of bogus fees, and the real buyer gets nothing. In many cases ROFR means people look elsewhere to buy rather than deal with the hassles and the unknown results.

Westgate naturally is one of the worst as often you can't even reach anyone to say if they will exercise ROFR until the buyer gets disgusted at the delay and buys elsewhere. Then Westgate says "no thanks" and you're back holding your week again with more fees due. I have read through the docs from my Westgate of 1993 vintage and there is no ROFR in there so I know it doesn't apply if I sell. But they can still step in and make things a mess and as you say they know we're not going to pay $5000 to litigate a $4000 (if we're lucky) sale. It's all stacked against the owner and in the Kings favor. That operation defines sleazy and corrupt for me.

 

[AwayWeGo]

No Laughing Matter.

In many cases ROFR means people look elsewhere to buy rather than deal with the hassles and the unknown results.

* * * * * *​

Westgate naturally is one of the worst as often you can't even reach anyone to say if they will exercise ROFR until the buyer gets disgusted at the delay and buys elsewhere. Then Westgate says "no thanks" and you're back holding your week again with more fees due. I have read through the docs from my Westgate of 1993 vintage and there is no ROFR in there so I know it doesn't apply if I sell. But they can still step in and make things a mess and as you say they know we're not going to pay $5000 to litigate a $4000 (if we're lucky) sale.

Well, shucks. ROFR is 1 thing. Waiting till hell freezes over before the holder of ROFR says Yes or No or Maybe is something else again.

It sounds like it is time for the consumer protection laws of timeshare hotbed states like Florida to add a provision limiting holders of ROFR to a specific reasonable time to paint or get off the ladder -- say no more than 30 days or so from the time the ROFR holder is served with a copy of the pending timeshare resale agreement. When the 30 days runs out with no action or no response, then the holder of ROFR for purposes of that specific transaction will be deemed to have declined to exercise ROFR. Case closed.

ROFR is bad enough. No reason it has to be open-ended or unreasonably stretched out.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[hajjah]

Just for clarification, I sold my two bdrm Blue Tree unit back in December, 06. At first, I was told by someone in the management office that Westgate had the ROFR. Well, this was incorrect. I had no problem with my private sale and was only required to send the updated Deed to SPM. The paperwork was completed in about two weeks with the new owner's information.

We stayed at Blue Tree during Xmas. The resort has made some great improvements, including the opening of new check in center. All of the units have been upgraded. Blue Tree's location is one of the best in Orlando. There are some great restaurants in walking distance from BT.