Breaking up StarOptions and Good Kierland Price

[laurenb]

Hi,

I'm new to Timeshares and don't own any (yet) so I am super happy I found TUG! I stayed at Westin Kierland this summer and loved it. Sat through the timeshare presentation, didn't buy, and came home to start searching resales. I have gotten most of my questions answered but wanted advice on my particular situation. Sorry if this is repetitive:

Considering buying: WKV 2br Lockoff 81,000 SOs

Will stay at Kierland 50% and try to book Maui or Princeville 50% (which I know I do through SVN, 8 months out)

I can travel anytime during the summer and like the Westin properties for the resort feel

Questions:
What do you think is a fair price for WKV 2BR lockoff 81,000 SOs right now?

Will I be able to make up my maintenance fees if I want to rent out this particular timeshare?

If I want to reserve a 1br during the better season, can I do that 12 months out because it's my home resort, or is it still 8 months out?

Can I break up my StarOptions via SVN in this way without much hassle (according to the value chart)? Meaning would it be easy to do
Kierland Week 28-35 25,800 SOs
St John Week 21-42 44,000 SOs
Couple nights in Palm Desert (2500 or so SOs)

OR
WKORV Studio 67,100
Couple Nights in WDW for remaining options

Thanks so much!!!!!!

 

[vacationtime1]

Questions:
What do you think is a fair price for WKV 2BR lockoff 81,000 SOs right now? $3,000 or so

Will I be able to make up my maintenance fees if I want to rent out this particular timeshare? Probably not; shoulder season weeks are plentiful

If I want to reserve a 1br during the better season, can I do that 12 months out because it's my home resort, or is it still 8 months out? 8

Can I break up my StarOptions via SVN in this way without much hassle (according to the value chart)? Meaning would it be easy to do
Kierland Week 28-35 25,800 SOs
St John Week 21-42 44,000 SOs
Couple nights in Palm Desert (2500 or so SOs)

OR
WKORV Studio 67,100
Couple Nights in WDW for remaining options Yes and yes; it is possible. Is it easy? You won't get a WKORV studio during holiday or summer weeks, although you can get one most other times. The other resorts others are probably do-able in the seasons you show.

Thanks so much!!!!!!

Answers in RED

Kierland is a useful and powerful trader.

 

[YYJMSP]

If I want to reserve a 1br during the better season, can I do that 12 months out because it's my home resort, or is it still 8 months out?

At 12mos out you can book the full lockout, or you can book either/both of the two sides separately, in the season you own (not better/worse). You have to wait until 8mos to book in a different season. The two sides do not have to be booked for the same time period -- it might be reasonably common for people to book one side for a week followed by the other side for the next week, giving two weeks of holidays.

Can I break up my StarOptions via SVN in this way without much hassle (according to the value chart)? Meaning would it be easy to do
Kierland Week 28-35 25,800 SOs
St John Week 21-42 44,000 SOs
Couple nights in Palm Desert (2500 or so SOs)

OR
WKORV Studio 67,100
Couple Nights in WDW for remaining options

You can slice and dice your StarOptions however you want once you're 8mos out. You can book a single day wherever up to any stay that uses up all of your StarOptions, or anything in between.

Only catch is the housekeeping fee. If you start with a 2BR L/O, you are entitled to 2 full housekeepings from that ownership. If you break this apart in to many stays using StarOptions, you may get charged for housekeeping on some of those stays. For example, if you got 3 full weeks of stays, you would get charged housekeeping on the 3rd stay.

 

[laurenb]

Hi Robert! Thanks for your quick reply. When you say Kierland is a useful and powerful trader, are you referring to II? Or SVN?

 

[pchung6]

SVV 81000 SO 2 BR can give you the same options at much lower MF. buy in price will be less than WKV.

 

[vacationtime1]

Hi Robert! Thanks for your quick reply. When you say Kierland is a useful and powerful trader, are you referring to II? Or SVN?

Yes.

I trade my platinum season units through SVN using StarOptions. They are powerful traders because they have lots of StarOptions (148100 and 81000)

I trade my gold season unit (shoulder season) through Interval. It is a powerful trader because it has the Starwood-to-Starwood preference in Interval.

imho, platinum season is too expensive to use as an Interval trader, at least when properly considering its capital cost.

 

[Password is taco]

Only catch is the housekeeping fee. If you start with a 2BR L/O, you are entitled to 2 full housekeepings from that ownership. If you break this apart in to many stays using StarOptions, you may get charged for housekeeping on some of those stays. For example, if you got 3 full weeks of stays, you would get charged housekeeping on the 3rd stay.

How much would the house keeping fee be in this instance?

 

[DeniseM]

How much would the house keeping fee be in this instance?

It varies by the unit size, but starts at $30 for a studio.

 

[VacationForever]

Yes, at 12mos out you can book the full lockout, or you can book either/both of the two sides separately. The two sides do not have to be booked for the same time period -- it might be reasonably common for people to book one side for a week followed by the other side for the next week, giving two weeks of....

OP asked about booking into the better season and the answer should be no. You can only book within the season that you own at 12 months at your home resort, everything else is at 8 months.

 

[laurenb]

PChung6- Thanks for the info. I would probably never, ever visit SVV. Is it still a good option because I can use the SOs at other places in SVN even if I never go there?

 

[DeniseM]

PChung6- Thanks for the info. I would probably never, ever visit SVV. Is it still a good option because I can use the SOs at other places in SVN even if I never go there?

Staroptions can be used at any SVN resort that has availability at 8 mos. before check-in.

SVV is a good resale to purchase for Staroptions, because it's cheap to buy.

WKV is a good resale to purchase for Staroptions, because it has a lower MF.

*You can reserve exactly what you own (resort/season/size) at 12-8 mos. before check-in, and everything else at 8 mos. before check-in - if available.

Staroptions have the same value no matter what resort they are affiliated with. So 81,000 Staropions from SVV have exactly the same value as 81,000 Staroptions from any other resort.

 

[laurenb]

This is all so helpful! Okay now I will ask the same questions about SVV. I'm looking at one with 95,700 SOs Platinum season so any week can be reserved, 2BR Lockoff. Would it be easy to rent out in a year I couldn't use it?

 

[vacationtime1]

This is all so helpful! Okay now I will ask the same questions about SVV. I'm looking at one with 95,700 SOs Platinum season so any week can be reserved, 2BR Lockoff. Would it be easy to rent out in a year I couldn't use it?

Again, you can only reserve your unit in your season at the twelve month mark. At SVV, a 95700 SO unit is the top unit, but you cannot reserve a week in a different season until eight months out.

 

[laurenb]

Thank you so much for straightening me out Robert! I'm certainly happy I have this forum because I would be lost. Does SVV have any rental potential during Platinum Season?

 

[Ty1on]

Again, you can only reserve your unit in your season at the twelve month mark. At SVV, a 95700 SO unit is the top unit, but you cannot reserve a week in a different season until eight months out.

BUT if it's the most prime season, doesn't that increase her odds of rentability if she books the right week? Even in overstocked Orlando?

 

[vacationtime1]

BUT if it's the most prime season, doesn't that increase her odds of rentability if she books the right week? Even in overstocked Orlando?

Presumably, yes. But let's leave that question to those on this BBS with direct experience.

I can say that Kierland is an outstanding renter in high season and not-so-good during shoulder season. But SVV could be completely different.

 

[lizap]

Although St.John has recently gotten a little easier to get using SOs, I wouldn't count on being able to exchange into there..

 

[SMHarman]

BUT if it's the most prime season, doesn't that increase her odds of rentability if she books the right week? Even in overstocked Orlando?

Yea but you are competing against often better cancellation policy, marketing etc.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk

 

[YYJMSP]

OP asked about booking into the better season and the answer should be no. You can only book within the season that you own at 12 months at your home resort, everything else is at 8 months.

Missed the "better", have updated my response accordingly...

 

[LisaRex]

Renting SVV? Probably not going to cover MFs because there are so many other options available to owners. But a WKV 1 bdrm might be rentable , especially during platinum season.

However, the one distinct advantage a 95,700 SVV has over an 81,000 WKV is that if you bank one year, 95,700 x 2 gives you 191,400 SOs, which is enough to book a 2 bdrm in platinum season at WSJ (176,700 SOs). 81,000 x 2 comes short. SVV 2 bdrm L/O is the only platinum mandatory resort that gives you that advantage.

Ditto for a 3 bdrm at WSJ, except you'd have to bank 2 years at SVV. 2 years at WKV wouldn't give you enough SOs.

HRA 2 bdrm l/o gold also gives you 95,700 SOs, but the MFs on that will be more expensive, since HRA is the most expensive resort to own in terms of MFs. This route might be worthwhile if you loved both HRA and WSJ, though I honestly don't really know what the chances are for a 3 bdrm exchange in platinum season on WSJ.

 

[Helios]

This route might be worthwhile if you loved both HRA and WSJ, though I honestly don't really know what the chances are for a 3 bdrm exchange in platinum season on WSJ.

This is doable if you are OK staying in BV/CV in non holiday weeks. But, you need to be ready to reserve as soon as the reservation window opens online. VG will be basically impossible.

 

[grgs]

However, the one distinct advantage a 95,700 SVV has over an 81,000 WKV is that if you bank one year, 95,700 x 2 gives you 191,400 SOs, which is enough to book a 2 bdrm in platinum season at WSJ (176,700 SOs). 81,000 x 2 comes short. SVV 2 bdrm L/O is the only platinum mandatory resort that gives you that advantage.

I agree with your comparison of a 95,700 2 bedroom platinum SVV vs. 81,000 2 bedroom gold WKV, but wanted to note that a 2 bedroom platinum WKV unit is assigned 148,100 SOs. I know you know this Lisa, but just in case someone less knowledgeable is reading, I would rephrase your last sentence above to:

SVV 2 bdrm L/O is the only relatively inexpensive platinum mandatory resort that gives you that advantage.

 

[LisaRex]

I agree with your comparison of a 95,700 2 bedroom platinum SVV vs. 81,000 2 bedroom gold WKV, but wanted to note that a 2 bedroom platinum WKV unit is assigned 148,100 SOs. I know you know this Lisa, but just in case someone less knowledgeable is reading, I would rephrase your last sentence above to:

SVV 2 bdrm L/O is the only relatively inexpensive platinum mandatory resort that gives you that advantage.

Yes, of course. My point is that 148,100 is a clunky number if you want to exchange into WSJ during platinum season, because 148,100 owners are a mere 14,700 SOs shy of what they need to book a comparable unit at WSJ. In order to exchange in during platinum season, I had to sacrifice my valuable OF studio.

A platinum 2 bdrm at WSJ = 176,700 SOs
A platinum 3 bdrm at WSJ = 257,700 SOs

So how does a 148,100 SO owner get to those threshholds?

67,100 + 67,100 = 134,200 Not enough
67,100 + 81,000 = 148,100 Not enough
81,000 + 81,000 = 162,000 Still not enough

There's no way to get in without breaking up another entire week. And that's a real shame because once you break up a week, you not only lose your home resort priority period, your upgraded view, too. That's why as a WKORV OF owner, I HATED the new WSJ SO allotment.

As an SVV owner, I give up 2 years of usage for a 2 bdrm at WSJ, and only "waste" 14,700 SOs. That's more palatable to me.

 

[laurenb]

You all are awesome. I would probably never use a 2br or 3br at St John or any resort for that matter, but was going for the 2br Kierland because of the option to stay at Kierland for 2 weeks, or go to Hawaii or Kauai. I am now think I am either going to buy in now with a Platinum season SVV to use mainly for StarOptions, or wait and save more money to get a Platinum season Kierland so it has the ability to use as rental. Lots to think about! Last questions:

What is a fair price for
SVV Platinum 95,700 SOs, 2br LO?
Kierland Platinum 81,000 SOs 1br LO?
Kierland Platinum 148,100 SOs 2br LO?

Thx

 

[vacationtime1]

What is a fair price for
SVV Platinum 95,700 SOs, 2br LO? no idea
Kierland Platinum 81,000 SOs 1br LO? about $9,000 - $10,000
Kierland Platinum 148,100 SOs 2br LO? about $18,000 - $19,000

Thx

Selling prices are all over the place; the market is not efficient. But I would be a buyer below the ranges I specified and a seller above them.

(Note: I own each of those intervals)