Buy vs. rent

[Twohsieh]

Note that NCV doesn't lock off so you can only trade for one week. This significantly reduces the value proposition.

Thank you for the information. I'm aware that NCV doesn't lock off but since we don't have any other Marriott timeshares for the 13 month priority, I'm swaying toward the fixed week to secure a room during the summer.

 

[Twohsieh]

First, let me compare owning NCV versus exchanging in. Every year for the last ten plus years I have deposited a 1 BR Desert Springs (Palm Desert) and exchanged into a 2 BR at NCV in September. I love September but it is a bit of a challenge (although I've done it 10 years in a row). October seems much easier to get and I've routinely seen inventory sitting.

I'm actually kind of fussy on my exchanges. I never put a resort on my request that is mediocre or of lesser quality than what I deposited. But I always put in a fairly wide range of dates (not constrained by a school schedule) and typically do a shotgun approach. Both greatly increase my chances for a successful exchange. For instance, I may put Hyatt Pinon Point, Newport Coast, Marriott Northstar (Tahoe), Hyatt Northstar (Tahoe), Hyatt Carmel, Marriott Canyon Villas (Phoenix) all in the same request or split them among two requests. My theory: all are great properties and I'd be happy going to any of them. Also, when I exchange into Hawaii I also shotgun and request any Marriott, Sheraton, Hyatt, and some of the Westins over a couple of month interval.

I also frequently check for possible manual exchanges.

I often use my home resort efficiency units to trade back in to Marriott Palm Desert but into a bigger unit.

For me, I've had good success. But I invest the effort to reserve the highest TDI that I can and may request a somewhat lower TDI value. I quickly put in my shotgun requests, am realistic in choosing my vacation dates, plus manually check for something that may have shown up.

Newport Coast is a great property and I suspect is a good for trading (assuming you've deposited a fairly high TDI platinum unit). But the units don't split so you'd be depositing a 2 BR. Me? I bought 2 BR lock offs that I split. My mistake is I probably should have bought Red/Platinum season units. My White/gold units trade okay but, I think that it would be easier with a stronger season.

If you are planning on using NCV more than half the time, it might be a good purchase for you. I think that it trades very well. If you are buying it for trading, there are better choices out there.

I appreciate your through details about your trading experiences. We are tide to the school schedule for now, so we travel during the peak times which may reduce our chances of obtaining good trades.
I'm leaning toward a fixed week so that I don't have to bother with securing a room since we would have to book at 12 months (new to Marriott).
We were thinking of using the NCV for majority of the years since we live nearby but we would like to be able to trade it out as well.

For trading purposes for floating weeks, do you have to secure dates at your home resort to deposit into II?

 

[davidvel]

I appreciate your through details about your trading experiences. We are tide to the school schedule for now, so we travel during the peak times which may reduce our chances of obtaining good trades.
I'm leaning toward a fixed week so that I don't have to bother with securing a room since we would have to book at 12 months (new to Marriott).
We were thinking of using the NCV for majority of the years since we live nearby but we would like to be able to trade it out as well.

For trading purposes for floating weeks, do you have to secure dates at your home resort to deposit into II?

There are only 2 fixed weeks at NCV (26 & 52). I expect there would be a significant premium in price if you can find them.

In Marriott you do reserve a floating week and then deposit it (after locking off if available). In fact you always want to try to reserve the best week in your season for better trades.

 

[Twohsieh]

There are only 2 fixed weeks at NCV (26 & 52). I expect there would be a significant premium in price if you can find them.

In Marriott you do reserve a floating week and then deposit it (after locking off if available). In fact you always want to try to reserve the best week in your season for better trades.

Yes, I’m looking into the fixed week 26. The past year’s pricing was around $25-26k.
Do you happen to know if these fixed weeks hold their value if we were to sell it down the road?

 

[SteelerGal]

We live in SoCal and own both Marriott and HGVC. I recently sold our MVC Plat Deserts and purchased TimberLodge to stay at and HarborLake as a trader. Having 2 wks does allow us to lock in our plans at 13mo instead of 12 which is helpful. We are condemned to school schedule as well so always have to travel during the busy time. We also own several Vistana weeks which are great traders if we don’t utilize. HGVC was what we purchased originally since we have fam in San Diego. We use HGVC primarily for CA and Hawaii.
I will say that owning resale weeks have been great for us. This year I did a major overhaul of our portfolio and we made a profit considering the climate. I do suggest that you purchase Platinum. Also learn as much as possible because I’ve been quite lucky in picking up Platinum weeks for free essentially.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I appreciate your through details about your trading experiences. We are tide to the school schedule for now, so we travel during the peak times which may reduce our chances of obtaining good trades.
I'm leaning toward a fixed week so that I don't have to bother with securing a room since we would have to book at 12 months (new to Marriott).
We were thinking of using the NCV for majority of the years since we live nearby but we would like to be able to trade it out as well.

For trading purposes for floating weeks, do you have to secure dates at your home resort to deposit into II?

If you are looking to go to NCV during the summer (platinum floating), I've read that there is more demand than supply. NCV has a goofy platinum season. I think that it may include Sept and Oct and maybe some more fall weeks, but the highest demand is for the summer. I try to stay there during Sept, but it is kind of a higher demand shoulder season and there isn't very much inventory. But if your fixed week works for your school schedule, then perhaps this is a good opportunity.

With interval WEEKS (floating), yes, I have to make a reservation at my home resort and then deposit it. I think that all Palm Desert Marriotts are floating weeks. To give me a bit more trading power in ii, I try to reserve the highest demand (ii called it Travel Demand Index or TDI).

I'm unfamiliar with the availability to "fixed weeks". When you buy a Marriott floating week, a Estoppel will list a particular week, even though it is floating. So, do what is necessary to make sure that you are actually buying a fixed week. (NOTE TO OTHER NCV OWNERS - - DOES NCV ACTUALLY HAVE FIXED WEEKS? If so, please comment!) If you can find a good (school schedule friendly) fixed week, and are planning on mainly using the unit, then this may be a good way to go.

 

[mjm1]

I believe the only fixed week at NCV is the week that includes July 4th. As a result there is a premium to be paid to buy one.

Best regards.

Mike

 

[Jan M.]

The person who started this thread mentioned Grandview. We own several point weeks there.

We're currently on a 91 night fall trip. 49 nights of it booked with our Wyndham points and the other 42 nights/6 weeks book with our Grandview RCI points account.

I usually book a decent number of the 4900-9000 point deeply discounted weeks within about a month of the check in dates. However this year I needed to get caught up with using older points so I didn't have to pay to extend them. I got to go a little wild

Our cost for the 14 weeks in 2023 comes out to $436 per week. I included what I paid for the RCI annual membership fee in with the maintenance fees when I was calculating my cost per point. Several times I was able to take advantage of the RCI promotions for a discount on the exchange fee. Also two stays of more than one week were booked in a single reservation so that saved money on the exchange fees.

Here's what I booked for 2023. We had one or two bedroom units, no studios, for all of our stays at a cost of $436 per week or a little under $63 per night. Normally our cost per night would be a lot lower but like I said we had points that needed used and only two of the weeks this year were the cheap 7500 point weeks. Our highest point week was 48,000 points so that evens out the two 7500 low point weeks giving us an average of 26,418 points per week.

2/5-12 - Beach Club at St. Augustine, FL
2/12-19 - Beach Club at St. Augustine
*Valentine's & President's Day weekend
4/22-29 - The Wharf, Hot Springs, AR
4/29-5/6 - The Wharf
5/6-26 - Lodges at Timber Ridge, Branson
9/24-10/1 - Inn on Long Wharf, Newport, RI
10/1-8 - Inn on Long Wharf
*Columbus Day weekend
10/29-11/12 - Presidential Resort at Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Virginia
*Veterans Day week
11/19-26 - Beach Club at St. Augustine, FL
*Thanksgiving week
11/26-12/3 - Beach Club at St. Augustine
12/16-23 - Little Gull, Longboat Key, FL

We haven't stayed at the Presidential Resort in Chancellorsville before but the reviews are good. This year was our first time staying at the Lodges at Timber Ridge. We really liked our unit and would go back there. Not our first time at the other resorts so obviously we liked them enough to want to go back to them.

This picture of Narragansett Bay here in Newport, RI, where we're staying now, is what I see from our bed in the morning. It's a tough life but we manage. Lol

 

[sponger76]

I believe the only fixed week at NCV is the week that includes July 4th. As a result there is a premium to be paid to buy one.

Best regards.

Mike

Pretty sure week 52 (New Year's Eve) is the other fixed week there.

 

[sponger76]

I'm unfamiliar with the availability to "fixed weeks". When you buy a Marriott floating week, a Estoppel will list a particular week, even though it is floating. So, do what is necessary to make sure that you are actually buying a fixed week. (NOTE TO OTHER NCV OWNERS - - DOES NCV ACTUALLY HAVE FIXED WEEKS? If so, please comment!)

There are two fixed weeks at Newport Coast Villas, 26 (4th of July) and 52 (New Year's Eve).

 

[BJRSanDiego]

For trading purposes for floating weeks, do you have to secure dates at your home resort to deposit into II?

Yes. I'm not positive, but I suspect that even if you have a fixed week, that you would need to make a res before deposit into II. Why? Because there are several different check in days in that week.

 

[sponger76]

For trading purposes for floating weeks, do you have to secure dates at your home resort to deposit into II?

You don't have to, but you can and it is the better way to do it. If you let Marriott choose what to deposit, you might get a week that doesn't maximize your trading power. If you make a reservation through Marriott first, you have more control over choosing a specific week that gives you better trade power.