Carlsbad Inn potential purchase

[TheVix]

Hi, I am new to timesharing. I am considering a purchase of a 2 BR unit at the Carlsbad Inn for an off season week in November. The unit is located on the 1st floor away from the ocean. Since we are locals, we like the day use feature and easy access to the beach. The purchase price is around $3000.

Here are my questions:

1. Is the purchase price reasonable?
2. Can I exchange into a week at Carlsbad Seapointe---more specifically, a summer week? We don't think we will use the November week because our children are in school at that time.
3. How easy is it to trade for another week at Carlsbad Inn? I know the summer weeks are impossible, but maybe a fall week?

Thank you for your help.

 

[presley]

Hi, I am new to timesharing. I am considering a purchase of a 2 BR unit at the Carlsbad Inn for an off season week in November. The unit is located on the 1st floor away from the ocean. Since we are locals, we like the day use feature and easy access to the beach. The purchase price is around $3000.

Here are my questions:

1. Is the purchase price reasonable?
2. Can I exchange into a week at Carlsbad Seapointe---more specifically, a summer week? We don't think we will use the November week because our children are in school at that time.
3. How easy is it to trade for another week at Carlsbad Inn? I know the summer weeks are impossible, but maybe a fall week?

Thank you for your help.

1.) The purchase prices vary a lot. 2 bedrooms are very limited at that resort. Personally, I'd never buy a first floor unit there, but if you don't plan on ever staying in it, it may not matter to you.

2.) You can very easily exchange into Seapointe using GPX - the inhouse exchange company. The summer weeks get grabbed quickly. You need to plan on grabbing the exchange a year ahead of time.

3.) Same at # 2. GPX always has lots of inventory, but summer gets grabbed quickly. You need to be fast.

If you just want day use at Carlsbad Inn, consider a less expensive unit. Trading will be the same and the day use is the same.

 

[Rent_Share]

IMHO If you want a summer week at Seapointe, buy a Summer Week @ Seaponte.

Remember with May Grey and June Gloom, if your working around a school schedule Summer = July 1 through August 15

 

[TheVix]

Thank you for the responses so far. I truly appreciate it.

Besides the upstairs noise, is there some other reason why I shouldn't purchase a first floor unit. I thought the resort as part of the bathroom remodel was planning on wrapping the pipes in order to reduce the noise from water running.

I spoke to the resort this week, and they said that it was almost impossible to exchange for a summer week since owners rarely trade their summer weeks in. Can anyone verify if this is true based on experience. I am okay with planning a year in advance to get a decent week. I looked around for summer weeks that are for sale, but those are limited or they are out of my price range.

Since I am buying this unit at resale, how does that affect my ability to trade/exchange into the GPX program?

 

[presley]

Any Grand Pacific owner can use GPX for trading and for renting extra weeks. Without being a member, you can look at a list of "bonus weeks." The prices shown are what you would pay if you just wanted to rent the week without exchanging your week.

That said Carlsbad Inn does have less inventory in GPX than the others and 2 bedrooms are all the more difficult to get. It's not impossible, though.

I wouldn't buy a ground floor unit because of the view and the overall darkness of the room. I have looked at 3rd floor units only. Keep asking questions. Make sure you know what you are doing before you buy in.

 

[slbuck]

Hi, I just joined TUG and my question is similar to yours. I'm considering a 1BR first floor unit street side b/c of the low price. Never really intend to stay in it, but I'm wondering how easy it is to trade up to second or third floor. Did you ever buy your unit? Happy with it?

Thanks!

 

[SmithOp]

Hi, I just joined TUG and my question is similar to yours. I'm considering a 1BR first floor unit street side b/c of the low price. Never really intend to stay in it, but I'm wondering how easy it is to trade up to second or third floor. Did you ever buy your unit? Happy with it?

Thanks!

Keep in mind there are fees when you exchange, so if you always plan on trading, why not buy what you want?

Have you looked at the annual maintenance fees also? If you are trading you will want to trade from the location with lowest fees into higher fees to justify the exchange costs.

 

[buzglyd]

I own at Carlsbad Inn and Seapointe. If you have kids, I think Seapointe is better for day use. It had two large pools and the kids play area, mini golf, basketball volleyball courts and ping pong, etc.

Summer weeks are fixed but units are float.

Carlsbad Inn is fixed fixed. If you want to go in summer, buy summer.

 

[slbuck]

Keep in mind there are fees when you exchange, so if you always plan on trading, why not buy what you want?

Have you looked at the annual maintenance fees also? If you are trading you will want to trade from the location with lowest fees into higher fees to justify the exchange costs.

Hi Dave and thanks for your reply to my question. The fees at Carlsbad are not bad and are the same no matter what unit you own. I would be trading in the same week, most likely, and the upgrade fees are $25 for that. Even I traded into a different week, it's only about $150 as I understand. The unit I am considering is really priced low; the other floors are substantially more expensive, so that's it's cost effective to just exchange or upgrade rather than purchase what I'd really like to have. I'm just wondering about how easy it to do, generally.

Thanks again.

 

[SmithOp]

Hi Dave and thanks for your reply to my question. The fees at Carlsbad are not bad and are the same no matter what unit you own. I would be trading in the same week, most likely, and the upgrade fees are $25 for that. Even I traded into a different week, it's only about $150 as I understand. The unit I am considering is really priced low; the other floors are substantially more expensive, so that's it's cost effective to just exchange or upgrade rather than purchase what I'd really like to have. I'm just wondering about how easy it to do, generally.

Thanks again.

You mentioned trading into Seapointe, that was the comparison in maint fee plus exchange fees. I picked up an off season Seapointe odd year for $5 on eBay just to have access to the GPX bonus weeks, you can rent as cheap as owning. Some day I hope to live closer and utilise day use there.

 

[VegasBella]

I own at Carlsbad Inn. I own a Summer week. I wouldn't buy off season.

If all you want is day use then I don't think it makes sense. There's parking by the beach if you get there early. The beach access is public, not private, so that's easy too. You'd get to borrow beach supplies but I'm betting if you're local then you have your own stuff. The pool is tiny and not worth it for MF. If a pool is a draw for you then I'd consider buying a unit at Grand Pacific Palisades or Seapointe with day use. The pools at Palisades are great.

Maybe you like the lawn and events and ambiance? That might be a reason to own. But still I think there are better traders. Or why not just buy where you want to go - Seapointe?

Also, I bet you can get an off season week at Carlsbad Inn cheaper than that if you do your homework and gamble a little. I've seen them up for tax auction btw.


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