Considering a Sheraton Vistana Resale

[rickandcindy23]

I wouldn't buy Orlando anything. Orlando is a very easy trade. You can easily get New Year's weeks in Orlando via exchange. Buy something (free) and use it to trade in. Buy a 2 bed lockoff at Sheraton Desert Oasis or Sheraton Broadway Plantation (no options go with resale) and use those in II only. The best traders I have found.

 

[DannyTS]

you may also consider an RCI points contract. Orlando is easy to get. Right now I see (all 2 BR 7 nights, all during the summer):
Hilton Grand Vacations Club At Seaworld
22 check-in nights available
Hilton Grand Vacations Club At Tuscany
8 check-in nights available
Parc Soleil By Hilton Grand Vacations Club
1 check-in nights available

the cost is also very reasonable if you have a contract that has very low MF per point. I have Regal Vistas @ Massanutten, $1030 MF for 178k RCI points every year.
For example a 2 BR at Hilton Grand Vacations Club At Tuscany Village is between 70,500 to 87,500 points or $408 to $507 my cost in MF plus the exchange fee of about $210

 

[dr.debs]

I am an EOY 2bdrm SDO owner, bought resale on ebay in 2007 for a lot more than they are selling right now but still cheap compared to a Direct sale. I did not pay the 5K to convert to receive StarPoints. It was an excellent trader in II for a decade, with multiple HI, Az and CA trips. And considering the modest annual fees I think it has saved me well over the initial sale cost even including the II fees. Lately, I have difficulty pulling any availability through II (even before CV-19) however, with either master or deluxe 1BDrm. Not sure what is going on but overall cost is approaching what getaways cost to similar locations through II.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

If you are going the owning route, you need to know your exit strategy because timeshares are easy to buy and difficult to sell. If not renting, suggest you buy either Florida or South Carolina or California not Virginia because these states have non-judicial, anti-deficiency laws to protect timeshare consumers. Read the sticky on the Buying, Selling forum for these state laws.

Basically if you lost your job or health and could not continue with payments, then these laws enable you to walk and all they can do is foreclose and take your timeshare back as compensation. They cannot go after your other assets and wages to pay back maintenance fees, legal fees etc. as they could in states like Virginia.

A better exit as stated previously by another poster is to go with a major chain with a deedback program. Marriott/Vistana/Hyatt and Hilton are reputable. I don't know about Wyndham and HICV's record. You should search TUG threads for deedback success with those programs. Avoid Diamond or Westgate and some of the smaller indepdendents because they charge exhorbitant fees or their programs are not reliable. The deedback programs can be eliminated at any time so having a fallback in a state that has reasonable foreclosure laws as described above is important.

 

[liongate88]

I have the same question with SVV. If you own this TS, would this be easy to trade with IL for other Marriot properties? Or Would SVV have trading power with IL for Marriot property in palm springs, las vegas or newport. Any experience on this thanks