Decision to buy a Shadow Ridge week (resale)

[SLO-Hedger]

My wife and kids love to go to Palm Desert, and we have been to all 4 Marriott timeshares there multiple times. We go at least once every year, and have always rented through Marriott.com. It has got to the point that we are now considering buying a week (resale of course! Thanks TUG!) at Shadow Ridge Villages, which is the one we like the most. The Destinations points are really too expensive for us, and we envision using the Shadow Ridge week every year. So the decision is to buy a resale week.

Most Tuggers suggest to buy a premium week, and that makes sense in general. However, in our case we almost always go to Palm Desert in the summer (We don't mind the dry heat, and swimming in the evening is very pleasant). We also want to have the option to go during Thanksgiving week. The "Gold" season (Villages, not Enclaves) works out perfectly for us. So our plan is to buy a "Gold" week at Shadow Ridge Villages.

The concern is the ever increasing MF, and whether paying rent is a better deal. It looks like I could rent a summer week through TUG or Redweek at a cost about the same or even lower than the MF. But rent for Thanksgiving week is much higher than MF.

I also own HGVC, so I understand the basic pros and cons of buying timeshare. Buying a Shadow Ridge week would not be an "investment", but the resale price for a Gold week seems quite reasonable, so the financial burden is from the annual MF.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

It sounds like you already have the cost burden because you book on marriott.com every year. You would be moving to a lower cost alternative.

What you could do is buy the resale Gold week. Lock off and use both weeks through interval. You will get Thanksgiving week using the 1BR if you search at 13/12. This two weeks for one strategy works perfectly for the Gold Season.

 

[dansimms]

It sounds like you already have the cost burden because you book on marriott.com every year. You would be moving to a lower cost alternative.

What you could do is buy the resale Gold week. Lock off and use both weeks through interval. You will get Thanksgiving week using the 1BR if you search at 13/12. This two weeks for one strategy works perfectly for the Gold Season.

That is a great point! In addition, as an Owner, you will get some priority for the Villa Location and down the road, you can expect to recover some of your purchase investment, if you decide to sell it as a resale. Are there any available as an every other year? That would make this a more conservative decision, cutting your maintenance fee decision in half.

 

[SLO-Hedger]

It sounds like you already have the cost burden because you book on marriott.com every year. You would be moving to a lower cost alternative.

What you could do is buy the resale Gold week. Lock off and use both weeks through interval. You will get Thanksgiving week using the 1BR if you search at 13/12. This two weeks for one strategy works perfectly for the Gold Season.

When we rented through Marriott.com in the past, we went with one bedroom to save money. Now my kids are getting bigger, so we are hoping to use the whole 2-bedroom unit. Do you mean I should lock-off the unit and have 2 trades; each trade through II to get a 2-bedroom? I am not sure about the availability of 2-bedroom units at Shadow Ridge through II, since I only own HGVC and trade through RCI. That might work for summer weeks, but probably not Thanksgiving week, right?

Also we have been going and plan to go every year, so I am OK with buying an every-year usage week.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

IIRC, a gold Shadow Ridge week can reserve weeks 22-27 and 36-29. The silver week can reserve weeks 28-35. If you buy a gold week, you cannot directly reserve a silver week through Marriott. You can only reserve in your "season". But if you are ever interested in exchanging your week, the gold week may have a bit better trading power (depending on the specific week reserved and deposited) and of course the Platinum weeks trade even better.

One strategy is to split your gold unit into an efficiency and 1 BR and then plan to exchange them into a larger unit. Last year I did this with a DSV2 (gold) Thanksgiving week. I then exchanged the efficiency for a 1 BR at Shadow Ridge (early November) and exchanged the 1 BR for a 2 BR at Newport coast (October). (In the next few months I hope to re-exchange the 1 BR for a 2 at one of the PD Marriotts). A minute ago I did a search using the efficiency and saw a variety of 1 and 2 BR units available this summer (August) and fall (Sept.) at Shadow Ridge. I also did a limited search using a July 10 week and saw similar Marriott Palm Desert inventory in August. I only saw efficiencies in June and July, but perhaps that is because the check in dates are so close or perhaps it is because those are higher demand weeks.

But there is a financial cost of splitting and exchanging in order to get two weeks of use: $80 split fee (one) + $129 (M to M) exchange fee/unit, plus an Interval Intl size upgrade fee (if you are platinum, it is $69 per unit size upgrade; if you are a regular member it is a $99 fee per unit size upgrade. I usually buy ePlus, which allows me to re-exchange my unit for (hopefully) a better week, location or unit size. So I end up with two 2-BR units at a cost of one Maintenance fee plus $545 (total). So each 2 BR week is costing me around $975 (without ePlus).

 

[Saintsfanfl]

When we rented through Marriott.com in the past, we went with one bedroom to save money. Now my kids are getting bigger, so we are hoping to use the whole 2-bedroom unit. Do you mean I should lock-off the unit and have 2 trades; each trade through II to get a 2-bedroom? I am not sure about the availability of 2-bedroom units at Shadow Ridge through II, since I only own HGVC and trade through RCI. That might work for summer weeks, but probably not Thanksgiving week, right?

Also we have been going and plan to go every year, so I am OK with buying an every-year usage week.

You shouldn't have any trouble getting a Thanksgiving 2BR unit using the 1BR deposit, as long as you are searching when the 13+ and 12+ deposits are being made. The reason is because anyone that is planning to trade using SR Gold is targeting the Thanksgiving weeks because that is the week with the highest TDI according to II. This can create a temporary higher supply than the immediate demand vs other weeks with perceived lesser trading power.

 

[SLO-Hedger]

IIRC, a gold Shadow Ridge week can reserve weeks 22-27 and 36-29. The silver week can reserve weeks 28-35. If you buy a gold week, you cannot directly reserve a silver week through Marriott. You can only reserve in your "season". But if you are ever interested in exchanging your week, the gold week may have a bit better trading power (depending on the specific week reserved and deposited) and of course the Platinum weeks trade even better.

One strategy is to split your gold unit into an efficiency and 1 BR and then plan to exchange them into a larger unit. Last year I did this with a DSV2 (gold) Thanksgiving week. I then exchanged the efficiency for a 1 BR at Shadow Ridge (early November) and exchanged the 1 BR for a 2 BR at Newport coast (October). (In the next few months I hope to re-exchange the 1 BR for a 2 at one of the PD Marriotts). A minute ago I did a search using the efficiency and saw a variety of 1 and 2 BR units available this summer (August) and fall (Sept.) at Shadow Ridge. I also did a limited search using a July 10 week and saw similar Marriott Palm Desert inventory in August. I only saw efficiencies in June and July, but perhaps that is because the check in dates are so close or perhaps it is because those are higher demand weeks.

But there is a financial cost of splitting and exchanging in order to get two weeks of use: $80 split fee (one) + $129 (M to M) exchange fee/unit, plus an Interval Intl size upgrade fee (if you are platinum, it is $69 per unit size upgrade; if you are a regular member it is a $99 fee per unit size upgrade. I usually buy ePlus, which allows me to re-exchange my unit for (hopefully) a better week, location or unit size. So I end up with two 2-BR units at a cost of one Maintenance fee plus $545 (total). So each 2 BR week is costing me around $975 (without ePlus).

Thanks for the info on unit availability and cost. Early summer works for us, so Week 24-27 within the Gold season is OK with us. Good to know that 2BR units are somewhat available in summer and during Thanksgiving. The few times we were in SR in the summer, the weekends were crowded but weekdays are a lot more calm. I am really tempted to stretch into two vacations. Even at a cost of $975 each, it would still be a very good deal.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I'm not positive about Shadow Ridge, but at the Desert Springs you can split your week into a 3 day stay and a separate 4 day stay. I think that the 3 day covers Fri, Sat and Sun and the 4 day covers Monday to Thursday - - both in a 2 BR unit. Kind of a nice alternative.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

Thanks for the info on unit availability and cost. Early summer works for us, so Week 24-27 within the Gold season is OK with us. Good to know that 2BR units are somewhat available in summer and during Thanksgiving. The few times we were in SR in the summer, the weekends were crowded but weekdays are a lot more calm. I am really tempted to stretch into two vacations. Even at a cost of $975 each, it would still be a very good deal.

Another good deal for the summer Palm Desert weeks (plus Phoenix, etc.) are the getaways. Being a timeshare owner and a member of Interval Intl., you can buy a getaway for typically around 350-500 (depends on room size, timing, season, etc.) which is less than the equivalent maintenance fee.

 

[SLO-Hedger]

Another good deal for the summer Palm Desert weeks (plus Phoenix, etc.) are the getaways. Being a timeshare owner and a member of Interval Intl., you can buy a getaway for typically around 350-500 (depends on room size, timing, season, etc.) which is less than the equivalent maintenance fee.

Yes I checked. Shadow Ridge allows split week (3-day and 4-day).
Getaways are great deals! I am not an II member yet, but are summer weeks at Shadow Ridge usually available?

 

[BJRSanDiego]

Yes, at this instant I see 30-35 getaways available at Shadow Ridge Villages. As would be expected at this late of a time, most (but not all) of the close in units (timewise) that remain are efficiencies. But there are several 1 and 2 BR (plus efficiencies) available in August. I think that there are the most number of getaways in PD in the summer - - moreso than other times of the year. The prices for the summer seem to generally be around $287 for the efficiency, $377 for the one br and $527 - 547 for the 2 BR. That is a lot less than what you pay for maintenance fees.

So one strategy might be to buy a white week, and reserve thanksgiving for the best trading power into harder to get periods or locations, but to use getaways for the summer months. Or buy an every-other-year Marriott and plan to use the getaways during the summer (and/or fall). EOY Shadow ridge units seem less likely to get "caught" in the ROFR by Marriott. But Blue (summer) units are also less likely to get caught also.

Personally, I think that late October, all of November, and December are delightful times to be in Palm Desert. I prefer them to the intense heat of the summer. But I have gone there in the summer and still enjoyed it. But I enjoy hiking and consider hiking in high temps to be risky.

Also, although I own at DSV1 and DSV2, I consider all of the Marriott resorts in PD to be "fungible" - - that is, interchangeable. Yes, there are differences between those four basic units, but they are all very nice.

 

[SLO-Hedger]

Yes, at this instant I see 30-35 getaways available at Shadow Ridge Villages. As would be expected at this late of a time, most (but not all) of the close in units (timewise) that remain are efficiencies. But there are several 1 and 2 BR (plus efficiencies) available in August. I think that there are the most number of getaways in PD in the summer - - moreso than other times of the year. The prices for the summer seem to generally be around $287 for the efficiency, $377 for the one br and $527 - 547 for the 2 BR. That is a lot less than what you pay for maintenance fees.

So one strategy might be to buy a white week, and reserve thanksgiving for the best trading power into harder to get periods or locations, but to use getaways for the summer months. Or buy an every-other-year Marriott and plan to use the getaways during the summer (and/or fall). EOY Shadow ridge units seem less likely to get "caught" in the ROFR by Marriott. But Blue (summer) units are also less likely to get caught also.

Personally, I think that late October, all of November, and December are delightful times to be in Palm Desert. I prefer them to the intense heat of the summer. But I have gone there in the summer and still enjoyed it. But I enjoy hiking and consider hiking in high temps to be risky.

Also, although I own at DSV1 and DSV2, I consider all of the Marriott resorts in PD to be "fungible" - - that is, interchangeable. Yes, there are differences between those four basic units, but they are all very nice.

Thanks for the great info about Getaways availability. Yes I agree the four Marriott timeshares are comparable in quality, and they are all very nice. We love Shadow Ridge primarily because of kids.