My $0.02 worth...
...we still want to purchase a TS on the fla. coast that we can use at xmas time. My husband and I are employed and only have a limited amt. of vacation time annually.
I think I want a 2 BR lockoff, so we can rent out the other side each yr. ......Currently leaning towards the St. Augustine Beach Club... Also interested in the St. Pete Beach area, any advice?
While the 2br lockoff / rental idea is certainly sound
in concept, I frankly think you'll quickly find that making that criterion an actual
requirement will severely limit your purchase options, since there are
far more facilities that
don't have lock-off units than do...
I don't know much at all about the St. Augustine area (except that it's still a bit chilly around Xmas time), but I do know a bit about the Gulf Coast of SW FL. There are
lots of timeshare facilities in the St. Pete Beach area which you mention as an area of consideration. Some of them are facilities which were originally constructed as full ownership condos and are therefore quite "huge" by timeshare industry standards (Bay & Beach Club in Indian Shores comes immediately to mind as just one specific example). All units there are spacious 2BR (...but there are
no "lock offs"). Generally speaking, I'd stay away from facilities that are, in truth, nothing more than little motels converted over at some point to timeshare ownerships.
My advice (specifically pertaining to SW FL Gulf Coast) would be to just forget about a "lock off" as a specific requirement and shop around for a (resale only, of course) fixed week 51 or 52 someplace which is
not just a converted motel --- and which has annual maintenance fees that don't make you gag.
By the way, a few years ago a TUGGER named Lou S. (TUG i.d. "wcfr1" if I recall correctly) who lives on the SW FL Gulf Coast, very kindly compiled (and posted here on TUG) a detailed "rating" chart of virtually
all timeshare facilities on the Gulf Coast between St. Pete Beach and Clearwater. Knowing many of those facilities myself, I found Lou's "chart" to be accurate and helpful. If you can find that post in a "search", you'll find it to be quite informative. I believe that it was actually an "attachment" to one of Lou's posts, so you may have to dig a little to find the attached "rating chart".
If you ultimately have occasion to contact Lou directly, be sure to thank him for his public service. Lou is a firefighter, whose job can put him directly into harm's way on any given day, as we should all realize and acknowledge at this time of year as we remember
forever the horrific events of September 11, 2001).
Anyway, that's
my advice and it's certainly worth every penny of what you've just paid me for it.
Good luck.