Florida in January--Fifth Generation Thread

[bccash63]

JLB just wanted to let you know that within the 14 day window there were two gold crown resorts that showed up just after midnight last night. The Charter Club of Marco 1/26/08 and Sandpiper Beach Club 1/26/08 both in 2 br.
Thanx for the info on the 14 day window--also both of these were released just after midnight and today is 1/14/08 which would be 12 days--I searched on Sat night after midnight and they were not there. Do you know if it is at exactly 14 days before check in or less than 14 days?? thanx, Dawn

 

[JLB]

Thanx, that means there's still hope. Book into a lesser resort and hope to upgrade at the last minute.

We are at Sandpiper now, and will not likely be searching for it again.

But that's another story.

 

[Sea Six]

I see more and more hits at the Charter Club. I'm thinking the owners are trading their weeks because of the Crystal Shores construction.

 

[JLB]

Synopsis

Being the beginning of another year, my 11th using RCI.com, let me give the Cliff Notes version, so you don't have to read the entire novel.

I have searched SW FL for January on RCI.com since 1997. I started recording those almost-daily searches 3/27/02. I have recorded the daily results for January 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

There has been a decline in availability.

Since using January 1 as a start date produced very little, for 2007 and 2008 I used 12/27. Much of what has been available since I started do that is, in fact, for that last December week, Week 52, and would not have been shown in the results prior to 2007.

So, the only reason 2007, 2008 and 2009 appear to be somewhat comparable to earlier years is because of those Week 52s.

What I am listing here is the peak availability, the largest number of resorts seen in a search, and how many months out that result was seen:

2004: 14 resorts, 18 and 15 months out
2005: 13 resorts, 19 and 17 months out
2006: 9 resorts, 21 and 19 months out
2007: 9 resorts, 21, 20, 16, and 14 months
2008: 13 resorts, 17 months out
2009: 8 resorts, 23 and 20 months out

You can see that the larger numbers lasted longer in 2004 through 2007, and you can already see a significant decline after moving the start back to Dec. 27, between that date for 2008 and 2009.

What is not reflected by the numbers is the quality. I can't remember the last time I saw an HGVC Gold Crown on the Beach. I would take one if I saw one, and the last one I took was for January, 2004.

For 2010, I am using 12/1/09 as a start date, to try to beat Snowbird Season.

 

[bccash63]

I didn't post last Sun am but at 1:30 cst there were 2 GC w/in the 14 day window. The Charter Club of Marco for 2/02 checkin and The Galleon Key West 2/2 check in. Both were gone next morning. Dawn

 

[JLB]

We enjoyed the Galleon.

We got it a Week 1 after I started searching Resorts on the Beach. That year we flew into Orlando with a couple that vacations with us, got a rental car, and drove to Bonita Beach. The following Friday we drove to Orlando and took them to the airport the next day. We then went on to Key West, The Galleon. The following Friday we drove to Orlando, picked up my BIL and SIL at the airport on Saturday, and drove to Ft. Myers Beach. The following Friday we drove to Orlando, where we had a 10:30 tee time, and flew back home the next day.

Our other Gold Crown was a Week 1 at Club Regency. We liked it too.

I didn't post last Sun am but at 1:30 cst there were 2 GC w/in the 14 day window. The Charter Club of Marco for 2/02 checkin and The Galleon Key West 2/2 check in. Both were gone next morning. Dawn

 

[JLB]

Perhaps a more revealing figure is the number of resorts available 12 months out. Searching in January for the next January, there used to be quite a few resorts available each day, a low of 3 and a high of 8, but normally 4 to 6.

Now, a year out for January, 2009, there is only 1, and it is for a December check-in. For actual January check-ins, the number has been zero for most days for some time now.

So, now, except for occasional deposits, all the depositin' and all the pickin' for next January has already been done.

 

[JLB]

I was looking through my records and I noticed that I cancelled a 2-bedroom at Little Gull, a fabulous place that I mini-reviewed a couple weeks ago. Actually, I switched it to a lesser, 1-bedroom, but OK, FMB resort, to be nearer Rapmarks, so we could golf with them.

So, sometimes I switch down, for reasons besides the resort.

 

[JLB]

The End Is Near! The End Is Near!

The end of my daily searching for SW FL in January!

Variables have changed enough that the validity will be a little weak not long from now, whenever I use the searcher I have been using since 2005.

There is little new news to be reported, anyway, as what is done is done.

But, over the years I have spoke of the lesser resorts, those most likely to be available, available because owners in those resorts still deposit with RCI. Of course, I could rattle off 15 or 20 resorts that fit in that category, but, in order to make it up-to-date, I am going to list the ones that actually are appearing, as they appear.

In this case, it is for January, 2010, and, because of the reduced inventory, the start date of that search is Dec. 1, 2009. I am also using a lesser trader, but I have played around with it enough to know that it sees the lesser resorts in the lesser timeframe (before January 1).

I started this search while we were in FL this year, 1/4-1/18, and started recording the results 1/19. Two resorts have been available every day, Marco Resort and Club & Tropical Sands. Today a third resort appeared, Island Towers.

 

[atlanticwatergate]

SW Florida Frustrated

JLB just wanted to let you know that within the 14 day window there were two gold crown resorts that showed up just after midnight last night. The Charter Club of Marco 1/26/08 and Sandpiper Beach Club 1/26/08 both in 2 br.
Thanx for the info on the 14 day window--also both of these were released just after midnight and today is 1/14/08 which would be 12 days--I searched on Sat night after midnight and they were not there. Do you know if it is at exactly 14 days before check in or less than 14 days?? thanx, Dawn

I follow this string on and off. I have a ton of HGVC points but rarely see availability for SW FLA. I notice you (Dawn and JLB) check RCI right after Midnight correct? Is this when the load the days units?? I have an RCI/HGVC search and an RCI weeks search and I am trying to get SW FLA next month. Am I dreaming?? Any advice in my search??

Thanks

 

[JLB]

I am not a witching hour practitioner. I search with my morning coffee.

Yeah, you're pretty much dreaming, but we have been seeing stuff in the 14-day window, like our switch to Bel Air Beach Club about 10 days before checkin. Just keeping trying online.

Then toward the end of January, in that thread where someone was trying to give a deposit away, I posted stuff I saw in the 14-Day Window.

I have searched my regular search through HGVC also, a friend letting me borrow their account. It, too, was scarce, but the time I did it I did find something when nothing was available through RCI.

HGVC is a place I feel weeks at the better SW FL resorts are being deposited, rather than RCI or II, and I doubt that many Snowbird Weeks are going to HGVC either.

 

[JLB]

Another of the Normal Suspects/Most Likely to Appear:

Charlotte Bay Resort and Club, Charlotte Harbor.

Astoundingly now a Silver Crown, same as some truly oustanding resorts on Sanibel, FMB and Marco.

 

[JLB]

Sea Oats Beach Club

 

[JLB]

Summer on the Beach

I have also been searching Resorts on the Beach for 10 weeks starting 6/1/09, just resorts that have units allowing more than 6.

That, too, is a tough one.

I can see how timesharing would be limited to a large family.

 

[JLB]

Another normal suspect: Lahaina Inn Resort (#0459)

 

[JLB]

I keep searching after booking exchanges, and switch if something better shows up.

This week an 1800 sq-ft, 2-bed/2-bath, Lighthouse, on Sanibel appeared for 1/10/09. It might be the first time I have ever seen it.

Since there are two couples in our group, I switched from a small 1-bed/1-bath on Sanibel. We lost $119 of the first exchange fee, and, of course, had to pay another one.

Lighthouse was the only thing in that day's search and the week we gave back did not re-appear online.

So, for next January, we now have 2 2-bed/2-bath resorts, so we can accomodate whomever of two other couples cares to tag along, to enjoy the beach and golf with Rapmarks and Conchman.

So, far, it still appears to be the last year we will be able to go in January, not being able to see stuff for January, 2010, but seeing stuff for Dec. 2009.

It's nice to get it out of the more expensive holiday travel period, for rental car and plane.

 

[JLB]

Another Normal Suspect: Caribbean Beach Club

 

[JLB]

Another Normal Suspect: Windward Passage Resort

 

[JLB]

ditto: Fishermen's Village Resort Club (#4851)

 

[JLB]

ditto: Estero Island Beach Club

 

[JLB]

To show how little movement there is at two years out, these three resorts have not been taken and have been available every day.

I started this search while we were in FL this year, 1/4-1/18, and started recording the results 1/19. Two resorts have been available every day, Marco Resort and Club & Tropical Sands. Today a third resort appeared, Island Towers.

 

[JLB]

Another Normal Suspect: Sandrift Resort (#5143)

 

[JLB]

Still Making It Work For Us

Despite the declining availability of better resorts, the reduced trading power of our deposits, the advice of ex-spirts saying the only way to get better exchanges is through ongoing searches, and the criticism of Weeks by the pundits suggesting it is an archaic, outmoded dinosaur of a system, it has come through again.

I just snagged one of the very nice SW FL HGVC resorts on the beach through my daily online search. Once again something we like showed up. Since I used deposit 105 for this one, something OK has been showing up for a long, long time.

To get it I only had to adjust our vacation dates back a couple or three weeks, from peak January to less-than-peak December, a relatively minor change.

We have never paid a penny to upgrade anything to anything--Weeks to Points, Fixed to Floating, ad infinitim . . .