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HGVC 11200 points - Platinum - 1BR Elara for $4500 + closing costs -- good deal?

skepticalone

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$4500 price +$699 deed recording + $569 transfer fee + $695 activation fee + $349 commission = $6812
MFs quoted at $1200 (does it include club dues?)
2025 usage

Edit: documentation showed Hilton Grand Vacations Club on the Boulevard and not Elara as the broker stated. I passed.
 
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jp10558

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It's an average price I think - MFs are good.
 

jp10558

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I have no real idea - to me I'd want it to be less than the direct offered RTUs at Craig in Scotland if it was considered a "great deal". Closing on an RTU there is much less expensive.

I think it's a decent deal for deeded ones in the US. Back in 2022 I ended up paying $5,500 plus reimburse the last years MFs and all the closing, so it's certainly less than that for 11,200pts and the MFs are less too. If only I knew then what I know now lol.

I was a little off in saying it's average cause I missed the reimbursement of MFs for the year - make sure that's not lurking, and that is a significant savings...
 

TimeshareTraveller

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$4500 price +$699 deed recording + $569 transfer fee + $695 activation fee + $349 commission = $6812
MFs quoted at $1200 (does it include club dues?)
2025 usage

Edit: documentation showed Hilton Grand Vacations Club on the Boulevard and not Elara as the broker stated. I passed.
Elara is walking distance to Paris Las Vegas and The Bellagio. HGVC on the Boulevard is surrounded by Circus Circus further north. Elara is loved because it's in the heart of the Strip.

I usually think about buying not for a pure points play but for where I'd like to actually vacation once in a while too.

I'd have passed on that too. HGVC Boulevard is a nice place, but it's further north. I think that's too high a price for it.
 

WaikikiFirst

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+$699 deed recording
as Smith said, that is out of line unless there is some unusual situation here. Take $500 off that and it seems in the ballpark of "fair". Not great. Not even v good. Fair.
Take $500 off the $4500 and it still isn't V Good, but you're getting there.
I say this as someone who has no interest in going to LV so the Blvd vs Elara isn't a complicating factor for me.
 

iftravel

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I have no real idea - to me I'd want it to be less than the direct offered RTUs at Craig in Scotland if it was considered a "great deal". Closing on an RTU there is much less expensive.

I think it's a decent deal for deeded ones in the US. Back in 2022 I ended up paying $5,500 plus reimburse the last years MFs and all the closing, so it's certainly less than that for 11,200pts and the MFs are less too. If only I knew then what I know now lol.

I was a little off in saying it's average cause I missed the reimbursement of MFs for the year - make sure that's not lurking, and that is a significant savings...
Where to buy Craig direct?
 

jp10558

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iftravel

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Great idea. 4800 gets you a 2-bd Platinum which is also 11200 points and MF seems lower at 886, in GBP. Is there any direct purchase perks worth mentioning?
 

jp10558

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Great idea. 4800 gets you a 2-bd Platinum which is also 11200 points and MF seems lower at 886, in GBP. Is there any direct purchase perks worth mentioning?
Not that I'm aware of, just understand it's a RTU, not a deed and of course currency fluctuations can and do occur. It's just that it's more like an "Amazon" purchase kind of always available, so why "ebay" something for more lol.
 

jules54

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Last year a resale company I have worked with in the past was literally giving away those Elara HGVC plus paying all closing and transfer fees and he had more than one of them. I looked into it
seriously because free is free but if I recall correctly HGVC treats those Elara contracts like evil step children they don’t have the point power of other resorts in the system. Another complicated system.
 

skepticalone

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Last year a resale company I have worked with in the past was literally giving away those Elara HGVC plus paying all closing and transfer fees and he had more than one of them. I looked into it
seriously because free is free but if I recall correctly HGVC treats those Elara contracts like evil step children they don’t have the point power of other resorts in the system. Another complicated system.
Lower point power? How?
 

skepticalone

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I have no real idea - to me I'd want it to be less than the direct offered RTUs at Craig in Scotland if it was considered a "great deal". Closing on an RTU there is much less expensive.

I think it's a decent deal for deeded ones in the US. Back in 2022 I ended up paying $5,500 plus reimburse the last years MFs and all the closing, so it's certainly less than that for 11,200pts and the MFs are less too. If only I knew then what I know now lol.

I was a little off in saying it's average cause I missed the reimbursement of MFs for the year - make sure that's not lurking, and that is a significant savings...
What do you wish you knew in 2022 before you made your purchase?
 

TolmiePeak

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Last year a resale company I have worked with in the past was literally giving away those Elara HGVC plus paying all closing and transfer fees and he had more than one of them. I looked into it
seriously because free is free but if I recall correctly HGVC treats those Elara contracts like evil step children they don’t have the point power of other resorts in the system. Another complicated system.
Aren't Elara points the same as any other HGVC points?
 

jp10558

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What do you wish you knew in 2022 before you made your purchase?
That craig units weren't "scary international stuff", and probably to use a different sales channel. I found using the broker still misleading (I called about multiple listed online Vegas properties, was told oh, we sold those months ago, bla bla buy in Florida cause there's lots of inventory, and MFs aren't that much higher). Like the broker made it impossible to look at a list of units for sale and offered prices for me to pick from. I didn't get ripped off like retail, but since it really seems like I paid at least $1,000 more than I should have, and probably more like $3,000 given the extra $500 a year MFs.

The other thing that I literally *couldn't* haven known in 2022, no one could, was that Craig would get DEX access, so where I have Seaworld for HGVC and RCI, and Fox Run for II and would need to get Diamond (not doing it) or a Craig week for DEX, one Craig week can let you get RCI via HGVC, an independent II account and DEX. Of course, the value to you here is going to depend on if you want to use cash weeks, or are willing to use the week in traditional whole week exchanges if it works out in II or DEX.
 

vacationtime1

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as Smith said, that is out of line unless there is some unusual situation here. Take $500 off that and it seems in the ballpark of "fair". Not great. Not even v good. Fair.
Take $500 off the $4500 and it still isn't V Good, but you're getting there.
I say this as someone who has no interest in going to LV so the Blvd vs Elara isn't a complicating factor for me.
$500 is almost irrelevant in the long term. If you own the place for ten years, that's $50/use. Here at TUG, we often let perfection get in the way of a "good enough" deal.

What may be more important is the timing of the transaction such that the buyer gets a good first year use. I don't know Hilton, so maybe the points can be deposited regardless of the date of closing. But in the Marriott world, getting a week with good first year usage is worth more than $500.
 
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tomvc

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Aren't Elara points the same as any other HGVC points?
I can’t remember the entire problem. Something like Elara had its own program and those resale contracts did not have HGVC power. I spoke to customer service. Hopefully an Elara owner will speak up.
Not an owner of Elara, but I was searching to purchase. The Westgate Elara intervals are not part of of HGVC and have $0 value (imo). The Westgate deeds have 1 season, floats 1-52.
 
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Chris-ATX

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… I found using the broker still misleading (I called about multiple listed online Vegas properties, was told oh, we sold those months ago, bla bla buy in Florida cause there's lots of inventory, and MFs aren't that much higher). Like the broker made it impossible to look at a list of units for sale and offered prices for me to pick from. I didn't get ripped off like retail, but since it really seems like I paid at least $1,000 more than I should have, and probably more like $3,000 given the extra $500 a year MFs.

Indeed. I’ve had similar interactions with resale brokers.
 

Archie2023

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$4500 price +$699 deed recording + $569 transfer fee + $695 activation fee + $349 commission = $6812
MFs quoted at $1200 (does it include club dues?)
2025 usage

Edit: documentation showed Hilton Grand Vacations Club on the Boulevard and not Elara as the broker stated. I passed.
I am seeing people say $4500 is high. I have never seen HGV Elara, 11.2K go for less than $5750 plus fees. Most are around 7K. [link to outside Ad deleted]
I don't look often, but when I do, I also look at Elara, since I have this same point and location. You can call Diane at this link and chat with her. If some say different, please send me the link. I would love to see it. Elara has some of the lowest MF's in HGV, why I bought there. Been in HGV five years owning, been to LV 2, Barbados, Miami 3, NYC 2 Love it. Your deal was better than mine.
 
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