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Horizons Time Share

CLIFFTOPS

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I Own A Platinum Timeshare At Horizons IN ORLANDO. I Am Looking To Purchase Another Resale If I Can Find A Bargain Price. Last Week On Ebay A Eoy Was Sold At A Price Of About $5100. The Buyer , In Addition To The Normal Closing Costs Had To Pay The Maintenance Fee This Year With No Use This Year So Effectively That Added Another $350 To Cost. This Did Not Seem Like A Good Purchase But Then Again I Trying To Understand The Thinking Of A Timeshare Seller And Buyer.
Currently There Is A Eoy On Ebay Now With An Every Other Year Maintenance Fee Of About $350 That The Seller Is Asking About $5000 . I Have Noticed On Several Other Websites An Eoy At About $4000 And A Annual At $7900.
I Would Appreciate Other Buyers And Sellers Thoughts On What They Consider In Buying And Selling.
 
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littlestar

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We have been investigating Horizons also to purchase.

I wonder what Marriott Horizons sells EOY's for directly through them?

We are staying at Horizons in Orlando next month for a few days. I plan to go across the street and take a look at Cypress Harbour also. But I don't think Cypress Harbour can be EOY, though.
 

CLIFFTOPS

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Horizons

I Believe That The Eoy Directly From Developer Is About $10,000. Marriott Has A Promotion Now To Give 17% Discount On Each Eoy If You Buy Both In A Certain Time Frame. This Is For Individual Who Does Not Want To Go To Same Resort Each Year. I Thought That Was Why You Exchanged .
I Think You Will Enjoy Horizons If This Is Your First Time. We Have Been Going There Since 2001 And It Is Better Each Year.
Although Orlando Timeshares Are Not Great Traders , I Believe This Resort Will Appeal More And More To Families With Younger Families As They Become Aware Of It. Most Cater To The Older Children.
 

copper

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CLIFFTOPS said:
I Would Appreciate Other Buyers And Sellers Thoughts On What They Consider In Buying And Selling.

In purchasing I look at:

1. Is the TS in an area that I want to go to all the time rather than trade
2. Does the TS have the amenities I want
3. Has management done a good job in the past
4. Can I rent the same unit on a regular basis rather than commit to buying

I buy the units I'm interested in as cheap as I can with the idea that after 5 years usuage and maintenance fees I can give the unit away if I want and still consider myself to have broken even on what I would have paid for the same type of accomodations if I was unfamiliar with timesharing.
 

CLIFFTOPS

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Copper,
Great Advise!
We Love The Orlando Area.
Nine Grandchildren So Always Something To Do And Years Range From 1 To 14 So Years Of Fun Ahead.
The Question Is Exactly The Point You Make. How Easy Is It To Rent And At What Price.
At This Point , Horizons -orlando Seems Readily Available At A Weekly Rental Of $800 -$1000 OUT OF SEASON AND $1500 OR SO IN SEASON. THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF AVAILABITY.
Maintenance Fee Is Almost $800.
It Would Seem Only Wise To Buy Resale At A BARGAIN Price Now.
The Question Is Will The Inventory Of Resales Dry Up?
 
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littlestar

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Do you get anything extra if you buy direct from Marriott on these EOY's at Horizon in Orlando? I hear people talking about Marriott points, but I don't know what that means.
 

CMF

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Very Brief Explanations of Points

Please read more on this subject as I don't generally write long posts and this will be a very short explanation.

Marriott sweetens the deal when you buy directly through them by giving you a bundle of reward points as part of the purchase. As an example, I recently checked the Horizons at Branson and Marriott is giving 200K points for the purchase - that is a special, I am told, that they are running till the end of March.

Then you can trade your week for points every other year and use the points to stay at Marriott Hotels, but airline tickets, etc., similar to what you would be able to do with a credit card rewards program.

I interpret what I've read on this topic to mean that the overwhelimng majority of folks think that the saving on a reslase sale far outweigh the value of the intitial points value. And, since you still have to pay maintenance fees for the week you trade for points, there is little value in doing this.

That is a thumbnail sketch of what I know and I encourage you to read more on the subject.

Charles
 

littlestar

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Charles,

Is that a one-time bundle of points with the initial purchase from Marriott? (sorry if I sound dumb).

Also, from what I've read, Horizons Orlando just opened up lock-off buildings, right? So probably any current resale purchase wouldn't have a lock-off feature? Just a new purchase direct from Marriott would be the Horizons Orlando lock-off?
 

CMF

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The bundle is with the initial purchase.

I think you are right about the lock-off in Orlando. But I would call the resort to confirm. If you want to buy Horizons you may consider the one in Branson. Their older two bedrooms have lock-offs and you will find them in the resale market.

Charles
 

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There are many really nice Orlando resorts. If I was looking for Orlando specifically I would personally prefer a lock off capable 3 bedroom 3 bath Star Island over Horizons. You should be able to pick up a fixed week every year cheaper than an EOY Marriott. A portion of the resort is now Fairfield but there are many non FF units. We traded into Star Island with a Marriott studio and got the 3 bedroom.

Orlando is an easy trade. I think I would look at purchasing a 2 bedroom Marriott gold Summit Watch EY for around 5 to 6k, split it and get 2 weeks every year in Orlando in a 2 bedroom and possibly 3 bedroom, plus you may get a bonus week with the 1 bedroom deposit giving you access to a 3rd week if desired.

Star Island is very family oriented, units are huge and it's about 4 miles to WDW and a bit further to US.

We are headed that way in May but this trip I'm stuck in a Westgate :( and will have to spend time avoiding the sales people, but then I got it (2 bedroom) with another Marriott studio so I'll put up with the hassle.
 

Bill4728

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CMF said:
If you want to buy Horizons you may consider the one in Branson. Their older two bedrooms have lock-offs and you will find them in the resale market.

Charles
I would have to disagree with Charles. There are lots of reasons to buy the Horizon in Orlando. But if Horizon-Orlando is what you want, there is no reason to buy Branson-Horizon. Any Marriott TS, will be able to trade into the Horizon in Orlando with the same Marriott preference. If you want a lock off, look at all Marriotts with lock offs not just Branson.

The only two reasons to buy Branson, is if you got a great deal there or if Branson is where you want to go on vacations.

Good Luck
 
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CMF

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I'll expand

Bill4728 said:
I would have to disagree with Charles. There are lots of reasons to buy the Horizon in Orlando. But if Horizon-Orlando is what you want, there is no reason to buy Branson-Horizon. Any Marriott TS, will be able to trade into the Horizon in Orlando with the same Marriott preference. If you want a lock off, look at all Marriotts with lock offs not just Branson.

Good Luck

I suggested the Branson property because of its relatively low maintenance fee and purchase price. I've seen platinum weeks two bedroom lock-offs sell for just over $5K. This was one of my choices when I was looking for my Marriott, but chose not to go that route because I wanted to buy a three bedroom and did not want to have to exchange into Orlando. Branson did not work for me, but it may work for someone else.

Horizon Orlando Platimun - MF in 2005 was $627.00
Horizon Branson [season unspecified but the majority of the year is Platimun in Branson] two bedroom l/o - MF in 2005 was $540.00

The cost of exchanging into Orlando from Branson would eat the difference, but you'd still have the benefit of owning a two bedroom lock-out. It may be worth a call to the Horizon's sales desk in Orlando to learn what the MF will be for a lock-out unit.

Charles
 

littlestar

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Thanks for all the replies. We're already loaded up on maintenance fees with our Disney points. Although I'm thinking of selling one of our add-on DVC points packages to trim our maintenance fees down a little. ;)

My thinking was an EOY Marriott would allow our family to be able to join Interval (we can't join II with just our DVC points - Disney is the member, we aren't). Then we would also have access to II's getaway weeks I would think? Right?

I thought about Horizons Branson, but I don't think I would ever want to go there but maybe once. Orlando seems to be our primary place to vacation (we're from the frozen tundra, you know - Indiana, so palm trees and warmth mean a lot on vacation). So if we bought EOY at Branson, I'd have those $79 exchange fees to switch into Orlando most of the time. Although I would want to go occasionally to some ocean resorts in Hilton Head or Florida with a Marriott purchase.

I guess I figured if we bought in Orlando, we could always use it if we didn't trade it.

My brother stayed at Star Island last month and said it was nice. I'm afraid of Fairfield resorts. It seems like some people have gotten burned when Fairfield took over their resorts and that scares me. So I would probably stick with Marriott.
 

Bill4728

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The Horizon in Brandson should be considered if the price is right but any Marriott will likely get you a trade into the Horizon in Orlando.

So look around, maybe buy a Marriott resort you'll use. Buy one just to trade only if it is a steal.

Good Luck
 
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