Maintenance fees

[pnkrockprincess]

So, I'm working on buying my first contract. I'm checking ebay and here on TUG and a couple of the other resellers I've seen.

The resorts I've seen with the lowest maintenance fees are:

National Harbor
Grand Desert
Emerald Beach
Bali Hai
Kona

Seems like everyone else is looking for these properties too, lots of good deals but very few killer deals (the $1 jams). So I ran a spreadsheet with the selling price of sold listings including transfer fees and closing cost (if any) and divided it by the number of points and found that the average price for the above properties on ebay over the last 30 days is about $6-7 per 1,000 points, again with closing costs included and with 2013 points intact (or mostly intact).

So, my question for you guys is, if I'm looking for about 500k - 700k points, should I concentrate on one property or spread them out? Is there any advantage to looking for weeks instead of points contracts? Am I missing any really low MF properties I should be looking at?

Thanks so much, you guys are the best!

 

[Ridewithme38]

sevierville, or however you spell it, is pretty low too

Also, you might want to look into Wyndham Club Access

I love my wyndham fixed week, althought i can't trade in the internal system, i can easily get 3-4 weeks in RCI with my one fixed week, where if it was points, it would only be worth about 182,000 and i wouldn't be able to spread that more then just a couple weeks

 

[pnkrockprincess]

sevierville looks great! I would actually go there! Thanks for the tip!

Leads me to a question: It looks like there are two separate resorts there? Smoky Mountains and Great Smokies. The wyndham website specifically says that guests at Smoky Mountains do not have access to the amenities at Great Smokies. Are they deeded separately with separate advance reservation periods and/or MF rates, or deeded the same but booked separately?

 

[ronparise]

So, I'm working on buying my first contract. I'm checking ebay and here on TUG and a couple of the other resellers I've seen.

The resorts I've seen with the lowest maintenance fees are:

National Harbor
Grand Desert
Emerald Beach
Bali Hai
Kona

Seems like everyone else is looking for these properties too, lots of good deals but very few killer deals (the $1 jams). So I ran a spreadsheet with the selling price of sold listings including transfer fees and closing cost (if any) and divided it by the number of points and found that the average price for the above properties on ebay over the last 30 days is about $6-7 per 1,000 points, again with closing costs included and with 2013 points intact (or mostly intact).

So, my question for you guys is, if I'm looking for about 500k - 700k points, should I concentrate on one property or spread them out? Is there any advantage to looking for weeks instead of points contracts? Am I missing any really low MF properties I should be looking at?

Thanks so much, you guys are the best!

Canterbury is another, and some of the converted fixed weeks at Kingsgate (prime season lockoffs)

As to which one to buy?... and should it be one or several? Id prefer one contract, but several smaller ones will give you some diversification and you will probably get it done sooner than if you wait for that one special deal.

 

[lcml11]

So, I'm working on buying my first contract. I'm checking ebay and here on TUG and a couple of the other resellers I've seen.

The resorts I've seen with the lowest maintenance fees are:

National Harbor
Grand Desert
Emerald Beach
Bali Hai
Kona

Seems like everyone else is looking for these properties too, lots of good deals but very few killer deals (the $1 jams). So I ran a spreadsheet with the selling price of sold listings including transfer fees and closing cost (if any) and divided it by the number of points and found that the average price for the above properties on ebay over the last 30 days is about $6-7 per 1,000 points, again with closing costs included and with 2013 points intact (or mostly intact).

So, my question for you guys is, if I'm looking for about 500k - 700k points, should I concentrate on one property or spread them out? Is there any advantage to looking for weeks instead of points contracts? Am I missing any really low MF properties I should be looking at?

Thanks so much, you guys are the best!

Last time I checked, Towers on the Grove if you can find a deeded one, it has the additional benifit of ARP at 11 months into the other Myrtle Beach locations.

You also miss entirely the concept of "Flight to Quality". You might want to keep in mind that sometimes you get what you pay for.

High demand locations, buildings in OK or better shape, strong rental markets are ideal for purchase. Westwinds, Seawatch Plantation, and Towers on the Grove in Myrtle Beach come to mind. I own at each of these locations but I am sure there are many more in the Quality band.

I forgot to mention the two in Tennsesee that were made reference to above. I own at the older one that does not have the waterpark. If children are not a issue, the older one is my preference.

Both can be bought as deaded units, do not believe that ARP applies between them unless a contract was purchased from the devloper with this right built into it. MF at the older one are great. They can both be booked through the reservations systems just like any other Wyndham Resort that is part of the Club Wyndham Plus/Access programs.

 

[timeos2]

While looking for low annual fees should play a part in your search for the proper home resort for your use it shouldn't be the primary one. That is because what the annual fee is today or yesterday means nothing for what it will be tomorrow. In fact it has been a common occurrence that resorts with below average fees over a number of years, and newer resorts still with Developer subsidies, hit owners with large special assessments and higher fees in later years. Now it cannot be said that has or will occur in every case but it is frequent enough to serve as a big red flag when considering where to buy.

Better to look at not only the current fee but how the reserves stand at the resort and any history of renovation (or lack of) with that level of fee. And of course the number 1 factor should be that you LIKE the resort you buy into enough to be willing to use it regularly should that become a need down the road. If you pick a resort you can get to at reasonable cost and that you like with a current fee level close (or hopefully below) the average you should do fine. But what that exact fee will be going forward, no matter where you choose to own, is always a great unknown. You can only be active in your resorts budget process and hope for good actions by the Board there.