Max Deeds or Trust

[easterntraveler]

Went to an Owner Update by choice this weekend in Gatlinburg. First went to Bluegreen and found they were selling $400 MF 10.6¢ to their owners to Max. Tried to buy that but since we are HGVC they could not sell us and they spent hours with about six people trying. Maybe good or maybe not. We really like the Mountainloft location and the 4 bedrooms are what we need every year at Thanksgiving to bring our family to one location. Want access to that property on that date in a 4br.

Then we end up at Bent Creek with an appt. Tell them up front we either get what we are after or we are happy to leave with what we have. They started at 72k and we laughed and said thank you, we will be going now. Then they change it to a 1760pt property on deed with $1200 mf. At the end we end up with $6k for $686 mf and 2k (trust) pts. We are all deeded and they said to get access to everything we needed a trust and DEX. Did this on Sunday with a 10 day ROR is what we read. The bonus was 200,000 HHonors, 10,000 Bonus Pts, and $225 Visa.

Is there any better or cheaper way to get access to the MAX properties?
Is it true about Trust and Deed being separate bookable properties and you need both?
Did we do okay? We do like and use our HGVC points, but mostly through transfer because NONE of the HGVC properties are anywhere we want to go. The Diamond and Bluegreen properties actually are.
Most of ours are through RCI in the past.

 

[jp10558]

So retail is probably never a good deal. TUG generally discounts MAX, because there are better ways to book DRI properties. What you have learned via HGVC is own where you want to go if possible. They're not wrong that owning DRI is the best way to book it, and I think Bluegreen is the same. The issue is you need to check the trust points value of the unit you want to book. I doubt (unless they traded in your HGVC deed or something) that 2k is enough points. Also, if you're looking primarily for DRI in the US, you can often get them for free resale (with the limit that you can only use them in the collection you own in resale, but I'm reasonably sure the US is one big collection except Hawaii). I've also seen Bluegreen given away, but I know next to nothing about that. I do think TUG likes them better than DRI.

So I suggest as all TUG does you rescind, work out the points needed for the unit you want at a time you want, and then see if you can buy it resale. You can ALWAYS go back to retail and they'll be happy to sell you something they offered before. But if you can get it for transfer fees or completely free, that is better. From what AI can find for me in their points PDF (see https://www.bluegreenowner.com/-/media/pdf/weeks-calendar/points.ashx ), MountainLoft only has 3BR units though - so IDK what you were seeing with 4BR. Anyway the top cost for a normal 3BR is 21000 pts in leaf season (week 40-43) so WAY MORE than 2K points to book for a week. I'd imagine a 4BR would be more points.

So yes, rescind, and look for a resale with AT LEAST 21,000 pts and figure out your MFs on that, it won't be $686.

 

[iftravel]

Think you bought the HVC trust points. Very expensive way to get more points - in terms of both up front and maintenance fees (think about $686/2k points)

If you already have Max (based on your previous Retail purhcase), not sure how a retail dead or trust works along with it. Think they should work seemlessly. Someone else may offer you better advice.

No idea what they are selling $400 MF for 10.6c maintenance fee. If you can get that deed for 6k up front, that might be worth it. I guess it's a bluff to get you in the room.

 

[easterntraveler]

We have 5 deeds all paid off many years ago.

Supposedly we didn't have access to the trust deals which use DEX. This was an intentional trust points purchase based on what we were told.

 

[jp10558]

We have 5 deeds all paid off many years ago.

Supposedly we didn't have access to the trust deals which use DEX. This was an intentional trust points purchase based on what we were told.

I'm not really sure what you're looking for - DEX or DRI direct booking. I don't know if you can use HGVC with DEX unless you have Craig or other affiliates that get you DEX. I.e. if you get MAX can you use HGVC Points to book via Dex? Everything I've read about DEX is weeks based so...

 

[HuskerATL]

The best and cheapest way to access the DRI properties, for HGVC Legacy owners, is to buy a resale HGVC week that can exchange in DEX. Then you can use it in HGVC or DEX (Bay Club, Plantation, or Craig Lodges). Max only gives you a 7 month window to book a DRI property but you get up up 2 years in DEX please the Embarc, BG, and other partner properties

 

[easterntraveler]

We want access to the other HGVC properties. Acquired DRI, BG, etc... We are currently Elite Plus. This purchase was just for MAX access and easier exchange. We are not a home resort user. We would use Gatlinburg area properties though since we go their annually. Without MAX we cannot see the other resorts in the system, just the HGVC properties.

 

[HuskerATL]

You have access to all the HGVC properties now. Max or DEX would give you access to the Diamond, Embarc, Bluegreen, and other properties.

If you buy a Craig Lodges resale, from the official resale office, you get access to DEX and they are elite qualifying points so you could get to Elite Premier which is much better than Elite plus. With Elite Premier, you no longer pay fees for about everything; booking, saving, convert to HH, deposit in RCI, or guest certificates. I would look this way, if I were you. Depending on what you buy, it only costs a few thousand dollars. We have spent about $2k to $3k for each of our weeks there

 

[easterntraveler]

That is what we are trying to do is get access to the others through MAX.
We understand that we can now use all of our points - 38k since we bought that Max Points Trust

 

[dayooper]

That is what we are trying to do is get access to the others through MAX.
We understand that we can now use all of our points - 38k since we bought that Max Points Trust

You can use all of your points at 7 months when the majority of the popular weeks will be gone. I don’t know if Gatlinburg is easy to book, though.

 

[easterntraveler]

That is what we are trying to avoid by buying MAX and Trust. They said it would allow us to book at 13 months.

 

[HuskerATL]

Trust points are too expensive. If you already own in HGVC, then buy a resale week at one of the HGVC properties that have access to DEX. Then you get a 2 year booking window for Diamond/HVC properties, 11 months for Embarc, and 2 years for BG... Plus other properties not in HGV like Anantara.

 

[easterntraveler]

Of course with a grain of salt, they said there are no deed properties with DEX, that is reserved for trust point accounts. The reason they created DEX was to have a solution for trust owners to exchange.

 

[HuskerATL]

Of course with a grain of salt, they said there are no deed properties with DEX, that is reserved for trust point accounts. The reason they created DEX was to have a solution for trust owners to exchange.

3 HGVC properties can exchange in DEX; Plantation, Bay Club, and Craig Lodges. They may not be aware of that or don't want to talk about it.... Because that is a much better option for HGVC Legacy owners than buying retail to get into Max.

 

[GT75]

@easterntraveler, don't drink the Kool-Aid (lies) that the TS salesperson told you. You only have one chance to rescind this terrible deal. You will only be able to book HVC resorts @ the 13-month mark with the points that you own in HVC in the collection that you purchased; otherwise, 10 months in the other collections. The HGVC points can only be booked at 7-month mark in HVC. Did you only buy 2K HVC trust points? (I wasn't sure from your OP). That won't get you much plus you won't be able to give that away. I recommend that you rescind immediately.

 

[easterntraveler]

Then it is also a lie that I can move points from my deed side to the trust side and vice versa so that I have maximum flexibility?
I won't have 13 month on the Trust collection side for all properties in HVC
AND
12 months on the deed side with my HGVC side?
They said they were not touching any of my existing property deeds, only adding flexibility to the MAX and giving me access to Trust side.


So a resale trust at Plantation, Bay Club, and Craig Lodges is better? I was focused on the low MF.

Thanks for all the advice, that is why you are the experts, you know all the ins and outs

 

[easterntraveler]

Best MF I can find:
Plantation $1800.00 (2 BR)
Craig $977.10 (studio)
Bay Club $1636.44 (1 BR)

 

[HuskerATL]

Then it is also a lie that I can move points from my deed side to the trust side and vice versa so that I have maximum flexibility?
I won't have 13 month on the Trust collection side for all properties in HVC
AND
12 months on the deed side with my HGVC side?
They said they were not touching any of my existing property deeds, only adding flexibility to the MAX and giving me access to Trust side.


So a resale trust at Plantation, Bay Club, and Craig Lodges is better? I was focused on the low MF.

Thanks for all the advice, that is why you are the experts, you know all the ins and outs

You can't move points between the 2 systems. You can call customer service, within 7 month max window, and have them combine them for a reservation though

HGVC has the 9 to 12 months that you can book your homeweek. It is exactly what you own with no changes. Exact season, until type, 7 nights, and check in day. If you want anything different, then you have to wait until the Club reservation window at 9 months. This is why most people don't ever use their homeweek.

Depends on what you want. If you want to own in HGVC and then have options for Diamond properties then those three properties are the way.

 

[HuskerATL]

Best MF I can find:
Plantation $1800.00 (2 BR)
Craig $977.10 (studio)
Bay Club $1636.44 (1 BR)

I would not buy a studio at Craig but that looks like a 1 bedroom MFs. There are several caveats on what you buy at Craig depending on how you want to use it. That is a whole other discussion.

Always compare mf/pt, not just the MFs. The best MF/pt at Craig are the 3 bed units in platinum season but, it isn't the best trader in DEX and is the the most expensive to buy but it depends on how you want to use it. If you want the most points to use across HGVC, then it is the best at Craig but it exchanges at the same tier as a 2 bed plat week so, if you want it as a trader in DEX, then you are over paying.

Also buy platinum season deeds for the best mf/pt.

 

[easterntraveler]

The consensus appears to be that I did not accomplish anything with the $6,000.00 purchase of 2000 trust points with $683.00 MF.

 

[GT75]

Well, one thing that you did accomplish is throw away $6K with a continued $683+ yearly loss.

 

[HuskerATL]

The consensus appears to be that I did not accomplish anything with the $6,000.00 purchase of 2000 trust points with $683.00 MF.

That is brutal...mf/pt is 0.34....ugh.... Plus only 2k points. Look in The Club rules guide, at the properties in the back, to see how to use 2k points. You will be very limited.

Ideally, the mf/pt is 0.10 or less.

 

[easterntraveler]

Disappointed that I did not get a good deal. Not a complete waste thought as they did give me 200k in HH and $225 in VI Debit

 

[HuskerATL]

Disappointed that I did not get a good deal. Not a complete waste thought as they did give me 200k in HH and $225 in VI Debit

But, feel good that it was only $6k. I know folks who have spent tens of thousands of dollars for crappy deeds