mexico timeshare pointers

[jolie]

I am thinking of purchasing a TS in Mexico because I like the every other year options and right to use for a specific number of years and not forever.
Since it would be out of the US, what extra things do I need to do for a smooth transaction.
Also thanks to everyone who has helped with all my other questions!!

 

[cymomtx]

Are you planning at staying at that specific resort every time or using it to trade often?

 

[jolie]

Since it is an EOY, we'll probably go EOY. And since it is a studio or unless I can find something else I like, I doubt we will trade it.

 

[easyrider]

I would look for a 1 bed 2 bath unit on Ebay. There are many to chose from. We bought 2 seperate contracts at Villa Del Palmar on Ebay with 16 years left on the right to use and $460.00 maintenance fee for under $1000.00 each. The VDPs are located in Puerto Vallarta, Neuvo Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. Their United States office is located in San Diego. I have freinds that have bought nicer timeshares than mine off Ebay.

 

[KarenLK]

I would also recommend the VDP units. I own at Villa del Mar, and I got three for under 1000 including all fees. I made sure I had winter weeks so that I could trade weeks wthin the season.
Check eBay's closed auctions to see how they are selling, but I am sure you can get a deal. I bought mine through Holiday Group.

 

[Big Red]

Extraordinary Maintenance Fees?

My wife and I recently purchased a timeshare at Coral Princess Club in Cozumel, Mexico. I am concerned about future "extraordinary maintenance fees" (some contracts call them "special assestments", especially with the possibility of future hurricane damage, and what would not be covered by hotel's insurance. I am being overly cautious/concerned? I know the Sunset Group had imposed a special assestment for hurricane damage at Fisherman's Wharf that surprised many members.

Thanks, Big Red

 

[Carol C]

My wife and I recently purchased a timeshare at Coral Princess Club in Cozumel, Mexico. I am concerned about future "extraordinary maintenance fees" (some contracts call them "special assestments", especially with the possibility of future hurricane damage, and what would not be covered by hotel's insurance. I am being overly cautious/concerned? I know the Sunset Group had imposed a special assestment for hurricane damage at Fisherman's Wharf that surprised many members.

Thanks, Big Red

Hi Big Red...I've owned on Cozumel since '93. In all that time the only special assessment I faced was when one of the two resorts I bought on Coz went bankrupt and got bought out by a bigger chain. The renovation costs got passed onto the timeshare members to a large extent. When the hurricanes hit Coz a year or so ago, the other resort I had bought (I no longer own) ratcheted up the annual maint fee to pay for damage to beach, grounds and pool area. To make a long story short, special assessments in Mexico seem quite rare but are not unheard of. Coral Princess is a very nice resort on Coz, and thus I think you'll be happy there. Did you buy resale?

 

[jolie]

i have been doing a lot of research on ebay. seems like the MF on the east side of mexico are higher then the west coast. i guess due to the hurricanes. i have been looking on the west coast. PV and MZ seem like the places to go. i like RTU, you are not tied into forever. i am watching prices. looking for 2br, red season. i want a place close to everything so we dont have to drive. i know about the taxis and public transportation. i just dont want to be stuck out in the boonies.
by the way when looking for a winter week. do you when a winter here or winter season there? (i am new to all this) i have read the resort databases, put some comments are several years old. so any pointers welcome.
i have been looking on ebay. holiday group seems to have tons of properties. are the reliable, trustworthy?
thanks

 

[KarenLK]

I have bought from Holiday Group, as I previously mentioned, and had no trouble. Winter season covers until about the middle of April. I have a week 16 that is considered winter. Villa del mar/Palmar are both at a bus stop and almost directly across from a major supermarket and mall with a cinema. Not out in the boonies!

 

[easyrider]

We thought we wanted a two bedroom unit too but decided to get 2 one bedroom units so there would be a little privacy. Our children and all traveling friends that go with us would rather have their own unit. There are only a few people I would want to share a room with anyway. We use ours almost every year but have decided to see other places like the east coast, Grand Cayman, and Hawaii. Didnt care for the east coast. Really like Hawaii and plan on going again. Leaving for Grand Cayman this April.

Ive seen 2 bedroom units go pretty cheap on Ebay. The 2 bedromm units sometimes have a private hot tub. If you type in Los Cabos in the Ebay search you will see alot of timeshares from San Jose Del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas.

 

[jolie]

thanks karenlk and easysider. thats another way of looking at a 1 br vs a 2 br.
what does all inclusive-optional mean. do you have to do the all inclusive or not?

 

[KarenLK]

Optional -- it means it is your choice. At Villa del Palmar in Vallarta the listed price as 63.00 per day. Then it went down to 53.00, and the following week it was at 48.00 I don't know if this is seasonal or not. It did include the big events, like the Mexican Fiesta and the Beach Party, which were both in the 35.00 range. But you have to do it for the entire week, as far as I know.

 

[jolie]

do you feel it is worth the money. i would quess it includes food and drinks or is it different at each resort. does it include any tourist attractions-tours?

 

[KarenLK]

I would not like to be stuck in one place. Like I said, the price is not bad compared to other places, especially if you include the special evenings, but there are so many restaurants to try. But there are some people who just don't want to leave the resort, so I guess it would be good for that type of group.

 

[jules54]

Jolie,
Have you thought about going on a timeshare tour vacation and checking out all the places in the area that you are interested in that are for sale? I have done this and I found it interesting,fun,profitable. Many resorts will pay you to go on timeshare presentations and then you look at all the resorts and then decide which one you want to buy. Only you go home and think about some more and then buy RESALE.
Alot of people will post they don't want to waste their vacation time by going to timeshare presentations, but it is the best way to see all the resorts and know what they cost from the developer.
I own alot of time in Mexico and like yourself I love the idea of it being RTU. I often let people regarding timeshare that a lifetime if way toooo long.
I truely envy you, as you have so much information at your fingertips and there is so much resale out there. Just take your time, there is not just one deal or one unit. If it is standing for 2 years it has resale.
I love the Playa Del Carmen area south of Cancun. I own at Sunset Fishermen's Village with a resale contract and optional all-inclusive. This resort is my favorite place in Mexico. It is so sad that they have such a bad reputation because of their sales staff. I also own 4 weeks at Cabo Villas Beach Resort and I also love that small resort. It has the best location in Cabo right on Medano Beach. The rooms are nothing fancy, but the staff is great and the resort is oceanfront and very close to town.
I bought both of these resorts after touring them, and then buying them resale. Fishermen's from Holiday Group and Cabo Villas off of ebay.
Have Fun

 

[Big Red]

Hi Carol:
Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated. No, we bought directly from the Coral Princess Club so we probably paid "retail", but we really liked it their. I'm also concerned about how hard it might be to book a week we'd want when we don't have a fixed week. Any suggestions on how to check into this?

Thanks, Big Red

 

[Carol C]

Hi Carol:
Thanks for the feedback - much appreciated. No, we bought directly from the Coral Princess Club so we probably paid "retail", but we really liked it their. I'm also concerned about how hard it might be to book a week we'd want when we don't have a fixed week. Any suggestions on how to check into this?

Thanks, Big Red

Big Red...Don't worry, I'm not one of those TUGgers who makes people feel bad for buying retail. I've bought retail, and I also figure if nobody buys anything retail then there couldn't be a resale market for anything. It all comes out in the wash, as they say.

Anyway, I owned at Melia Cozumel which was floating wk. I could request a ressie a year in advance via their ressie/billing office in Miami. Not sure how Coral Princess handles it...if you didn't get instructions when you bought, do you have a stateside office that handles billing of annual fees and also takes ressie requests? Another thing about Melia I hated is they wouldn't let me reserve week 7 if I intended to bank it with RCI. So you'll want to find out if you can reserve *any* week at Coral Princess if one year you desire to deposit with RCI to exchange elsewhere. If you can, for deposit with RCI when you "own" a floating week in the tropical Carib, always try to reserve a very high-demand week like weeks 7, 51 and 52...if Coral Princess allows you access to those (sometimes resorts horde them to rent them out for rack rate...don't ya just hate when they do that? )

Big Red, have fun on Coz. And if you want tips on Coz, please visit my friend Carey's website http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com