My Survey

[JelloBelle]

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
Florida for the next few years, after that, Hawaii would be nice.

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time?
I can see us alternating years between a home resort and then another location.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Florida, Hawaii, The Caribbean, maybe Gatlinburg one year, or Mexico another year.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
2 adults. We don't have children and don't need a lot of space.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Except for the three to four weeks between the Monday after Thanksgiving and the last business day before Christmas Eve, we can take vacation time anytime.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes, I prefer to plan ahead and our schedules are pretty much set and don't change.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes, up to 2 weeks a year for now and then up to 4 weeks in a few years.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
Minimum of 3 required.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
This year, everything is going into our wedding. After that, we have more wiggle room.

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year?
$1,500

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes, I like knowing all the details and having an itinerary

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do?
Yes. I'd like to find something that I can keep for years that didn't cost me too much up front with reasonable maintenance fees.

 

[Passepartout]

@JelloBelle,
I see that since you joined TUG several months ago, that you're doing research. Good move! Also I discern that you are young (since planning for a wedding) and that your life situation is going to change.

I'm going to consult my ol' crystal ball- even though it's cracked to smithereens and not 100% reliable. I'll just go by the numbers:
1) Yup, they're both nice.
2) Makes sense
3) OK, that's do-able
4) This will change.
5) Not too limiting, but will change in time.
6) Good
7) plan and save for it
8) OK
9) Stay tuned for advice
10) OK- but there can be extras- like airfare, exchange fees
11) Good
12) Wouldn't we all?

OK, I think you probably live in the East. You should probably rent for a few years- at least until after you are wedded, settled into life as you know it, are secure in employment, have a cushion of money saved. Good that you joined TUG, it gives you access to reviews, and will allow you to research and ask questions without looking like a fly-by-night newbie. Good Job!

I think you might concentrate your studies to Wyndham points. They have a plethora of resorts and while more heavily weighted to the East, there are resorts out West and even in Hawaii. They own RCI so that eliminates the cost of having to pay for that membership, and your Wyndham points can be used in RCI. Now, I'm not a Wyndham owner/member, and I know there is a learning curve. Those nice people can help answer your questions. They are not the most luxurious of resorts, but far above the 3* variety, and probably not fully 5*, so they would probably work for you. And they do monthly payments, so that big right-after-Christmas annual MF bill is not a 'thing'.

And MOST IMPORTANT! Ownerships are easily available on the resale market at pennies on the retail dollar. AND while you are not eligible to their VIP level with resale points, most folks say that's not worth the cost anyway.

So stick around. Keep researching. Welcome!

Jim

 

[JelloBelle]

Good move! Also I discern that you are young (since planning for a wedding) and that your life situation is going to change.

If it wasn't for Covid, we would have been married last year lol

But I'm not actually that young, but thank you for assuming I am!

 

[JelloBelle]

OK, I think you probably live in the East

I grew up in the East, but live in the mid-west now. Good guess!

You should probably rent for a few years- at least until after you are wedded, settled into life as you know it, are secure in employment, have a cushion of money saved.

We own our own home, I have over 20 years of experience in my field, my fiance has been with his employer for over 11 years, and we still have significant savings we are not using for the wedding. Our family situation with regards to children will not be changing.


I think we're in a good place to buy resale.

 

[CPNY]

I grew up in the East, but live in the mid-west now. Good guess!



We own our own home, I have over 20 years of experience in my field, my fiance has been with his employer for over 11 years, and we still have significant savings we are not using for the wedding. Our family situation with regards to children will not be changing.


I think we're in a good place to buy resale.

Look into a Vistana week. Since you want Florida, you can do vistana villages platinum week in the key west or Bella phase. The week would come with star options which you can use to book Florida, Bahamas, St John USVI, Mexico, and Hawaii. Or you can exchange in interval for all other destinations.

 

[JelloBelle]

Since you want Florida, you can do vistana villages platinum week in the key west or Bella phase.

We narrowed it down to a Wyndham resale or a Mandatory Week at SVV. We are just wondering if platinum is good enough or should we go higher to open up more locations. Would Platinum Plus 1 bedroom at Westin Kierland, be a good value for the MFs? I'm just not sure we would stay there often though.

 

[CPNY]

We narrowed it down to a Wyndham resale or a Mandatory Week at SVV. We are just wondering if platinum is good enough or should we go higher to open up more locations. Would Platinum Plus 1 bedroom at Westin Kierland, be a good value for the MFs? I'm just not sure we would stay there often though.

Yes WKV platinum 2 bedroom 148K SO is great. I like vistana resorts but they obviously don’t have as many as Wyndham. I’d rather be in the vistana/ Marriott world

 

[JelloBelle]

For now, we want to keep it small, something for our own enjoyment for one trip a year. If we like the owner experience, after several trips renting, we'll look into a bigger contract and eventually getting into renting out weeks or trading.

What do you think is a reasonable and fair price for a platinum 1bedroom at WKV? Do those ever come up for free or $1? Is there another mandatory resort we should consider for a platinum 1 bedroom with a good SO/MF value?

Is it worth getting a voluntary resort for free to trade on II? If so, which one had the best trade-in/MF value?

Thank you.

 

[vacationtime1]

For now, we want to keep it small, something for our own enjoyment for one trip a year. If we like the owner experience, after several trips renting, we'll look into a bigger contract and eventually getting into renting out weeks or trading.

What do you think is a reasonable and fair price for a platinum 1bedroom at WKV? Do those ever come up for free or $1? Is there another mandatory resort we should consider for a platinum 1 bedroom with a good SO/MF value?

Is it worth getting a voluntary resort for free to trade on II? If so, which one had the best trade-in/MF value?

Thank you.

Large side (81000 StarOptions) ~$7,500 - $8,000; small side (67100 StarOptions) $5,000 - $6,500.

SVV is cheaper to buy but the maintenance fee / StarOption ratio is much worse (buy Bella or Key West only for transferrable StarOptions).

 

[JelloBelle]

We were holding out for a platinum 1 bedroom at Bella or Key West to become available, but we just decided to move forward with the $1 (I know, we overpaid) Bella Gold Plus 1 bedroom (37,000 SO, $780 MF) that was posted on the Marketplace. We're going to try and get the most out of using it. We like Orlando. If we don't like it, then I'll just go to the bargain basement thread and post it there.

If we really like it, I'll pick up more contracts, and take up trading and renting.

 

[CPNY]

We were holding out for a platinum 1 bedroom at Bella or Key West to become available, but we just decided to move forward with the $1 (I know, we overpaid) Bella Gold Plus 1 bedroom (37,000 SO, $780 MF) that was posted on the Marketplace. We're going to try and get the most out of using it. We like Orlando. If we don't like it, then I'll just go to the bargain basement thread and post it there.

If we really like it, I'll pick up more contracts, and take up trading and renting.

Can you rescind that? Eesh, that’s no good at all.

 

[JelloBelle]

I would have liked to have found a lower MF mandatory contract, but we've been looking since last year (I lurked on TUG for too long before joining). Everytime a listing came up, it seemed like someone else got it just before we tried to contact the seller.

The way we look at it is, we have to be in Orlando at least one week a year (changes every year) due to extended family requirements. Our last three trips ranged from $1,200 - $2,800 in just hotel costs alone. When we pay the MF next year (sellers paid 2021 MF & we are not reimbursing them) for the week, I'm ok with that next year. Will I feel the same in 2023? I can't say. Does that make sense?

 

[CPNY]

I would have liked to have found a lower MF mandatory contract, but we've been looking since last year (I lurked on TUG for too long before joining). Everytime a listing came up, it seemed like someone else got it just before we tried to contact the seller.

The way we look at it is, we have to be in Orlando at least one week a year (changes every year) due to extended family requirements. Our last three trips ranged from $1,200 - $2,800 in just hotel costs alone. When we pay the MF next year (sellers paid 2021 MF & we are not reimbursing them) for the week, I'm ok with that next year. Will I feel the same in 2023? I can't say. Does that make sense?

It will be nearly impossible to give that away. You will be paying a lot of money for 37k star options and you won’t be able to do much with that amount. You would have been better with a trader unit at SDO instead and then booked Orlando trips in interval as getaways.

what I’m trying to say is back out if you can

 

[JelloBelle]

Right now on TUG Marketplace, there's an SDO 1 bedroom premium for $1 with MF $972.

If I trade that on II, what would that potentially trade for?