= Need Help wih first timeshare =

[J Crew]

i'm thinking about buying a timeshare for the first time. i'm 32 and have a wife and two kids... one is 4 and the other is a newborn. i'm interested in buying a point based system that has alot of destination options throughout the world and not just NA or the USA. i'm thinking the RCI point system is my best option so far.

i believe the points can be used for air fare, cruises, and other destinations besides your home TS. my thought is that i get the best bang for the buck points i can find anywhere in the US, because i'm not going to probably stay there anyways. i'm gonna look for places to travel 45 days out or sooner so i should be able to snag destinations for like 9,000 points?... is this correct? i'm gonna want to travel to Disney with the kids yearly so this is why i'm gonna try to snag deals on the short term. i want to use my points for more than one place a year. i also need someplace with really low MF. any places that are $200 or less a yearin MF?

anyways, i gave a brief layout of what i'm wanting with points based timeshare, so any help, directions, and clarification is very much appreciaed. thanks in advance!

 

[YeongWoo]

If you find all that...

You've obviously done a lot of research already so I'm sure you'll get some help here to fill in the holes. I don't want to burst your bubble on some of these things but you've laid out a pretty tall order. First, yes, RCI points and you might consider a mini system like Wyndham, Blue Green, etc. Those system will allow you flexible travel options without an exchange fee. I don't think anyone will tell you that using RCI points is a good deal for anything other than TS stays. The deal are really good within the 45 day window but you will probably never get Disney at a discounted rate even within a 45 day window. Disney just doesn't even come up everyday and usually those Disney weeks that do make into inventory are gone very quickly. There are good deals though. I almost took a Boardwalk studio or 1 bedroom, I don't remember which, anyway it was in September for 49000 points. There is the exchange fee and cost of points and that's an incredible deal. The deal that you are referring to for less than 9000 points also requires an exchange fee but once again if your not too picky there are some great TS's available. This next part is where you lost me. If you find anything with MF's that low then you probably won't get enough points to actually do anything. If you really would like to try RCI points then maybe consider that deal where you buy a three year Right To Use. You can tailor your points in that deal and get a feel for how many you really need to accomplish your goals. At the end of 3 years your commitment is over so no ongoing MF's. I've haven't seen anything on the RTU in a while but I think I saw another thread. good luck.

 

[brankatz]

I do not think you can find anyplace on the planet with 200 or less mf def not a points resort. If they would give vacations away everyone would line up. A cheap TS MF would be in the 400 and that is prob an older weeks resort. Keep in mind the cost of RCI membership 124 per yer points and the points exchange fee. I have not seen any MF on a points resorts with a good amount of RCI points 60,000 plus for under 600 per year. If you find a unit like that let me know I'll pay you 1000.00 Profit no problem.

 

[J Crew]

okay, so that answers my question then. i didn't know if there were any points TS that had a low MF as stated. most that i've found are in the $500 dollar a year range... i assume this is average?

also, if Disney is what i'd like to visit at least once every year... then is this the TS i should choose as my home? if so, then how would i use Disney and be able to travel to other destinations in the same year?

thanks again for the help.

 

[DeniseM]

$500 is a very low maintenance fee. (My Maui TS is $2,300 a year! )

Disney is a great system, but it is also one of the most expensive ones. Most people would buy DVC to use, because it's too expensive to be a cost effective trader. You could buy RCI points to exchange and DVC to use, but you are going to have to spend more than $500 a year to do that. We have a DVC forum on TUG - that would be a good place for you to do some reading.

 

[J Crew]

so just to get some clarity on this issue. if i have points at my RCI Dinsey TS, say 115,000 and want to find a place to go in the US within 45 days or less. i can find someplace for 9,000 points.

now do i have to pay an extra fee for this? do i have to exchange my points or am i just using them? lastly, if my points are originally for a 3br unit and now 9.000 points have been deducted, can't i still stay at my home TS but just downgrade to say a 2br?

thanks.

 

[DeniseM]

Disney has their own point system - it's not the same as RCI points. Disney can be traded with RCI, but it is a separate system.

Yes, to exchange you have to pay an exchange fee no matter what exchange company you use-

RCI: (not sure if this is the same for weeks and points or not)
$194 call center
$179 online

There is also a yearly membership fee with most exchange companies.

Taking a wild stab in the dark, I am guessing that most Disney owners with a modest number of points pay more than $1,000 a year in maintenance fees and some many times that amount.

Here is our forum for points - I'd suggest that you read the articles at the top of the forum and then let them know what questions you have.

Here is our DVC Forum - see articles at the top of the page.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Ins & Outs Of RCI Points.

so just to get some clarity on this issue. if i have points at my RCI Dinsey TS, say 115,000 and want to find a place to go in the US within 45 days or less. i can find someplace for 9,000 points.

You can look for someplace for 9,000 points, or even just 7,500 points. Finding something suitable in a vacation spot you like during the time you want to go there is something else again -- no guarantees.

RCI calls it Instant Exchange. Any weeks timeshare still available 45 days before check in (or sooner than that before check-in) you're supposed to be able to get for no more than 9,000 points + exchange fee for the whole week.

Naturally, the choicest weeks at the most in-demand timeshares get snapped up quickest. Anything still up for grabs 45 days before check-in by definition is just the leftovers. That doesn't mean only the timeshare dogs & cats are available via Last Call & Instant Exchange, however. During the off season, some really outstanding timeshares can & sometimes do turn up on the Instant Exchange & Last Call lists.

now do i have to pay an extra fee for this?

That depends on what the meaning of "extra" is.

For Instant Exchange, the appropriate number of points gets deducted from your total & you pay an exchange fee in cash. Not sure whether you consider that an "extra" fee. I consider it just a regular exchange fee.

do i have to exchange my points or am i just using them?

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. Exchanging via points is using your points. That's what they're for. Using your points means exchanging them -- for reservations to stay at other people's timeshares.

if my points are originally for a 3br unit and now 9.000 points have been deducted, can't i still stay at my home TS but just downgrade to say a 2br?

It's either / or.

Either you stay at your home (points) resort & don't get any points that year or you take your year's points allocation & use those for points-based reservations at other timeshares. Conceivably you could use some of your points for an Instant Exchange reservation somewhere else plus an exchange into a smaller unit or off-season week at your home resort. (If you did that, you would pay an exchange fee. Imagine that -- paying an exchange fee to go to your own timeshare.)

Keep in mind that Instant Exchange is only for points reservations at weeks timeshares. If you make a straight-points reservation today for check-in tomorrow, it still takes the full points-value of the points-timeshare you're getting. There's no reason for that; it's just the way it is.

Last month, we spent a full week at our home 3BR-3BA weeks timeshare via Instant Exchange for 7,500 points + exchange fee. (We've never even been to our points timeshare; we just use that for the points & we don't consider our points timeshare our home timeshare.) So thanks to points & thanks to Instant Exchange, we got to enjoy somebody else's week at our own timeshare for peanuts, saving our own paid-for 3BR-3BA week at the same timeshare resort for later in the year. Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[J Crew]

thanks for the help and links. just to clarify, i'm interestd in a RCI TS, just a resort located in Orlando next to Disney. so i'm not actually looking for a DVC TS. i'll check out the points forum and thanks again.

 

[DeniseM]

When you ask about a "Disney TS" we are going to assume you mean "Disney Vacation Club" - what you are looking for is an Orlando TS, that's been converted to RCI points.

Good luck!

 

[bluetas77]

points for cheap MF

Grandview in Las Vegas has low MF. We have 49 000 annual rci points for $380/year. The highest level of points there is at grandview is 61 000 annual points for a one bedroom prime time week, or 122 000 for a two bedroom. The purchase price for a unit already converted to points is easy to find at $1-$2000 (we paid $700 plus closing). There was also a 61000 points biennial (MF-$180/year) that sold on ebay for $1100. The resort is new and MF's should be low for at least another 5 years (it's deed and the HOA budget looks good as far as reserves go). You can also get triennial points (122 000) for a prime time 2 bedroom and the MF would be about $200 per year. We are also hoping the points system will be good and didn't want to make a big initial/ongoing investment. Good Luck!

 

[J Crew]

Either you stay at your home (points) resort & don't get any points that year or you take your year's points allocation & use those for points-based reservations at other timeshares. Conceivably you could use some of your points for an Instant Exchange reservation somewhere else plus an exchange into a smaller unit or off-season week at your home resort. (If you did that, you would pay an exchange fee. Imagine that -- paying an exchange fee to go to your own timeshare.)

Keep in mind that Instant Exchange is only for points reservations at weeks timeshares. If you make a straight-points reservation today for check-in tomorrow, it still takes the full points-value of the points-timeshare you're getting. There's no reason for that; it's just the way it is.

Last month, we spent a full week at our home 3BR-3BA weeks timeshare via Instant Exchange for 7,500 points + exchange fee. (We've never even been to our points timeshare; we just use that for the points & we don't consider our points timeshare our home timeshare.) So thanks to points & thanks to Instant Exchange, we got to enjoy somebody else's week at our own timeshare for peanuts, saving our own paid-for 3BR-3BA week at the same timeshare resort for later in the year. Is this a great country or what ?

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

Thanks, this answered alot of my questions!

Grandview in Las Vegas has low MF. We have 49 000 annual rci points for $380/year. The highest level of points there is at grandview is 61 000 annual points for a one bedroom prime time week, or 122 000 for a two bedroom. The purchase price for a unit already converted to points is easy to find at $1-$2000 (we paid $700 plus closing). There was also a 61000 points biennial (MF-$180/year) that sold on ebay for $1100. The resort is new and MF's should be low for at least another 5 years (it's deed and the HOA budget looks good as far as reserves go). You can also get triennial points (122 000) for a prime time 2 bedroom and the MF would be about $200 per year. We are also hoping the points system will be good and didn't want to make a big initial/ongoing investment. Good Luck!

Thanks for this info. I will try to find some more info on this one. Also, it sounds like MF are adjustable? Is this correct? For some reason I thought they were fixed. Thanks again.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Up. Up. Up.

Also, it sounds like MF are adjustable? Is this correct? For some reason I thought they were fixed.

Maintenance fees are adjustable -- bigtime, usually in the direction of Up.

Plus, it is possible for timeshare owners to get hit with Special Assessments now & then, on top of annual maintenance fees.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[gmarine]

Maitenance fees are going to go up every year. Sometimes quite a bit, but on average probably about 5% per year.

 

[YeongWoo]

DVC regional block

thanks for the help and links. just to clarify, i'm interestd in a RCI TS, just a resort located in Orlando next to Disney. so i'm not actually looking for a DVC TS. i'll check out the points forum and thanks again.

If you ever have the idea of staying at one of the DVC resorts on a trade then don't get an Orlando TS. They won't let you use local TS's to trade into DVC. You'll do fine buying anywhere else in the country and paying attention to the MF. There's almost always a TS available in the Orlando market for the cheap exchange and on those times when you plan a little further in advance you can snag the DVC resorts.

After finally staying on property this last year I don't want to stay off property again. It's just so much better when you kids are young.

 

[J Crew]

so if i get a TS with points, does it matter if it's floating or a fixed week if i plan on using the points for other places in the exchange? i guess a fixed week doesn't matter much if i don't plan on staying at my home TS, right? if this is the case, it opens up alot more options on finding a good deal that i've been overlooking. thanks.

 

[DeniseM]

J Crew - for expert advice on points, the TUG Points forum is the best place, so I'm going to move this thread there.

 

[SteveChapin]

so if i get a TS with points, does it matter if it's floating or a fixed week if i plan on using the points for other places in the exchange? i guess a fixed week doesn't matter much if i don't plan on staying at my home TS, right? if this is the case, it opens up alot more options on finding a good deal that i've been overlooking. thanks.

Points is points.

What you're looking for is (1) a low purchase price, and (2) a cheap way to generate points. (2) is by far more important in the long run, as it'll be with you every year. "Low" isn't exactly right, either; it's "for a minimal amount over resale value." There are a few timeshares out there that hold value well, so paying $7k or even more isn't necessarily a bad deal. However, those timeshares tend to have higher MF, so they'll fail criterion (2).

All other things being equal, if you want to have a strong trader for places other than Orlando, you don't want to own in Orlando (or Williamsburg, or Branson) because it's overbuilt. Sheraton Vistana is a great resort to trade into, but I wouldn't want to own there. I'd rather own outside of Orlando, and trade into Vistana, Silver Lake, Orange Lake, or any one of the dozens of other gold crown Orlando timeshares available through RCI. The adage of "own where you want to go" is a good rule of thumb, but in the case of Orlando, I'd personally only want to own there as part of a chain (such as HGVC, Bluegreen, or Wyndham).

 

[SteveChapin]

To continue the discussion of RCI points, there are a couple of
approaches to generating points cheaply. Your goal will be to get
your ongoing costs per point as low as possible ($.01/point is "ok").

One way is to find a fairly large points package that will give you
all you need for a year. These are hard to find with low enough MF,
although there's a package on eBay right now with 89k annual RCI
points with MF of $772; the (as yet unmade) opening bid is $697. Note
that I'm not recommending that timeshare, just noting it exists
(before I bought anything on eBay, I'd make sure to verify all the
details, and that one seems to have some particularly high closing
costs). Something in that magnitude would get you a 2BR GC week in
Orlando each year, except at the very expensive resorts like DVC. If
you "raid" weeks, a 2BR GC is 57,500 RCI points, so you'd have 30,000
left over to roll into the next year, and then you could get a DVC
2BR. Most 2BR RCI Points timeshares in Orlando are in the 60k-80k
range.

Another way to do this is to buy a cheap "container" and use RCI's
Points For Deposit feature to deposit non-points weeks into your
points account according to a conversion schedule published by RCI.
To use the example I know best, I can deposit 2BR white weeks from
Christmas Mountain Village for 24,000 point/week, with a limit of 4
weeks from one RCI resort deposited per year. Proper use of a
Christmas Mountain UDI (which I own) can yield a ridiculously low
per-point cost (approaching zero, depending on how hard you want to
work at it). I generate a minimum of 96,000 RCI points per year off
of these deposits (sometimes I deposit red weeks).

The key to this approach is finding a cheap container. There are lots
of options; mine is an Aussie points week that costs me < $.01/point
in MF. You can also find fairly inexpensive timeshares in Las Vegas
or Texas to use for containers. Some people have a 3-year lease of
RCI points strictly to use for PFD. If all you want is a container, a
low-point biennial (or triennial) week can give you that for very low
MF.

Both approaches work. The second approach takes more effort, and is
dependent on a feature that RCI could yank away at any time. However,
it does allow for lower costs (and more vacations) than the first
approach. If you're like me, and you like to "game the system," then
the PFD approach might be for you. If you just want the least muss
and fuss, at a somewhat higher cost, then a single ownership in the
70k-90k RCI points range might be for you.

Keep in mind this whole discussion is assuming you've decided RCI
Points is the way to go. I still think a BG or HGVC ownership would
be worth looking into as well, if the MF are acceptable to you. The
flexibility to go to Orlando or elsewhere, without being beholden to
RCI for an exchange, is a powerful advantage. I omit Starwood and
Marriott, both of whom have excellent properties in Orlando, because I
think the MF would be more than you want to pay.