Need suggestion for my week.

[SDKath]

Hello there,

I am in a quandry. I bought a SDO 2BR LO recently whoopie: ). It is deeded week 14. It went into escrow a few days ago. This year's week is untouched so far. The week floats 1-52. I ultimately want to bank it with II and trade it as 2 separate units for trips later this year or early next year.

How do I get the best use of it given that I will be in escrow for the next 2 months? Do I just leave the week alone until it closes? In that case, the Spring will be over and true "Platinum season" in the desert will be done and my week will have less worth this year.

Do I ask the seller to reserve a week for us, tentatively maybe for the fall? That doesn't seem like it's any better than just keeping the week open for now?

Do I dare have him split the week and deposit it into II before close of escrow? But Starwood is notorious for depositing crappy weeks and I want to be the one to fight it out with them. I don't think the owner cares enough to put up a fight.

Can I "retro" deposit my week (meaning I take posession in the late Spring and then have tarwood deposit a March 08 or April 08 after it has passed?

Finally, can I deposit my 08 week in II for an 09 week? Or does it have to be calendar year 08?


In a sense, I see this as a trouble for most people who buy resale this time of year. With Spring and Summer as the heaviest travel times, people are really tight on how they can make the best of their 08 use.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks. Katherine

 

[pointsjunkie]

hi, katherine, i am back.

you can put the units in II and use it for next year. did that last year. banked my sdo 2007 and we are going to lake tahoe in aug 2008.

can you get an II account so the units will automatically go into your account as soon as escrow closes.

you can also get a good week and rent it out. i have had a lot of luck doing that.

 

[DeniseM]

you can also get a good week and rent it out. i have had a lot of luck doing that.

Since an SDO resale can't be exchanged in the SVN, and II does not allow you to rent exchanges, I don't think this will be an option for Kath.

Kath - Since Starwood chooses the week that will be deposited, being past Plat season when you take ownership doesn't really make any difference, because you won't be choosing the week Starwood deposits with II. Chances are Starwood will use a week they have already bulk deposited.

 

[GrayFal]

After your closing is complete - call Starwood and request they transfer an already deposited 2008 week(s) into your account - ask them for something in the January-early April time frame - as these weeks were seen as 'sightings' on TimeshareForums - you 'know' they are there. I was successful in getting March PGA weeks deposited last fall.

 

[SDKath]

Thanks. Will they deposit "retroactively" so if I call in June, will they deposit April weeks from 08?? Or is it that since it's too late, they deposit 09?

If they deposit backwards, I don't mind waiting till the close of escrow so that I can have more control over what week goes into II. We can't travel this year so I really want to just bank the week as 2 small 1BR with II. That way I have more time to travel later.

Katherine

 

[GrayFal]

Thanks. Will they deposit "retroactively" so if I call in June, will they deposit April weeks from 08?? Or is it that since it's too late, they deposit 09?

If they deposit backwards, I don't mind waiting till the close of escrow so that I can have more control over what week goes in.

Katherine

The sooner you can call the better - but you can not call until Starwood has acknowledged you as an owner.
This can take 8+ weeks.

They will not deposit 2009 weeks as you are an EOY even owner - so 2008 it is.
As a back-up, you should have the current owner call and reserve weeks for you - that said, owners are able to reserve one year from check-in - so chances are that the 'good weeks' of January thru Mid April are already reserved.

You won't know until you call Starwood WHAT they have available to give you.

 

[DeniseM]

Hi Pat, I could be wrong (for the first time ever ) But once Kath takes possession she will be a resale owner and the Staroption exchange will no longer be valid, so I think her best bet is to make a II exchange. To keep the Staroption exchange maybe she could designate it as a rental in her contract and take ownership in 2009?

 

[GrayFal]

Hi Pat, I could be wrong (for the first time ever ) But once Kath takes possession she will be a resale owner and the Staroption exchange will no longer be valid, so I think her best bet is to make a II exchange. To keep the Staroption exchange maybe she could designate it as a rental in her contract and take ownership in 2009?

There is no mention by Katherine that the previous owner was a point owner - she could be purchasing a re-resale week. (we could have another abbreviation opportunity here:rofl: )

I purchased 2 weeks last year from people who DID have staroptions - but since they had made reservations at their home resort, the reservation was simply changed to my name after the ownership was transfered.
I understand if they had made a reservation using points at another resort such as in Hawaii or at the Atlantis, the reservation would have canceled - but if the reservation is at the home resort for what you own - it is transferable.

I respectfully agree to dis-agree with you regarding II deposits, owner rights and entitlements and weeks deposited.

 

[DeniseM]

Hi Pat - You definitely know more than I do about II exchanges so I appreciate your input. My understanding is that Kath doesn't want to visit SDO - she wants to use the week for an exchange.

What is the advantage to having an owner reserve a week at SDO for her now? I'm not getting that part.

Thanks for your expertise!

 

[djyamyam]

Kath - Since Starwood chooses the week that will be deposited, being past Plat season when you take ownership doesn't really make any difference, because you won't be choosing the week Starwood deposits with II. Chances are Starwood will use a week they have already bulk deposited.

Denise, I believe this is the point that is in question. There have been enough threads to comment that resale owners that are not SVN owners can actuall select the week they want deposited. It may not be simple, depending on the resort, but it is very doable. There is enough of a mix of SVN and SVO owners here on TUG that this point often gets posted incorrectly.

 

[DeniseM]

Denise, I believe this is the point that is in question. There have been enough threads to comment that resale owners that are not SVN owners can actuall select the week they want deposited. It may not be simple, depending on the resort, but it is very doable. There is enough of a mix of SVN and SVO owners here on TUG that this point often gets posted incorrectly.

I get that part, but what is the advantage in having the owner reserve a week now? Is it just because there might be slightly better weeks available now, than in 8 weeks, when Kath takes ownership?

 

[GrayFal]

I get that part, but what is the advantage in having the owner reserve a week now? Is it just because there might be slightly better weeks available now, than in 8 weeks, when Kath takes ownership?

Yes, because the 'prime time' at both resorts is or will soon be past - so for 2008, all she can hope for is maybe a Christmas week, or Thanksgiving or some event week?

And once she has closed and added her ownership to an II account - THEN she can call Starwood to see if they have any 'pre-deposited' early 2008 weeks to transfer into her account. If they don't, she can then go onto the II site and deposit the weeks she has using the reservation number Starwood gives you or request thru Starwood owner services that they deposit the week she already has reserved.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks Pat - I gotcha now!