new chat: what would you have done same/different with timeshares (can't use 2008 crash/C19)

[elaine]

a new chat as we pass the time and help others wondering what to buy:
without using a crystal ball for 2008 crash/C19, what would you have done same/different with TS?

for me:
happy-would do it again: bought summer weeks NC beach and nearby cabin in camping facilities near our house. both on ebay, neither gold crown. lots of fun memories with kids. equally glad a gave away on TUG and deeded back a few years ago after we stopped using them.
DVC-bought a small contract, then sold and bought larger one, also bought small contact at HHI. still own. happy. might lose my 2020 banked points though.

semi regret: non-branded (such as Marriott, Hyatt, HGVC) 4th of July week at Waterside by Spinnaker in HHI. bought resale in 2006--great deal then, but resales for no-names is really poor. I'd likely have to almost given away for free--IMHO ridiculous for a nice, well managed resort on HHI--cannot do it. And I wish I'd thought more long term--Loved the big umbrella over pool for 3 young kiddies--but they outgrew that. We later stopped week-long beach trips and have just traded with RCI. I'd have come out better financially trading my other RCI units for HHI, as we had done before we bought Waterside. However, I still don't think I'd have bought a Marriott as the initial cost difference, even resale, and annual fees were much higher.

I also have an EOY float at Coral Reef. bought for $700 on ebay. maintenance fees are sorta high, but I get decent Rci points and I only pay EOY, so that one is OK.

I used to wish I had a cheaper Marriott for II preference trading or that I had gone with HGVC points. But many seem dissatisfied with M and HGVC would have been much more annual fees.
how about others?

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Nice topic.

Happy - Discovering timeshare resales and saving lots of money while staying in spacious timeshares in top locations. Glad we have HGVC and Vistana points trading flexibility. Discovering TUG community.

Regret - Buying our first timeshare from developer. Overpaid compared to resale.

 

[Luanne]

Happy - purchasing a fixed week 3-bedroom on Maui that we could use every year.

Sad - when that fixed week started interfering with the school calendar.

 

[TravelTime]

Happy - Overall, happiest with my MVC points program. I am glad I enrolled my weeks into the points program with MVC. I had a fun trip to Four Seasons Costa Rica with my Four Seasons Aviara membership. I had a great trip to Ritz Carlton St Thomas last year with MVC points. Basically all my TS trips have been great.

Sad - I have had to cancel several trips and have lost points or weeks. I think I have too many TSs to keep up with so I am unloading some. I would like to sell more but Covid-19 is making it harder.

 

[lockewong]

Happy - We bought the Maui Marriott at pre-construction prices. Happy to have memories in Maui with the family. Happy I found TUG.

Regret/Sad: I still bought the Maui Marriott from the developer and it is still a lot of money. Regret that Diamond bought out my no-name independent timeshare in South Lake Tahoe.

 

[moonstone]

We are and have been happy with our timeshares. Our biggest regret is not spending the extra $1000. to buy a 2 bedroom unit at St Augustine when we purchased (pre-construction) in 1982. That was a couple of months earnings for me at the time and we felt the 1 bedroom would be fine since we didn't have any children yet. It was fine until our 3rd child arrived 6 years later and it is fine again now that we are empty nesters, but it was cramped for a few years in between. We paid cash for that purchase and finances would have been really tight to buy the 2 bedroom since we had just purchased our first house the year before.

Our regret/sad point is the same as lockewong mentioned above, that Diamond bought out our 2nd timeshare at Sunrise Ridge, TN. At least it is RCI Points with Vacation Villages so we aren't tied too tight with Diamond .


~Diane

 

[queenofthehive]

No regrets. We did purchase our first timeshare from the developer but we have always used it and have more than got our money worth.
I acquired our 2nd timeshare from a fellow tug member and that has been a great trader for us. I truly do enjoy our timeshares and they has worked well for us in our travels.

 

[nomoretslt]

Happy.....bought our first DVC timeshare in 1997 at the Boardwalk Villas (direct...there was no such thing as resale at that time). Had it paid off in a year. Then bought DVC Beach Club direct (and sold it 5 years later at a profit). Also bought Saratoga Springs DVC direct.....that was kind of a regret...although we never stayed there, we used those points to stay at other DVC resorts, including Aulani twice and Hilton Head. Sold those Saratoga Springs points last year at a profit in order to purchase at the new DVC Riviera. Also bought Bay Lake Tower direct and resale. No regrets at all....am monitoring the resale market as I would like another small contract at Bay Lake Tower or Riviera. And then I’m done. Have never used points for a cruise or RCI exchange. Our dues are probably around $6,000/year, but we have a total of 875 points at 3 of the most desirable resorts. And we can rent out points very easily if we need to.

Not happy...this sounds awful, but an acquaintance gave me one week at a timeshare right outside of Disney. She had two back to back weeks, didn’t want them anymore, got ripped off by one of those sell my timeshare now companies. I took it sight unseen...mistake. It was an okay two bedroom duplex but maintenance was close to $1,000/year. Thank God I found TUG and was able to give it back to Diamond after using it for 3 years....and only had to pay them $250...they are charging more than twice that now. I am spoiled by DVC and this place did not come close.

Once we relocate, am looking forward to doing last minute timeshare rentals and spread my wings a bit more...although we are not tired of Disney yet....and I’m clinging to the hope that my trip in May will still happen.

 

[jackio]

Happy - all of our timeshares were bought resale. Happy that I got one of the South African timeshares for $500 all in, including 10 years of RCI membership. We used that unit for great trades, usually to NY City every year for under $200/year maintenance.
Happy to have been able to gift units we no longer wanted, and to have received units from generous TUGGERs for other units we have acquired through the years.
Unhappy - we did not get into a points system, other than Holiday Inn (we got the points when our resort was taken over - did not pay to convert). As we are getting older, our needs are changing and I would like the flexibility of a points system now. I am still with all fixed/floating weeks.