New to Timeshares, looking for advice

[jay31]

Hi there, I've tried to do a lot of reading on here, looking at trying to get a Timeshare with Starwood. A few points I've already learned here:

1. DON'T buy from the developer

2. Look for Mandatory properties

3. Consider the MF long-term

A couple questions I still have:

Where's the best place to look for a used timeshare? I'm hoping to try and find a Kierland Villa one. If I find a used one the is Bi-Annual Even/Odd does that mean I only get the staroptions every other year, and do I still pay the MF every year? If my goal is to get about 148,000 Options per year, Would I be better off trying to find two "Gold" timeshares at 81,000 Options a piece of one "Platinum" one? Just on the resale sites I've looked at 2 gold would be cheaper than one platinum.

Any advice would be great. Thanks alot

 

[DeniseM]

Welcome to TUG!

All timeshares are "used." You are looking for a "resale," instead of buying from the developer.

The best bargains are on ebay, but ebay may be daunting if it's your first purchase.

The reason that gold season timeshares are less expensive is because you pay the same maintenance fee as a Plat owner, but you get far fewer Staroptions.

So you pay less upfront, but you are paying more for the Staroptions with your yearly maintenance fee.

Plat 2 bdm - $1,367 - 148,100 Staroptions
Gold 2 bdm. - $1,367 - 81,000 Staroptions

Exactly how would you use the Staroptions?

 

[lorenmd]

you have the right ideas. there are people here who know way way more than I do who will direct you. i think the MF of one 148k mandatory location is the same or slightly cheaper than two 81k but the upfront cost to buy a 148k is much more. i also wanted a wkv platinum eoy with 148k SO EOY but yes you do pay your MF every year but they are prorated. I ended up with two EOY 81K WKV platinum. that's the best i could find without paying a huge upfront cost. i might recommend a SVV bella every year for 81K SO they have less upfront cost and if you dollar cost average it over 10 years it's much cheaper

 

[dsmrp]

I've looked for resales on Redweek.com and myresortnetwork.com.
The latter has a lot of RE agents posting listings.
These might not be the best places, but they are two possibilities.

Another thing you might want to consider: when's the last time the resort location had a special assessment? If you're going to hold it long term, the special assessments probably all even out in the end. Still need to factor these in for long-term MFs.

 

[jay31]

Is there any advantage or reason to buy a property like this from the developer instead of resale?

 

[DeniseM]

Is there any advantage or reason to buy a property like this from the developer instead of resale?

No - and you will pay twice as much.

Clarification: If you buy from the developer, you can convert to hotel points, which is a really, really bad deal.

Here is a summary of the differences in buying resale vs developer (scroll ALL the way down to #19) - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63224

 

[DeniseM]

Another thing you might want to consider: when's the last time the resort location had a special assessment? If you're going to hold it long term, the special assessments probably all even out in the end. Still need to factor these in for long-term MFs.

WKV is a newer resort, and there is no reason to expect a special assessment.

 

[okwiater]

WKV is a newer resort, and there is no reason to expect a special assessment.

It's also well managed, in great shape, and not subject to destructive weather patterns.

 

[jay31]

DeniseM, We are hoping to use Staroptions for travelling to the SVO resorts. I've never stayed at any yet, but my boss just booked my family a 2 bedroom lockoff at Cancun, and has invited us to Kierland next year. I think that's why I would like a mandatory resort just for the flexibility. I get lots of starpoints right now from credit card spending so I'm not worried about buying a resale and loosing out on the transfer to Starpoints. there are 3 of us right now, but a 4th on the way so we like the idea of being able to cook our own meals.

My boss I think has like 700,000 staroptions a year, so there's always a chance of using some of his. I was just thinking long term a starwood timeshare would probably be something our family would get a lot of use from.

 

[DeniseM]

With 2 children, you are soon going to be locked into the school schedule for many years. That makes using Staroptions at the most popular resorts difficult. (Primarily Maui, Harborside, Westin St. John, and school holiday weeks at many resorts.)

For instance, the Maui resorts are just about booked solid from now, until mid-July of 2016, and as the Staroption reservation window opens a the 8 mo. mark, if you don't get your reservation made in the first 10 seconds, you are out of luck. I'm not exaggerating.

If you can travel off-season, and to the less popular resorts, it's a lot easier.

So it's doable - but to make it work, you have to plan 8+ mos. in advance.

 

[jay31]

Well My daughter isn't even 2 yet so I got a while before worrying about school. And my work schedule is flexible when taking time off. I know Maui might be harder for bookings. But Cancun seems like a great place and relatively decent to book. From Edmonton, we would mainly be looking at Cancun, and Keirland. Is Hawaii that hard to book? If it's your home resort can you book at the 12 month point? (only reason I ask is that is my boss home resort, he has 4 annual platinum plus 2 bedroom lock offs at Princeville), but always goes to Keirland now, so I'm pretty sure I could just get him to book Hawaii for me and use mine to book him Keirland.

He was the one how said if he ever bought more timeshares he would go resale and for one with Lower MF.

 

[jay31]

We just looked under his account and he can book Hawaii right now for the week of Nov 1, 2016 at Ka'anapali and Ka'anapali North

 

[okwiater]

We just looked under his account and he can book Hawaii right now for the week of Nov 1, 2016 at Ka'anapali and Ka'anapali North

You have your boss's MyStarCentral password?

 

[DeniseM]

Yes - Maui and Harborside are very hard to book - they literally book solid within seconds, when the Staroptions reservation window opens at 8 mos. before check-in. Kauai is easier.

The major school holidays are also hard to reserve, and Christmas and New Years cannot be reserved at some resorts, with Staroptions.

Owners can reserve their home resort at 12 mos.

Staroption reservations open at 8 mos.

 

[DeniseM]

We just looked under his account and he can book Hawaii right now for the week of Nov 1, 2016 at Ka'anapali and Ka'anapali North

Nov. 1 is very off-season. Sept. up to Christmas has the least demand in Hawaii. Because, of course, the kids are in school.

But if you look at any school holidays, or the summer, up to July 9th, (8 mo. mark) you will see that its not available. Even after July 9th - the Saturday check-ins are already gone.

 

[jay31]

lol no we are at his desk using his together.

I don't travel much, but my goal is just to relax so I would rather try and find lower season bookings at cancun than Hawaii. Two 7 nights stays in Cancun (80K options each) in a 2 bedroom lock off seems more enjoyable to me than one 7 night stay in Hawaii (148K options)

Maybe cause I've never been to either yet, I just don't know any better.

 

[DeniseM]

Some people love Mexico, and some don't. It is outside the US, and it requires passports for the whole family.

Some people are concerned with issues like safety outside of the resort, drinking the water, and exposing your children to lots of people who have never been immunized for childhood diseases.

Whereas Hawaii is in the US, and under US laws and customs.

Here is the other thing - there is FAR more supply than demand for resorts in Mexico, because it's overbuilt with timeshares, so you can often rent there for less than owning.

 

[jay31]

I'm from Canada so either destination is passports and customs. Cancun is 1 flight and 5 1/2 hour. Hawaii involves stopovers and is like 9 1/2 hours.

Sorry to keep asking questions but how come on his we can see Ka'anapali and Ka'anapali North even though his home resort is Princeville? Sorry he just books whatever and doesn't know the ins and outs of how it all works.

he has stopped travelling as much the last few years and that keeps rolling over his options to the next year, but that's how we got to book cancun. He had points that were going to expire and he said for me to go, if I could find something. Luckily I managed to get 9 nights for dec 8.

 

[DeniseM]

At 8 mos. before check-in, he can reserve any available date with Staroptions.

He may be able to "see" availability right now, but as of today, you cannot actually book anything after July 9th, 2016, unless it is his home resort.

For a Nov. 1, 2016 check-in, the Villa Finder should say:

Reservation Window
Open 03/01/16 - that means it cannot be reserved until March 1, 2016.

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

Flights to Cancun

Cancun is the number one ( resort city) airport in Mexico and has lots of (vacation ) non stops from lots of cities - so flight cost is : good and time in the air can be shorter than flight to other nice resorts locations .
Right now (googling) Westjet and AirTransat have non stops from Edmonton and I would guess Sunwing and AirCanada may have some during January - April .

See if you like it -and go to Isla Mujeres for an adventure day .

<MEX - Mexico City is the number one airport - because all the national
flights go through it - Like Pearson /Toronto or O'Hare /Chicago >