New to TS... Hi

[kasteer]

Hi all.

So I've been looking and considering for a while now. My parents own a 4bdrm red week in the outer banks (bought from developer) and my previous boss owns two in Hilton Head (bought resale).

We recently went to Massanutten for 4 days and for their sales pitch. We like it a lot there and its only 2 hrs away. So I found a yearly, 4 bdrm, floating red on ebay that I'm currently bidding on at Summit (be nice, don't steal it from me). It will be good for our two daughters... lots of activities, and my wife is excited. Yearly fees are $655.

We want to be able to trade for something nice at the beach some times (possible split the unit into two 2 bdrm units and trade one/use one). We also want to be able to trade to return to the Cancun Palace (AI) in Cancun, Mx.

Will we be able to trade for the AI palace in Cancun with this? (I know... lots of variables) We stayed at the Sun Palace earlier this year (paid full price) and it was AWESOME.

The unit doesn't come with an RCI membership, but Massanutten is part of RCI. Is it difficult/costly to sign up my own unit (if I win the auction)?

Thanks for all your help! Let me know if I left off any info you would need...
Eric

 

[BoaterMike]

Welcome to the board. This is the place to get an education regarding timeshares. Personally, I read 100s of posts before joining and making a purchase because of some of the complexities of the business.

Good luck. Oh, by the way, if RCI is anything like Interval International, they will be happy to take your registration and annual fee.

Mike

 

[rickandcindy23]

Season matters. I hope that week is bright red, or your trading power won't be great.

 

[Passepartout]

Cancun AIs are not a hard exchange, but I think you have to pay the AI fee which can be pretty steep. IMO.

Oh, I almost forgot..... Welcome to TUG.

Jim Ricks

 

[LisaH]

Welcome to TUG! Like Cindy mentioned, make sure the floating period covers the weeks you like to go, and hopefully summer. Also, M/F sounds lowso you should verify with the resort.
BTW, the Palace resorts in Cancun should be pretty easy to trade. They can be had as a getaway wihtout using your week.

 

[bankr63]

Welcome kasteer,

Yes RCI is easy to join, wait until your transfer is complete and you are registered with the resort. They are more than happy to accept your registration (and fees). Some resorts may require that they deposit the unit for you at their discretion (not to your advantage), or you may need to reserve a week first and then deposit to RCI. So you will need to know how your resort works for RCI to get that first trade in.

Glad you discovered resale first - good luck with the bid. And let us know how you make out!

M Ross

 

[kasteer]

Thanks all. The TS is floating... week 1-52. So I expect I wil have to reserve a week (June/July/Aug) before depositing the week for trade. This sound right to you?

How much trading power would I have if I split my 4 bdrm into two 2 bdrm units and only traded off one of the 2 bdrm units (with a partial kitchen)? Is there much diference between splitting and not splitting?

Is the AI fee in Cancun Palace resorts a lot? Earlier this year I paid over $400 per night to stay at the Sun Palace and I think it was worth it... Food, drinks, staff, activities, entertainment, etc... were all top notch. Yeah... I can prob stay cheaper without it, but its NICE not having to worry about any of that while on vaca.

Thank you all for your comments!

 

[davhu1]

See what others say about the trading power for Massanutten and how they assign you a floating week for trade. Some resorts reserve the strong weeks for their owner and you may not be able to trade for a summer beach week.

As for trading for AI anywhere, it not worth it. You can get a better deal on the internet. Same with trading for cruises.

 

[bankr63]

Thanks all. The TS is floating... week 1-52. So I expect I wil have to reserve a week (June/July/Aug) before depositing the week for trade. This sound right to you?

Check the rules at the resort. Some will let you reserve and deposit, others will deposit the week of their choice. This is a good thing to know before closing the deal as it can greatly affect your trading power. I don't know Massanutten, but think there are several resorts there (that's what I see on RCI) - each resort may have a different policy.

How much trading power would I have if I split my 4 bdrm into two 2 bdrm units and only traded off one of the 2 bdrm units (with a partial kitchen)? Is there much diference between splitting and not splitting?

Hard to say for certain, without experimenting. MOST people find that they don't see much more from depositing a large unit than they do from splitting, and if you split you get two weeks deposited. I have a 3BR LO that I have tried both ways, and I certainly find that splitting gives a negligilble drop in trading power, and provides a full extra week of vacation. Splitting also cuts your cost per vacation week considerably (half your MF per week + transfer fee)!

Is the AI fee in Cancun Palace resorts a lot? Earlier this year I paid over $400 per night to stay at the Sun Palace and I think it was worth it... Food, drinks, staff, activities, entertainment, etc... were all top notch. Yeah... I can prob stay cheaper without it, but its NICE not having to worry about any of that while on vaca.

Thank you all for your comments!

Looked up CP on RCI. The AI fee varies by season, but is around $2k per unit per week (rising over $3k for weeks 51/52). That's based on double occ., with additional charge for each extra person. Trading there may not be a great deal over packaged vacation. $2K in AI plus maintenance at your home resort, plus RCI transfer fees comes pretty close to what you paid straight in. Based on the number of units available for Extra Vacation, I would expect this wouldn't be a difficult trade however.

M Ross

 

[Dave55123]

Hi all.
We want to be able to trade for something nice at the beach some times (possible split the unit into two 2 bdrm units and trade one/use one). We also want to be able to trade to return to the Cancun Palace (AI) in Cancun, Mx.

Will we be able to trade for the AI palace in Cancun with this? (I know... lots of variables) We stayed at the Sun Palace earlier this year (paid full price) and it was AWESOME.

The unit doesn't come with an RCI membership, but Massanutten is part of RCI. Is it difficult/costly to sign up my own unit (if I win the auction)?

Thanks for all your help! Let me know if I left off any info you would need...
Eric

Congrats and welcome to TUG ... timesharing!

When I was researching an AI location for a friend this summer, with an Wyndham deposit of 28k, I found that booking direct with the resort was cheaper by $300, almost 400 for the same exact time. So YMMV, do the math before you use your deposit.. AI fees, your deposit/maint. fees, RCI exchange fee can add up.

If you are willing to pay, RCI will take your $$ is my experience.

 

[kasteer]

bankr63...
I called Massanutten resort and they said I would need to reserve a week first, then deposit that week in RCI. So I can target a good summer week before trading it. That's good.

So it looks like splitting the 4bdrm into two 2bdrm weeks is a feasible process that won't hurt my trading ability much. I like this! Two weeks are better than one! Even two weeks at Massanutten would be great!

Bankr63 and Dave5123...
So it doesn't seem like an AI resort isn't very logical to trade for... according to your comments. $2K is too much, in addition to the MF... kinda rediculously high IMHO. Maybe we'll look for a non AI resort in Cancun then.

Thanks for the great info!

All-in-all, I think this is a good deal.
Eric

 

[bankr63]

kasteer,

A 4 BR LO with that MF should be a really good deal. I don't know what the bid was, but you're not paying developer price so that's a win right there!

As Dave said, AI's often aren't a good deal, and you need to be sharp to get the non-AI's in popular areas. We tried for Cabo last March and were too late to get anything but AI (so we passed). I now have a reservation at Grand Mayan for March 2012. Not that you will always need to be planning that far in advance, but you either need to be a planner or be really flexible to get the best trades.

If you haven't already done so, pay the membership and join TUG. Best money you can spend IMHO, this BBS is free, but the reviews and trades are worth the price of admission at the main site. I'm 2+ years into ownership and still learning at an alarming rate!

Happy vacations!

M Ross

 

[talkamotta]

bankr63...

Bankr63 and Dave5123...
So it doesn't seem like an AI resort isn't very logical to trade for... according to your comments. $2K is too much, in addition to the MF... kinda rediculously high IMHO. Maybe we'll look for a non AI resort in Cancun then.

Thanks for the great info!

All-in-all, I think this is a good deal.
Eric

I have been able to get the Royals in Cancun (non AI) with my 2 bedroom (Orlando) in months like November and December (not holiday weeks). Great time to go, crowds are down and hurricane season is over.
The Royal resorts are rated very high on Tug Review Section. My personal opinion is very high a 9+. If you are a member of TUG the review section alone is worth the dues. Lots of valuable information.

Good luck. Youre in for a lifetime of adventures.

 

[kasteer]

Hi again. FYI...
I didn't purchase the Massanutten TS. It ended up selling for about $2500 before closing costs, etc... I think that's too much. I DID end up buying a yearly week in Daytona Beach at Tropic Shores. $499 closing cost and I won the bid at only $1... MF under $500.

It has good reviews and is a gold crown resort right on the beach. I would guess it gets good trading power. I should be able to get something in Massanutten with it.

Eric

 

[bankr63]

Congratulations, and welcome to timeshare.

If you buy five more, the grand poohbahs at the top of the food chain will show you the secret handshake...:whoopie:

Sounds like you got yourself a good deal, and Florida waterfront is always popular. You Americans love it in the Summer and us Canucks love it in the Winter when you think we are all crazy for lying around in the sun in such "cold" weather.

Don't give up on Cancun either. You should be able to see some great non-AI resorts down there with a little bit of planning. I'd rather be able to visit other restaurants/resorts anyway so have never bought into the AI concept very much.

Welcome!

M Ross

 

[kasteer]

Thank bro!
I talked with a canuck when I was in cancun earlier this year. Dude was really cool, funny and did surprisingly well at karaokee.

The Cancun AI was perfect for what we wanted... to be pampered and relax. I'm sure we'll go back with the kids and will not do the AI next time.

Thanks!
Eric

Congratulations, and welcome to timeshare.

If you buy five more, the grand poohbahs at the top of the food chain will show you the secret handshake...:whoopie:

Sounds like you got yourself a good deal, and Florida waterfront is always popular. You Americans love it in the Summer and us Canucks love it in the Winter when you think we are all crazy for lying around in the sun in such "cold" weather.

Don't give up on Cancun either. You should be able to see some great non-AI resorts down there with a little bit of planning. I'd rather be able to visit other restaurants/resorts anyway so have never bought into the AI concept very much.

Welcome!

M Ross

 

[kasteer]

Got our email that the Tropic Shores Resort has us as owners now! We purchased on 8/9 and its now 8/20... 11 days! I called Tropic Shores and verified they have us as the new owners. I'm going to reserve thanksgiving week (we can use this year... MF already paid, so its like a freebie). Yeah!

I joined RCI today (3 yr membership) and will deposit next year's week on Monday.

Wow. I'v been busy.
Eric