New TUGGER here. Got some questions.

[DeniseM]

I assume that to get that price you booked a high demand holiday week in advance knowing you were going to rent?

Yes - although every time the date has been changed by the renter, so it didn't really make any difference.

Can you expect to get the same price if you book a random August week for your own personal use and rent it out with 1-2 months notice because you can't go?

Hard to say - I would think that people planning to spend $3,500 on rent would plan earlier than that. All 3 years, I've rented it 8 mos. or more out.

Is there a particular site you'd recommend for rentals?

There is a list of resell websites at the top of the Buying, Selling, Renting board that you should take a look at.

In addition to the free TUG Marketplace (linked in the red bar at the top of the page) I personally use these cheap or free websites to post my Ads:

www.craigslist.org (free)

www.redweek.com
* Membership $14.99 for 12 Months
* Timeshare Rental Postings - $19.99/ea for 6 Months - $49.99/ea for 12 Months

www.myresortnetwork.com
$19.95 posting fee ($24.95 for a float week ad)

 

[SDKath]

Congratulations on your marriage!!!!!

RESCIND! RESCIND, RESCIND!

:hysterical: :rofl:

Katherine

 

[Henry M.]

As I recall, you can only convert to starpoints up until March 31 of the year in question.

Some Elite levels have until October 1.

 

[DeniseM]

Some Elite levels have until October 1.

https://www.mystarcentral.com/elite/chart.html

3 Star - July 1st

4 & 5 Star - Oct. 1st​

 

[bosca418]

Thanks

Thank you for all the responses. I am getting schooled. I do like the idea of getting my feet wet from Denise's response. However, with everyone talking about these new II changes is it still viable to get a SDO property to trade? I don't even know what these changes really are. We really are interested in getting a TS property at Ka'anapali, however, right now I don't see the justification of getting one. We can book a yearly package to the resort for the price of the annual MF's. Someone please enlighten me.

Thanks,
Albert

 

[bosca418]

Oh and more thing....how do you read the sightings board? After the resort name what do all the numbers mean?

Thanks,
Albert

 

[DeniseM]

Example -

Westin St. John Resort and Villas
WSJ
Great Cruz Bay, St. John , VI , US VIRGIN ISL.
Resort Details & Photos
Oct 02 2009 - Oct 09 2009 2 6 6
2 bedroom
6 sleeps 6 privately
6 sleeps 6

Oct 03 2009 - Oct 10 2009 e 2 4
e efficiency unit (studio)
2 sleeps 2 privately
4 sleeps 4

When you cut and paste from the II results, that's how it comes out.

 

[DeniseM]

Thank you for all the responses. I am getting schooled. I do like the idea of getting my feet wet from Denise's response. However, with everyone talking about these new II changes is it still viable to get a SDO property to trade? I don't even know what these changes really are. We really are interested in getting a TS property at Ka'anapali, however, right now I don't see the justification of getting one. We can book a yearly package to the resort for the price of the annual MF's. Someone please enlighten me.

Thanks,
Albert

The answer is that we really don't know how everything is going to shake out. But as far as exchanging into WKORV or WPORV, those deposits have always been off-season - not high season, nor holiday weeks. Can you travel in the fall or spring - non-holiday weeks?

The main change is that - you can no longer pick the week that is deposited - now Starwood assigns you a week with an Avg. trading value. In the past, savvy SDO owners would deposit a MLB Spring Training, or Easter week for the strongest trading power, and now we are no longer able to pick the week. We don't know how the Starwood assigned weeks are going to trade.

That being said - there is a free 2 bdm. posted in the TUG Marketplace right now, and it's hard to go wrong with something free. If it doesn't work out you haven't lost anything.

 

[bosca418]

Denise...do you have a link to that? I couldn't find it.

Thanks,
Albert

 

[DeniseM]

This is listed as a 1 bdm., but based on the "sleeps 6" and the maintenance fee, it may be a 2 bdm. - http://tug2.com/TimeshareMarketplac...tingGUID=74051907-1243-4bf6-a12b-a37133ab4b47

 

[Stefa]

This is listed as a 1 bdm., but based on the "sleeps 6" and the maintenance fee, it may be a 2 bdm. - http://tug2.com/TimeshareMarketplac...tingGUID=74051907-1243-4bf6-a12b-a37133ab4b47

I'm guessing it is a one-bedroom and they have included their SVN fees in the MF. Still worth checking into.

 

[bosca418]

Think i could get a week in westin maui this time next year? Could the owner book it now?

Thanks,
Albert

 

[DeniseM]

Think i could get a week in westin maui this time next year? Could the owner book it now?

Thanks,
Albert

No - SDO resales do not qualify for SVN exchanges. You would have to buy the week, open an II Acct., and look for an II exchange. The old owner can't make an II exchange for you.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Yes, weeks 51/52 are sold as fixed event weeks.

As far as a resort being sold out, I do recall one person who called to reserve a week within the Home Resort priority period being told that a particular view during a particular summer week was not available. (DavidnRobin, was that you and your sweet OF Dlx villa?)

Nope - our 1st year after buying resale the Seller reserved Thanksgiving week at 10 months out - I think we ended up on the 3rd floor (B3 south - overlooking the park) - since then at 12 months out - floors 5 and 6.

Next week we will have our 4th stay at WKORV (1Bd OF Dlx) - looking forward to it. WPORV is great and a different vacation experience than WKORV - but I would have to say the OF WKORV is very hard to beat (for us - YMMV) - even compared to WSJ.

also - there is a Rental Thread that lists what some have gotten for rentals at various resorts (limited)