Owning Multiple Weeks at One Place vs. Owning at Different Places

[A.Win]

Do you prefer to buy multiple weeks at one place or own at multiple places? What are the pros and cons of each strategy?

I like the idea of specializing in one resort or one area. So I am VIP at Wyndham, and I have multiple units at Williamsburg and Massanutten. Wyndham has the only 2 timeshares in the DC area too (National Harbor and Alexandria). These are all in driving distance which makes them cheaper for me too. I think this is better because I only need to understand one point system (Wyndham). I only need to worry about a couple HOAs instead of many.

For the same amount of weeks/money, others belong to 3 different point systems and own at 7 different resorts. An advantage of owning at many different places is that you would have access to more owner specials at more places. For example, you might have access to the resort even when you don't stay there. Or you might have low priced exchange or rental benefits at more places. You have a greater variety of places to stay at.

But I feel that Wyndham and RCI already offer me so many options already. And I would rather be VIP in 1 system, rather than have no status in multiple systems.

Thoughts? Comments?

 

[VegasBella]

off the cuff...

Pros of multiple ownerships managed by different companies:
+ possible to use many different exchange systems
+ management cannot deny usage on a week if other weeks MF have not been paid (see thread about that)
+ diversification of portfolio (less risk - even if all ownerships have a special assessment the SAs are unlikely to all come at the same time)
+ if you need to downsize you can put all ownerships up for sale and let whichever sells fastest go

Cons of multiple ownerships:
- lots of passwords and phone numbers, etc to remember
- harder to deposit all weeks to upgrade for exchange (one might trade with II and another trades with RCI, can't put them both in one exchange system to get lots of points - only relevant if they don't trade with same exchange company)

Pros of owning multiple weeks at same resort:
+ can schedule back-to-back weeks or one unit for you and another unit for friends
+ easier to deposit all weeks to upgrade for exchange
+ larger stake in HOA/ more voting rights

Cons of owning multiple weeks at same resort:
- you could get hit with a large special assessment all at once
- if you need to downsize you can only market one property

 

[ronparise]

I bought Wyndham without doing much research because as you said, they have the only timeshares in the DC area, and because there are a ton of options in Florida where I live

Since then Ive added to my Wyndham ownership. I do a fair number of rentals and specialize in New Orleans, where Wyndham has 2 big resorts, (everything else is small)

So like you, but probably for different reasons, I like to specialize

 

[theo]

My $0.02 worth...

Do you prefer to buy multiple weeks at one place or own at multiple places? What are the pros and cons of each strategy?

I like the idea of specializing in one resort or one area. So I am VIP at Wyndham, and I have multiple units at Williamsburg and Massanutten. Wyndham has the only 2 timeshares in the DC area too (National Harbor and Alexandria). These are all in driving distance which makes them cheaper for me too. I think this is better because I only need to understand one point system (Wyndham). I only need to worry about a couple HOAs instead of many.

For the same amount of weeks/money, others belong to 3 different point systems and own at 7 different resorts. An advantage of owning at many different places is that you would have access to more owner specials at more places. For example, you might have access to the resort even when you don't stay there. Or you might have low priced exchange or rental benefits at more places. You have a greater variety of places to stay at.

But I feel that Wyndham and RCI already offer me so many options already. And I would rather be VIP in 1 system, rather than have no status in multiple systems.

Thoughts? Comments?

Everyone's views, preferences and perspectives are of course going to be quite different on this matter and all views and experiences are equally legitimate.

For us, over the course of 3 decades of timeshare involvement, we have learned where and when we like to stay (...or seek to avoid) and which management companies are consistently reliable and competent. We have also lost our appetite for the uncertainty, time consumption, changing rules, diminished inventory and escalating costs of playing the "exchange game" in recent years. We don't want to be "landlords" either. We have essentially found that we simply prefer small independent facilities over the "big chains". We have dumped over 50% of our timeshare "portfolio" in the last few years; the "departed" failed to meet some (or all) of our above criteria.

We now own and use 3 consecutive "Snowbird" weeks in the same place / unit in coastal SW FL and we then move a few miles down the road to use 2 more consecutive weeks in the same place / unit at another facility, thereby minimizing the gypsy-like "pack up and move" exercises. It took us a number of years to string together this "minimal moving / Snowbird program", but it seems to fit and satisfy us. Our remaining single "stand alone" week is a (non-winter) fixed week in coastal Maine.

Some folks like the broad choices and countless options provided by a big "system" (like Wyndham). We are not among them, but to each his / her / their own.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Those of us, who have been around for more than 5-10 years, have stayed at numerous resorts, locations and seasons. While we may have brought something from the developer, most of our ownership time and usage is from resale units/points/weeks. Paying the MFs requires understand where there is value within our ownership to OTHERS -- value ABOVE the cost of those MFs to help subsidize our vacation habits.

Can a person copy MY timeshare methods? ... sure, but where I got fixed deeded PRIME weeks or points of a $1 off eBay ... those deeds NOW never see those low eBay prices when the auction closes. I knew that 10 years ago ... the BABY BOOMER bubble was 6 years behind me and I was still ten years ahead of my class from retiring. The BIGGEST single age bracket of Baby Boomers is 55-56 NOW ... 10 more years of rising prices, IMHO. After all, my parents could afford a 2nd home in Florida with their 3 defined pension checks every month ... a 4-6 week stay in a 1/1 timeshare condo will be all the winter warmth I can afford.

 

[SunandFun83]

Multiple weeks same resort

I own multiple weeks at Marriott Canyon Villas and Hyatt Coconut Plantation. My goal for 2016 or 2017 is to stay 3-4 consecutive weeks. This is like having a condo for a month AND having variety by exchanging.

In the short term, I find multiple weeks same resort is much easier to rent out. Ron is a specialist; I just know that Redweek.com lets me change the dates in my ad after a week rents. I can run an ad for week 7 and bet you someone will ask me for week 9.

 

[bogey21]

For us, over the course of 3 decades of timeshare involvement, we have learned where and when we like to stay (...or seek to avoid) and which management companies are consistently reliable and competent. We have also lost our appetite for the uncertainty, time consumption, changing rules, diminished inventory and escalating costs of playing the "exchange game" in recent years. We don't want to be "landlords" either. We have essentially found that we simply prefer small independent facilities over the "big chains".

Agree 100%. Back in my ownership days I replaced my 4 Marriott Weeks with 7 Weeks at HOA controlled Independents spread around the country in places I liked to visit. In addition to the above rationale I found it a ton cheaper both in acquisition costs and annual MFs.

George

 

[lprstn]

I enjoy having Wyndham because most of the places I want to go they have in their system.

We tend to visit the same locations yearly but like to stay in different areas so having a points based system works for our 'nomad' style of vacationing.

However, I do love my Sheraton that gets me trades on Maui (where Wyndham doesn't have resorts - even though I am in the 'Outrigger' club and can book at one of those resorts) staying at the Westin is a step above the nice comfortable Wyndham properties.

In addition I also own at a nearby 'day use' camping resort that is close to my home and we can put our camper on.

The only thing I'd like to purchase now is some Disney points and I will be all set.

 

[Free2Roam]

I also started with Wyndham Points...developer purchase in 1998... more resale points added over the years.

My Wyndham ownership suited me just fine until I wanted to travel regularly to VA Beach, where Wyndham doesn't have any resorts. My first non-Wyndham purchase was week 22 in VA beach (resale).

Next, I had a few more opportunities to buy (resale) summer fixed week guaranteed oceanfront units with maintenance fees MUCH, MUCH lower than what I pay Wyndham. So I bought.

Eventually I realized that, while I enjoy my summer fixed week acquisitions, I didn't always want to travel for a full week. So I added RCI Points to my portfolio. Again, to use where Wyndham didn't have resorts. e.g. NYC, Cape Cod MA, Hershey PA, SW Coastal FL, Ocean City MD (the one on Wyndham's site is NEVER available in the summer), Outer Banks NC (I was also gifted a summer OBX week recently.)

And, sadly, that's not all...

 

[PassionForTravel]

My gf started with worldmark she brought from the developer we've since added to it with resale and its still our go system. At some point I realized that it had become a sport to me and I had learned everything about the WM system that I needed to know. So I decided to branch out into II and rci. When that became old hat I needed to learn the other systems, hgvc and exchanging Marriott and Starwood and just to make it a little more challenging my gf is a teacher so we are limited to the school schedule. Now I'm thinking that rci points might be the next challenge to conquer, but not enough vacation time and a few years till we retire. Love the hunt and love getting a bargain.

So for me I couldn't stand to go back to the same place year after year (well except for Hawaii) which is why I will probably never own a fixed week and the more systems to learn and maximize the value of the better.

Ian

Ian