Researching Marriott Resales [2012]

[rpgriego]

Post deleted.

 

[Beefnot]

Here I am over a year later and still thinking about buying a Palm Desert resale. Now that I have access to I.I. through Shell, I want the Marriott preference. The last minute sightings that are posted often don't show up via Shell.

But they do pop up, just maybe not all of them. I could have gotten a flexchange Newport Coast a couple months ago with just 1,750 points. That was delectable.

 

[presley]

I am very pleased to say that I found exactly what I wanted in the TUG marketplace and my offer was accepted. It is being sold by one of the Tugger favorite resellers. This is so much more relaxing than dealing with Ebay!

I'll have a Platinum EOY that I will lock off and use for trading. :whoopie:

 

[rpgriego]

I was at Surfwatch last week and met someone who used to work for Marriott and recently left because of the new points (that and the economy were making it a hard sell so he got out)- he said that many owners had no interest in the new points and there are many disgruntled owners who don't like the system. He is no longer selling timeshares and had no reason to lie about this to me so I think it is probably true. He is doing a completely different business now and seemed very honest (probably another reason why he left the timeshare field!) and had been there for a long time before deciding to leave.

Interesting how this blog site has seen disgruntled DClub owners negative sentiment dissolve (since the original post on 4/15/2012) as they become educated and learn some tricks. Fun to look back on the effects of change.

 

[rpgriego]

I own both, but prefer annual because if you buy EOY the maintenance fee is a little higher and instead of a $400 closing cost you pay for two closing costs.

DSV1 is lovely and I have been there for 25 yrs. But MF just went up $200, so one year ago I prefer my DSV1 to DSV2. But not now for $200 more, and especially since I always trade to Hawaii and Newport Coast. Try this spilt the lock off and trade the small unit into Newport Coast and get an off season two bedroom(all units are 2 bedroom) in Feb or March(great time of year) or do the same at the Marriott at Poipu Kauai during Oct/Nov/March, and do it again using the one bedroom. Can it be done. I have done it for 25 years.

Oh yes, why buy Hawaii and pay $1600 of maintenance fee compared to DSV2 at $1067 and $72 property tax.

Here is a quick tip you can rent at the Marriotts in Palm Desert from Interval at a get away price that is less than MF. Do it and try DSV!, DSV2, and Shadow Ridge. TS prices are not going up anytime soon, so be smart and sleep at the location and "kick the tires" and find the one that lights your fire.

Oh yes, I strongly recommend Interval because that is how you trade and get into other Marriotts(Marriott Desk Preference) otherwise all the other thousands of TS exchangers that have a higher value unit to trade get ahead of your less lock off unit.

Enjoy going to Palm Desert and Newport you are so very lucky to be able to drive them. We have no weather in Southern California, I just saw the Eastern storms on cnn news.

Enjoy the timeshare and Tugg experience it really is easy to enjoy.

While this post was originally dated 4/22/12 the lock-off trading advice is still relevant today.

 

[SueDonJ]

Please note this thread is over a year old; the OP brought it out of mothballs for an update in Post #25.

 

[dioxide45]

Here I am over a year later and still thinking about buying a Palm Desert resale. Now that I have access to I.I. through Shell, I want the Marriott preference. The last minute sightings that are posted often don't show up via Shell.

Do I need to have a platinum week to get the Marriott preference for the flexchange Marriott inventory? I've been following along in the marriott threads all this time and it looks like any marriott deposit in I.I. will give me the Marriott preference for flexchange stays. Would a one bedroom or studio trade to a 2 bedroom in flexchange? Is there a way to pay to upgrade from a one bedroom deposit to a 2 bedroom exchange further out?

If you are only looking to trade within flexchange, just about any Marriott week would do. Unit size doesn't matter within flexchange. Though I have seen some issues trying to trade a studio for a 3BR inside flexchange, but if you only need 2BR units, any week will do.

Though given that some Platinum weeks are very cheap, why not just buy a platinum week at Harbour Lake or Willow Ridge. You can then lock it off and trade the studio or 1BR in to any of those units you see posted in the sightings forum. That is, if you are fast enough.

They key to using a studio or 1BR to trade in to larger units outside of flexchange, is to be very flexible and willing to travel in the off/shoulder season. If you have kids and your vacations are tied to school schedules, don't count on these types of trades as often, though they can still happen.

 

[presley]

If you are only looking to trade within flexchange, just about any Marriott week would do.

I ended up buying a location that I would use. My thought is that I could use half and deposit half for flexchange.

I know that flex is hit or miss, but in the last couple months there have been numerous sightings posted that I was interested in but could not see without the Marriott preference.

I had been bidding and losing some white weeks on Ebay. When I saw the Platinum for just a few hundred dollars more in the marketplace, I decided to go for it. If I need something rare in SFX, it will be a good deposit trader and if I need to rent out my unit, I'll probably get my MFs back. Of course, those are not my primary goals. It's just nice to know I have something to fall back on.