Should I accept this free timeshare from RVC?

[bradcost]

Hello, looking for some help with this. I'm familiar with the general concepts and provisions of TS ownership but never owned one.

I have a friend who is willing to GIVE me his timeshare Raintree Club Regina Puerto Vallarta for free...only for taking over the payments.

Following is the information I have and am wondering if this would be a typically good deal, marginal or not at all:

RainTree Vacation Club Regina Puerto Vallarta
Bi-Annual Odd Year
Rooms and Bathrooms up to 4 People
Points Accumulated: 60000
RCI Exchangeable.
Available in all Raintree Locations:
Maintenance Fee $820 Bi-Annual, pmts up to date.
Silver Memebership.
Total value of initial membership $8000

What are your thoughts out there regarding Raintree, it's resorts, whether 820 for a week every 2 years is good or not.

Thank you
Brad

 

[dmbrand]

I don't own a Raintree product, however, there are numerous threads on Raintree if you use the Search function on this forum. Please research this decision; an informed purchase will not give you surprises later.

Remember that it is much easier to acquire a timeshare unit than it is to disown one. That being said, I still like vacationing in timeshares, as opposed to hotel rooms. Good luck and tread carefully.

Someone with first hand knowledge of Raintree can give you more specifics.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Hello, looking for some help with this. I'm familiar with the general concepts and provisions of TS ownership but never owned one.

I have a friend who is willing to GIVE me his timeshare Raintree Club Regina Puerto Vallarta for free...only for taking over the payments.

Following is the information I have and am wondering if this would be a typically good deal, marginal or not at all:

RainTree Vacation Club Regina Puerto Vallarta
Bi-Annual Odd Year
Rooms and Bathrooms up to 4 People
Points Accumulated: 60000
RCI Exchangeable.
Available in all Raintree Locations:
Maintenance Fee $820 Bi-Annual, pmts up to date.
Silver Memebership.
Total value of initial membership $8000

What are your thoughts out there regarding Raintree, it's resorts, whether 820 for a week every 2 years is good or not.

Thank you
Brad

If you look around, particularly at sites such as eBay, you can probably pick this up for free, fully paid for and possibly with seller paying transfer fees

That being said, I don't think a silver RVC membership is worth that much. In the RVC system I wouldn't consider any membership less than a Platinum membership, and right now I wouldn't pay any more than $1000 for that, all costs included. (And I could find one for that price if I were seriously looking.)

The only way I would consider this is if: 1) it came essentially for free; 2) I already had a RVC membership that I could combine it with to get more points in one account; and 3) I had already obtained concurrence from RVC to combine this with my existing holdings into one memberships (You don't want to be stuck holding two different memberships).

Your friend is in a tough spot. He or she is making contracted payments on something that probably has negative value.

 

[MichaelColey]

I suspect that you could rent or exchange into it for considerably less than $820.

With a capacity of 4, it sounds like a 1BR unit. Those are renting for $679.99 - $719.99 as Extra Vacations (and you can often find better deals than Extra Vacation prices). Even the 2BR units are going for less than $820.

 

[siesta]

+1 for passing on that one.

 

[pedro47]

How much are m/f per year & club dues ?

 

[siesta]

$820 biannual

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

$820 biannual

Which is one of the big reasons why a silver membership is worthless. As you move to higher levels, the maintenance fees do not increase as quickly as do the points.

+++++

The OP also didn't mention anything about the status of payment of the current Raintree special assessment.

 

[Rent_Share]

Reading between the lines, it was implied there was a loan balance too . . . .

PASS

 

[aliikai2]

Bad deal, having to tell your friend sorry, no thanks

But this is a very bad deal for you. There are Golds, 50k per year available for next to nothing, here is one of the ebay listings where the seller will pay all costs, you can probably buy this for under $10. http://cgi.ebay.com/50K-RAINTREE-PO...50694110340?pt=Timeshares&hash=item3a5e888c84

On a personal note, the unit that you are describing is called a Club Unit, it is a hotel bedroom/bath and a studio/bath/kitchen. These are ok for a couple or maybe 2 singles, but it is a very odd configuration, imho.

The second problem is the resort management company, they have lost the use of many of the Westin hotel amenities, had a special assessment of around another annual fee, ($820) and have let their resorts deteriorate.

I can't recommend this group, and add that to the higher than normal fees, well, Run... don't walk away from this deal

fwiw,

Greg