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Should we buy?

T

trmahar

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1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where? Caribbean, Florida, open to others

2) Do you want to visit your home resort at least half the time, or do you want to trade more than half the time? We want one that allows us to visit any of their locations. So not really sure how to answer. We dont really understand the "trade" part of this. We have had ownerships that allocate annual points and we just use those points to reserve wherever.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Caribbean, florida, california, east coast, possibly south america

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself? 2-6, most of the time it is 4, but it could be 10

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? Any time

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Yes

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time? Definitely, even 2 weeks or more

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars? 4-5

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? Not much, we are retired, would prefer to get a "free" or under $500

10) How much can you afford to spend every year for a maintenance fee that will come due right after Christmas, and increase each year? $1000-$2000

11) Are you a detail oriented planner? Somewhat

12) Do you understand that once you buy a timeshare, it may be very difficult to sell or give away, and you are responsible for all fees, until you do? Yes, we just got rid of 2 (Sapphire tried niall and MROP/DVN which is connected to Capital)

My husband and I are approaching 75 years of age. Our kids do not want to "inherit" a timeshare.
We recently stayed at Calypso Cay, using the last of the MROP red week that we turned into capital vacation points. While there, we were offered the usual 60 minute presentation in exchange for a cruise and a week vacation. The presenter was aggressive and we actually felt he was demeaning.
Any way, we were browsing eBay and on here for resales for free or minimal purchase price.
Should we continue looking at those, or ????
Thanks for any insight!!
 
4-5 star accommodations, you need to spend a little bit on a resale to get Marriott.

Hilton is a nice system that I know very little about and have no desire to learn. I think you can find a bargain with Hilton.

Calypso Cay, I consider that one to be 2 stars. MROP, most are 2-3 stars.

You didn't buy with that nasty salesperson, did you? MROP turned into Capital Points? How does that work? Not that I would do it.

You have champagne taste on a beer budget.

You can get a Marriott's Willow Ridge or Marriott's Shadow Ridge platinum week cheaply, but $500 is a little too cheap. Fees are high on Shadow Ridge but we get two trips out of our lockoffs. Marriott's Grand Chateau is a possibility for a good price.

My take is you don't think much of timeshare and the value it provides because you have high expectations on a very low budget. That's my take from what I read.
 
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No, we did not purchase from him.
Our question is more of a
Should we buy a resale or should we look at rentals?
We dont want our kids "stuck" with a timeshare after we are gone. What we are hearing is that they are forced to continue it.
 
Youre 75, your kids dont want a timeshare. My advice to you is to NOT buy anything and just rent from an owner when you want to go. Points ownership may be out of your budget as far as MF's and purchase price go. There are cheaper points ownerships such as an RCI points ownership. They are pretty flexible and easy on the MF's but you likely will not be staying in 4-5 star resorts. I am not familiar with Wyndham but that may be a decent route as well. The way to maximize your ownership is to understand the trading options that come with it. Being that you said you don't understand that part, I'd suggest learning a bit about it. You could pick up a low MF trader and get a lot of good usage out of it. The real question isn't should we buy, it is what should we buy, if anything. Different ownerships suit different lifestyles and preferences. research all of the available systems out there. Marriott, Vistana (Mandatory), Wyndham, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.... So many nuances to learn. One system may be better for you. In the process of researching different systems and ownerships may lead you to not wanting to buy at all.

@trmahar Your kids dont have to accept ownership of the timeshare when the time comes. Yes, ONLY buy a resale if you buy, and YES look at rentals. It may be the best way to go. Many times you can get last min rentals for less than MF's. Also, not to sound morbid, but think about how many years you will get out of ownership. Do you really want to deal with inventory issues and not getting the reservation you want? you've come too far to deal with nonsense. kjust rent where you want to go
 
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rickandcindy23 said:
4-5 star accommodations, you need to spend a little bit on a resale to get Marriott.

Hilton is a nice system that I know very little about and have no desire to learn. I think you can find a bargain with Hilton.

Calypso Cay, I consider that one to be 2 stars. MROP, most are 2-3 stars. You didn't buy with that nasty salesperson, did you? MROP turned into Capital Points? How does that work? Not that I would do it.

You have champagne taste on a beer budget.

You can get a Marriott's Willow Ridge or Marriott's Shadow Ridge platinum week cheaply, but $500 is a little too cheap. Fees are high on Shadow Ridge but we get two trips out of our lockoffs. Marriott's Grand Chateau is a possibility for a good price.

My take is you don't think much of timeshare and the value it provides because you have high expectations on a very low budget. That's my take from what I read.
Click to expand...
"champagne tastes on a beer budget" is how I live my life. Although, I spend the all of the beer budget on Champagne lol.
 
A few times I have seen a Marriott being sold for under $500 and a few times even offered free. But the maintenance fees are usually between $1800 and $2200 a year. Also, the free or cheap timeshares are almost always lower season units that don't have as much trading power.

If you get a lock-off, you could get 2 weeks a year out of that, or if you bought/got an EOY unit, you'd be able to get 1 week every year through an exchange. But Marriott has a $95 split fee, and Interval charges $199 for a Marriott to Marriott exchange and something like $249 for a Marriott to non-Marriott. So, that'll bring up your cost.

If you buy a "no-name" brand timeshare, you might be able to get them for free, but they are likely to be mediocre traders and you are very likely to have trouble getting rid of it.

Very few timeshares will allow 10 people.

Maybe the suggestion to rent is a better choice.
 
Don't add your kids' names to the deed, and your kids won't inherit it. They don't have to accept it. That was not a commitment your kids made, so why would they have to take YOUR timeshare.

Renting is costly. You cannot rent a week in a nice place for 10 people for $1-2,000 (your MF budget).

Case in point: I just rented a studio at Shadow Ridge Villages to a couple for $1,200 on RW. That was my net, RW made $120 from the couple + $99 from me. They paid $1,419 for a studio. That's 4-star, but it's a studio. Maybe if you had little kids, you could put two more in that unit.

People consider some of the resorts in Wyndham to be 4-5 star. Sure, if you stay at Bonnet Creek in a presidential unit, it's in that range. The regular 2 bedrooms are 3-star. I haven't been to all of Wyndham's resorts, but none we have stayed was anywhere near 4-5 star, so if people suggest Wyndham because it's free, you need to understand why it's free.

We plan to stay at Wyndham's Branson Meadows in mid-June. It's not a great resort, it's just okay. I tried to get into Marriott's Willow Ridge (where we own) via exchange, and nothing is available in a 2 bedroom. I wish I hadn't deposited our weeks before realizing our kids wanted to go. I would much rather stay at Marriott than Wyndham, but availability is truly limited in the nicer resorts. Planning ahead is paramount.

Our kids have fall break off every year, and I asked today if they wanted a resort I see sitting online, a Hilton resort I know they would love. They told me it's too early to plan for October. Timeshares require planning. It's not like inventory is just sitting out there whenever you want them.

I would not risk $300 of our money to book the week at this Hilton. It's an RCI exchange and exchange fees are non-refundable. We are staying there, so I guess I have to hope they decide before it's too late and nothing is available.
 
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With variable head count it sounds like points are better than weeks.

HGVC is probably your best bet. Point program with 4-star resorts on both East/California costs and Florida. I believe RCI is included so an additional exchange fee could get you into the Caribbean.

Orlando Florida is overbuilt enough that the HGVC resorts in that area (Seaworld, Tuscany Village, etc) are frequently offered free.. or at least free with buyer paid closing/transfer/activation which can add up to $1-2K. Speaking of fees remember that HGVC also has annual club dues in addition to the resort maintenance fees.

Honorable mention for Wyndham. More locations, cheaper transfer fees, and slightly lower maintenance fees... but the locations tend to be 3-4 stars.

Otherwise... maybe Vistina?


As for Rent vs Own: Rent is good if you are able/willing to book the presentation discounted trips. Otherwise owning is generally better than paying market rate for year after year. Speaking of years how spry are you feeling? All too many list offers I see start out "too old to travel". The kids won't get stuck if they decline to inherit, but you might get stuck yourself for however long it takes to find a new buyer once age slows your own travels. (Although It sounds like you already know that from Sapphire).
 
I don't think I'd buy anything at 75... Also for what you're asking, I don't know of any way to do 10 people and have MF and buy in as low as you're saying. Especially if going for the high end 4*.

Here's what I'd do - how many trips do you want to do in a year? If only one, just keep renting. If you're ok with Calipso Kay then I'd put that not at 4* but 2.5* and that's potentially do-able. I guess I'd suggest figuring out where you might want to stay - that likely is the first step. Then figure out how many points you'd need in whatever system. And then see if that makes sense vs renting.
 
Thanks, everyone.
I think I should clarify.... usually just 4 of us traveling, but IF more family, it COULD be 10. Really not likely.
 
Rent. You can go wherever you want to go with no upfront cost and no ongoing obligation. Sure, it's not as easy as booking a hotel, but the units are bigger and with more amenities. Look at the 'Last Minute Rentals' forum here. The price is fixed at $800/wk and move in is within a couple months. Watch the offerings and if it works for you, it can be a great vacation.
 
Do not buy.
 
trmahar said:
Thanks, everyone.
I think I should clarify.... usually just 4 of us traveling, but IF more family, it COULD be 10. Really not likely.
Click to expand...

I'm planning on being out of the owning game by 80 so around 75 I will be getting rid of our timeshares. Many of our weeks will expire by then leaving us only our Worldmark memberships which we plan on keeping until we expire, lol. A certificate of death and a letter explaining there are no heirs basically cancels a Worldmark membership.

With our Worldmarks we can dive to many of the resorts and book enough rooms that the entire family can have their own space which actually means my wife and I can have our own unit. Worldmark does exchange fairly well in RCI, II and SFX. There are several Worldmark resorts with 3 bed unit sleep 10.

Currently, there are many free to own Worldmark memberships being offered. When I say free I mean zero cost to the new owner. Our last free WM took about 9 months to transfer but I read they are back on track so it's a few months at most.

Since you already know how timeshares work, a Worldmark might be a decent choice.

Bill
 
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