Timeshare Trading Power

[cguardia]

I am so confused when it comes to understanding the trade value of my weeks. I own a 1 bedroom week 29 at the Chateau Orleans and a 2 bedroom week 3 at the Quater House, both in New Orleans.

How do I determnine the trade value of these two units eith RCI. They seem to be the same.

Can someone help me to first of all, understand how trade value is issued, and secondly how do I determine the value of my units?

I am not new to owning a timeshare, I purchased my first week 5 years ago and the second 2 years ago.

 

[Dani]

I am so confused when it comes to understanding the trade value of my weeks. I own a 1 bedroom week 29 at the Chateau Orleans and a 2 bedroom week 3 at the Quater House, both in New Orleans.

How do I determnine the trade value of these two units eith RCI. They seem to be the same.

Can someone help me to first of all, understand how trade value is issued, and secondly how do I determine the value of my units?

I am not new to owning a timeshare, I purchased my first week 5 years ago and the second 2 years ago.

You might want to take a look at the RCI FAQ's at the top of the "Ask RCI" board here on TUG. That will give you some guidance as to how trade power is determined within RCI. Within RCI, supply and demand basically rules regardless of unit size. If you own a week in high demand where there is low supply, you will generally have high trade power. Think summer So. Cal or Cape Cod, winter in the Caribbean, and ski weeks in Colorado. In addition, the quality of the week you own will determine the quality of the weeks that you can trade into. In other words, if you own a at a resort that has a high quality rating, you will be blocked out from trading into resorts that are deemed too low in quality to be a comparable trade and vice-versa.

I would suggest examining some of the older group trade tests that have ben conducted here on TUG. They can be found within a link at the top of the Sightings board. You will be able to see the trade power of many weeks that participated in these tests as compared to each other.

As far as determining the trade power of your weeks as compared to other weeks, I would start by comparing your week to those that are known top traders within RCI such as summer So. Cal and summer Cape Cod weeks. These types of weeks will usually pull the hardest of trades. When you see a Sighting that was pulled with one of these types of weeks, compare your week to see if you can pull those same weeks. Compare not only the weeks pulled, but the unit sizes pulled. Over time, this will give you an idication of the trade power of your weeks.

 

[aorons]

Buying for Trading Power

I am looking at a Sands of Kahana resale in Maui - 2BR OceanView - for two reasons - 1st for the trading power it supposedly has and 2nd to get into the II network vs RCI which I have grown to really dislike.

I feel like I am going against the grain of "own where you want to go" but being on the East Coast, Hawaii every year just doesn't work.

Then I read various accounts of resale owners not getting good treatment - but does that apply to II as well as the home resort?

I already own a fixed week at the New England resort that I do use every year - this one is being bought strictly for variety travel.

Thoughts and advice are welcome.

Andy

 

[Marina_K]

Hope you're not paying extra for "ocean view" because neither RCI or II take that into consideration.

For II, look for something that is "nice" as II seems more strict about quality. How about Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, Virginia Beach or some other East Coast area that you might get use of?

 

[aorons]

The 2BR units are all ocean view. But I guess that is my question - is 5-star Maui really this magic strength trade that will get you to the top of any trade list?

 

[TravelSFO]

The 2BR units are all ocean view. But I guess that is my question - is 5-star Maui really this magic strength trade that will get you to the top of any trade list?

No, 5-star doesn't mean you'll get choice trades. Most important is demand and location. Get a 5-star resort in the "shoulder" season and you can pretty much be sure you're not going to get anything you want from the exchange pool ...

Also keep in mind cost of exchanging. If your maintenance fees are high, you should start thinking whether it is worth exchanging. Many folks rent out their unit, instead, and use the money to rent another home location. This is a more guaranteed way of "exchanging" for what you want.

 

[aorons]

The resort is completely floating so it depends on when you make the reservation for. Apparently you have to make it 12 months in advance to get a the week you want - although allegedly Maui (and Hawaii in general) is 100% red - at least in RCI.

As far as demand and location, everything I'm seeing says that Maui is #1 demand and #1 location. But, if it was that easy, why wouldn't everyone just buy Maui resales. Hence, my trepidation.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Why do you think all two-bedroom units at Sands are ocean view?

The buildings have four sides, some of the sides face other buildings and the street. How could they all have ocean view? We talked to Sands about that very thing and he said they rotate owners into ocean view units and that traders generally don't get ocean view, but there are no guarantees for owners to get ocean views at all times. They could not give those guarantees. We walked away from that two-minute tour thinking that resale owners would very likely get the short end of that deal.

Perhaps if you pay 38K, at least while they are still actively selling Sands, they might make sure you always get ocean view.

 

[CaliDave]

The resort is completely floating so it depends on when you make the reservation for. Apparently you have to make it 12 months in advance to get a the week you want - although allegedly Maui (and Hawaii in general) is 100% red - at least in RCI.

As far as demand and location, everything I'm seeing says that Maui is #1 demand and #1 location. But, if it was that easy, why wouldn't everyone just buy Maui resales. Hence, my trepidation.

Maui resales are typically expensive, MF's are typically VERY high.

It should trade well.. but don;t let the "100% red" fool you.
Orlando and California coast are all Red, but there are weeks in both that don't trade well at all.

 

[hjtug]

Atlantic City brings in 37 million, and has one.

The II website also shows La Renaissance (LAR) in Atlantic City and TUG lists three RCI resorts there.

niagara falls only has one in interval but it's Marriott

I hadn't realized there was an II timeshare in Niagara Falls. I could not find any exchange availability at Marriott Fallsview searching with three bedrooms worth of Wyndham points but I see on the order of fifty Getaways from November through early May!

I just noticed this note at the bottom of the II resort description: This resort is available for Getaway vacation purchases only. It is not available in the Interval International exchange program.
Do we know of any other examples of resorts or hotels that II offers for Getaways but not exchanges?

 

[Tommart]

Great Trading Power

Most of the Maui resort have maintenance fees that exceed $1K Some exceed $2K. This could eat you alive.

Also avoid older units that may need major overhauling.

I don't have specific recommendations, but you could look for quality resorts at major ski resorts in New England during ski season. Other possibilities are Cape Cod or Beach resorts during summer months. I agree that Atlantic City is difficult to exchange into during the summer months.

The Ocean Beach Club in Virginia Beach weeks 24-34 should have great trading power, is new, and has reasonable maintenance fees the last I looked.

Like Maui, I find the maintenance fees to be high in the Caribbean. It also costs about the same to fly to most Caribbean destinations as Hawaii.

Tom