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Trading Staroptions within SVN

Joshadelic

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If someone has 81,000 SO's (or whatever amount of SO's for that matter), do they trade evenly within SVN no matter what property you actually own?

The only experience I have with using points in any timeshare system is with Wyndham when we bought a "discovery" package with them. We were able to use 308,000 points to stay at whatever property we wanted. They basically spent just like cash...as long as the property was available to book.

Is the SO system with Starwood basically the same? Is there an advantage to owning one place over another other than the 12 month reservation window? Would it just make sense then to buy whatever property has the best deal for SO's and low MF?

I was contacted by the Starwood sales rep that a few of you referred to me and she indicated that I may only be able to use my Explorer package at SVV. If that's the case, I'm thinking I should buy a cheap resale property to "upgrade" then use my Explorer package towards the balance. If the SO's I receive don't spend any better or worse no matter what property I buy, then maybe that's the way to go?????

Any thoughts?

~Josh :)
 

tomandrobin

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At the 8 month mark, staroptions are all equal.

Someone posted a few days ago about getting an explorer package for Lagunamar.
 

Joshadelic

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I'm going to get a phone call this afternoon from the lady at Starwood who I was referred to. I'm going to ask her which resorts I can apply the Explorer package to.
 

LisaRex

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They are all the same. Which is why if you're buying a resort for trading purposes you should try to get the one with the most StarOptions for the least amount of MFs.

Of course, you've educated yourself about the system and know that StarOption assignments do not follow resale purchases at voluntary resorts. Not everyone knows that.

You might consider buying resale at the Orlando properties that are currently imposing special assessments. You'd have to pay the $2k assessment, yes, but the trend has been for Starwood to offer owners a chance to opt into SVN following the overhaul. This may be the cheapest way to get into SVN.
 

Joshadelic

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You might consider buying resale at the Orlando properties that are currently imposing special assessments. You'd have to pay the $2k assessment, yes, but the trend has been for Starwood to offer owners a chance to opt into SVN following the overhaul. This may be the cheapest way to get into SVN.

Are you referring to SVR? I thought I read somewhere that people were already being offered the option of joining SVN?????
 

Ken555

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Are you referring to SVR? I thought I read somewhere that people were already being offered the option of joining SVN?????

Not all sections have yet to be invited.
 

DeniseM

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And it has been reported that only owners who purchased before 2007 (I think) are being invited.
 

Ken555

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And it has been reported that only owners who purchased before 2007 (I think) are being invited.

The sections that have been invited (Springs & Fountains, I believe) were to be purchased by the end of Dec 2007 and recorded by March 2008. The others have not been invited yet, so it's too early to say how they will, or if they will, be invited into SVN.
 

Joshadelic

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So I guess I would be better off buying my resale week (for the purposes of upgrading and using my explorer package) in the SVV sections that are already part of SVN, no?
 

LisaRex

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So I guess I would be better off buying my resale week (for the purposes of upgrading and using my explorer package) in the SVV sections that are already part of SVN, no?

Absolutely.

If you didn't plan to requalify and just wanted an SVN trader, I'd advise buying one of the sections that hasn't veen refurbished yet and take a chance on being invited into SVN at a later date. Of course, it's a crapshoot, but could be well worth it if all went as planned.

Frankly, I'm too chicken.
 
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