Westin St John Master Thread - Part 3 [Dec. 2017 and forward]

[letsgomets]

Thanks - our flights would be nonstop.

 

[SMH1968]

My searches have returned little-to-no information, so forgive me if this is not the place to ask. I'd like to use my Staroptions to stay in a 1-bedroom at the Westin St. John, but no matter what dates I plug in there is no availability. Does anyone have any tips for booking a 1-bedroom here? Or do the 1-bedrooms no longer exist? I can't even find availability for one night 12 months out (even though I know I can't book this, it is still showing as unavailable).

 

[SandyPGravel]

My searches have returned little-to-no information, so forgive me if this is not the place to ask. I'd like to use my Staroptions to stay in a 1-bedroom at the Westin St. John, but no matter what dates I plug in there is no availability. Does anyone have any tips for booking a 1-bedroom here? Or do the 1-bedrooms no longer exist? I can't even find availability for one night 12 months out (even though I know I can't book this, it is still showing as unavailable).

1 BR do exist. I just looked entered a random date and a 1-BR came up. Says low availability though. When are you looking to go? In the past I had tried to search for a week that worked with school schedules and could never find anything. I was able to find weeks once I looked during low season. October and November I was able to find available weeks. (After staying on SO a couple times I bought on the resale market so I can go every year.)

 

[DavidnRobin]

My searches have returned little-to-no information, so forgive me if this is not the place to ask. I'd like to use my Staroptions to stay in a 1-bedroom at the Westin St. John, but no matter what dates I plug in there is no availability. Does anyone have any tips for booking a 1-bedroom here? Or do the 1-bedrooms no longer exist? I can't even find availability for one night 12 months out (even though I know I can't book this, it is still showing as unavailable).

The only 1Bd villas are in VGV (Hillside) phase - so naturally limited in availability. I think there are only around 32 of them (4 buildings x 8 1Bd per building).


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[alexadeparis]

according to my notes, there are only 24 one bedroom units. Keep in mind that they are loft like, with the bed upstairs open to below, and the downstairs part is still basically studio sized. If you can spare the points, I would see if you can get a 2 bed.

 

[DavidnRobin]

according to my notes, there are only 24 one bedroom units. Keep in mind that they are loft like, with the bed upstairs open to below, and the downstairs part is still basically studio sized. If you can spare the points, I would see if you can get a 2 bed.

Your probably right - I was trying to remember from the difference between villa numbers between the 2Bd TH on ends.


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[alexadeparis]

Your probably right - I was trying to remember from the difference between villa numbers between the 2Bd TH on ends.


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Either way, they are scarce and hard to get

 

[DST]

Hi all - everyone here is always so knowledgeable so I am hoping someone here will have some advice: We are in the process of purchasing a Sunset Bay 2BR privately and have money in escrow (3 weeks). Originally we were told 2 weeks it would go to the closing and they expected it to close in 75-90 days.....When I inquired with the realtor she said the closing agent has said they are waiting on the estoppel from the resort (I also asked the sellers to call and inquire); so my questions:

1) is this typical, anything we can do to make this move faster from the resort end
2) dues will be due around 1st of the year, I am not comfortable paying the fees when we have not closed - what options do we have
3) we are purchasing weeks 1-14 and 51-52 (diamond) with points of 176, 700 (ish) we are concerned that closing will not allow us to use our purchase in 2021 - will everything be booked and we miss out on those weeks (we are very flexible in our vacation time)

Any advice?

We really are thinking of making a trip to the Island January or February but do you think we will be able to use our ownership or should we look at renting something

Thanks all - you really are the most knowledgeable group out there

 

[GrayFal]

Hi all - everyone here is always so knowledgeable so I am hoping someone here will have some advice: We are in the process of purchasing a Sunset Bay 2BR privately and have money in escrow (3 weeks). Originally we were told 2 weeks it would go to the closing and they expected it to close in 75-90 days.....When I inquired with the realtor she said the closing agent has said they are waiting on the estoppel from the resort (I also asked the sellers to call and inquire); so my questions:

1) is this typical, anything we can do to make this move faster from the resort end
2) dues will be due around 1st of the year, I am not comfortable paying the fees when we have not closed - what options do we have
3) we are purchasing weeks 1-14 and 51-52 (diamond) with points of 176, 700 (ish) we are concerned that closing will not allow us to use our purchase in 2021 - will everything be booked and we miss out on those weeks (we are very flexible in our vacation time)

Any advice?

We really are thinking of making a trip to the Island January or February but do you think we will be able to use our ownership or should we look at renting something

Thanks all - you really are the most knowledgeable group out there

I am currently closing on a 148,100 contract SB.
Vistana will not do the transfer at this time before the 2021 fees are paid. I have put the 2021 fee in escrow. If this is private just ask the current owners to make a resie for you. They will also know you are paying the fee. They can simply change to your name on the resie. Home option (Not StarOptions) reservations will transfer with the sale

Edit. I am currently busy but will look later tonight to see what SB resies are available.
I am helping a friend with a Marriott sale and the buyer wanted s January resie. We made it and since the monies including maintenance fee are in Escrow he is happy to let the buyer use the resie

WSJ SB 2 BR 1/16,17,18,19 2 BR
1/20,21,22,23,24 2BR

That’s it is. I searched thru mid May and there were no resies in SB.
Best to ask your people to reserve one of those dates for you. You can reserve outside of your season at 8 months out.

 

[DST]

Thanks
Good idea on them making reservations

 

[GrayFal]

Dear Fellow Coral Vista Owners, Your Board of Managers met on November 9, 2020to finalize the 2021 Operating Budget. After many hours of conversation and since our budget workshop in September, we have worked with Marriott Vacations Worldwide (MVW) and resort leadership to manage to keep our 2021 fees as low as we could. As you know, there are two components to the fees for Coral Vista ownership. One part is a fixed fee that is part of each ownership and is for the Condominium Association. The other is a variable fee based on the points package that you purchased as part of the Vacation Owners Association. This year, the Condominium Association fee was reduced as a result of accounting processes that moved some items from the Condominium Association budget to the Vacation Owners Association budget. The overall combined budget amount did not change, just where the items were accounted for. Management listened to the suggestions of the owner-elected Board members and was able to either keep our costs and fees at the same level as 2020 or to find reductions. Therefore, your annual fee will be approximately the same or slightly less than 2020, depending on how many points you own in your package. This was done without reducing services or in ways that would affect your resort experience. We have also seen improvements in things like air filtration on the Westin ferry and enhanced cleaning equipment and protocols throughout the resort. We have a higher delinquency rate on 2020 fees than we have had for previous years’ fees. If you do not pay your fees, your access to the resort will be restricted and eventually lost. The fees you do not pay will have to be made up in future budgets by those who do pay their share of the costs. If you have not yet paid your 2020 fee, please do so as soon as you can. Resort occupancy is up and approaching a return to pre-COVID levels. As of this writing, there are no further restrictions to travel in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Be sure to check with USVI websites, airlines and your home area alerts for information on traveling. Management is negotiating with an operator for the restaurant space that was formerly Lemongrass. It is unlikely that the space will be rented out before St. John returns to something with fewer restrictions on gatherings, restaurants and bars. Our hope is that we will see a vendor serving breakfast and dinner in the first quarter of 2021, but we have no control over the government policies. There has been a change in the MVW cancelation policy as of November 1. Please make sure you visit the MVW HUB for the most current information at https://hub.vacationclub.com/. The annual meeting will be held on March 2, 2021. At the moment, our hope is to hold it at the Westin St. John. A notice of the annual meeting will be sent in Januarywhich will have more details. MVW is working on the idea of “webcasting” the meeting as a way that would allow owners to listen, view a presentation, and submit questions. Please watch your mail in January for more information. Please feel free to contact any of us with your questions, suggestions or comments. Have a happy and healthy holiday season. David Futransky david.coralvista@gmail.com​ Nancy Gerding nancy.coralvista@gmail.com​ Mark Schultz mark.coralvista@gmail.com​ You have received this message as part of your vacation ownership. Please do not reply directly to this system-generated email. Contact Vistana Management, Inc. online or at 9002 San Marco Court, Orlando, FL 32819. ©2020 Vistana Signature Experiences, Inc. ("Vistana") and Marriott International, Inc. ("Marriott"). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Statement | Terms & Conditions | 10051 | 20A | 20-WSJ-751521

 

[cyntravel]

Thanks Pat
Have you received anything from Sunset Bay yet?

 

[GrayFal]

Thanks Pat
Have you received anything from Sunset Bay yet?

Not yet.

 

[GrayFal]

Just a reminder that even resale CV and SB can deposit unused Home Options into their II personal accounts until 12/31 of the use year. VSN members can deposit into their corporate II account.
I had a recorded new owner certificate for SB sent to Vistana 11/26 and if the ownership gets into my account, I would be able to deposit the 2020 leftovers. Will see what happens; I check my Vistana account each day.

 

[mclowe]

WE CLOSED TODAY!!!! We bought 2 weeks in a 3BR Bay Vista.

We are ALMOST there..... And coincidentally, today marks exactly 100 days until we check in!

For those who are wondering about timelines, here's our experience.

9/22 - Offer accepted
9/23 - Seller sent confirmation of 2021 ressie in our name (fixed unit, fixed week)
9/28 - closing statement signed
9/29 - wired funds to escrow
9/30 - was told everything is done except for the tax clearance letters (Bay Vista so WSJ pays taxes) but they had already been ordered
11/5 - Attorney followed up on tax letters and USVI claimed there was an additional $15 in taxes owed.... not sure if this was the stamp tax or what because in Bay Vista, taxes are paid by WSJ. In any event, lawyer paid them since it wasn't worth fighting (even though she claimed they were wrong.) By this time, deed was stale so an extra $100 that the realtor graciously ate.
12/4 - Final tax letters received, deed recorded and funds wired to seller

Lawyer said she will forward the recorded deed to Vistana and said "it normally takes them a week or two to process". That sounds optimistic to me. Waiting for the seller to send me the dues invoice so we can pay directly.

One step closer.....

 

[Eric B]

It's my first year owning at WSJ and I just got the budget proposal, too. The amounts you listed, @DavidnRobin, are from the bottom line of the revenue side and seem to include revenue from Bank/Investment Interest, Late Fees, Maintenance Fee Interest Income, and Surplus Return along with what I would guess is the Maintenance Fee on the top line. If that interpretation of the budget is right, I would put them at:

Studio: $1643.47
1Bd TH: $2191.42
2Bd TH: $2739.31
2Bd Prem: $3286.96
3Bd Pool: $3287.18

In your experience, do they generally match the top budget revenue line for the maintenance fees or the Total Maintenance Fee Revenue line?

Just got my bill for 2021 for the 1 Bd TH. Total was $2,191.42 and breakdown exactly matched the 2021 Operating Assessment to the Maintenance Fee line item under the Revenue portion of the proposed budget and the 2021 Reserve fee to the Reserve Fee line item of the proposed budget. I would expect that the remaining unit types will also match those line items. The approved budget included with the bill matches the proposed one.

 

[GrayFal]

WE CLOSED TODAY!!!! We bought 2 weeks in a 3BR Bay Vista.

We are ALMOST there..... And coincidentally, today marks exactly 100 days until we check in!

For those who are wondering about timelines, here's our experience.

9/22 - Offer accepted
9/23 - Seller sent confirmation of 2021 ressie in our name (fixed unit, fixed week)
9/28 - closing statement signed
9/29 - wired funds to escrow
9/30 - was told everything is done except for the tax clearance letters (Bay Vista so WSJ pays taxes) but they had already been ordered
11/5 - Attorney followed up on tax letters and USVI claimed there was an additional $15 in taxes owed.... not sure if this was the stamp tax or what because in Bay Vista, taxes are paid by WSJ. In any event, lawyer paid them since it wasn't worth fighting (even though she claimed they were wrong.) By this time, deed was stale so an extra $100 that the realtor graciously ate.
12/4 - Final tax letters received, deed recorded and funds wired to seller

Lawyer said she will forward the recorded deed to Vistana and said "it normally takes them a week or two to process". That sounds optimistic to me. Waiting for the seller to send me the dues invoice so we can pay directly.

One step closer.....

My recorded Sunset Bay document was sent to Vistana 11/25. I filled out the transfer form so I know my owner number is on there. I check every day to see if it is in tbe account. Nothing yet!

 

[DavidnRobin]

Just got my bill for 2021 for the 1 Bd TH. Total was $2,191.42 and breakdown exactly matched the 2021 Operating Assessment to the Maintenance Fee line item under the Revenue portion of the proposed budget and the 2021 Reserve fee to the Reserve Fee line item of the proposed budget. I would expect that the remaining unit types will also match those line items. The approved budget included with the bill matches the proposed one.

2.63% increase in MFs for all WSJ VGV villa types compared to 2020.
This follows a large increase (9.38%) from 2019 to 2020.

This does not account for Property Taxes (they vary), VSN fees, or that BS $25/nite USVI ‘Environment’ Fee.


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[mclowe]

My recorded Sunset Bay document was sent to Vistana 11/25. I filled out the transfer form so I know my owner number is on there. I check every day to see if it is in tbe account. Nothing yet!

We are new owners, so we don't have an owner number yet. I still need to figure out how to pay our annual dues, too. The seller said he hasn't received the bill yet.

 

[GrayFal]

We are new owners, so we don't have an owner number yet. I still need to figure out how to pay our annual dues, too. The seller said he hasn't received the bill yet.

Don’t worry, they’ll find you !
The important thing is that you have your resies in place for your trip.
I received my VGV bill
Edit. Just checked, SB and CV are posted on the website.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Don’t worry, they’ll find you !
The important thing is that you have your resies in place for your trip.
I received my VGV bill
Edit. Just checked, SB and CV are posted on the website.

What are the %increases compared to 2020 for CV and SB?
just curious...


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[GrayFal]

What are the %increases compared to 2020 for CV and SB?
just curious...


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Coral Vista 96.7K resort season
2019 $1997.30
2020 $1997.30
2021 $1901.85 - Base fee $607.14 plus $0.0135288 per point $1294.70

Coral Vista 148.1K Resort season
2021 $2610.76 - Base $607.24 plus pp $2003.62

Coral Vista 176.7K Diamond season
2021 $2997.68 - base plus pp

Sunset Bay 67.1K resort season
2020 $1383.92
2021 $1406.48 ($0.0209853 per point)

Sunset Bay 148.1K resort season
2021 $3107.92

Sunset Bay 176.7K Diamond season
2021 $3708.10

 

[DST]

We are almost there - the "agreement to assign membership" will be sent on Monday for our SB 2BR Is there anything we can do to help the process move a bit quicker? I have joined Vistana but of course I don't have the membership number yet, do hey change that number? On the form there is a contract number and a certificate number will those change?

On another note, we are thinking of doing a trip in February (flexible on dates) does anyone have anything available, its just two of us but prefer to be on the ocean side, not across the street

Thanks for all your advice during this purchase

 

[dioxide45]

We are almost there - the "agreement to sign membership" will be sent on Monday for our SB 2BR Is there anything we can do to help the process move a bit quicker? I have joined Vistana but of course I don't have the membership number yet, do hey change that number? On the form there is a contract number and a certificate number will those change?

On another note, we are thinking of doing a trip in February (flexible on dates) does anyone have anything available, its just two of us but prefer to be on the ocean side, not across the street

Thanks for all your advice during this purchase

The contract number of the ownership won't change. It stays with the deed throughout its lifetime. However, you won't be able to or want to attach that ownership to your Vistana.com account until you actually own the week and Vistana has transferred it on their side.

 

[DST]

The contract number of the ownership won't change. It stays with the deed throughout its lifetime. However, you won't be able to or want to attach that ownership to your Vistana.com account until you actually own the week and Vistana has transferred it on their side.

Good to know thank you, we are hoping this wont take more than two weeks, is that too optimistic?