Membership costs depends on how many weeks you purchase, but for arguement sake lets make it $1000 per cabin per week. MFs are $506 per cabin for 2009, plus the membership all inclusive fee is $750. The RCI exchange all inclusive fee is higher. Diving is included for most members at no charge (for all except "Classic" Level Members). Referrals and RCI exchanges must pay per dive.
So for 2009 it costs an owner $1000 + 750 + 506 = $2256.
The referral rate for 2008 was $2375 per cabin (2 people). QUOTE]
The owner price is a good average, but low for most owners, and skips one of the all inclusive fees. The cheapest way to go on TradeWinds is a member referral at about $2395. Our membership cost closer to $1250/week. The All inclusive fee is $750/person, so $1250+($750x2)+$506 = $3262 for us. For a trade, you pay your maintenance fee plus the exchange fee plus the $2395 all inclusive fee. They also have last calls for $400 + $2395. (We purchased 12 weeks over 12 years for $14900. 6 weeks over 12 years was about $7900, 25 weeks was $24900, 50 weeks was about $44900.) I think prices have gone up about $2000 per contract since then. Some locations now have a tax of something like 15%.
Try for a referral and try to get the week you want, and if not, see if you can buy a week from an owner. We've sold one to friends before because we needed more cabins than we could get using referrals. (Only one referral per owner cabin used.)
Good luck.
