What should I buy? And Thank you TUG already!

[DrKhyron]

My wife and I went to Florida for our 25th wedding anniversary and had a great time including 2 different timeshare presentations. We had such a wonderful vacation and realized that we were finally in a position to have vacations like this every year.

We liked the Wyndham Club Access timeshare the best and decided to buy...

Don't worry, I found TUG in time and we have already rescinded about a month ago. I have been reading and lurking here ever since. Thank you TUG! My wife and I have decided that we are now close to ready to purchase a timeshare on the secondary market. Paying for a TUG membership today was my first step to commit to buying for real this time.

We still really like the Wyndham Club Access, but I wanted to do this survey to make sure I am not passing up something that would be better for us.

Here is my survey:
1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
No. Or any where within driving distance from Utah. And low MF would be nice.

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'd like to trade more often.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Southern California every 2-3 years.
Florida every 3-4 years.
Maine/Nova Scotia at least once.
Montana/North Dakota at least once.
Maryland/Viginia at least once.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?
2 to 4, My youngest is 15 So in a few years it may be 2 more often. If my oldest and his wife join it would be 6.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
We can travel anytime.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
No.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
3-4 Stars.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
$4000.00

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?
$2000.00

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Not usually.

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.

Thank You again!

 

[DaveNV]

Welcome to Tug, and congratulations for resigning your developer purchase. You could still buy the same thing resale, for a fraction of whatever they sold you.

As for this resale purchase, Wyndham may certainly work for you, but you may also want to explore WorldMark. Being in Utah, you're adjacent to a lot of WorldMark inventory. Booking for optimum availability is 13 months out, but there are options for booking for timeframes less than that.

Mainly, take your time, explore everything, and buy when you know exactly what you're getting. It's a lot easier to get into a timeshare than to get out of one. Good luck!

Dave

 

[bizaro86]

I would second the idea of checking out Worldmark. They are managed by the same people (Wyndham) who run Club Wyndham, but have a more Western USA focus. I suspect that will fit your lifestyle better. You can use more points for FL/CA bigger vacations every couple of years, and then fill in the rest with shorter vacations that are closer to you. Worth checking out, at least.

 

[taterhed]

Second the above posts.....

Also, Worldmark contracts are a relatively fixed value resale in the market (at least for now) and can be bought/sold relatively easily and with much less risk than some other products.

Plus, WM trades in both RCI and II. Very good trader at that!

 

[Passepartout]

Another system the OP might check out is VRI. www.vriresorts.com They are a little different in that one would buy into just one resort, and VRI is the management company. They have low cost in-network exchanges, and short time, last minute getaways. PLUS, lots of resorts within a day's drive of Utah. And they are in SLC if you want some face time with management. (Disclaimer) I own a week at a VRI managed resort in Arizona, and find their owner-controlled HOAs more owner friendly than developer controlled ones that need to satisfy share holders.

As always, I would suggest renting a time of two to get the feel for the system. Talk to some owners. Most of the resorts I've visited keep a list of owners who'd like to sell, rather than being in active retail marketing. Generally, when you arrive at a VRI resort, there is a breakfast where activity people will talk about what to do in the area, not about what upgrade they want to sell you. I

Jim

 

[TUGBrian]

congrats on finding TUG in time to rescind and buy resale! its a great feeling!

 

[rickandcindy23]

I like the idea of WorldMark for you as well.

We have had great luck trading when planning ahead with RCI as my exchange company. I still prefer II but the Montana/ North Dakota trip you want to take, that is going to be WorldMark with RCI as your exchange option.

If you like the idea of Marriott and Vistana quality, go for a Sheraton Broadway Plantation two bedroom lockoff unit, which can be had for free on ebay. Or buy a Marriott in platinum season, so winter in Palm Desert, CA, or Marriott's Willow Ridge in Branson. Internal trading preference is a huge plus.

 

[DrKhyron]

Thank you for the replies and thoughts. I'll have to look into WorldMark. I saw references to it while reading about Wyndham, but never looked into what the differences are. The only thing I know at the moment is that the point scale seems to be much smaller than the Wyndham Club Access.

 

[taterhed]

You can download the points charts brochure for Worldmark resorts; keep in mind, as a resale owner, you get access to all the Worldmark resorts and most but not all the resorts listed on the Wyndham side.... that info is in the forum threads somewhere.

Also, there are great deals for bonus, exotic bonus, inventory specials and Monday Madness specials etc..... which all amount to 'cash' rentals for the same price as points--without the extra housekeeping fee.

It's a great system.