[What should I buy: Hawaii]

[Solski]

1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
Hawaii

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?

Visit half and trade half

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Mexico
Florida
Beach USA
Europe

4) How many people do you usually travel with?
Most times 2-3. Once a year at least 7

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Very flexible

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes but prefer 10 days or two weeks

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

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
5000
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?
1500

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes

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?[/QUOTE]


Yes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DeniseM]

In most cases, Hawaii resorts are too expensive to use for traders, because Hawaii has high maintenance fees and taxes. In other words, you would be trading an expensive resort in Hawaii, for a less expensive resort some where else.

If you only want to visit Hawaii every other year, consider buying an every other year deed in Hawaii, and some kind of points system, like Worldmark or Wyndham to use for trading the opposite years.

 

[Marathoner]

Worldmark is a viable option for the OP given the entry price, low maintenance fees, and 3-4 star accommodation request in Hawaii. The only limitation is the lack of European resort options - some of which could be worked out by trading through II or RCI.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

 

[taterhed]

1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
Hawaii Which island(s)? which islands would you NOT buy?

Hawaii is usually only a good buy if you plan on visiting HI every ownership period (every year (EY) or every other year (EOY,EOYO,EOYE). I would not buy EY Hawaii for trade... maybe consider a TS system that is easy to trade to HI or an EOY contract to HI plus another EOY contract at a good US (beach?) location that trades well.

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?

Visit half and trade half
Again, would either buy US and trade into HI or buy EOY.


3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
Mexico
Florida
Beach USA
Europe

Every location you listed (beach is ambiguous) is easy to trade into and also usually cheap to rent; except during peak weeks and peak locations (some beaches). Marriot, Hilton both have these; II trades are easy into these--also RCI, although harder IMHO for better properties.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?
Most times 2-3. Once a year at least 7

2-3 is an easy 1br--maybe even studio (with no/partial kitchen). 7 is a 2 bedroom. If you purchase a 2br (or 3) lock-off and split the units, you can easily get two weeks--probably even 2 weeks of 2br. I would favor Interval properties for this. Sounds like Marriott or SVN. Hilton points could work--but what HI properties would interest you?

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Very flexible

If your flexible, you are perfect for lock-offs and trading and flextime trades. But you need to be detail oriented and persistent.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes
7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes but prefer 10 days or two weeks

Weeks timeshares don't work well on less than 7 day periods. 10 day reservations can be hard to get in any higher demand property/week. You can always use lock-off to book two weeks and stay 7-14 days... this actually allows you to accept trades/flex trades that overlap giving you less than 14 days (usually 10-14)

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

Survey says: most popular answer. Marriott, HGVC, SVN, HYATT are all 3-5 stars (most 4-5). Most else is 2-4 stars (I know exceptions...). Wyndham will vary, Worldmark ditto. II has good trades (and bad) and RCI is a bit lower. HI is a particularly tough: Most of the upper resorts are hotel chain. Many folks seem to prefer the smaller NOT hotel chain resorts though.... YMMV

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
5000
That's enough to get a week anywhere, but not two. If you combined EOY contracts, I think you could get 2 Marriott weeks; HI and somewhere--it would be close.

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?
1500

Thats the deal breaker. $1500 in HI for a week (plus) is not going to happen at a 3-4 star resort. Easy to do $1500 with EOY's, but even so, you'll be right up against the $1500 with the Hotel TS's

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes

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
If you buy a Hotel chain TS, they generally have some value (to buy/sell) and/or are easier to give away when you're done. If you grab a $1 TS, it may or may-not be easy to unload/sell. DON'T grab the first free/$1 timeshare that sounds good. You might regret it.

So, I'd suggest taking a look at a nice Marriott combo: EOY Hi and EOY lock-off 2br. Or, just buy a 2br lock-off Marriott (mainland) and trade into HI every other year. With Marriott preference, you'll easily be able to trade for 1-2 weeks in HI. BUT, you must be flexible and willing to take some risks. This means buying plane tickets late or buying early and hoping the trade will come thru. Also, sometimes you have to take a studio trade (or 1br) and then hope to flex trade up into a larger unit later. HGVC is tougher with points to get the 2 weeks--especially with HI thrown into the mix. Plus, you're looking at Oahu or Big Island, not everyone's favorite islands. The SVN thing is tough (I don't understand it well) but others will give their suggestions. Wyndham and Worldmark would work, but I'm not sure I'd describe them a 3-4 star and you'd need to book early or play the same trading game.
Also, if you don't recognize it, every exchange/eplus trade costs money. So, you need to factor that into your total acceptable cost.
Good luck--post your thoughts as you go!
Welcome to TUG

 

[taterhed]

Worldmark is a viable option for the OP given the entry price, low maintenance fees, and 3-4 star accommodation request in Hawaii. The only limitation is the lack of European resort options - some of which could be worked out by trading through II or RCI.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

Sorry for all the duplicate comments--others posted while I was petting dogs and typing!

Yes, I see all sorts of good Euro exchanges with the WM in II; some in RCI too. Depends on the location.

Solski; consider joining TUG as a member (the best $15 you'll ever spend!) and you can read the resort reviews and check the "sightings" forum. This will give you an idea of the resorts that might work for you (resort reviews) and also what other people are seeing on Interval or RCI with various timeshare exchanges.

cheers.

 

[DeniseM]

RE: Trading:

Mexico - very easy
Florida - very easy
Beach USA - harder during beach season - doable with advanced (12 mos.) planning.
Europe - difficult

Most European timeshares are in the countryside or at ski locations - not near the major cities that Americans want to visit. Getting a prime European location during good weather is very difficult. I would not count on being able to trade for Europe, unless you are very flexible about when and where you go.

 

[taterhed]

RE: Trading:

Mexico - very easy
Florida - very easy
Beach USA - harder during beach season - doable with advanced (12 mod.) planning.
Europe - difficult

Most European timeshares are in the countryside or at ski locations - not near the major cities that Americans want to visit. Getting a prime European location during good weather is very difficult. I would not count on being able to trade for Europe, unless you are very flexible about when and where you go.

Not to be argumentative:

I just did a WM search on Interval and on II:
Lots of elite resorts during ok months: California palm dessert, Mexico (lots), Florida (lots), no HI right now--but were there at 7am including MKO, WKORN and MMO), Europe; HGVC in UK, Marriott in France, Spain and lots of elite in Spain/Portugal. Also, hundreds of gold-crown all over Europe for RCI.

The units are there. The question is: Are you only willing to go 1 month out of the year? To one specific resort/location? Good opportunities, but you would need to be specific to see if the Europe think is right for you.

YMMV, IMHO :>

 

[DeniseM]

Many people want to visit the major cities of Europe: Paris, London, Rome, etc. Those are the locations that are very difficult to get - especially during warm weather.

As I said, if you are willing to travel off-season, and don't have to have the major cities, it is easier.

 

[Solski]

Wow lots of advise!! And I am
A member did that last month you were my support center when I backed out of a Vidanta TS


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[taterhed]

Wow lots of advise!! And I am
A member did that last month you were my support center when I backed out of a Vidanta TS


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you follow the instructions here http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92692

You can update your status to show "member" under your profile!

cheers.

 

[DeniseM]

If you look under your name on the left, you will see that it still says "guest."

When you paid your membership fee, you received an email with a member code, that you have to add to your User CP, to change that to "member."

If you don't have the info., click on BBS Help at the top of the page, and scroll all the way down to the last link, for a walk-through.

 

[slip]

If your owning in Hawaii the big benefit is getting a unit with a view. You don't
Get that often with an exchange. With the, high end resorts it might not pay but
Some of the smaller Hawaii resorts can still work for you.

 

[jacknsara]

1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
Hawaii

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?

Visit half and trade half
. . . .

Aloha,
Do you already know which island you would want to return to every other year? If so, which one?
Jack

 

[Solski]

I'm liking Kona so far ... But that. Could change have not been to kuaui or Maui


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DeniseM]

I'm liking Kona so far ... But that. Could change have not been to kuaui or Maui


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just to clarify, "Kona" is a city on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you are thinking about buying a timeshare, you should absolutely rent on Maui and Kauai first. All the islands have very different "personalities."

 

[Solski]

If you look under your name on the left, you will see that it still says "guest."



When you paid your membership fee, you received an email with a member code, that you have to add to your User CP, to change that to "member."



If you don't have the info., click on BBS Help at the top of the page, and scroll all the way down to the last link, for a walk-through.

My profile said member since 2/7 ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Solski]

Big question is having timeshares cost effective way to vacation. I ask because I have rented condo in Hawaii 2 bedroom at very reasonable rates. You guys have made me think especially regd. flexibility . I may it be as flexible as i thought. Flying out of Alaska is expensive and I always book flights first when a "deal" comes along ... Also I was wrong 2 stars can be good truthfully I don't like the 4-5 star places as they tend to be more expensive


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DeniseM]

My profile said member since 2/7 ??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, but you have to change it in your User CP - or it will continue to say "guest" under your name.


Here are some reasons for owning in Hawaii (vs trading or renting.)

-You want to own at a specific resort, and the rental rates there are significantly higher than the maintenance fee.

-You want to have the owner's right to book high season weeks.

-You want to buy a deed with a guaranteed view - like Ocean Front or Ocean View.​

Let me give you an example: At the Westin Ka'anapali on Maui, the 2 bdm. ocean front maintenance fee is about $2,400. High - right?

But to RENT a 2 bdm. ocean front unit there it is $4,300-$4,500.

However, if you are happy with a lower to mid-range resort, you can often rent for about the same price as the maintenance fee, especially off season.

I recommend that you continue to rent, and visit Maui and Kauai, until you really know what your preference is.

*We bought a 2 bdm. Ocean View at the Westin Ka'anapali on Maui, and really liked it there, until we discovered Kauai, where we bought 7 ocean front units, at a mid-range resort for pennies on the dollar and free.

You really just don't know, until you test drive the other islands.

 

[Harry]

Just to clarify, "Kona" is a city on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you are thinking about buying a timeshare, you should absolutely rent on Maui and Kauai first. All the islands have very different "personalities."

Actually Kona is one of the 9 Regions on The Big Island. Kailua, Kona, is the town.

Solsky, we love the Big Island and have been going there for 20 years. We just returned. It is my favorite island with the active volcano and the different climate zones. I agree with Denise that you need to check all islands before choosing. My question is what is my second favorite. Toss up Mauai and Kauai?

Harry

 

[taterhed]

Please don't rule out Kauai until you've been...and that means both sides (North and South) of the island.

Do yourself a favor...get a sampler platter and visit them all!

 

[NateB]

Yes, but you have to change it in your User CP - or it will continue to say "guest" under your name.


Here are some reasons for owning in Hawaii (vs trading or renting.)

-You want to own at a specific resort, and the rental rates there are significantly higher than the maintenance fee.​

​

-You want to have the owner's right to book high season weeks.​

​

-You want to buy a deed with a guaranteed view - like Ocean Front or Ocean View.​

Let me give you an example: At the Westin Ka'anapali on Maui, the 2 bdm. ocean front maintenance fee is about $2,400. High - right?

But to RENT a 2 bdm. ocean front unit there it is $4,300-$4,500.

However, if you are happy with a lower to mid-range resort, you can often rent for about the same price as the maintenance fee, especially off season.

I recommend that you continue to rent, and visit Maui and Kauai, until you really know what your preference is.

*We bought a 2 bdm. Ocean View at the Westin Ka'anapali on Maui, and really liked it there, until we discovered Kauai, where we bought 7 ocean front units, at a mid-range resort for pennies on the dollar and free.

You really just don't know, until you test drive the other islands.

If I own at Westin Ka'anapali on Maui, can I reasonably expect to rent a unit for the market rental rate if I am not going to use it? What recommendations do you have for ownership on Kaui? I own 1 South African week in the RCI points system and 1 Hilton Head week in the RCI weeks system. I am looking to add more to my timeshare portfolio as I am a digital nomad and travel extensively.

 

[ScoopKona]

Re: The Hawaiian islands

Big Island was the first island we visited. Prior to visiting Big Island, our retirement plan was to 1) Retire early; 2) Open up a brewpub somewhere on the Oregon coast

After visiting we scrapped those plans and decided to move here instead. My wife insisted that we check out all the other islands, except Oahu. Because we know that we don't want the city/traffic/crowds. (I get it that you can get away from the city. But it's always there.) Every visit, we said, "That was nice. But we like Big Island better." It took me five years to find a place that checked all our boxes. So our "get to know the islands" visits wasn't a waste of time. But we could have just kept coming to Big Island and made connections here.

If you came the Big Island and said, "Yeah. This place. This place right here." Then you can probably just buy two consecutive every other year weeks at the Kona Coast or similar and never look back. Drop by my farm if you do.

Re: Timeshares

I agree with the sentiment that buying a Hawaii week to trade is sub-optimal. You will always be trading down. (If you look at it from a "what did I pay for my maintenance fee compared to what I'm getting" standpoint.)

My calculus for trading is "How many weeks can I wring out of my single maintenance fee." The answer this year is "three." The answer has never been less than two and has been as much as five. Five weeks of vacation from a single week of timeshare. It can be done. That's the kind of trader I'd be looking for.