What should I buy

[Beryl]

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?

Florida

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

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

??

4) How many people do you usually travel with?

4 plus me.

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

Locked into a school schedule.

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

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

4-5 stars

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

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?

??

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

 

[Mosescan]

Without knowing your budget or where else you’d like to vacation it’s hard to make a recommendation. If you want 4-5 stars you’re likely locked into one of the major brands like Marriott or HGVC.

 

[DeniseM]

Only the hotel affiliated brands are consistently 4-5 star: Marriott, Vistana (formerly Starwood), Hilton, and Hyatt.

Without knowing your answers to 3, 9 and 10, it's just about impossible to make a recommendation for you.

 

[tschwa2]

Where in Florida and what time of the year are you looking to travel- summer, spring break, or Christmas/New Years?

 

[taterhed]

Hmmm.... Money no object? No desire to go anywhere else? Buy Disney!

Otherwise, money is the name of the game. Oh, and trade destinations. And annual MF's.

Yup, need some more info.

 

[Beryl]

Would prefer to travel winter and/or spring break to warm destinations so, south FL or other locations that will be sunny and warm.

 

[taterhed]

Would prefer to travel winter and/or spring break to warm destinations so, south FL or other locations that will be sunny and warm.

So, again, timeshares run the complete gamut: 'free' (or even incentives to accept) to $50,000 plus purchase (resale) and MF's from a few hundred dollars to over $4000 per month.

If you really want some suggestions and ideas as to what timeshare system in Florida might work for you....you'll need to supply some info (see questions 9 and 10 above) about what you can afford/want to spend. Based on your 4-5* quality statement and need to house greater than 4 people, you're talking about a 2 bedroom major hotel-chain timeshare (Marriott, Hyatt, HGVC, Vistana etc..). So, that dictates that the unit will likely not be a free or under $100 dollar unit (although some are....), but more importantly, will have maintenance fees of greater than $1000, probably closer to $1400 a year.

Finally, Florida is probably the 'timeshare capital of the world.' Renting a timeshare in (Orlando???) Florida is not only cheap and readily available 95% of the time, but often cheaper than owning. Give us some more info if you desire a better answer!
Edit: Make this renting in ORLANDO and some other locations in Florida. South Florida is NOT cheap or easy during many parts of the year. Please don't quote this anymore.......


cheers.

 

[jhac007]

Considering everything that has been mentioned please be advised that renting OR owning in SOUTH Florida during the winter will not be cheap (especially with the top resorts)! My personal opinion is if you want to go to So. Florida every winter it is best to bite the bullet and buy.

 

[Beryl]

Sorry all-not trying to be difficult. I understand that purchase will be expensive. We’d like to rent at at least a couple places first because we want to be sure when we do buy. I guess I’m looking for recommendations for where we should visit/rent as part of our decision-making process. We’re planning our first trip right after Christmas 2018. We’d like: warm/hot, sunny, on the beach or walkable, a nice community pool, restaurants close, and nice/updated/well-maintained/CLEAN accommodations.

Does that narrow things down enough?

 

[taterhed]

I'm not a Florida vacationer (not Orlando or SF anyway...) so I can't really help you....but others will chime in.

There is a world of high-end timeshares in Orlando: Marriot, Hilton, Vistana...you name it. Most are aimed at families with children, have very nice accommodations and close to all the attractions. Peak/Super-Peak season rentals (spring break, summer weeks, Easter, Pres. day etc..) book pretty quickly and can be harder to get. They are not impossible to exchange into, but that would require lot of work an vigilance. Choice rentals (Hilton, Marriott, Vistana) will be more expensive, will fill-up faster and will probably exceed maintenance fees...but not by a great deal. I would recommend renting one of the big 3 (above) in Orlando as a great opportunity to view the 3 resort system qualities.

The east/west coasts of mid-FL (and Destin/Panama) have timeshares, but they tend to be a bit lower on the scale of luxury and uniformity. Don't get me wrong, there are a few really nice TS's in these locations, but not as many as Orlando or South Florida.

South Florida has a bunch of very desirable locations, but they tend to run one of two ways. Some folks prefer the newer hotel-chain resorts, while others prefer older, smaller and more stable resorts that are often 'across the highway' from the beach and have a more relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Spring break can be quit hectic on the major beach resorts. I've seen that one too many times.

Finally, there are some nice Key West resorts, but that's a different ball of wax.

Hope fully some snowbird/spring breakers will chime in and recommend some specific resorts they like and why.
You might want to post the general age of your travelers, as this could effect the recommendations for resort/area.

As jhac007 noted: booking spring break, Pres. day, Easter weeks or peak summer weeks (winter too) can be tricky/expensive in the more popular resort areas.

In Orlando, Marriott Grande Vista, Sheraton Vistana and Wyndham Bonnet Creek are all popular with kids TTBOMK. Some might be better rentals with young kids, some with teens.

Good luck!

 

[TravelTime]

Marriott has a bunch of timeshares on the beach in the Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach area and one in Marco Island and a few in South Beach: https://www.marriottvacationclub.com/vacation-resorts/marriott-vacation-club-collection.shtml. Plus a gazillion in Orlando, but that is far from the beach.

Hyatt has a few in Key West and one north of Naples with a beach shuttle. You can often buy these on Interval as getaways. Hyatt Siesta Key is super popular but very hard to get into unless you own there and I have not seen it for sale.

Vistana does not have a lot on the beach in Florida. They seem more Orlando based in Florida.

I am not familiar with Hilton but I think they have a lot on the West coast of Florida and perhaps one in South Beach.

Given you want the beach in Florida, Marriott might offer you the most options and you can occasionally exchange in Interval since you will get the Marriott advance preview in II to see other Marriotts before other members. You can also buy Getaways for other Florida locations/brands. I often see great 4+ star resorts all over being offered as Getaways.

 

[theo]

Renting a timeshare in Florida is not only cheap and readily available 95% of the time, but often cheaper than owning. Give us some more info if you desire a better answer!

Maybe so for the inland "Mouse" area, but "cheap" and / or "readily available" does not necessarily apply to coastal Florida areas in Snowbird season (i.e., virtually the entire winter). Coastal SW FL in particular generally has much more demand than supply in winter months for resales, rentals or "exchanges" --- and "cheap" is somewhere between very rare and non-existent for timeshare rentals in that particular area during that particular time.

 

[Beryl]

Maybe so for the inland "Mouse" area, but "cheap" and / or "readily available" does not necessarily apply to coastal Florida areas in Snowbird season (i.e., virtually the entire winter). Coastal SW FL in particular generally has much more demand than supply in winter months for resales, rentals or "exchanges" --- and "cheap" is somewhere between very rare and non-existent for timeshare rentals in that particular area during that particular time.

That’s what I’m finding. The area I’m looking at plus the time of year are in very high demand. But, given such high costs, I really want to rent first to determine if it’s worth the cost.

 

[TravelTime]

The Naples area (Southwest Florida) was voted the #1 place to live in the USA and has the most millionaires per capita. Southeast Florida has become very trendy. It surprises me since I am an old timer from Florida and remember when there was nothing there. I guess that is being reflected in the demand for timeshares in South Florida. Whenever I can, I visit timeshares when I am traveling for future reference. I recently checked out Marriott Doral. Doral has incorporated as its own city (it used to just be part of Miami or perhaps it was unincorporated Dade County since everyone calls everything "Miami" in Dade County). Doral is very crowded (esp when Trump Doral has an event) and far from the beach. There is construction going on across the lake for the next year or so. It is not a bad place and you are allowed to use the facilities at Trump Doral across the street, which the Marriott concierge told me are very nice. It is not so hard to book on Interval as a Getaway. I would not recommend buying there but if you want to stay in Miami and can get a cheap Getaway, might be worth checking out since there are so few timeshares in the Miami area.

 

[taterhed]

Maybe so for the inland "Mouse" area, but "cheap" and / or "readily available" does not necessarily apply to coastal Florida areas in Snowbird season (i.e., virtually the entire winter). Coastal SW FL in particular generally has much more demand than supply in winter months for resales, rentals or "exchanges" --- and "cheap" is somewhere between very rare and non-existent for timeshare rentals in that particular area during that particular time.

Agreed. That wasn't really my point.

OP's first answer was "Florida"

Op's second answer was

south FL or other locations that will be sunny and warm.

Yes, I absolutely agree: FLL or PBI or Marco or South Palm or Key West or ANYWHERE in Florida will not be easily available or cheap during certain weeks or snowbird season. So, we can dispel that rumor I started in error.

Second, merely purchasing and owning a timeshare in 'south FL' or other locations that are sunny/warm will absolutely NOT guarantee than you can book the exact unit, on the exact date at the exact location you desire and/or own. Ask any owner in Hawaii or any other premium location with a premium holiday week.


So.....if you want to rent and test the waters.....do so in a location that has great availability and reasonable prices during those spring break or Easter or peak-summer weeks.

If you want to try out other locations like Palm Beach etc.... for a look at where you want to own, you will need to do so during non-peak weeks or expect a hard time finding an affordable/available rental.

Keep in mind: If you want to check-out the Marriott Oceana Palms or Marco Island, you don't necessarily have to rent a unit there for $3000 a week. You can certainly go stay at the Motel 6 around the corner and just drop by to quickly tour the property and location. Trust me, we've done this at quite a few resorts.

Good luck

 

[theo]

I guess I’m looking for recommendations for where we should visit/rent as part of our decision-making process. We’re planning our first trip right after Christmas 2018. We’d like: warm/hot, sunny, on the beach or walkable, a nice community pool, restaurants close, and nice/updated/well-maintained/CLEAN accommodations.

Fwiw, a good friend and former colleague who has lived year round in Florida for about 20 years now has pointed out to me in the past that if you want to avoid any possibility of frost / cold temperatures in winter in FL, you must get no less south than Fort Myers (although he actually lives around Clearwater and his N/S frame of reference is always west coast Florida).

I mention this trivia item simply because you have mentioned "right after Christmas 2018". Maybe consider renting even further south than Fort Myers (or its' latitude equivalent on FL's east coast), such as Marco Island, or in the Keys (although the Keys really have very few "beaches", Bahia Honda S.P. and Key West being noteworthy exceptions).

 

[taterhed]

Consider posting a new thread in the Florida timesharing threads or, if you have a specific resort system in mind (MVCI, HGVC etc..), maybe post in one of the brand-specific threads.

There has been a ton of talk about best timeshare or beach in SF for spring break or teenagers or winter etc... so there is a lot of opinion and comment on this. If money is no object, there are several very nice resorts. If money is an object or limitation, then your options become much more limited in a hurry.

Finally, you quoted a desire to rent Christmas-New Years week (I think) also known as week 52 (or sometimes 51/53 etc...).
Week 52 is often a 'platinum plus' or 'holiday' week in many resort calendars and is sometimes sold as a fixed week or premium add-on. Many resorts have a very healthy resale price if they have this week in their calendar (or fixed).

Week 52 rentals, in South Florida, for 2018.....will be more expensive/elusive than other rentals or resales.
Good luck.