"What to Buy" Questions for New Timeshare Owners

[Dreamweaver101]

@Dreamweaver101 Welcome to Tug. You are wise to research such a purchase.

You said you are not a detailed oriented planner. Your maintenance fee budget is at the bottom-end of hotel-branded timeshares (and this will increase every year by 2 - 3%). Plus you are upset by the sampler program choices. Given all of this, I don't think you would be a happy TS owner given you are locked into a school schedule for the next 4 years.

Why don't you rent at TUG or Redweek or directly from resorts to get a feel for independent TS (which fit better in your budget) in your desired locations for the next few years. Once your kids are out of the house, you can then see if more flexible schedules at an independent resort would fit your lifestyle, and whether the maintenance fees and upfront cost save you any money vs. renting.

Good luck!

That is very sound advice. Thank you!

 

[dayooper]

I agree with @CalGalTraveler on renting. It might be the best way to get to know what you like. I’m really only familiar with Hilton and I’m not sure they would be right for you. The really don’t have the places you seem to want to go, not to mention the MF’s would be higher than you state wanting to pay.

If I were you, I would take a look the different branded forums and see where the systems have resorts. You can see what the systems have to offer, look at the maintenance fees for each and pick where you might like to rent.

 

[LizC]

Is there anywhere I could get a list of annual maintenance costs for each resort

 

[dayooper]

Is there anywhere I could get a list of annual maintenance costs for each resort

Depends on the system. Most of the branded system forums (HGVC, Marriott, Wyndham) have pretty complete MF reports from owners. For the smaller systems and independent resorts, I would check a place like Redweek. They might not be extremely accurate, but you can get a good estimate on what they are. They won’t have the historical data, but you can see approximately what they are now.

 

[Jzman1p]

Looking at getting a Wyndham timeshare in the next 2yrs. I have not done it yet so I got a discovery package to try it out. Anyone ever had this that can tell me a little about it? We got 300k discovery points. Just wanted some info..thanks

 

[Frelkum]

Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.

Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.

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

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? Home resort half the time

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? Hawaii, Europe, Utah, Colorado, Canada

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself? 5

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

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? 7k

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? What is the average amount?

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? How do you sell it? Can it be included in a trust and given to descendants?

 

[TS numbie]

sorry I am new to this forum and I don't know how to start a new thread off of this and I want to answer the questions at the start and get some help. thanks

 

[Karen G]

sorry I am new to this forum and I don't know how to start a new thread off of this and I want to answer the questions at the start and get some help. thanks

Welcome to TUG!
Copy the questions at the start of this thread and then start your new thread here: https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/new-to-timesharing-look-here.17/create-thread

 

[CPNY]

sorry I am new to this forum and I don't know how to start a new thread off of this and I want to answer the questions at the start and get some help. thanks

Buy a Vistana mandatory resort and use staroptions to book in the Vistana network

 

[Sea&ski?]

My husband and I have been trying to decide on this timesharing thing for a couple years now and we decided it seems to make sense to do it, but we always get stuck on which system and location for home base if that is required. Thus, I am now asking for advice from all you wise people.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where?
We travel everywhere but our extended families like only certain places and since we have limited vacation days, we are trying to figure out how to maximize with family. Texas-side likes to go to Disney Orlando every year but California-side is not so interested in going every year or even every other year. California-side likes to go skiing in North Tahoe or Utah or Colorado, to which Texas people may or may not come. NJ-side likes sunny beaches. We live in San Diego so have enough beach?

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?
Trade more likely than home resort unless it is a ski place. We do try to go ski twice every year, but not necessarily for a whole week.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
In no particular:
Orlando
Lake Tahoe, CA or Winter Park, CO
Hawaii (no preference on island)
Italy
Singapore

Because we like to travel, we think we would prefer a place that makes it easier to trade?

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?
My family has 2 adults and one 8 years old.
We tend to meet up with one other family on each side once a year, they tend to be families of 4. Everyone has kids under 10. (All the kids love Disney.)

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Preferably school schedule but all of us frequently take kids out of school since they are in elementary school. Plus, none of our school schedules match, except for summer vacation.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes, we can but we tend not to do so.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes. We do this at least 1x a year with lots of 4 or 5 day vacation/work trips.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?
If 5 stars mean the highest, then 3.5+. The Texas-side only does 5 stars.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
Since we think of this as investment, we can go to $50k or $60k but it all depends on what that gets us. We think we would prefer a 1 bedroom and bank for 2 bedrooms if needed, but then we are split on whether we should get 2 bedroom and be able to rent it or bank it or whatever.

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?
Again, that depends on what we get but preferably less than $1000 for one bedroom and don't know about the two bedroom - $2000?. We haven't really researched into this part.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
I am not sure what this means but I plan out every part leading up to vacation and when we get there, I don't want to do anything to plan it. My husband plans nothing until he is on vacation and then wants to plan out each day. Opposites attract...or drive each other crazy...

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 and that is why it is taking us so long to decide and then wonder if we should just do DVC or Marriott or something that allows us to use b/c kids love disney or use hotel rooms or etc.

 

[Lori Brown]

Hello Everyone!! I just paid for my membership here. I am looking forward to trying to learn all I can about the industry. We have done several presentations and actually had a Worldmark membership about 20 years ago but sold it when my husband was deployed. I really wish we would have kept it. Now I am trying to figure out what the best option for our growing family would be. Here are my answers to the questions:

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where? We would love to have one spot to take the family over Christmas. Honestly, we don't care where it is but Branson or Myrtle Beach might 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? Probably visit AND trade. Hubby and I like our alone vacations every year to Mexico too.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? I'd love to do Italy at least once. Mexico almost yearly and a destination holiday would be priority for us.

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself? Three of us and if possible, pet friendly would be the very ultimate! For Holiday vaca it would be more like 8 people.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule? We can plan ahead, don't mind taking kids out of school.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Oh yes!

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

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

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? Hmmm, I am not going to answer this one but if I need to somewhere down the discussion road, I can.

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? Again, if it's worth it, this will vary.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner? I like details, but I like them being taken care of for me.

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? I do, and I understand they will not be valued at the same cost I purchased them. I argued with a salesperson this week about that and told her I could get the same points for a whole lot less on aftermarket. She said "where?" and I pulled up three different sites. I think the consumer becoming educated is annoying to these people.

 

[Brett Merriman]

Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.

Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.

1) Is there a vacation destination you wish to visit most of the time or on a regular basis? if so where? Not a particular destination but all of the Caribbean

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? trade

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations? St Lucia, Belize, Jamaica, Hawaii, Bahamas

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself? 2

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

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance? Can but don't like to

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+

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing? $5K

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? $500

11) Are you a detail oriented planner? No

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

 

[Maureenk1]

Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.

Suggestion - copy the questions below, and start a new thread entitled "My Survey" or "What should I buy?," or something similar, and answer the questions in a NEW thread.

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

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?

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

4) How many people do you usually travel with - total, including yourself?

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

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?

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

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

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?

Great questions!