WM newbie, costs/taxes, availability for Seaside, Estes, Oceanside, Leavenworth, Pinetop; RCI access (for last call)

[mountainboy]

GM! Happy Sunday Folks!
Newbie here.

What are real world availability of WM properties at Seaside, Estes, Oceanside, Leavenworth, Pinetop? (have to book 12-12 months out or ok to get at shorter notice for summer or for shoulder months (September)?

What are the addl costs (taxes etc) of staying a week at one of them (& HK credits available, so no HK cost) at these? (Realize wifi would be extra).

Can a plan a 1 week stay at OR (few days at Seaside & few days at another WM property along OR/WA coast) for september on same reservation? (? extra HK credit fees due or 1 HK token would cover). Can I do so on website directly or only via CS reps/phone?

If I want RCI access (mostly for last call deals), ? cost with WM membership? (I do not intend to use WM credits for RCI exchange; plan to stay at WM properties with WM credits).

Any access to Sedona properties with WM/RCI? (only Club Wyndham in Sedona, no WM property): have seen GPX vacations from GP give nice access to many of these at nominal cost even though no GP property here, hence asking. Realize no CW access with WM resale.

Any other tips/pointers? (have seen lots of posts & learnt a lot but still some Qs, hence the ask).

@CoSkier , @DaveNV & other WM experts? (have learnt a lot from many of your posts in these forums, Thank YOU !

 

[DaveNV]

I sold my WM to a Tugger two years ago, so my knowledge may not be completely accurate these days. Others with current knowledge will weigh in, I'm sure. FWIW:

Generally, with ANY Worldmark property, if you see availability for the dates you need, grab it. You can always cancel it, but if you want it, get it while it's there. I'd suggest being there at the moment things open at 13 months out, so you can grab availability, while you can. Things tend to go in seconds. Don't wait or expect to see it sometime down the road. The best things are taken quickly. If you have to pay for a HK, but then cancel, you'll get your money back.

If what you want isn't available, the Waitlist is your friend. As others will be cancelling the excess time they grabbed, things pop up, and the Waitlist people get them before they go back into inventory. It is first come, first served, so get your Waitlist items on there ASAP. Often, the dates that were unavailable are back a few days later, as people cancel what they grabbed at the first second, "just in case" they could use it.

If you have access to what you bought, and can see things on your account, you can answer the rest of your questions yourself. If you haven't yet closed escrow on your purchase, hang tight until you have access. WM's programs like Monday Madness, Fax Time, and Inventory Specials can affect the financial bottom line. So fees may be different, depending on when and how you made the reservation.

WM ownership is kind of a moving target. There is no one solid answer for every situation. You need to be flexible, stay on top of what you want, and be ready to jump at a moment's notice.

Check out WMowners.com for very specific information about WM. Those folks know all the tricks.

Good luck. Have fun. Keep reading.

Dave

 

[mountainboy]

I sold my WM to a Tugger two years ago, so my knowledge may not be completely accurate these days. Others with current knowledge will weigh in, I'm sure. FWIW:

Generally, with ANY Worldmark property, if you see availability for the dates you need, grab it. You can always cancel it, but if you want it, get it while it's there. I'd suggest being there at the moment things open at 13 months out, so you can grab availability, while you can. Things tend to go in seconds. Don't wait or expect to see it sometime down the road. The best things are taken quickly. If you have to pay for a HK, but then cancel, you'll get your money back.

If what you want isn't available, the Waitlist is your friend. As others will be cancelling the excess time they grabbed, things pop up, and the Waitlist people get them before they go back into inventory. It is first come, first served, so get your Waitlist items on there ASAP. Often, the dates that were unavailable are back a few days later, as people cancel what they grabbed at the first second, "just in case" they could use it.

If you have access to what you bought, and can see things on your account, you can answer the rest of your questions yourself. If you haven't yet closed escrow on your purchase, hang tight until you have access. WM's programs like Monday Madness, Fax Time, and Inventory Specials can affect the financial bottom line. So fees may be different, depending on when and how you made the reservation.

WM ownership is kind of a moving target. There is no one solid answer for every situation. You need to be flexible, stay on top of what you want, and be ready to jump at a moment's notice.

Check out WMowners.com for very specific information about WM. Those folks know all the tricks.

Good luck. Have fun. Keep reading.

Dave

Great, TY!
Are WM credit reservations cancelable with no fees? (say Estes or Seaside for summer or September, if one can grab it)? (any time limit for cancel policy: upto 60 days before trip etc)? Will chk WMowners forums also. TY!

 

[mountainboy]

Stayed at WM Estes in May thru Extra-Holidays for a nominal price for a 2BR & loved it.
Just bought a WM 20k, so would likely be months before COE (close of escrow), access etc
? RCI access rules? (? extra fees or included in club dues etc)
(again no intend to exchange into RCI but just for access to their last minute getaways (if a good deal)...
TY!

 

[DaveNV]

Great, TY!
Are WM credit reservations cancelable with no fees? (say Estes or Seaside for summer or September, if one can grab it)? (any time limit for cancel policy: upto 60 days before trip etc)? Will chk WMowners forums also. TY!

Yes, cancellation doesn't cost you. Be cautious, though, when using credits and HKs to make reservations. There are times when you might cancel a reservation made with credits that have since expired. If you cancel it yourself, your credits will evaporate, and be gone forever. The trick is to call in and have WM do it for you, asking for them to ensure things shuffle around, so you don't lose the credits. They can apply them to your next oldest reservation for you - saving them, and freeing up newer credits back to your account - but you can't do that for yourself. You have to call in.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

Stayed at WM Estes in May thru Extra-Holidays for a nominal price for a 2BR & loved it.
Just bought a WM 20k, so would likely be months before COE (close of escrow), access etc
? RCI access rules? (? extra fees or included in club dues etc)
(again no intend to exchange into RCI but just for access to their last minute getaways (if a good deal)...
TY!

I never used RCI with anything related to WM. I can't answer that.

Close of escrow with WM depends on how fast they get to the paperwork. All they need to process is ONE SHEET OF PAPER with your info on it, replacing the info of the people you bought it from. When I bought, it took a full 90 days to get it transferred. When I sold, it was done in less than 30 days. Go figure... There is no deed or recording that takes place. WM is a Club, and it's the accountable person's info on the account they're changing. Easy to do - takes just a few minutes.

Dave

 

[easyrider]

Are WM credit reservations cancelable with no fees?

Reservations are cancelable only when you cancel the reservation by the cancellation date included with the reservation.

If I want RCI access (mostly for last call deals), ? cost with WM membership?

RCI can be linked to your Worldmark account. To me this is the easiest way to use RCI and Worldmark. If you exchange there is an exchange fee. If you use extra vacations and last call you would pay the price you see listed in a cash amount. An example would be Las Vegas where the last call option could be as low as $300 for a week. SFX is another exchange company and might be better than RCI for Sedona. If you join SFX and upgrade you would get a bonus week to use which is a cash priced reservation.

The main things we do with our WM accounts are booking at exactly 13 months out. We use a lot of bonus time and fax time.

Bill

 

[easyrider]

I never used RCI with anything related to WM. I can't answer that.

Close of escrow with WM depends on how fast they get to the paperwork. All they need to process is ONE SHEET OF PAPER with your info on it, replacing the info of the people you bought it from. When I bought, it took a full 90 days to get it transferred. When I sold, it was done in less than 30 days. Go figure... There is no deed or recording that takes place. WM is a Club, and it's the accountable person's info on the account they're changing. Easy to do - takes just a few minutes.

Dave

It's crazy that many resale buyers are waiting a long time for the transfer. The last WM we added to one of the accounts took about 30 days like yours did.

Bill

 

[VacationForever]

With the new system, there are no more overnight shuffle of credits and housekeeping tokens. They are shuffled real time when you cancel / rebook.

 

[CO skier]

@CoSkier , @DaveNV & other WM experts? (have learnt a lot from many of your posts in these forums, Thank YOU !

As the result of more than 200 hours of investigations over more than 10 years, I have all the answers to your questions, and I used some of that information to stay 2 consecutive weeks in Sedona this past October for $320/week plus the resort's amenities fee, as just one example.

If you want to hire me as your personal vacation concierge at a customary rate to share that information (once you get it, you can use it over and over without me), just "Start a (private) conversation."

 

[CO skier]

Close of escrow with WM depends on how fast they get to the paperwork. All they need to process is ONE SHEET OF PAPER with your info on it, replacing the info of the people you bought it from. When I bought, it took a full 90 days to get it transferred. When I sold, it was done in less than 30 days.

Current timeline is 90 days after sale for Docusign emailed documents, then another 6-8 weeks for ownership transfer, then another 8-10 weeks for transfer of accumulated credits. Total incompetence on the part of Wyndham departments.