First, welcome to TUG!
ecrim said:
First, do all 2 BR units at Marriott Grande Vista - the property we are looking at -have lockoffs?
I'm 99% sure the answer is yes, but you should call the resort to confirm.
Second, what should I look for in the contract?
See this
TUG timeshare purchaser's checklist for possible questions to ask the broker/seller and/or the resort to ensure you get what you expect. Anything that is promised to you should be in the contract.
Third, is it wise to include this year in the agreement since it is only March so we can trade for a summer vacation?
I don't know. Is a week already reserved for 2006? If so, is it a week you can use? If not, negotiate a lower price if the 2006 week is of no use to you.
If a 2006 week hasn't yet been reserved and you want one, ask that the seller reserve the week or one of several weeks of your choice and provide you proof of the reservation. If the seller can't reserve a week you can use, you can decide you don't want the 2006 week, again negotiating a lower price.
And, if you do take the 2006 week, what about exchanging your reserved week for a summer vacation at GV (if the reserved week is not one you would choose) or elsewhere? The response can easily take several pages of typing. The short answer is that the best exchanges are usually requested a full year in advance. People clamor for summer weeks because that's when school-age children are on vacation. Thus, your pickings for this summer will be slim.
Further, the closing process for your purchase, including the time necessary to get your week recorded on Marriott’s records and in your Interval International account so that you can request an exchange, could easily take until mid May or later, thus further dampening your chances to get a decent exchange for this summer.
Lastly, you didn’t say whether you are buying a Platinum or Gold week. A Platinum week would slightly enhance your chances for a summer exchange, but not to a significant degree at this late date.
How will Marriott view us as resale buyers?
The only difference between buying your GV week at resale versus from Marriott is that you won't be able to exchange the use of your week for Marriott Rewards points. In every other way, you will be treated the same as though you purchased from Marriott.
Any other things we should be concerned about?
See the timeshare purchaser's checklist, linked above.
