Wyndham Fairfield New Bern questions

[islandog]

I am looking for some information from you knowledgeable tuggers out there. My elderly neighbor offered me her fixed week (around July 4th week) at the Wyndham New Bern and I feel obligated to take it as I have been the only person taking advantage of trading it thru RCI for the last 4-5 years. (She pays MF) I can find no discussion on this resort and would like to find out if anyone has any comments on it. I don't want to get "stuck" with a resort that is rundown or that I could never get rid of. Should I take it? I hate to turn it down as she is trying to clean up her estate before she goes to that great timeshare in the sky. Also I am reading a lot on this forum about Club Wyndham and Wyndham Rewards. What is this? She doesn't have a manual or anything that explains - all she knows is Wyndham bought Fairfield and nothing else changed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[rrlongwell]

I am looking for some information from you knowledgeable tuggers out there. My elderly neighbor offered me her fixed week (around July 4th week) at the Wyndham New Bern and I feel obligated to take it as I have been the only person taking advantage of trading it thru RCI for the last 4-5 years. (She pays MF) I can find no discussion on this resort and would like to find out if anyone has any comments on it. I don't want to get "stuck" with a resort that is rundown or that I could never get rid of. Should I take it? I hate to turn it down as she is trying to clean up her estate before she goes to that great timeshare in the sky. Also I am reading a lot on this forum about Club Wyndham and Wyndham Rewards. What is this? She doesn't have a manual or anything that explains - all she knows is Wyndham bought Fairfield and nothing else changed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.wyndhamrewards.com/trec/consumer/home.action

A lot has changed since the Fairfield day. Club Wyndham is just what is being referred to as the old Fairfield trust. It has been renamed by Wyndham. Your friend appears to have a deeded interest in the resort from the old Fairfield days. I am gathering it is probably a fixed week.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...airfield_Harbour-New_Bern_North_Carolina.html

As for taking the timeshare, my thinking on the matter is that if you want a timeshare in the Wyndham system cheaply, than this is probably a lot safer than trusting the E-Bay re-sellers. It should be convertable to Wyndham Vaction Resorts points system for around $2,400 dollars or so.

 

[vacationhopeful]

There are MANY, MANY Fixed Weeks owners who just so happen to own at a Wyndham managed resort. Many large management companies have there own version of timeshare IMPROVEMENTs or ENHANCEMENTs. Wyndham's SALES staff makes their money by spinning tales of woe IF you don't spend thousands of your dollars to upgrade to their lastest enhanced T/S bull-crap. Checking the Wyndham Owner's Directory - ONLY some units/assocations are managed by Wyndham. If you provide the association name - someone here can post if it is or is not managed by Wyndham. Various sections of this resort appear to have been built starting in 1980 thru 1990; all units have washer/dryers and balconies. The smaller 1bdr units have only a mini-kitchen. There is an indoor pool and an outdoor pool; you are about a 1 hour drive from the beach. The resort is label as "Riverfront fun" on the banks of the Neuse River in New Bern, NC.

Your friend's week - is it Fixed or Floating? - is a simple thing to own and enjoy. Ask her what the MFs have been for the last 4-5 years, so you can judge IF they are rising too fast. Another common issue is, Wyndham will take most of the older resorts thru a Special Assessment to redo the older units. Generally, those are a $800-1200 for each interval owned, but they do upgrade the units and most owners love having a "new resort" again.

As a prior poster suggested, you could convert to Wyndham Points if at a Wyndham managed association. I would recommend NOT to convert to points initially. The maximum PRIME week point total - if a 2 bdr PLUS or both sides of a 2bdr LOCKOFF are only 182,000 points. Rent or exchange in a few Wyndham resorts to see if you like their other places and locations. With the RCI TPU trading system, if you have the exact week number and unit number, some here will be happy to tell you what that week's TPU power is.

To transfer the title, Wyndham now charges a $299 title transfer fee per deed. And most here on TUG can recommend several companies to will assist with the transfer for a $100-150 fee.

Generally, around July 4th week is a Week 26 or Week 27. Her deed should state that.

PS I own multiple FIXED WEEKS at Wyndham resorts which I use as for what they are. I have 2 deeds which are F/W converted to points and I keep telling myself to "unconvert" those weeks. I also own a high value F/W converted to points - meaning I get a the most Wyndham points for that Prime Week for the value of the MFs there. And I have NO interest in using that F/W - maybe never, but I will use the points to book back into the resort within Wyndham.

 

[pedro47]

This is a place to go if you want to totally relax for a week. Do not expect to find fancy shopping malls, outlet malls or a large number places to eat.

This a vacation resort to relax with your family. There is Nothing fancy or glitz about this resort or the City of New Bern . The resort is clean, well maintain, has friendly staff personnel and looks pretty good for a resort of its age and size.

 

[ronparise]

I should be able to answer your questions about New Bern..I own three weeks here, But Ive never visited the place. My weeks have been converted to points (by a previous owner) and I just use the points

What I do know I know is from the Wyndham owners directory, (there is a link at the top of the Wyndhan section here on TUG

The resort was built between 1980-1990. There are 8-10 different homeowner associations, all with their own boards, and their own policies and their own fees. and their own room layouts and design. So whats true at one end of the resort is different in other areas..Wyndham is not the manager for all the associations.

You can (and should) read whats in the Wyndham directory. but here are some things I found interesting>

Carolina Riverfront Pleasures. Fairfield Harbour sits along the banks of the Neuse River in charming New Bern, a city dating back to 1710. You’ll enjoy a full array of amenities here, ranging from land and water sports to river cruises, live entertainment and more — as well as the chance to explore almost 300 years of historical treasures, including hundreds of homes and shops listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Helpful Hints:

Car recommended: some activities in walking distance, but most of resort is a campus-like setting
Beach is about an hour’s drive away
The Harbour Pointe Golf Course is open. The Shoreline Golf Course is closed. Please contact the guest services staff for more information.
Indoor Swimming Pool
Marina, Boating
Indoor Hot Tub

It seems to me that this would be a great place for a vacation.

You have already told us that you have made use of this place as a trader


One word of caution...take everything you read here with a grain of salt. We all come to you with our own background, our own experiences and our own prejudices. And sometimes we might think that because we are experts in one area; that expertise will carry over to everything we say. And some of us for unknown reasons have a particular agenda that we are pushing. And then there are some of us that just like to hear ourselves talk...Ultimately what you decide do has to be your decision

Good luck

 

[csxjohn]

.... I can find no discussion on this resort and would like to find out if anyone has any comments on it. I don't want to get "stuck" with a resort that is rundown or that I could never get rid of. Should I take it?...

You can check the reviews of resorts here on TUG if you become a member, only $15 for a year.

Also check Trip Advisor to see what quests are saying about the resort.

Check the classifieds here on TUG and at RedWeekdotcom to see if and how many of these units are currently for sale and what the asking price is. If there a lot of them, they may not be easy to get rid of.

 

[rrlongwell]

... And some of us for unknown reasons have a particular agenda that we are pushing. And then there are some of us that just like to hear ourselves talk ...

No agenda with the comment about E-Bay. If there is any doubt, review various posting over time pertaining to E-Bay sellers, or just do it the easy way, and check out some recent threads involving CJ Timeshares (surprise, the buy gets stuck with back maintance fees when it was advsertised to the contrary) or Sumday Vacations representing things about a resort that are not real accurate.

 

[Rent_Share]

No agenda with the comment about E-Bay. If there is any doubt, review various posting over time pertaining to E-Bay sellers, or just do it the easy way, and check out some recent threads involving CJ Timeshares (surprise, the buy gets stuck with back maintance fees when it was advsertised to the contrary) or Sumday Vacations representing things about a resort that are not real accurate.

Still trying to justify to yourself your developer purchases

 

[markb53]

No agenda with the comment about E-Bay. If there is any doubt, review various posting over time pertaining to E-Bay sellers, or just do it the easy way, and check out some recent threads involving CJ Timeshares (surprise, the buy gets stuck with back maintance fees when it was advsertised to the contrary) or Sumday Vacations representing things about a resort that are not real accurate.

No agenda maybe, but at least in the case of CJ Timeshares, I remember the post from the person who thought they might be getting stuck with back maintenance fees. What you left out was the part where the OP called CJ and pointed out the error and CJ made it right. Mistakes happen. It is how mistakes are resolved that counts.

 

[rrlongwell]

No agenda maybe, but at least in the case of CJ Timeshares, I remember the post from the person who thought they might be getting stuck with back maintenance fees. What you left out was the part where the OP called CJ and pointed out the error and CJ made it right. Mistakes happen. It is how mistakes are resolved that counts.

I agree that how mistakes are resovled is what counts. In CJ Timeshare's case, as of June 24, 2012 between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00, no resolution. I would hope CJ Timeshares would make good but it does not look good for the home team. We must be referring to different posts. Pattern and Practice? Maybe.

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173510

 

[vacationhopeful]

OP asked nothing about buying an eBAY week from an particular seller. Hi-jacking this thread to be a negative review on something totally of almost no or limited value here is WHAT Ron was referring to in his "one word of caution" paragraph.

OP has several options to take or not take the offered week from his elderly friend. He could convert it to Wyndham Points or trade it thru RCI or a number of other exchange companies. Week around July 4th is definitely better than a mud week. Descriptions have been given for the resort and the area.

Are there any other points that might be of help to the OP about this resort or his various timeshare options?

 

[ausman]

I can come up with two things that may be worth knowing.

If converted, how many Wyndham points does it receive.

If deposited to RCI, how many TPU's are received.

Since the week # and unit size have not been exactly give, if known the above could be determined.

I should have read more carefully, I see you addressed both points in post #3

 

[SOS8260456]

Well, since you have been using it for the past 4 or 5 years, are you happy with the trades you have been getting with it? I am assuming that you may have been paying the RCI fees while she has been paying the maintenance fees. I could be wrong. What you need to do is determine, if all those costs added together make it worth owning that week for your vacation purposes or can you doit cheaply a different way?

There are other general timeshare ownership stickies and threads that you can find to determine if timesharing is right for you overall.

These days converting a unit to points is not very cost effective since there are so many practically free units out there already converted.

We own a deed or maybe 2 there, and while it is not our most cost effective maintenance fees, it is not our worst one either. Have also never traveled there and doubt if we ever will because of the very laid back nature. We went stir crazy at Ocean Ridge in Edisto Beach, so New Bern holds no personal appeal to us, but we do own there.

If you do not take it, there is a law firm down there that specializes in New Bern transfers and helping owners. I forget the name, but if you need it I can look it up. We did alot of business with them way back before the market tanked.

 

[islandog]

Thanks for all the great advice. I checked with my neighbor and it is fixed week 26 at the Wyndham/Fairfield/Windjammer/Harbor/Villas/Resort (not sure what the name is now, she has a 3" folder full of correspondence from all of these). I did see she has been paying a maintenance fee which seems to steadly increase by $20 or $30 each year and was $679 for this year and is like $150 more than 2005. That's a concern. Do they ever cap out? Separate HOAs for a resort is a new concept to me. Can one opt to paint their section purple or raise fees to $2000? I have a TS at Marine Terrace, Daytona and we have a Board who sets budget/fees. That's it - simple. This sounds complicated. Anyway the resort sounds OK and like many, I'll probably never go there. I will use it for trading and have had no problem. I traded it for a 2 bdr Bonnett Creek week before Christmas for 13 points and had 3 points left over. Appreciate all your comments and directions (except for crack at Ocean Ridge - I live near there. Actually I agree, that's why I spend my time planning vacations.)

 

[Cheryl20772]

One word of caution...take everything you read here with a grain of salt. We all come to you with our own background, our own experiences and our own prejudices. And sometimes we might think that because we are experts in one area; that expertise will carry over to everything we say. And some of us for unknown reasons have a particular agenda that we are pushing. And then there are some of us that just like to hear ourselves talk...Ultimately what you decide do has to be your decision

Good luck

That's such a much nicer way to say to beware of the man behind the curtain!

 

[Cheryl20772]

she has been paying a maintenance fee which seems to steadly increase by $20 or $30 each year and was $679 for this year and is like $150 more than 2005. That's a concern. Do they ever cap out?

No they do not cap out...ever! The maintenance fees are set each year by vote of the board of directors and members. It's dependent on the price of running and taking care of the resort and includes things like paint, asphalt, new linens, heating and cooling, salaries, trash removal and insurance. Those things tend to always go up through the years; so the fees have to keep pace or later on a special assessment will be forced to catch things up.

 

[rrlongwell]

That's such a much nicer way to say to beware of the man behind the curtain!

Thanks for the attack posts. All hail the TUG re-seller/rentor click.

Just as a seperate observation, based on all the fan fare over the new law in Flordia pertaining to timeshare rental/re-sale, it might be a good idea to avoid Flordia based companies to give some time to the Attorney General's Office to clean things up a bit.

 

[ronparise]

That's such a much nicer way to say to beware of the man behind the curtain!

I didnt mean to be nice; more subtle perhaps, but not nice

 

[Cheryl20772]

Thanks for the attack posts. All hail the TUG re-seller/rentor click.

um... Mr. RRL? I wasn't talking to or about you. I was praising Mr. RonP for being less of a stinker. And there's nothing wrong with what he posted either. Since 1993 one of the cardinal rules of the Internet is to remember "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you're_a_dog
Now Ron's quote comes from way back in 1939: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" And it kind of relates if you think about it. You don't know who I am; so take my posts "with a grain of salt"; which is an even more ancient idiom. Actually I am posting right now to hear myself talk

Actually, I didn't see anything to dispute in your posts. Personally, I'd feel a lot safer taking a timeshare from someone I know rather than some unknown factor on eBay.

Now, did you mean "click" as a hanging up the phone noise? Or, did you mean "clique" as a group of 2 to 12 (averaging 5 or 6) “persons who interact with each other more regularly and intensely than others in the same setting.” (Encyclopedia of educational psychology.)?

 

[Cheryl20772]

I didnt mean to be nice; more subtle perhaps, but not nice

I never really thought you would want to be "nice". Just look http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=nice

 

[EileenL]

Nice area in the middle of nowhere but boating and summer can changed everything

Long name for resort - Wyndham/Fairfield/Windjammer/Harbor/Villas/Resort - I assume she owns in one of those. I have stayed at the Harbor ones which face the marina. HUGE one bedroom but with the afternoon sun all curtains had to be closed which made the unit dark. But in the morning to go out on the balcony with coffee was nice.

Everything is raised up because of flooding and storms - the land is low lying. The time shares are mixed in with normal housing around the property. Separate sections but part of it all. The indoor pool is very tiny. The other pool was not open. I was there in November. Not a lot of people there. Wyndham Fairfield always have a welcome for guests and prizes.

The ocean and Beaufort/morehead city is about an hour away. You are in the middle of no where. Nice for relaxation. Summer would be more busy with the boat marina and all the people from Raleigh coming down for the holiday.

Since you are trading - the maintenance fee may be high but in the ballpark of all their resorts. For years they only charge $200 then Cendant came in and everything went skyhigh and continues under Wyndham. Maintenance fees are a Cash cow for timeshares.

Thanks for all the great advice. I checked with my neighbor and it is fixed week 26 at the Wyndham/Fairfield/Windjammer/Harbor/Villas/Resort (not sure what the name is now, she has a 3" folder full of correspondence from all of these). I did see she has been paying a maintenance fee which seems to steadly increase by $20 or $30 each year and was $679 for this year and is like $150 more than 2005. That's a concern. Do they ever cap out? Separate HOAs for a resort is a new concept to me. Can one opt to paint their section purple or raise fees to $2000? I have a TS at Marine Terrace, Daytona and we have a Board who sets budget/fees. That's it - simple. This sounds complicated. Anyway the resort sounds OK and like many, I'll probably never go there. I will use it for trading and have had no problem. I traded it for a 2 bdr Bonnett Creek week before Christmas for 13 points and had 3 points left over. Appreciate all your comments and directions (except for crack at Ocean Ridge - I live near there. Actually I agree, that's why I spend my time planning vacations.)

 

[richjester]

I love Fairfield Harbor

We own there (all converted fixed weeks) and have used our points to stay there many, many times. The units are very comfortable. Best word for this resort is relaxed. Maintenance fees have been rising, but are in line with other similar resorts. We live close, so have been to a couple meetings.