New Guy is lost

[Scott Schroeder]

I'm currently at the Westin Lagunamar in Cancun.
Sat through a sales pitch yesterday and came out totally lost.
Did find some info on this site but need advice.
1. Are really offering a good deal to buy here at the resort?
I read you loose 50% when you leave.
2. As I understand it I'm not buying a unit I'm buying points to be used throughout the network. Is this correct? If so why is the benefit of buying now vs just renting until son the rental market or though SPG direct for a room?
3. My friend says I should buy resale, but from what I've read, I only get to use the unit at said location and not get the option points to other locations. Is this correct?
4. They offered a explorer deal, is that worth it??
Plenty more questions but these are the starters.
Thx

 

[DeniseM]

Glad you escaped - no it is not a good deal.

- I would not buy in Mexico, period - Mexico is an easy trade and a cheap rental, because there is more supply than demand.

- If you decide to buy on the resale market, you can buy for less than 20% of retail price.

- You can buy resale at a US mainland resort, and use the Staroptions to trade into Lagunamar, and other resorts.

I moved your post to to the Vistana Forum (this is a Vistana Resort.)

Here is a link to the Vistana FAQ, to get you started: http://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?...-to-timesharing-or-starwood-start-here.63224/

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Ok thanks

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Where do I find listing for us mainland resorts that use Staroptions?
I thought that was only offered by the dev

 

[DeniseM]

That info. is #9 in the FAQ link in my previous post.

Clarification: At those 5 resort, you can buy on the resale market and still get Staroptions, AND the Staroptions can be used at all Vistana resorts - not just those 5.

 

[farsighted99]

Don't fall for their pitch. You can buy a unit on the resale market and save thousands... I know it sounds good, but just say no.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

So if I buy one of those 5 resorts, do I have to buy direct from them or do people list resale for those resorts?
I remember the sales guy saying you only get options from resale if you buy direct from Dev, so is that the case or can I buy a unit from someone online and get the star option

 

[vacationtime1]

So if I buy one of those 5 resorts, do I have to buy direct from them or do people list resale for those resorts?
I remember the sales guy saying you only get options from resale if you buy direct from Dev, so is that the case or can I buy a unit from someone online and get the star option

StarOptions from a mandatory resort are transferable; that is the essence of what makes the resort mandatory.

To the extent the salesperson said anything different, it was a lie.

Look at www.Redweek.com, www.myresortnetwork.com and the TUG marketplace for inventory for sale.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Ok, so where do I find a listing for those resorts for resale?

 

[vacationtime1]

Check my last post (which I was editing as you were posting).

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Ok, thanks. So just do a search on there for those 5 that have the options.

 

[DeniseM]

Clarification - At Lagunamar, you DON'T get Staroptions if you buy resale, but at the 5 resorts listed in the FAQ, you DO get Staroptions if you buy resale. The sales people don't want you to know that.

The cheapest place to buy a timeshare is eBay.

 

[echino]

You could but something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252970973086

You see the price. Yes, that's the going rate now.

You get staroptions and you can use them to book stays at Lagunamar and other resorts.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Holy cow, I see what you mean.
Need to find another deal like that.

 

[echino]

Holy cow, I see what you mean.
Need to find another deal like that.

It's easy to find a deal like that. For example, here is 81k staroptions for $2,000:
http://www.myresortnetwork.com/Timeshares-for-sale/Orlando/Florida/Sheratons-Vistana-Villages/

But don't hurry, take the time to learn the system before buying anything. You are taking on a liability to pay maintenance fees, in approximate range of $1,300 - $1,700 per year for 81k staroptions for the Platinum Plus season depending on unit, and those fees will increase every year by about 3-5%. Also, booking with staroptions you are not guaranteed to get the unit you want at the dates you want, it is all subject to availability, and holidays or high season like spring break may be very difficult to get.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Yes I'm in no rush. Still kinda confusing
I need to figure out what a good deal is.
I know now that buying from Lagunamar here in Cancun was not a good deal

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Question,
Should I say find a place in St John vs Orlando since I would like to visit St John and not so much Orlando, or does it matter?

 

[icydog]

You really are on a timeshare high right now. The guys at the sales desk in Mexico got you all excited about owning a cool timeshare. We've all been there!

Oh, the rush from dreaming of owing such a beautiful place. But give yourself two or more weeks at home and you'll probably forget about the whole thing. But, if you're still thinking of timeshares in a couple of weeks we will be here to help.

 

[echino]

Question,
Should I say find a place in St John vs Orlando since I would like to visit St John and not so much Orlando, or does it matter?

Yes, it does matter. If you want to visit St John, buy a fixed week there. You still get staroptions. But it's expensive, even resale. Like really expensive, see an example here:
http://www.myresortnetwork.com/Resort/ownerContact.asp?unitid=307342&ResortID=5192

 

[Scott Schroeder]

Thanks
So it's that much more expensive to buy a unit in St Johns vs Orlando?

 

[lizap]

Yes, it does matter. If you want to visit St John, buy a fixed week there. You still get staroptions. But it's expensive, even resale. Like really expensive, see an example here:
http://www.myresortnetwork.com/Resort/ownerContact.asp?unitid=307342&ResortID=5192

Really depends on when you want to travel and how often you want to visit SJ. If you only want to visit SJ, I agree you should buy there; however, if you want to visit other resorts, and are flexible as to when you want to visit SJ, you might consider purchasing a mandatory unit at another Westin, such as WKV.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

I don't want to just go to St Johns.
So buying a Orlando unit for less then a quarter of the St Johns unit gets me all of them.
What's WKV? Orlando?

 

[lizap]

I don't want to just go to St Johns.
So buying a Orlando unit for less then a quarter of the St Johns unit gets me all of them.
What's WKV? Orlando?

WKV is Westin Kierland in Scottsdale. A 2 BR WKV plat. unit is going to be more expensive than a similar one in Orlando with SOs, but it will retain value and be easier to sell, should you ever decide to do so.

 

[Scott Schroeder]

So Orlando is the cheapest but hardest to dump, got it

 

[Scott Schroeder]

So something like this?
http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/timeshare/Westin+Kierland+Villas/resort/buy-timeshare/