Where should I buy?

[Hillh4]

1) Where do you want your home resort to be?

I currently travel for my job so I am not in one location every year. I spend 3-6 months in different cities and then move to a new place. I have family in Southern California and northern Nevada so if I had to choose a location maybe Lake Tahoe or a beach city in Los Angeles.

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?

I want to visit different resorts.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

I truly want to travel everywhere. I like to do weekend trips a few times a year in the states and near wherever I am working. This could be anywhere so it is hard to give location specifics.

I also like to do at least two longer vacations in international locations. My top international locations right now are Costa Rica, Southeast Asia, Patagonia, Maldives, and Scandinavian countries.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?

I do a lot of solo travel but I also travel a couple of times a year with friends and family ranging from 2-6 people.

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

I can travel anytime with at least 3-6 months notice. I prefer to travel during shoulder seasons to get a better deal and not have to deal with large crowds. I also frequently get 5-6 days off in my schedule that are unplanned. So, the ability to enjoy last minute weekends is a must.

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

Yes for the long vacations. No for weekend getaways.

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?

I prefer 4 star accommodations but am okay with 3 stars for the right location/price. I prefer hotels that have some amenities and have a restaurant either on the grounds or in walking distance. The most important things are that it is clean and safe! And if I am going somewhere with a certain type of vacation in mind (i.e. Beach vacay) it is important that the beach is easily accessible.

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

$5,000

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?

$1000 with wriggle room if needed. I've just started the process so I'm not exactly sure what is reasonable. From my research it looks like the average is in the $1000 range but I got overwhelmed with information so I could be mistaken.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?

Not really. I can be detail oriented if needed and when money is involved I am much more likely to make sure I get my monies worth. However, I don't want planning a vacation to be extremely stressful and will get annoyed if planning my vacation makes me feel like I need a vacation!!

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


I have requested information from Wyndham, Diamond, and Marriott. I never heard from Diamond and Wyndham won't give any info regarding prices unless I attend a hard sell, which I don't really want to do until I have more knowledge. Marriott has been very open and are answering all of my questions about their program but we haven't started talking about exact cost yet. So far Marriott is my preferred but I am open to any companies that will fit my needs.

 

[RNCollins]

Bump

 

[theo]

I have requested information from Wyndham, Diamond, and Marriott. I never heard from Diamond and Wyndham won't give any info regarding prices unless I attend a hard sell, which I don't really want to do until I have more knowledge. Marriott has been very open and are answering all of my questions about their program but we haven't started talking about exact cost yet. So far Marriott is my preferred but I am open to any companies that will fit my needs.

Any "information" you receive directly from Diamond or Wyndham will frankly be more "marketing" hype than actual information of any real substance. Same goes for presentations, where accuracy and the truth are always elusive (...at best) . Marketing razzamatazz will always be a whole let less truthful and less accurate and less complete than what you could learn entirely on your own, merely by spending some time right here, reading TUG BBS forum input from objective, experienced owners and users with no hidden sales agenda; then just ask your specific questions as they arise.

Marriott is certainly a respectable higher end system, but your identified $5k buy-in ceiling figure won't get you into Marriott.
In any case, proceed slowly and with caution and become a well informed consumer before purchasing anything.

 

[Hillh4]

Any "information" you receive directly from Diamond or Wyndham will frankly be more "marketing" hype than actual information of any real substance. Same goes for presentations, where accuracy and the truth are always elusive (...at best) . Marketing razzamatazz will always be a whole let less truthful and less accurate and less complete than what you could learn entirely on your own, merely by spending some time right here, reading TUG BBS forum input from objective, experienced owners and users with no hidden sales agenda; then just ask your specific questions as they arise.

Marriott is certainly a respectable higher end system. I'd be glad to be mistaken, but I frankly do not believe that your identified $5k buy-in figure will likely get you into Marriott. In any case, proceed slowly and with caution and become a well informed consumer before purchasing anything.

Thank you! I've definitely been researching and reading info from this site. I have learned a lot but feel more confused then ever I'm not sure if now is the right time to buy something, or if ever is from some of the things that I have read. I definitely love to vacation though and thought this would be a good opportunity for me since I am young and will hopefully be able to utilize the timeshare for many years to come. At this point I think I will start saving more for the buy-in and continue to do research in the meantime. Thanks again for your reply.

 

[theo]

Thank you! I've definitely been researching and reading info from this site. I have learned a lot but feel more confused then ever I'm not sure if now is the right time to buy something, or if ever is from some of the things that I have read. I definitely love to vacation though and thought this would be a good opportunity for me since I am young and will hopefully be able to utilize the timeshare for many years to come. At this point I think I will start saving more for the buy-in and continue to do research in the meantime. Thanks again for your reply.

Bear in mind too that you can always rent timeshare weeks from owners, without hastily or prematurely entering into the long term (i.e., permanent) contractual obligations of actual ownership; you don't need to "own" in order to have the exact same vacation experience. This is a relevant observation in view of the "nomadic" lifestyle description provided in your initial post.

Remember too that annual timeshare maintenance fees are both eternal and likely to increase by 4-6% each and every year. Rental experience in different places will provide the opportunity to gain your own first hand insights and exposure to various timeshare systems, properties and features. [P.S. I am not a "landlord" peddling and / or promoting rentals; I'm just making an objective suggestion and observation, with no other agenda.]

Resales will always be available, so don't act in haste or be in any rush to purchase. Rentals will serve you well while you read and learn more about the many and varied timeshare systems, features and options. Yes, there is definitely a learning curve since no two systems are alike, but as you read more and learn more you will build a knowledge base upon which to make better informed comparisons and decisions and become better able to ask pointed questions. You may well ultimately decide that a timeshare purchase is not the best option or avenue for you when all is said and done.

 

[Joe33426]

Thank you! I've definitely been researching and reading info from this site. I have learned a lot but feel more confused then ever I'm not sure if now is the right time to buy something, or if ever is from some of the things that I have read. I definitely love to vacation though and thought this would be a good opportunity for me since I am young and will hopefully be able to utilize the timeshare for many years to come. At this point I think I will start saving more for the buy-in and continue to do research in the meantime. Thanks again for your reply.

Theo's advice is very good. Keep reading and you don't have to rush into anything. It sounds like you have a lot of flexibility in your schedule and are actually able to take vacations, so timesharing is probably a good fit.

As far as saving more money for the buy-in, if you're looking to buy Marriott, then yes, you'll definitely need to save some more money. Even on the resale market, Marriott is expensive IMHO. But, our stays at various Marriott resorts have been amazing experiences compared to other systems. Other systems are much less expensive for the initial purchase in many cases.

I'm partial to Wyndham as I think that the system provides good value. The sales portion of the business gets a really bad rap, and probably deservedly so, but we've really enjoyed the resorts. The resorts are clean and overall well managed, IMHO. The only negative thing I can say about Wyndham is the hard sell to get you into the sales presentations. I hate the whole parking pass stuff and having to go to two desks just to get the keys to the room. The thing I like best about Wyndham is the flexibility of short stays. Definitely look into Wyndham, but find your information here rather than from Wyndham directly and buy resale.

 

[Hillh4]

Theo's advice is very good. Keep reading and you don't have to rush into anything. It sounds like you have a lot of flexibility in your schedule and are actually able to take vacations, so timesharing is probably a good fit.

As far as saving more money for the buy-in, if you're looking to buy Marriott, then yes, you'll definitely need to save some more money. Even on the resale market, Marriott is expensive IMHO. But, our stays at various Marriott resorts have been amazing experiences compared to other systems. Other systems are much less expensive for the initial purchase in many cases.

I'm partial to Wyndham as I think that the system provides good value. The sales portion of the business gets a really bad rap, and probably deservedly so, but we've really enjoyed the resorts. The resorts are clean and overall well managed, IMHO. The only negative thing I can say about Wyndham is the hard sell to get you into the sales presentations. I hate the whole parking pass stuff and having to go to two desks just to get the keys to the room. The thing I like best about Wyndham is the flexibility of short stays. Definitely look into Wyndham, but find your information here rather than from Wyndham directly and buy resale.

I was originally looking into Wyndham and Diamond on reference from current owners but I really dislike the concept of the hard sell. Having the knowledge to make an informed decision definitely helps. I am reading that resale is 100% the way to go but that just raises more questions.

I haven't heard about the parking pass at Wyndham. What does that entail? I will have to start reading more about Wyndham since I have heard good things from people who have properties.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[theo]

I haven't heard about the parking pass at Wyndham. What does that entail? I will have to start reading more about Wyndham since I have heard good things from people who have properties.

At many (most?) Wyndham properties, at check-in there is an aggressive effort to "combine" the issuance of the parking pass for your vehicle with a strong arm effort to sign you up to attend a presentation. Even if you say "absolutely not, no chance --- just my parking pass, please", they may still later call your unit for the same purpose while they have you right there, on property. Wyndham sales weasels (along with those at Westgate) are absolutely among the worst in the U.S. timeshare industry IMnsHO, rivaled elsewhere only by the hungry, lying timeshare sales weasels in Mexico.

Although we no longer own within Wyndham, it is a good system with decent properties and acquisition is eminently affordable in the resale market.
It's only their hungry, deceitful, aggressive "developer sales force" that sullies and tarnishes the Wyndham name and image.

Even if you are willing to waste your valuable time enduring the obfuscation, hype, misrepresentation (and outright lies) spewed forth during a Wyndham sales presentation just to collect a $100 gift card, the simple fact remains that whatever they attempt to sell you for thousands (even tens of thousands) of dollars in that sales room can be purchased in the resale market for just a very tiny fraction of those developer figures. Of course, the developer sales weasels do not even acknowledge the existence of a resale market, let alone direct you to it as a much less expensive alternative.

 

[Hillh4]

At many (most?) Wyndham properties, at check-in there is an aggressive effort to "combine" the issuance of the parking pass for your vehicle with a strong arm effort to sign you up to attend a presentation. Even if you say "absolutely not, no chance --- just my parking pass, please", they may still later call your unit for the same purpose while they have you right there, on property. Wyndham sales weasels (along with those at Westgate) are absolutely among the worst in the U.S. IMnsHO, rivaled only by the hungry, lying timeshare sales weasels in Mexico.

Although we no longer own within Wyndham, it is a good system with decent properties and acquisition is eminently affordable in the resale market.
It's only their hungry, deceitful, aggressive "developer sales force" that sullies and tarnishes the Wyndham name and image.

Even if you are willing to waste your time enduring the obfuscation, hype, misrepresentation (and outright lies) spewed forth during a Wyndham sales presentation just to collect a $100 gift card, the simple fact remains that whatever they attempt to sell you for thousands (even tens of thousands) of dollars in that sales room can be purchased in the resale market for just a very tiny fraction of those developer figures. Of course, the developer sales weasels do not even acknowledge the existence of a resale market, let alone direct you to it as a much less expensive alternative.

I heard from one person that if I have someone who won't be traveling with me frequently be on the contact then I won't get bothered to go to a sales a presentation unless I am with that person. Do you know if that is true?

Thanks!