What was the Best cheap TS you ever bought?

All this talk of $1 e-bay timeshares has me wondering. What was the best CHEEP timeshare you ever bought? I was thinking about a $100 max but if you have one over the limet you want to talk about me my guest.

I do not have any. My one and only timeshare is Marriott Manor Club I paid $8000 for.

Ray

A great question - if might also be interesting to hear where these special purchases were made (eg. from a friend, ebay, etc.) Starting with an inexpensive timeshare with freebies was a good way for me to get started.

Mine does go over by a shade ($200) but I think it fits here because I got much more than that out of the deal. The ownership was Dolphin's Cove, Anaheim all weeks but July and August. It was such a great opportunity because it included two unused RCI banked weeks and an RCI membership good for three extra years. Most of the next year's MF was also already paid.:whoopie: The seller just wanted out (posted here in the ads on TUG). This was my first timeshare purchase as a very green newbie and it was a GREAT introduction.

I have bought a lot of cheap timeshares over the years, the most I have ever paid was about $1700 including Maintenance & closing.

The cheapest I bought a Palace Premier membership on ebay and the sellers paid the transfer fee so all it cost me was literally $1.

The best return - I bought a 1/4 share at Inn of Silvercreek for $888. Sold it several years later for $4000.

The best traders I bought for $1300 and $1000 respectively. So far, they have gotten me every where I have wanted to go and then some.

Have Not Scored A $1 Timeshare -- Yet.

No 1-buck specials in our timeshare portfolio . . .

$1,925

$750

$152.50

$500

(plus closing costs, resort transfer fees, etc.)

. . . not that there's anything wrong with that.

might also be interesting to hear where these special purchases were made (eg. from a friend, ebay, etc.)

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eBay

ReMax timeshare broker

eBay

bought direct from private owner

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

That's a great question but a difficult one to answer. I own many based on purchase price they range from $1524 to $0 and based on all-in costs (closing, xfer, etc.) they range from $2172 to $0.

So FREE is great from a cost perspective and since it's Ocean Front - Florida during a Spring Break week and it's also the lowest annual MF of all my holdings it might be the best....we'll see....but I might not be able to get back what I paid for it when I sell.

$99 price / $447 all-in for an 86,500 RCI Points contract with bonus 28,000 RCI Point transfer that's based on trianinial use of week #26 (or 28,833 RCI Points annually). This gives ratios of $447/28,833 = 1.55 cents per point to purchase and $765/86,500 = .88 cents per RCI Point MF, PLUS the 28,000 free points (worth $247 @ .88 cents each) and no MF due until 2010. This one is great from a value perspective, as I know that I could sell for much more than I paid for it.

Bought a 2 week deed at Foxrun, weeks 32 and 33, which is prime season. That was just before Christmas. I bid only the starting $1.00 and was very surprised no one else bid it up to $2.00.

Bought a Val Chatelle blue week on eBay for $2.00. It is the identical fixed rotation of our other blue week, and we absolutely get great exchanges with those two. As Alan would say, "Who'd a thunk?"

chellej said:

I have bought a lot of cheap timeshares over the years, the most I have ever paid was about $1700 including Maintenance & closing.

The cheapest I bought a Palace Premier membership on ebay and the sellers paid the transfer fee so all it cost me was literally $1.

The best return - I bought a 1/4 share at Inn of Silvercreek for $888. Sold it several years later for $4000.

The best traders I bought for $1300 and $1000 respectively. So far, they have gotten me every where I have wanted to go and then some.

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Nice return on the 1/4 share .....

Best deal: Oceanfront 1br/2ba at PAHIO @ Kauai Beach Villas in Kauai for $279. Got it on eBay over Thanksgiving holiday, when everyone must have been looking the other way - I was the only bidder.

Dave

I have bought 4 timeshares for under $100 but I wouldnt say they were my best buys. I bought tem all from ebay.

It would have to be timeshares that are nice enough that I use. It would be Longboat Bay Club for $2K. Im sure they have sold for less but I just love it and at that time it was cheap.

I bought Sands of Kahana ey for $4500 w/1 year mf paid. I bought my Pahio at Ka Eo Kai eoy for $2K and felt good about it but 2 years later I bought every year for $1700. I feel real good about my Hawaii timeshares because even 5 years ago I never thought I could afford to go to Hawaii and now I will be going there for 3 weeks each year after I retire.

I think any timeshare is a good buy if:
1. you can afford to buy it including the mf, travel, etc. without putting a burden on yourself financially.

2. If you average, mf, any special assessments, initial cost over 10 years and it is much cheaper than the local Motel 6. (Right Alan)

3. It has a good operation company, board, whatever so you would want to stay there yourself.

4. You and/or your family has the time to use it. Some people (if I were to buy one more I could include myself) have had the heavy ebay bidding finger that they buy too many timeshares. Some will rent but if you cant rent enough to pay mf, then that is a waste.

We bought a two bed Eagle Crest in Redmond Oregon that for $39.00 gives us 10,000 WM points for $1.00 on Ebay last year and the closing company recored two of them in our name so I guess it costed 50 cents a week.

Way cheap: A few years ago, when Herb Suchet and his company were still around, they had a contest which consisted of answering 5 questions. One of the questions, by the way, was "Name one of the TUG BBS moderators", or something like that. Of the winning entries, mine was selected at random, and I got a free Strand Pavilion (South Africa) week. It is a very good week, and continues to have good trading power. Now that was a good price
Connie

My best trader cost $1200

I've bought several shares under a hundred dollars and they've been worth that or less....in the end I end up trading these back intothe same resorts and attempting to either use or rent out the units I swap them for.
My bonanza of a trader cost $1200 (plus closing costs, etc.) and I had found it on Bidshares when the website was relatively new. The timeshare is a week 23 studio at Caloosa Cove in Islamorada Fl and I've straded into all gold crown resorts in the most difficult places to trade: San Francisco, London suburbs, etc.
My combination of best renters/traders are the most expensive units and that title goes to the Galleon Resort in Key West where I bought them from a combination of resale agencies and resale from the resort- the single best renter/trader was bought resale from the resort and I think I paid $8200 for it in 1990.
My worst deal to date has been another unit I got on Bidshares for a total of $126- you would think that a red week on Nantucket Sound would be a hot trader or renter- but alas it is a studio and I.I. doesn't give it much power for trading purposes. So I pay the MF yearly until I can find someone to dump it on!
The moral of my story- you get what you pay for !
Brian

My first Wyndam resale, 105,000Pts -Annual @ Myrtle Beach I got for $880 from Holiday Group they were having a sale, and I talked them down because I didn't have the extra money for closing cost. I also bought Sheraton Vistana 2br/ resale in the Fountains section - a floating prime week, for $3200. Now I know I could have gotten it for cheaper but it was my 1st resale purchase.

Annual 2 bedroom at VV for $0 including closing costs! Purchase was originally supposed to be an eoy 1 bedroom at VV but ttimeshareman and his closing company substituted Sheraton PGA. To make it right they got me the 2 bedroom and gave a refund! Unless one of us is a pc and is being paid to take a ts, that will be lowest cost.

My biggest reward in the "thrill of the chase" was 1400 points at Manteo Beach Resort in Kelowna BC Canada that I purchased on ebay for $1. These points buy 2 weeks of time in a two or three-bedroom townhouse (depending on how fast you can get through to the reservations desk 11 months ahead) located right on Okanagan Lake.

We went through one of our resorts and management hooked us up with another party who wanted out, and gifted us a week.

We paid $50 total for another on ebay.

Marty

I've gotten a few good deals lately.
46K RCI points annual, MF of 420 bidshare 1$ this years MF paid , total 450 with closing.
1 bdrm Scottsdale Villa Mirage EOY 50$ seller paid MF and closing.
2/2 Villa Mirage 600 plus closing
2/2 Villas Cave Creek 700 they paid closing.
Heavy in AZ bunch of us do AZ bike week I rent out which every ones I dont use and more than recoup my MF's
My 3 good traders
Cliff CLub 2 BD lockoff .01 seller paid MF and closing ski or summer week.
fixed weeks 48 and 49 Silverado 500$ seller paid MF and closing.

Wow, I feel stupid...(I have got to be a better negotiator!) oh well. To me its money well spent as I am having the time of my life TS and its opened me and my family up to a whole new way of living!

calgarygary said:

Annual 2 bedroom at VV for $0 including closing costs! Purchase was originally supposed to be an eoy 1 bedroom at VV but ttimeshareman and his closing company substituted Sheraton PGA. To make it right they got me the 2 bedroom and gave a refund! Unless one of us is a pc and is being paid to take a ts, that will be lowest cost.

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WOWZA!! That get's my vote!

arlene22 said:

WOWZA!! That get's my vote!

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End result was great but the process, as I disclosed in a few old threads was pure hell.

My best buys have been Marriotts, because I love the internal exchange priority I've gotten via II. I was happy to pay $1500 for a studio at Streamside at Vail that has had the maint fee stay pretty consistent (around $300). Also I got good use out of a 2 br at Marriott's Manor Club that I paid $3000 for (a fluke and lucky find, sort of an estate sale...and after closing I found out the seller had already paid the next year's maint fee, so I got a free year of use out of it.) I've had some luck thanks to TUG postings and have gotten some weeks for free or nearly free. So in turn I have given a few timeshares away for free too, when I feel I have way too many. I have to think of it as "dollar cost averaging" since I bought my first two from developers in my newbie days!

Best Deal!!

calgarygary said:

Annual 2 bedroom at VV for $0 including closing costs! Purchase was originally supposed to be an eoy 1 bedroom at VV but ttimeshareman and his closing company substituted Sheraton PGA. To make it right they got me the 2 bedroom and gave a refund! Unless one of us is a pc and is being paid to take a ts, that will be lowest cost.

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I think you beat me. SVO ownership is awesome. My best deal was a two bedroom membership at RAVC for one dollar. The kicker was that it came with two weeks already paid for. I rented one for $800 and traded the other for a week at Maui Westin thru II. Why someone would buy retail just escapes me!! Ben

reddiablosv said:

I think you beat me. SVO ownership is awesome. My best deal was a two bedroom membership at RAVC for one dollar. The kicker was that it came with two weeks already paid for. I rented one for $800 and traded the other for a week at Maui Westin thru II. Why someone would buy retail just escapes me!! Ben

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Well my best, but not cheapest are the 4 CMV UDI's I have obtained in the last 2 years for 3500, 2000, 2000, and 3000 respectively. They have already paid for themselves. Next best buy have been 3 ebay Fox Hill Summer weeks with 2 2 bedroom/3baths and a 4 share for a sum total of $500. It was only 2 auctions but one of the deeds turned out to be a 2/52th ownership.

I have other low cost ownerships, but a couple are off weeks in places we like to go close to home. Great way to force yourself to getaway during the blah months.

Bill

brennumtimesharer said:

Well my best, but not cheapest are the 4 CMV UDI's I have obtained in the last 2 years for 3500, 2000, 2000, and 3000 respectively. They have already paid for themselves. Next best buy have been 3 ebay Fox Hill Summer weeks with 2 2 bedroom/3baths and a 4 share for a sum total of $500. It was only 2 auctions but one of the deeds turned out to be a 2/52th ownership.

I have other low cost ownerships, but a couple are off weeks in places we like to go close to home. Great way to force yourself to getaway during the blah months.

Bill

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Those are some very nice buys you lucky fellow.

Bruce

Now, if I could only find that pot 'o gold, that unicorn, that well endowed mermaid, that honest timeshare salesman, and that Timbers at Christmas Mountain UDI, I would be officially set

Anyone know where I can find any of the above.