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Best TS

sly10

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I am new to timeshares but am interested in owning.
I'm looking to go to a different place every year.

What is the best TS for versatility (Europe/Canada/US/Mexico)?

What TS has the best value?


I recently sat through a HGVC presentation and bought a timeshare. I've since cancelled it after I did a little research and found out resales. We really liked HGVC but now are curious is there something better?

Thanks
 

#1 Cowboys Fan

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What TS has the best value?


Thanks

Ohhhh---the 64 thousand dollar question....

There is a WEALTH of info here---look around this site----you can answer a lot of questions for yourself by reading.

Then, (or even before you read it all), give elaborate details of what you mean by:
"What TS has the best value?"

Are you looking to:
1) spend as little money as possible?
2) have a NICE place to go to, even if costs more?
3) trade for a NICE place or
4) ??? (many other things that you might mean)


We'll help---let us know what you need help with.

Welcome !!,
Pat
 

DeniseM

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Welcome to TUG! :hi: That's a popular question! Here's a link to past discussions.

Exchanging is kind of a crap shoot. If I was you, I would consider buying two every other year timeshares at exactly the locations I want to visit. Owner's priority for things like view and early reservations means a lot. Also, when you exchange, you seldom get things like the best location, or ocean views, because those go to owners.

The most successful exchangers are very flexible and can travel any time of the year.
 
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sly10

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We recently stayed at the HGVC @ Sea World and toured the HGVC on International drive and found both places very nice and would like to maintain that standard. BUT I do not want to overspend on HGVC when I see other timeshares selling for literally pennies.

I'm looking for the Hilton quality at the lowest purchase price possible, as most MF are similar as far as I can understand.

Does $11000 for HGVC Las Vegas (1 week platinum - peak season) sound like a deal? It does to me as the developper was offering 4800 pts for $20000, but I'm new to this.

I just don't know.
 

tombo

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The best timeshare is a gold crown with RCI, 5 star with II, Oceanfront 4th of july 3 bed room 3 bath, which also has the guaranteed option of a New years week Ski-in Ski-out in Park City or Colorado (3 bed room 3 bath), or a week 5 or 6 oceanfront in the carribbean (2 or 3 bed room) with an annual Hawaii option which has your choice of islands and week (with only ocean front 2 bedrooms) which you can purchase for $1 and has annual Maintenance fees of under $500. When you find this mythical timeshare please let us know.

Read the posts here and study long and hard before buying. Never buy hoping the resort trades well. The best timeshare is what is best for you. Buy where you like to vacation and only consider exchanging as a possible perk, but not the primary reason for buying. Some like the beach, some like the moutains, some like only luxurious accomodations, some like small family oriented resorts. Buy what you like, and rent at a resort you are interested in before you buy. I would read and search the areas I like to vacation to try and decide which resorts would suit my taste. Then I would rent before buying to make sure that I would like to go there every year. After you decide which resort(s) would be good for you, then track sale prices on e-bay etc to see what a good purchase price at that resort(s) would be. After reading a lot on these forums and renting a couple of times you can make an informed choice you will be happy with.

There is no best resort, but there might be a resort out there that is best for you. Good luck and welcome to TUG.
 

tombo

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We recently stayed at the HGVC @ Sea World and toured the HGVC on International drive and found both places very nice and would like to maintain that standard. BUT I do not want to overspend on HGVC when I see other timeshares selling for literally pennies.

I'm looking for the Hilton quality at the lowest purchase price possible, as most MF are similar as far as I can understand.

Does $11000 for HGVC Las Vegas (1 week platinum - peak season) sound like a deal? It does to me as the developper was offering 4800 pts for $20000, but I'm new to this.

I just don't know.

Maintenance fees vary widely, and the Ritziest resorts (like you are interested in) typically have the highest MF's. Many times you can rent at the resort for cheaper than MF's, so you are better off renting than owning. There was a thread on here recently to see who had the cheapest annual MF's, and I think the winner was $279. There are several resorts in Hawaii (and a couple of other places) where the annual MF's top $2000. Read some of the discussions on the Marriott threads to see how some resorts have increased their MF's 50% in 5 years. Be very careful about MF's where you purchase because the only guarantee you have about MF's is that they will increase.

The easiest place to exchange for is the Orlando area because there are more timeshares there (good and bad) than anywhere else. If you want to go to Orlando every year that might be the place for you. If you only would like to go to Orlando every now and then, buy at another location you would like to go most years and trade for Orlando when you decide to vacation there.
Go to the HGVC section of TUG, read posts, and ask questions to see what HGVC weeks are currently selling for. I am not sure but $11,000 resale sounds way too high to me in todays market.
 
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capjak

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I think the timeshare you are looking for is this:

1. Starwood Westin Kierland Phoenix (EOY Even) 148000 options per year $9000
2. HGVC 4800 Las Vegas annual $6000
3. Marriott Shadow Ridge (L/O) EOY odd $4000
4. Wyndham Bonnett Creek EOY 154,000 points $500

There with these 4 units you should get what you want, someplace new every year and internal tradeing or II or RCI or Hotel stays with HGVC.

$19500 upfront to purchase annual fees of $1600

Feel free to exchange other options within this group or substitute worldmark, DVC or Hyatt for one/two of the above...seriously this will work for a lot of people but not cheap....and a lot of knowledge of several systems...but if you think of it like a hobby you'll be an expert. (PS I just need a HGVC and Wyndham and I'm there)
 
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UWSurfer

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HGVC resales platinum go for roughly $1.50 per point these days. HGVC has right of first refusal and often uses it...hence keeping the prices up.

If you are flexible about dates you stay places...in otherwords, not the popular holiday or high demand weeks, you can get a property resale as was stated for $1 on ebay with low maintenance fee's and exchange into some of these nicer places as they come around. The most flexible way is to find someone who already converted their week to RCI points and get it cheap...as many places want multiple thousands to convert a week.

I have both HGVC, non-HGVC at places I want to stay at and one RCI points account where the very first points exchange was for HGVC Las Vegas Hilton (ironically). Right now we're having a lot fun discovering all the ways we can use the RCI points to get a variety of places and durrations of stays.
 
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yumdrey

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OMG, all of above members are timeshare gurus :)
I guess you (OP) like the top hotel brand timeshares, like HGVC, Starwood, Marriott and Hyatt. These hotel brand companies are the "best traders" and also have luxury features. I don't recommend you to purchase Orlando. HGVC has reasonable maintenance fees compared to Starwood, and has flexibility for its use. Seth Nock is one of the most reputable broker who has been recommended by many other Tuggers, and he has good information about recent HGVC sale prices, etc...
 

tombo

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Here are some of the trades I can get in the Orlando area with a silver crown resort I own (where I like to stay) that can be purchased on e-bay for less than $500 which has MF's of less than $550 a year. Why buy HGVC in Orlando for $11,00 (or even $5000) with MF's approaching $1000 ($850 2 bed room, $1030 3 bed room) when you can trade in there easily for about $700 (including MF's and exchange fees) with a decent trader? Look for a home resort somehwere other than Orlando or Vegas because those locations are too easy to trade in to almost any time of the year IMO.

Hilton Grand Vacations Club at SeaWorld International Center (#3517) 22 available units
Orlando
FL, 32821 USA
map resort Available Unit Size
2 BR (6 max)

Hilton Grand Vacations Club on International Drive (#6309) 17 available units
Orlando
FL, 32821 USA

map resort Available Unit Size
2 BR (6 max)
1 BR (4 max)


Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort - East Village (#8896) 117 available units
Kissimmee
FL, 34747 USA

map resort Available Unit Size
2 BR (8 max)
3 BR (12 max)

Vacation Village at Parkway (#4940)

Kissimmee, FL 34747 USA


Displaying 11-20 of 49 resorts Page Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next

more
Processing Request... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 
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AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
By Me $11,000 Is Way Too Much To Pay For A Timeshare.

Does $11000 for HGVC Las Vegas (1 week platinum - peak season) sound like a deal?
Feel free to call me a bottom-feeding bargain hunter -- I'll take it as a compliment.

Our baseline for nice timeshares is $3,500 for a Floating Diamond 3BR lock-off unit in Orlando FL -- the most we've ever spent for a timeshare. We bought it sight-unseen in 2002, "upgraded" to Phase Two for $1,925 (eBay) in 2003, & re-sold Phase One for the same $3,500 we paid for it -- in effect getting paid $1,500 for "upgrading."

The $1,500 was burning a hole in our pocket, so before long we spent part of it on a far-off overseas 2BR standard-grade timeshare just for advantageous trades into nice USA timeshares, & spent the rest on a dinky points timeshare (dinky = 15,000 points per year), just to get a toe-hold into the points system.

Later we bought back into Phase One in Orlando for $500 -- Floating Diamond 3BR lock-off unit just like our original 2002 resale timeshare, except it's even years only.

By me, the amount we spent is a lot of money to tie up in something as frivolous as timeshares. Even so, the true cost of timesharing is not the acquisition cost, but the ongoing costs. Even if you get your timeshare(s) el cheapo or el freebo, you'll be paying annual maintenance fees on each & every 1 from then on out for as long as you own'm, and that's the real cost of timesharing no matter how much or how little you pay to get in.

Keep in mind also that there is no such thing as a new timeshare. By the time you show up & check in, other people will have already stayed in your unit before you ever step foot inside. All timeshares are used-used-used. So therefore, why ever pay new prices for a product that's no such thing ?

You can click here if you want to see our (mostly) complete timeshare story, just for whatever educational value it may contain for your situation.

Above all, have fun. And welcome to TUG.

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

Steve NH

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Bouns weeks

Another option to keep in mind is that with some time share you get 'Bonus Week" certificates.

If you know how to work them they come in handy.

Example - since Orlando area has soo many timeshares. I find I can often get into Orlando using a bonus week. (Only cost is the exchange fee $ 168.00)

Or if you often vacation in 'off seasons' You can get into almost any area using bonus weeks. (Like my wife and her two sisters taking a quick getaway to Cape Cod in off season $ 168.00 for 2 bdrm)

Look at your travel/vacation pattern, figure out what will work best.
 

UWSurfer

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One other thought from me...those who have posted here have invested many hundreds, if not thousands of hours in understanding and working the various timeshare systems they are a part of.

You could say they are the super-users of timeshare. If you do the work and the research, you can become one as well.

Most people over pay from a developer, later have regrets at the monthly payment they've found themselves with, get very discouraged and never learn how their system works. There are a large percentage of folks who seldom or rarely use their timeshares who fall into this category. :confused: We've got a family member and a close friend who fall under this category.

The second most common class are those who have their week someplace and either use it each and every year or know a little about their mini-system and exchange within their system. :)

If you stick around here on Tug, read and ask a questions you'll get a great education and will be able to count yourself among the super-users here as well. It's sooooo much fun. :D
 

m61376

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I think you really need to decide on the questions Pat posed above. Besides where you want to go, the style you want to travel in, when you want to travel, your travel flexibility and size of unit you will need/want are all important considerations. And, yes, we all like to stay in the nicest and best, but before deciding what and where to buy you need to be honest with yourself as to whether you want and are willing/can afford to pay for the better resorts or would rather save the bucks and just have a nice or decent place to sleep. Timeshares, like most things, come in all shapes and sizes and various amenities and not only will the nicer ones cost more but their annual maintenance fees will be higher.

If you read through the forums here you will see that there are those who prefer the amenities of the hotel brands and are willing to pay for them, while others delight in using their $1-$1000 Ebay units and have had many wonderful trips from them. Only you know what will work best for you now and in the future.

Good luck and happy hunting!
 

Keitht

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I'm looking to go to a different place every year.

What is the best TS for versatility (Europe/Canada/US/Mexico)?

What TS has the best value?


Thanks

I'm sure this will create some sort of reaction, but I'm not convinced that given your requirement for a different place every year timeshare is actually the best route for you.

Why?

A couple of reasons mainly. Firstly many people report that it is becoming more and more difficult to get the exchange they want. Secondly the apparently endless upward spiral of maintenance fees, with increases way ahead of inflation.
I've had many years of enjoyment out of our timeshare, with hopefully many more years to come. Nonetheless I probably wouldn't buy now even at bargain basement prices on the resale market. My own t/s maintenance fee this year was over £400 ($600 at current exchange) rates and I could probably rent somewhere in Europe for a similar figure. I wouldn't then have the long term concern about disposal if or when the time comes. I'd also be completely free to decide where and when to travel, not caught at the whim of an exchange company which may decide to cherry pick the best deposits for its rental system (allegedly).
It may be that t/s is still for you, but I would encourage you to consider all the up and down side risks before committing one way or the other.
 

geekette

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To dovetail on Keith's input, think about renting for the next couple years. No committment to mf, and you decide cost vs benefit.
 

alwysonvac

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Whatever you decide, don't put all of your future vacation dollars into timesharing. This will give you the flexibility in the future to choose the best way to visit your desired destinations. There might not be a timeshare at the location that you want to visit or if there is a timeshare it may be very hard to get an exchange. You may also want to visit a destination in an entirely different way via a cruise, hotel/resort stay, special discounted travel package, tour company, etc....

As DeniseM stated above
(1) exchanging is kind of a crap shoot (available is based on the weeks that have been deposited into the exchange companies; availability varies; there are no guarantees that the time you want to visit will be available; high demand locations during high peak periods will have the most competition for timeshare stays)
(2) Owner's priority at their home resort (exchangers may not get the best rooms available)
(3) The most successful exchangers are very flexible and can travel any time of the year (generally folks that can travel off season or last minute and/or folks that can plan more than a year in advance have better success with exchanges)

Timeshare availability is not like hotel availability. All 52 weeks have been prepaid. So technically, timeshare resorts are always sold out. Owners have to compete to reserve the most desirable travel weeks. As the year gets under way, it's almost like the musical chairs game where owners scramble to reserve the most desirable weeks and some owners may be left standing without a reservation.

Read TUG's Timeshare 101 if you haven't - see http://www.tug2.net/advice/TimeShare-101.htm
If you're interested in the hotel based timeshares take a look at this thread - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34031

Don't rush into a decision. Take your time to decide what will best fits your vacation needs. Renting is definitely an option to consider.
Here's a link to the frequently mentioned rental websites - http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17673

Good Luck :)
 

ricoba

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OMG, all of above members are timeshare gurus :)

While there are many many people here who are very knowledgeable about timeshares, there is only one Timeshare GURU and that is our own Fern Modena. :D :whoopie::)
 

UWSurfer

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While there are many many people here who are very knowledgeable about timeshares, there is only one Timeshare GURU and that is our own Fern Modena. :D :whoopie::)

(I still get to keep my superuser cape though, right???) ;)
 

sly10

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Thank you all for the excellent replies. I have a lot to learn as well as a lot to think about. This site is excellent, thank you again.
 
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