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Is it really worth it?

lisilv

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Hello Tuggers..
I've been reading this post for a while, and noticed that a lot of people are very unhappy with the increase in the MF. Is it really worth buying a timeshare and having to spend about 1000 dollars in MF? Even after spending several thousand dollars on a premium TS? MF, plus exchange fees, plus II fees, that adds up pretty quickly. I know that TS offers high quality resorts, etc.. but at the rate this is going, who knows how much the MF are going to be 10 yrs from now..
 

m61376

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It depends on your travel needs/desires. Cheaper accomodations certainly are available. However, there definitely is a difference staying in a cramped hotel room, esp. with kids, and being able to spread out in a timeshare. I guess the perfect analogy is buying a car- some people are perfectly happy with a basic car and some want a luxury model and are willing to pay for it. They will both get you where you want to go.

MF's will go up over time. Unfortunately, so will hotel rates and just about everything else; I think the assumption is that MF's will rise proportionally (or hopefully less) than hotel rates still making ownership a relative bargain.

Another big expense on vacations is food costs. Not only do timeshares have the convenience of kitchen facilities, it also allows you to curtail some of those eating-out costs. Like hotels, restaurant rates keep on going up. Eating in, esp. breakfast and taking along lunch/snacks/drinks, is a big money saver. You can always offset the increase in MF's by barbequing one night.

Anyway, that's how I rationalize it :) . Truthfully, we are very new to this. All it took was one unexpected stay for us to realize that this was a much better way to vacation!
 

Dave M

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Overall, Marriott fees have averaged a reasonable increase of 4% per year over the previous five years - until this year. Certainly many of the increases this year are out of sight, due mostly to three reasons - skyrocketing property insurance rates due to the hurricanes of two years ago, increasing wage rates due to a tight labor market and significant property tax increases in some areas.

The high increase rate for this year won't continue. It can't. If it does, Marriott will price itself right out of the timeshare sales market!
 

AmyL4408

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We rented a few years with Vistana in Orlando. Both regular Vistana & Vistana Villages. I think it was about $200 per night on average for a 2BR. Thats about about 5 years ago.

Then one year we decided to save money! So we stayed at the comfort in. We only have one child, she's 11 now. I thought the comfort in was so cute, it had these twinsize bunkbeds with a dividing wall. Well 1 week of 3 of us in that room, and I said "NEVER AGAIN". Our next trip was to a Marriott, and we bought.

I think our MF is about $900 this year for that 2BR. So that is still much less than what I paid 5+ years ago to rent. And we will have much happier vacations now :clap:
 

JimC

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Also keep all of this in perspective with hotel rates. They have gone up just as dramatically as the fees at our timeshares.

I agree with Dave that overall the fees need to track inflation if the growth in the timeshare market is to continue.
 

sernow

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It seems to me that the combination of ever rising MF's, the risk of a big assessment, and the artificially high entry point (caused by ROFR) for Marriott, makes renting the way to go with Marriott. Renting from an owner gets the week you want without the reservation hassle, gives you a better chance at the view you want (since II won't guarantee view), eliminates the uncertainty of increases in MF's and the seemingly inevitable assessments, and eliminates the big financial commitment upfront. You're still enjoying the luxury (more so than people trading in), but someone else (the owner) is subsidizing part of the cost.

Until rental prices increase dramatically, and with the huge supply on the rental market, I don't see that happening quickly, renting seems like a good deal to me.
 

MOXJO7282

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It seems to me that the combination of ever rising MF's, the risk of a big assessment, and the artificially high entry point (caused by ROFR) for Marriott, makes renting the way to go with Marriott. Renting from an owner gets the week you want without the reservation hassle, gives you a better chance at the view you want (since II won't guarantee view), eliminates the uncertainty of increases in MF's and the seemingly inevitable assessments, and eliminates the big financial commitment upfront. You're still enjoying the luxury (more so than people trading in), but someone else (the owner) is subsidizing part of the cost.

Until rental prices increase dramatically, and with the huge supply on the rental market, I don't see that happening quickly, renting seems like a good deal to me.

I agree if you can travel off-season, but if you have to travel in primetime, to the prime resorts in Hawaii, Aruba and such, especially holiday travel and the school calendar, then renting is much harder, and more expensive.

Also if you can take advantage of a LO, even with all the increases, you can really get great value from ownership of a 2 BDRM LO, even expensive Marriotts.

Regards.
Joe
 

dougp26364

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We own at Ocean Pointe and at first glance, I was taken aback by this years maintenance fee's. Then I got to thinking about all the Ocean Pointe offered that some of our lower MF timeshares did not offer. 4 large adult swimming pools, three large hot tubs, one childrens splash pool, a good sized childrens play area, a bar and grill, Pizza Hut experess with soft serve Eddy's ice cream, made to order sandwhich's and even breakfast items, a Starbucks express, a mini market, conceirge service, internet cafe, childrens activity center, two fitness centers, direct beach access, multiple large gas grills throughout the complex and a few other things I can't think to mention right now.

Many of the Marriott's offer so much more than the compitition. Enough that they almost have the feeling of an all inclusive resort. In the end, when I stopped to think about it I felt the MF I was paying was worth the price.
 

MOXJO7282

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We own at Ocean Pointe and at first glance, I was taken aback by this years maintenance fee's. Then I got to thinking about all the Ocean Pointe offered that some of our lower MF timeshares did not offer. 4 large adult swimming pools, three large hot tubs, one childrens splash pool, a good sized childrens play area, a bar and grill, Pizza Hut experess with soft serve Eddy's ice cream, made to order sandwhich's and even breakfast items, a Starbucks express, a mini market, conceirge service, internet cafe, childrens activity center, two fitness centers, direct beach access, multiple large gas grills throughout the complex and a few other things I can't think to mention right now.

Many of the Marriott's offer so much more than the compitition. Enough that they almost have the feeling of an all inclusive resort. In the end, when I stopped to think about it I felt the MF I was paying was worth the price.

I very much agree, but the increase this year was really a wake up call. I have been doing so well with my multi-week rent and usage plan up until this year, when it was seriuosly eroded by the sharp increases. My operating expenses went up over $600. My plan can't take many more hits like that. I'm nowhere near retirement age, so if renting my excess weeks stopping being "cost effective", I'll have to sell. I'm still $2000-$3000 below total max OPx before I would liguidate, but if increases are going to be $600 annually, I'll be out of the TS game in less than 5 years. We'll have to stay turned. As Dave M. said, Marriott has to be careful with increases, as it will effect sales at some point, but so far it hasn't. There seems to be no shortage of wealthy people buying these top properties that they have been impervious so far.

Regards.
Joe
 
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sernow

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I agree if you can travel off-season, but if you have to travel in primetime, to the prime resorts in Hawaii, Aruba and such, especially holiday travel and the school calendar, then renting is much harder, and more expensive.

Also if you can take advantage of a LO, even with all the increases, you can really get great value from ownership of a 2 BDRM LO, even expensive Marriotts.

Regards.
Joe

I was under the impression that there was a lot of competition to reserve holiday weeks at floating Marriotts. So much so in fact, that people were buying "throw away weeks" at other Marriott resorts during that resorts off season to get the ability to reserve 13 months out instead of 12. If I could be guaranteed that I could get the date I wanted at the resort I wanted without having to be a multiple week owner, than this would change the equation somewhat. Unfortunately, the only people who seem to "guarantee" that I will get the week I want, no problem, are the salesmen.

Running the resale numbers even for a place like MOC, and hoping that a huge assessment like the ones at KBC don't happen, it still seems like I come out ahead renting,
 

Dave M

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sernow -

I believe you and Doug are both correct.

As you suggest, there are no guarantees for getting the week you want. Even the 13-month reservation rule is no guarantee, as has been reported here on occasion. However, since only 50% of inventory can be reserved at 13 months, that leaves a lot of weeks for those of us who typically reserve at 12 months. Looking for July 4th week at the beach? Yes, that will be a challenge because there will be a lot of others seeking that week, too. But booking most prime summer/beach/ski weeks at a resort with a relatively short Platinum season is usually not a serious problem for those that plan carefully.

Will you come out ahead financially? That's unclear. As some have posted here and as I can attest to, there is no way I could rent the same type of accommodations I own, especially for a split lockout timeshare, for as little as what I pay annually, including fees and amortizing my initial cost.

For many of us, timesharing is a lifestyle. Would I pay to rent the same luxurious and roomy accommodations that Marriott timeshares give me if I rented in prime time? Maybe, but I never parted with that kind of money for rentals before I bought into timesharing. And the fact that I calculate my total annual cost is less than what I could rent those same weeks for from someone else is an added bonus that I wasn't counting on when I purchased.

How does one keep the cost low? Buy resale. And/or buy at a reasonably priced resort, such as Manor Club. Or, like I have, buy in at ridiculously low preconstruction prices at a reasonably priced resort like Grand Chateau and get a boatload of Marriott Rewards points in connection with the purchase.

Bottom line? Timesharing is not for everyone. But for many of us, it beats all of the alternatives.
 

m61376

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I think Dave alluded to something which I know was a factor in my decision to enter the "game." If I factor in the lost investment opportunity and the intial outlay, coupled with the MF's, it will take me several years before I'd break even when comparing renting similar accomodations and my outlay. However, I know me. As much as we enjoyed the spacious accomodations, I tend to try to be conservative when booking hotels and look for value. It would bother me to spend several thousand dollars to rent a week at a beach resort and I would likely find other things to spend the money on. Once the money is spent and the timeshare paid for, you don't think about the expense and look at the vacation as costing you the MF's and applicable airfare.

Personally, I know I will travel more. We used to travel a lot when the kids were younger. Then college tuitions intervened and travelling was curtailed. I am looking forward to relatively inexpensive luxury accomodations, taking advantage of last minute Getaway opportunities and rates...travel that perhaps I could have afforded but was too cheap to treat myself to. I know my family is excited at the prospect of relaxing family vacations and my kids at the potential for inexpensive vacation weeks with friends. For us, I know it was a good decision.
 
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