Help me choose my first timeshare!

darnoc23 · Apr 6, 2014

DeniseM said:
Here are some questions you can answer to focus your timeshare wants/needs.

If you click on QUOTE at the end of my post, the questions will open up in a new window for you to answer:

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

I live in southern California. So looking at some of the threads, I should have my home resort in driving distance. So San Diego, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and considering Cabo San Lucas.

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?

Trade more.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

Maui, Kaui, Cabo San Lucas, Beach areas basically.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?

Six. Me, wife and four kids.

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

School schedule.

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

Yes.

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?

Beach and pool areas - 5 stars. Kid activities.

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

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?

2k. The maintenance fee should be lower than a weeks rentals.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?

Yes.

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.
__________________

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

I live in southern California. So looking at some of the threads, I should have my home resort in driving distance. So San Diego, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and considering Cabo San Lucas.

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?

Trade more.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

Maui, Kaui, Cabo San Lucas, Beach areas basically.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?

Six. Me, wife and four kids.

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

School schedule.

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

Yes.

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?

Beach and pool areas - 5 stars. Kid activities.

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

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?

2k. The maintenance fee should be lower than a weeks rentals.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?

Yes.

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.

DeniseM · Apr 6, 2014

If you really want 5 Star Accommodations you should look at the hotel affiliated timeshare systems: Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, and Hyatt.

Don't buy IN Mexico - Mexico has far more supply than demand, so it's a poor trader.

You didn't say what your budget is, but a 2 bdm. at a 5 Star Resort could be in the $10-20K range to purchase, even on the resale market, with a maintenance fee of $1,500- $2,400 a year.

I can't really think of anything in Southern CA that is 5 Star, except the Four Seasons Aviara, but since they only have 2 resorts, it doesn't meet your requirements to have a system of 5 star resorts that you can trade for. Using it as a regular trader with an exchange company would be like depositing a Mercedes in a pool of Chey's - not a good value.

http://www.fourseasons.com/northsan...3aviaS01&KW_ID=sA8XRSxeO_dc|pcrid|22937889642 -

Tahoe, where there is a Marriott and a Hyatt might work for you.

presley · Apr 6, 2014

darnoc23 said:
1) Where do you want your home resort to be?

I live in southern California. So looking at some of the threads, I should have my home resort in driving distance. So San Diego, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and considering Cabo San Lucas.

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?

Trade more.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?

Maui, Kaui, Cabo San Lucas, Beach areas basically.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?

Six. Me, wife and four kids.

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

School schedule.

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

Yes.

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?

Beach and pool areas - 5 stars. Kid activities.

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

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?

2k. The maintenance fee should be lower than a weeks rentals.

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?

Yes.

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.

After looking at your answers, I'd suggest checking out Marriott 2 bedroom platinum weeks. MFs are lower on weeks vs. their points program. You could buy a 2 bedroom at either newport coast villas or Palm desert. Newport would be good if you want to use it for home use, as Crystal Cove is very close. With either, you'd have priority for any marriott trading in II and that would get you the Maui and Kaui exchanges during high season.

Hiltons are very nice, but there aren't any in Maui or Kaui. They trade in RCI and since they are among the best that RCI has to offer, you'd be trading down most of the time.

DeniseM · Apr 6, 2014

I forgot about Marriott's Newport Coast Villas - that is an excellent idea, unless it's TOO close to home for you.

darnoc23 · Apr 6, 2014

Thank you both for the response. Apologies, I think I read question #8 incorrectly. For some reason I thought it was asking for amenities that's important to me and gave beach areas and kid activities the most import rating. Anyways, I'm not sure of the accommodation rating. As far as timeshares I've stayed at the Sheraton Vista in Orlando and Villa Estancia in Cabo San Lucas. So those types of accommodations is what I'm looking for. Regarding not buying in Mexico, is it because I can probably rent cheaper than purchasing. I was considering purchasing Villa Estancia if there was any resales. Friends have told me that I should look into Wyndham/Worldmark since my family does travel a lot in different locations. Thoughts? Newport Marriot sounds good as well. What would be the price range for a 2 bedroom. Are there any timeshares in Laguna Beach that fit what I'm looking for? Thank you.

darnoc23 · Apr 6, 2014

Apologies, I forgot to ask also. I read in a thread that purchasing Mariott in resale doesn't give the same points and trading as if I purchased from them? Can someone confirm the cons of purchasing from a resale for Mariott. I see a couple of listings for Newport in the marketplace and is within my budget. Thanks.

presley · Apr 7, 2014

darnoc23 said:
Friends have told me that I should look into Wyndham/Worldmark since my family does travel a lot in different locations. Thoughts?

I love Worldmark because it has so many locations. However, if a Marriott is about a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5, Worldmark would be about 3.

darnoc23 said:
Apologies, I forgot to ask also. I read in a thread that purchasing Mariott in resale doesn't give the same points and trading as if I purchased from them? Can someone confirm the cons of purchasing from a resale for Mariott. I see a couple of listings for Newport in the marketplace and is within my budget. Thanks.

I wouldn't buy Marriott points. You'd want to buy a week. A platinum week will trade very highly in II for any other Marriott. If you buy a gold season, you'd be getting good trades in the gold season, etc. Size also matters for trading.

Seaport104 · Apr 7, 2014

darnoc23 said:
I was considering purchasing Villa Estancia if there was any resales.

Villa la estancia is fractional ownership, minimum of 6 or 8 weeks. They do have resales but they are $$$. I checked in their nuevo vallarta location and $144k was the lowest price for a 2nd floor 2br unit. You can probably find a fire sale but it won't be less than $100k, at least not when I last looked a year ago.

Villa del Arco/ del palmar is the traditional timeshare part of the Villa Group.

carl2591 · Apr 7, 2014

Seaport104 said:
Villa la estancia is fractional ownership, minimum of 6 or 8 weeks. They do have resales but they are $$$. I checked in their nuevo vallarta location and $144k was the lowest price for a 2nd floor 2br unit. You can probably find a fire sale but it won't be less than $100k, at least not when I last looked a year ago.

Villa del Arco/ del palmar is the traditional timeshare part of the Villa Group.

what are MF on something like that?.. if you are getting 8 wks for 100k that's about 12.5k per week.. is the place worth that?

12.5 will buy a lot of nice resale places .

Seaport104 · Apr 7, 2014

carl2591 said:
what are MF on something like that?.. if you are getting 8 wks for 100k that's about 12.5k per week.. is the place worth that?

12.5 will buy a lot of nice resale places .

As of last year , it was $3.7k for the 8 weeks. It's an awesome resort. Rated #1 in tripadvisor and 4 diamond rated. If I had the $$ and could afford it easily and near retirement, I would purchase, but that's not the case so no go for me.

It belongs to a high end trade system for fractional ownerships which includes four seasons.

VegasBella · Apr 7, 2014

darnoc23 said:
Are there any timeshares in Laguna Beach that fit what I'm looking for?

There are two in Laguna Beach:
Laguna Shores - http://www.thegoodlifelaguna.com/
Laguna Surf - http://www.lagunasurf.org/
Both are rated "Gold Crown" by RCI. They are older resorts with smaller rooms and fewer amenities than some newer resorts. The location for both is fantastic, right by the beach. To me, that location is just fabulous and makes up for nearly any other flaws such as ugly furniture or lack of a pool (Laguna Surf does not have a pool). I haven't stayed at either so I can't speak to the rooms or service.

My impression for both is that they're currently better for use than for trading. A lot of people who trade seem to prefer on-site amenities over proximity to the beach or town. And the bigger resorts get more attention too simply because bigger means more people stay there and thus more word-of-mouth, more online reviews, etc.

presley · Apr 7, 2014

VegasBella said:
There are two in Laguna Beach:
Laguna Shores - http://www.thegoodlifelaguna.com/
Laguna Surf - http://www.lagunasurf.org/

Neither of those can hold a family of 6.

VegasBella · Apr 7, 2014

presley said:
Neither of those can hold a family of 6.

Not in one room

Yeah, they're not a great option for the OP. At least not now. But he was curious about Laguna Beach and no one answered the question directly. So those are the options in Laguna Beach. And BTW, both timeshares have owners' resales listings right on their webpages, which in my opinion is a great sign.

1950bing · Apr 7, 2014

Plan all the way through ! Know what to do when you no longer want it or can not use it. What you buy can determine how easy it will be to unload. Don't assume the kids will want it.

darnoc23 · Apr 9, 2014

Thank you all for the responses. More research. Interesting in Villa Estancia. We stayed their about 2-3 years ago and went through the presentation. Previously it was like a timeshare program where we were offered a week. It was a very nice place.

Saintsfanfl · Apr 9, 2014

darnoc23 said:
Thank you all for the responses. More research. Interesting in Villa Estancia. We stayed their about 2-3 years ago and went through the presentation. Previously it was like a timeshare program where we were offered a week. It was a very nice place.

Buying in Mexico is a horrible idea and it's not just because renting is cheaper. I wouldn't take any timeshare in Mexico even if you paid me $3k to take it. You have little to no recourse and it is very hard to get rid of.

You wanted help choosing your first timeshare and nobody is going to suggest that the answer is one in Mexico.

Seaport104 · Apr 9, 2014

darnoc23 said:
Thank you all for the responses. More research. Interesting in Villa Estancia. We stayed their about 2-3 years ago and went through the presentation. Previously it was like a timeshare program where we were offered a week. It was a very nice place.

I think you are talking about Villa del Palmar or Villa del Arco which is next to Villa la Estancia since they are all under the Villa Group.

darnoc23 · Apr 15, 2014

Seaport, I think you're right. We stayed at Villa Estancia, however the presentation was for the units next door. I recall it's the one with the pirate ship in the pool.

Anyone have any thoughts on going with Starwood?

Seaport104 · Apr 15, 2014

darnoc23 said:
Seaport, I think you're right. We stayed at Villa Estancia, however the presentation was for the units next door. I recall it's the one with the pirate ship in the pool.

Anyone have any thoughts on going with Starwood?

Yes, the one with the pirate ship is Villa del Arco, one of their newer resorts.

As for Starwood, for me their selection of resorts was not a good fit for me. I'm a beach vacationer but unfortunately, Hawaii is too far from the East Coast for me to go every year when I can only get away a week at a time. Other than Atlantis and St. John, none of their other resorts interests me that much. Their restrictions on banking (due by July, I think) turned me off as well. But to each it's own. Plus I have a good friend who owns a 2 units in Atlantis that will rent me her unit at cost since I'm the one she goes to with her timeshare questions and I found her resale 3BR Gold (her 1st unit was developer purchase) :hysterical:

However, if I lived on the West Coast where Hawaii is easily accessible, it would be more attractive to me.

Seaport104 · Apr 15, 2014

darnoc23- I was in the same shoes as you trying to figure out the "timeshare" thing and all I can say is research and read a ton of posts here on Tug.

The great thing about timeshares is every one's needs and expectations are different but this forum gives you multiple perspectives and it allows you to see which ones you relate to or fits your profile. I read through tons of posts and the stickies on each of the major systems to get a feel of the various nuiances associated with them, checked out the resort websites, tripadvisor, posted questions for approximately 8 months before I pulled the trigger and so far I am, as well as family and friends, loving them (even though I own 2 timeshare in Mexico

).

Smokatoke · Apr 16, 2014

Grandview. They give awesome point:MF value, u never have to use points to stay there its so inexpensive via cash and its very much driving distance from So Cal. The double units at GV are only $30 more than the single units so accomdations for 6 are do-able.

Koontzy · May 2, 2014

Do plenty if research also to make sure it's hat you want.

Help me choose my first timeshare!

darnoc23

DeniseM

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert

DeniseM

darnoc23

darnoc23

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Seaport104

TUG Review Crew

carl2591

TUG Review Crew: Veteran

Seaport104

TUG Review Crew

VegasBella

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert

VegasBella

1950bing

darnoc23

Saintsfanfl

Seaport104

TUG Review Crew

darnoc23

Seaport104

TUG Review Crew

Seaport104

TUG Review Crew

Smokatoke

Koontzy