Suggestions for starter TS with low MF and decent exchange potential?

Hello Everyone!

I'm considering options for my first TS and I'm interested in finding something that has relatively low annual MF, but good potential exchange value. I don't have a need for anything larger than a 1BR at this point, but don't know whether a unit that size would likely be the best value vs. MF. I think at this point in the game weeks make more sense to me than points.

I really don't have a strong geographical preference as I am moving to a more location-independent lifestyle overall. At this stage I would be more likely to do exchanges than lock myself into the same location and week year after year.

I've seen quite a few interesting possibilities in the bargain forum, but I am having difficulty figuring out where I should be focusing my attention. I gather that the Las Vegas properties are not really a good deal because of over-development/high supply to demand ratio.

Any suggestions about what geographical locations or properties to hone in on or avoid? Also, I'd love to hear your comments on the issue of MF to unit-size value.

I have been reading the forums for a few days now and so appreciate all of the helpful information I've gained so far. Thanks in advance for your help with my questions

All I can say is from what you describe, you are not a weeks candidate if you do not plan on using a "home" resort every year with an occasional exchange and you will move around. Points is the better option for you. Only buy resale. I don;t know a lot about points, as I am a weeks owner, but in terms of trade value, you are better off with enough for a 2 bedroom.

As to what system to buy into, a lot of people prefer the Wyndham system. There is also RCI points, and numerous other systems.

Is there a part of the country that you prefer to vacation in? West Coast, east Coast? Or places like Mexico? the Carribean? More info please so the expert points Tuggers can help you out.

Also, you might want to rent privately from other owners at a few timeshares first to see what and how you like or if you even want to buy as oppose to renting. Remember, easy to get timeshares, hard to get rid of.

Thanks for the response. All good points for me to consider.

I really want to focus in the US. I have traveled internationally and plan to do more of that in the coming years, but I'm not really interested in a resort-type stay in any of those destinations. My international travel plans are more of an extended meandering of sorts.

In terms of where I like to vacation stateside, I prefer locations with good opportunities to enjoy nature and outdoor activities, whether it be the beach or the mountains. I have been thinking a lot about Colorado. I lived there years ago and love the mountains. Estes Park and the Avon/Vail areas are places that seem interesting. I'm actually not much of a skier, so summer weeks would be more of a draw for me personally, but I know they would have less exchange value than high ski season weeks.

I was also thinking about maybe Hilton Head or another Eastern Seaboard location.

And I love Kauai (again the natural beauty of that island just draws me in) but haven't been there for many years.

The southwest is an area I really haven't explored, but it does hold some interest for me. But since I'm not that familiar with it seems that might be better are to focus on for an exchange.

Currently, I take one week-long vacation in the US with extended family per year and usually do a one week vacation home rental in whatever location choose for that year. But my schedule is about to become very flexible and I will have many more opportunities for extended trips myself. so a 1BR is plenty for just me, but I guess if I every wanted to exchange for a week we could all use somewhere.

I'm not in a hurry to buy anything. I do want to mitigate my risk as much as possible on my first purchase. I think the options seem overwhelmingly broad and I guess I need some help narrowing my focus to some promising geographic areas and then to properties within those areas. Most importantly, I'd like to know what areas I should avoid from the get-go (i.e. easier to exchange into, and difficult to get value out of).

I hope this helped provide some clarification on questions you raised.

Thanks! Mel

And, of course, you have to take airfare into consideration. Depending where you live in relation to where you like to travel.

Worldmark is popular out West. I rented at West Yellowstone form a Worldmark points owner.

Wyndham is more East Coast.

Then you have the Marriot, Starwood, Disney.....

We live in NY so I like having timeshares to drive to. We go to Vermont and New Hampshire- ski resorts- but we go in summer. Have good trading value, but I rarely exchange anymore and if I do it's through the independent exchange companies, not RCI. I just rent for the extra vacations we want.

But if you plan on doing a lot of exchanging, RCI is good.

As for unit size, everyone is different, but i know we are only a family of 3 adults with a two bedroom and we regret not having a 3 bedroom now because it would have been so much better for inviting family and friends.

Although many people on TUG feel that trading is too risky or too much of a hassle, trading into ski resorts in summer is very easy through II. You will need a fairly high-quality resort if you want to trade into Marriotts or other high-quality resorts through II. (Quality is different from trade power. You will be able to "see" summer weeks in Vail and Park City using II, even if you don't have high trade power.)

A lot of inventory pops up at Kauai at the last minute. So, a good way to trade there is to book your airfare plus a hotel that can be canceled, then put in an ongoing search for your dates. If you start your ongoing search early, the odds are excellent that you'll eventually match something good. Depending on which exchange company you use, you may not be able to do an ongoing search for units larger than what you own, so if you want a one-bedroom, you should probably buy a one-bedroom rather than a studio.

Getting beach weeks during peak time is quite difficult (both through exchange companies and through many points systems.) If you want to get a peak beach week on a regular basis (more than once every few years), you will probably want to own a fixed high-season beach week or a beach week that floats during high season only.

I actually think that if you plan to do multiple trips a year, you will want multiple timeshares. They are really quite addictive.

I think that for a lot of bang for the buck- trade-ability, low initial cost, it's pretty hard to beat a RESALE RCI Points ownership at Grandview Las Vegas.

Jim

If you want to buy cheap with low MF, I would look at Grandview (Las Vegas, NV) for RCI Points or CasaBlanca (Mesquite, NV) for Weeks. Not sure if Casablanca is II or RCI. At one time I owned both. Price (Resale Market) was right; MFs were low; and both were easy to get rid of when I wanted out.

George

Thank you all for your quick responses and very helpful advice! The wheels are really turning in my head now...but in a much more focused way:whoopie:

I have a couple of follow up questions...

Jim & George, your perspectives intrigue me:

Passepartout said:

I think that for a lot of bang for the buck- trade-ability, low initial cost, it's pretty hard to beat a RESALE RCI Points ownership at Grandview Las Vegas.

Jim

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and

bogey21 said:

If you want to buy cheap with low MF, I would look at Grandview (Las Vegas, NV) for RCI Points or CasaBlanca (Mesquite, NV) for Weeks. Price (Resale Market) was right; MFs were low; and both were easy to get rid of when I wanted out.

George

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I was confused about how the RCI Points work, but I did read the related articles and I think I understand it at least in the basic sense. Please correct me if I'm wrong. The Grandview Las Vegas is a deeded property, and I would be purchasing a fixed or floating week interval (resale, of course), but it is exchanged through the RCI Points program. Is that correct?

Assuming I've got that straight, does the point value then depend on the week deposited?

If so, would you recommend pursuing a floating or fixed week interval and what weeks tend to get the most bang-for-for the buck, in your opinion?

Also, a 1BR is definitely sufficient for my needs. But is that the wisest choice if I intend to use it primarily for trading? (i.e. could i potentially get two 1 BR off-season stays elsewhere out of a 2BR?

Finally, since exchanging into a summer week in CO would be high on my want list, would Casa Blanca be better choice if it does trade through II? I'm thinking particularly about what Judy noted below about trading into summer stays at ski resorts.

JudyS said:

...trading into ski resorts in summer is very easy through II. You will need a fairly high-quality resort if you want to trade into Marriotts or other high-quality resorts through II. (Quality is different from trade power. You will be able to "see" summer weeks in Vail and Park City using II, even if you don't have high trade power.)...

I actually think that if you plan to do multiple trips a year, you will want multiple timeshares. They are really quite addictive.

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Judy, What is your perspective on the viability of trading a Grandview or CasaBlanca week for a summer week in CO? Also thanks for the killer tip about how to swing a Kauai exchange with limited risk


I think I was mostly interested in Hilton Head as a very once-in-a-while location and thinking of it more in terms of perhaps having good exchange value. So unless there would be good reason to consider a beach week for high exchange value, I will back burner that idea for now. (Any thoughts on this?)

Clarification to All: I am more focused on destination than the quality of the resort that I trade into. I understand that quality is important on the deposit end. But in terms of actual usage or what I trade into high-end amenities are less important to me than what I can do while I'm there. I am more interested in decent quality accommodations in an interesting location than "pampering and perks". Obviously, I don't want to stay at a dump...but Marriott or equivalent is definitely not a "must" for me.

Again, thank you all for your input! You have really helped me start to hone in what I want in a TS and how I want to use it. I welcome any other comments or suggestions.

Gratefully, Mel

Mel, the quick and dirty primer on RCI Points in this case is that Grandview sold SOME units that were converted from Weeks (TPU) to Points. They (iirc) got about 57,000 points a year- in a 1 BR- for about $450 MF. We consider a 'good' point/MF ratio to be about a penny a point. Every year on your anniversary, those points automatically appear in your account. You use those as 'currency' to exchange for where you want to go. It's a use the points or use the week at the resort deal.- but Grandview weeks are easily available as 'Last Call' rentals through RCI. RCI membership is about $90/yr and exchanges are currently$209 each. If you can find a converted week there it's a good deal. They have been discovered, so the buy-in can be a little higher than they were a couple yeas ago. Watch eBay, Redweek, TUG Marketplace for resales.

Jim

Passepartout said:

Mel, the quick and dirty primer on RCI Points in this case is that Grandview sold SOME units that were converted from Weeks (TPU) to Points. They (iirc) got about 57,000 points a year- in a 1 BR- for about $450 MF. We consider a 'good' point/MF ratio to be about a penny a point. Every year on your anniversary, those points automatically appear in your account. You use those as 'currency' to exchange for where you want to go. It's a use the points or use the week at the resort deal.- but Grandview weeks are easily available as 'Last Call' rentals through RCI. RCI membership is about $90/yr and exchanges are currently$209 each. If you can find a converted week there it's a good deal. They have been discovered, so the buy-in can be a little higher than they were a couple yeas ago. Watch eBay, Redweek, TUG Marketplace for resales.

Jim

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Thanks Jim! That makes it much clearer. I was just reading some of the formulas regarding cost/trade value ratio and this is a helpful easy-to- remember point/MF target to shoot for. I will definitely take your advice and start a careful search. I'm not in any hurry so I this definitely helps me figure out what makes the most sense for me. Much appreciated!

Mel I own 2 Grandview in Las Vegas.... I get 181000 points a year and my mf is less then 1000.00 but remember you will have RCI fees etc.... I have NEVER even stayed at the GrandView but use it for a trader.... Dave

Obviously, it depends on your individual situation. But from what you describe, I'd consider this:

1) get FREE/cheap timeshare in resort belonging to II (interval international):
Example:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223854
You can also go to eBay

2)get free/cheap RCI POINTS timeshare
Example:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221496&highlight=points
You can also go to eBay

3) Get II membership and RCI Points membership

4)Book reservations only 2 months out

Result:
Through II, You'll have access to one exchange a year, plus unlimited Getaways, which are last minute deals.

Through RCI, you'll have access to as many as 1 exchange per 10k points, which is equivalent to about 3 vacations with the RCI Points timeshare above. And you'll also have access to unlimited Last Call Vacation deals, which are last minute deals.

The math works out like these, more or less:
A) first II timeshare: $200 a year
B)Second RCI Points timeshare: $600 a year
C) II + RCI membership: $90 + $125 = $215 a year
D) Exchange fees: with II $175 with RCI $199
so, if you do one II exchange and 3 RCI exchanges, that would be $775 total

Grand total:$1790 for 4 vacations

Additionally, if you choose to take last minute deals, you'll have to add the costs associated with Getaways, at about $400 each, and Last Call Vacation deals, at about $400.

In other words, my math works out to about $65 per night in one week chunks, or about $450 per week.

You can of course do better as far as the price per week, but you can do what I just stated without much effort. The timeshares are there for you to get them.

In order to do better than what I just described (in other words, in order to get a cheaper price per week), be prepared to do some major homework, the most important of which is that you need to read this online board very carefully, top to bottom, left to right.

Magic1962 said:

Mel I own 2 Grandview in Las Vegas.... I get 181000 points a year and my mf is less then 1000.00 but remember you will have RCI fees etc.... I have NEVER even stayed at the GrandView but use it for a trader.... Dave

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Wow Dave, that seems like a great point/MF ratio! This early in the game, I can't imagine what I would do with that many points

Am I correct in understanding that RCI charges and additional fee for combining your points from two different properties to use on an exchange?

Thanks,
Mel

dominidude said:

Obviously, it depends on your individual situation. But from what you describe, I'd consider this:

1) get FREE/cheap timeshare in resort belonging to II (interval international):
Example:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223854
You can also go to eBay

2)get free/cheap RCI POINTS timeshare
Example:
http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=221496&highlight=points
You can also go to eBay

3) Get II membership and RCI Points membership

4)Book reservations only 2 months out

Result:
Through II, You'll have access to one exchange a year, plus unlimited Getaways, which are last minute deals.

Through RCI, you'll have access to as many as 1 exchange per 10k points, which is equivalent to about 3 vacations with the RCI Points timeshare above. And you'll also have access to unlimited Last Call Vacation deals, which are last minute deals.

The math works out like these, more or less:
A) first II timeshare: $200 a year
B)Second RCI Points timeshare: $600 a year
C) II + RCI membership: $90 + $125 = $215 a year
D) Exchange fees: with II $175 with RCI $199
so, if you do one II exchange and 3 RCI exchanges, that would be $775 total

Grand total:$1790 for 4 vacations

Additionally, if you choose to take last minute deals, you'll have to add the costs associated with Getaways, at about $400 each, and Last Call Vacation deals, at about $400.

In other words, my math works out to about $65 per night in one week chunks, or about $450 per week.

You can of course do better as far as the price per week, but you can do what I just stated without much effort. The timeshares are there for you to get them.

In order to do better than what I just described (in other words, in order to get a cheaper price per week), be prepared to do some major homework, the most important of which is that you need to read this online board very carefully, top to bottom, left to right.

Click to expand...

Thanks Dominidude!

These are precisely the strategies that have been forming in my head over the last couple of days, but you have just fleshed them out in a way that makes me feel much more confident that I'm on the right path. Much appreciated!


Mel

More questions about Grandview/RCI points - is this a good strategy?

Thank you all for the sage advice. I am moved that total strangers would take the time to provide such detailed explanations - including a breakdown of the numbers. You are all fantastic!

Based on the recommendations above, I've been taking a closer look at the MF/points value on the RCI side. It does look like the a Grandview LV points TS will give me the best point/MF ratio for the price-point I'm willing to consider at this point. (very low to practically free)

I searched the Bargain forum and, not surprisingly, did not find and Grandview points TS listings at all. A quick search of ebay came up with listings in the $2-4K range for a 2BR offering 98,000 pts for a $699 MF.

So here's the strategy on the RCI side that is percolating to the surface for me...Look for a biennial/triennial Grandview LV with at least a penny/point or better ratio that is as close to free as possible.

Example:

Triennial 1 BR - $116 MF and 16,333 annual points.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-333-RCI-...821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56713701dd


Advantages I see:
Low cost of entry
Low annual MF
cheap way into RCI and access to last call vacation deals.
Could possibly make one exchange per year (off season travel is not a problem for me) with the points I gain?

The only disadvantage I see at the moment is that the low annual points might make it difficult to book any reasonable exchanges.

So my follow up questions are:

Can I reasonably expect to book anything at all for 16,000 points or less?

Can I accumulate points year over year - and if so how soon do they expire? And is there a fee associated with combining points from two different years, given they haven't expired yet.

I saw a "point saving" fee and "points extension" fees listed on the RCI fee table - what is the difference between these two actions and in what scenarios would they apply?

What other disadvantages do you see to the strategy above as a toe-in-the water approach to TS ownership and TS exchange?

Thanks again, everyone! I am very grateful for all of your suggestions and explanations.

Points Game Not As Much Fun As It Used To Be.

MelM said:

Can I reasonably expect to book anything at all for 16,000 points or less?

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We used to snag RCI Instant Exchange reservations -- 7,500 points + exchange fee -- for the leftover dogs & cats still available 30 days ahead of check-in. Instant Exchange is still possible, but the offerings seem to diminish steadily.

MelM said:

Can I accumulate points year over year - and if so how soon do they expire?

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RCI points are good for 1 year. Then RCI automatically rolls unused points over for another year. Plus, you can borrow RCI Points 1 year ahead if needed for a points reservation.

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

I'm thinking you might be going too cheap. 11,000 points isn't enough to get you into a 'good' timeshare in prime time. Even combining 2 years is kinda iffy. RCI lets unused Points roll over for one year, and as long as your membership and MF are current, you can 'borrow' from the year ahead. So in a perfect world, and if the stars align and you get lucky and timesharing remains interesting enough to keep your attention without actually using it, you might get a 'nice' condo every 3 years. Meanwhile, you're paying $300 in memberships, $350 in MF and $220 exchange fee- all for just one week. And those costs don't include possible transportation costs to get there. For that much, you can rent and not have the commitment, or buy-in cost. And remember, each of those expenses above, WILL increase. You can bet on that.

Mel, It's hard to give you 'do this- not that' advice without knowing what level of use you want. How much vacation time do you get? Are you, or will you- be tied to the school year?

I don't want to rain on your parade, but personally, I think that at least in the short term, you should rent when and where you want to vacation. In time, your interests might gel a little, financial, family, and vacation schedule may get more clear. These resales aren't going anywhere. This is not a 'buy now before all the good ones are gone' kind of deal. Resales will be at giveaway prices for the foreseeable future, so there's no pressure.

All the best.....

Jim

AwayWeGo said:

We used to snag RCI Instant Exchange reservations -- 7,500 points + exchange fee -- for the leftover dogs & cats still available 30 days ahead of check-in.

Click to expand...

I no longer own RCI Points but when I did I took advantage of these 7,500 Point opportunities many times.

George

I have used the 7,500 point exchanges a couple of times, but their value diminished when they went from 60 days from move-in to 30, and they still cost a $209 exchange fee. Far better are the cash-only, straight-up rentals of the Last Calls. Much of the inventory is the same at lower cost and no points required.

That's About The Size Of It.

Passepartout said:

Far better are the cash-only, straight-up rentals of the Last Calls. Much of the inventory is the same at lower cost and no points required.

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You are correct, sir.

That's 1 reason we cut our timeshare ownership down to our current minimum -- just our triennial points unit at Vacation Village At Parkway (30,833 points every year).

That gets us reasonable points for the money, enough points by combining for a possible straight-points exchange somewhere else, plenty for Instant Exchange (in the unlikely event 1 comes up), & a toe-hold into RCI for purposes of Last Call, special sales on Extra Vacation Getaways, etc.

Full Disclosure: We didn't catch on right away that maintenance fees at Vacation Village At Parkway are all the same regardless of demand season or unit points value. Our 1st triennial unit there was good for 18,500 annual points. Our next 1 was good for 24,667 points per year. When we found out maintenance fees are the same mox nix, we sprang for our current triennial points unit & gave the others away via Kijiji Dot Com.

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

Passepartout said:

I'm thinking you might be going too cheap. 11,000 points isn't enough to get you into a 'good' timeshare in prime time. Even combining 2 years is kinda iffy. RCI lets unused Points roll over for one year, and as long as your membership and MF are current, you can 'borrow' from the year ahead. So in a perfect world, and if the stars align and you get lucky and timesharing remains interesting enough to keep your attention without actually using it, you might get a 'nice' condo every 3 years. Meanwhile, you're paying $300 in memberships, $350 in MF and $220 exchange fee- all for just one week. And those costs don't include possible transportation costs to get there. For that much, you can rent and not have the commitment, or buy-in cost. And remember, each of those expenses above, WILL increase. You can bet on that.

Mel, It's hard to give you 'do this- not that' advice without knowing what level of use you want. How much vacation time do you get? Are you, or will you- be tied to the school year?

I don't want to rain on your parade, but personally, I think that at least in the short term, you should rent when and where you want to vacation. In time, your interests might gel a little, financial, family, and vacation schedule may get more clear. These resales aren't going anywhere. This is not a 'buy now before all the good ones are gone' kind of deal. Resales will be at giveaway prices for the foreseeable future, so there's no pressure.

All the best.....

Jim

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No worries, you're not raining on my parade at all! I appreciate the honesty Jim.

I hope to be "retiring myself" from working for anyone else in the next 3 months. The work I do is completely location independent, so I will be able to travel pretty much at the drop of a hat. For that reason the Last Minute cash deals seem particularly appealing. I'm "flying solo" so no school/vacation schedules to worry about. I have no problem travelling off-season.

Perhaps looking for low cost rentals is the better way to go for the time being. I'm definitely not in a hurry to purchase anything, even resale.

I will admit that I'm pretty risk-averse and tend to be a bit of a cheapskate...so the low cost of entry was what really drew me to the biennial/triennial idea. I figured I could get a couple of these with the same number of combined points as an annual for less upfront money.

Alan's strategy over all seems to fit with what I kind of have in mind. Maybe one good trade a year, and a toehold into RCI for the other deals.

AwayWeGo said:

You are correct, sir.

That's 1 reason we cut our timeshare ownership down to our current minimum -- just our triennial points unit at Vacation Village At Parkway (30,833 points every year).

That gets us reasonable points for the money, enough points by combining for a possible straight-points exchange somewhere else, plenty for Instant Exchange (in the unlikely event 1 comes up), & a toe-hold into RCI for purposes of Last Call, special sales on Extra Vacation Getaways, etc.

Full Disclosure: We didn't catch on right away that maintenance fees at Vacation Village At Parkway are all the same regardless of demand season or unit points value. Our 1st triennial unit there was good for 18,500 annual points. Our next 1 was good for 24,667 points per year. When we found out maintenance fees are the same mox nix, we sprang for our current triennial points unit & gave the others away via Kijiji Dot Com.

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

Click to expand...

Alan,

When you had the multiple units, were you able to combine the points in RCI automatically or do they charge a fee for that? (my guess based on what I've learned about TS so far..."there's always a fee"..)

Would it make sense for me to get 2 biennial or triennial units to hit my own annual point "sweet spot" if they cost significantly less (in total) than a single annual unit offering the same total annual points?


Thank you all again. The purpose of my post was to start to narrow my focus toward a few strategies that that might work best for me. You all have done a wonderful job of helping me with that. Frankly, earlier this week my head was spinning with the possibilities and I had no idea where to start. I know I'm not ready to buy yet, but I have a much stronger handle on what strategies might fit my particular needs.

Doing The Points Timeshare Homework.

MelM said:

When you had the multiple units, were you able to combine the points in RCI automatically or do they charge a fee for that?

Click to expand...

There is a fee to add an RCI Points timeshare to your existing RCI Points membership account. If you're not already in RCI Points, then there's an initiation fee for that also. But once you join RCI Points, you get a side-by-side RCI Weeks account at no added charge -- mox nix unless you also own a straight-weeks timeshare.

As far as rolling over last year's saved points to use this year, or this year's to use next year, that's automatic -- no added charge.

To clarify about those multiple units, our aim was merely to have 1 dinky points timeshare as a toe-hold. We started out (2005) with a truly dinky one -- 15,000 annual points. All in (eBay price, closing, transfer, new RCI Points membership, etc.), it cost us just shy of $1,000 even though our winning eBay bid was $152.52. (Back then, we thought it was a good deal.)

We would have been happy just going along with that. But when the maintenance fees escalated outrageously & all out of proportion, we got rid of it quick as we could. By luck, the resort was willing to accept deedback via quitclaim, so that was that.

That left us needing a new dinky toe-hold points timeshare. That's when we got our eBay dinky Vacation Village At Parkway triennial, then a semi-dinky triennial, then our non-dinky triennial which we still own. All 3 came from eBay. The most expensive was right around $250. All 3 had free closing, free resort transfer, & free points.

We paid the fee for RCI to add each of those to our existing RCI Points account (the membership account we started when we got our original dinky points timeshare which we deeded back), because they all came with free points (i.e., paid ahead fees) that the sellers were willing to give up to sweeten the pot. When we gave away the dinky & semi-dinky triennials, we kept the paid-for points. The new owner(s) paid for their own points going ahead.

MelM said:

Would it make sense for me to get 2 biennial or triennial units to hit my own annual point "sweet spot" if they cost significantly less (in total) than a single annual unit offering the same total annual points?

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Maybe, but I'm guessing not.

That is, for each deeded points ownership on which you're paying fees, there's a built-in administrative overhead component covering the company's costs of maintaining & servicing the transactional account. For 2 timeshares totaling, say, 100,000 points, you'd be paying the administrative overhead component twice. For 1 timeshare worth 100,000 points, you'd be paying that component of the fee just once.

Then again, that kind of thing is not uniform from 1 timeshare company to another & by the same token from 1 points timeshare resort to the next. When it comes down to the brass tacks, you'll have to research the hard details for each 1 individually so you can make the real-world calculations.

You're way different from us in looking into all the arcana ahead of time. By contrast, we learned (mostly) by doing. Our big breakthrough was the early realization that there is no such thing as a new timeshare (because by the time you show up & check in, other people will already have been staying previously right there in your unit), & therefore it makes no sense to pay new prices for an item that's used-used-used any way you shake it. (Short version = buy timeshares resale & save thousands.)

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

Looks like you're being steered into buying a trader wherever it may be, which is fine, as long as that is your motif, but bear in mind that there may come a day when your travels are more like staycations.

Wanderlust is a fine thing when you're full of vim and vigor and time means little. But one day, that hop down the highway may seem more inviting. That's one reason why it's often suggested here that you buy where you can easily go, without much hassle.

I Resemble That Remark.

Talent312 said:

Looks like you're being steered into buying a trader wherever it may be, which is fine, as long as that is your motif, but bear in mind that there may come a day when your travels are more like staycations.

Wanderlust is a fine thing when you're full of vim and vigor and time means little. But one day, that hop down the highway may seem more inviting. That's one reason why it's often suggested here that you buy where you can easily go, without much hassle.

Click to expand...

Every time we've stayed at Vacation Village At Parkway, it's been in somebody else's unit, via RCI Last Call. We use our own paid for Vacation Village At Parkway RCI points for exchange reservations.

Even so, we like Vacation Village At Parkway. It's where we caught the timeshare bug via timeshare sales tour in 2002. (Didn't buy -- full freight was way too much to pay.)

That neighborhood is also where we spied, after leaving the place following the tour, a highway billboard that said . . .

TIMESHARES -- BUY RESALE
SAVE THOUSANDS​

The rest is history.

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