Bluegreen Points/Maintenance Fees/Most Bang for Your Buck

I understand that if you buy From A partcular Resort-- You get priority booking and all that good stuff. That doesn't excite me.
However-- Which Resort/Timeshare has the Cheapest Points versus Maintenance/Taxes Cost?(I asume that I can use any Bluegreen Point to go to Aruba)
My goal is to get to "La Cabana Resort" in Aruba. Every 18 months or so.
As I stare at The Bluegreen/La Cabana Point Grid. I think that I will need between 10k-15k yearly to accomplish my Goal.

Thanks in Advance.

Sampson said:

I understand that if you buy From A partcular Resort-- You get priority booking and all that good stuff. That doesn't excite me.
However-- Which Resort/Timeshare has the Cheapest Points versus Maintenance/Taxes Cost?(I asume that I can use any Bluegreen Point to go to Aruba)
My goal is to get to "La Cabana Resort" in Aruba. Every 18 months or so.
As I stare at The Bluegreen/La Cabana Point Grid. I think that I will need between 10k-15k yearly to accomplish my Goal.

Thanks in Advance.

Click to expand...

From what I have learned recently through study, and I'm no expert, the different Trust Funds have different MFs.

It is also my understanding that if you own 12,000 points or more you want all of them to be in trust fund E to keep the fees as low as possible.

I've talked to some old time owners at resorts before BG took over and they are in different trust funds and have higher MFs than most and they are determined by the resort itself and not the trust fund.

If that resort is popular and busy at the times you want to go, you will need the reservation priority to get there.

There appear to be 3 classes as far as I can see. Higher MF (<15K points), Medium MF (>15K points but <25K points), Lower MF (>25K points). This is based on a quick assessment on eBay today.

AD POINTS MF CF T P-PT E ST
http://cgi.ebay.com/151542178568 25000 1258 129 1387 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/390998480592 87000 5036 258 5294 0.06 SOLD
http://cgi.ebay.com/161524787143 70000 4092 258 4350 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/231440442333 46000 2773 129 2902 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/381115421386 70000 4181 258 4439 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/151524772880 35000 2091 129 2220 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/151524772880 35000 2091 129 2220 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/381110640987 63000 3830 258 4088 0.06 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/111563311429 30000 1839 129 1968 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/171633027020 30000 1874 129 2003 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/381116648342 52000 3276 258 3534 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/151542381023 28000 1887 129 2016 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/201259952760 42000 2774 258 3032 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/201257874179 20000 1336 129 1465 0.07 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/391018039370 30000 2169 258 2427 0.08 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/271731747286 30000 2226 258 2484 0.08 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/381113922292 17000 1516 258 1774 0.10 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/161531432247 6000 761 129 890 0.15 LISTED
http://cgi.ebay.com/201257999378 8000 1064 258 1322 0.17 LISTED

Based on this limited sample it appears that with BlueGreen it is not as much about the resort but really about the size of the contract.

Has to do with trust fund and number of points, not the resort.

"Priority booking" doesn't exist, except to the extent that you are entitled to use your owned week, if you claim it before 11 months out.

Right. However: based on the #s above it appears that # of points determines MF per point.

Trust fund E has a base price and then a price per point added to that. So the more you own, the more that base fee is divided into and the cost per point goes down.

I was told of a different trust fund without a base fee, D, and just a cost per point. In that fund no matter how many you own, the cost per point stays the same.

Using ebay is not always accurate because some sellers ad the program fee in which changes everything and some do not. The program fee is the same for everyone and of course the more points you own the less per point you are paying for this fee.

Bluegreen really averages out everything so you aren't going to find any smoking hot bargains. Trust Fund D is supposedly better if you plan on owning 12,000 or less points. Fund E which is by far the largest trust is going to be better if you plan on owning 12,000 or more points. The more points you own the more the base fee is spread out.

You only get priority for the specific week or partial week that is on your contract. This goes for everyone. If you are buying resale, you are only entitled to bonus time (paid discounted rentals) at the resort on your contract.

Sampson said:

I understand that if you buy From A partcular Resort-- You get priority booking and all that good stuff. That doesn't excite me.
However-- Which Resort/Timeshare has the Cheapest Points versus Maintenance/Taxes Cost?(I asume that I can use any Bluegreen Point to go to Aruba)
My goal is to get to "La Cabana Resort" in Aruba. Every 18 months or so.
As I stare at The Bluegreen/La Cabana Point Grid. I think that I will need between 10k-15k yearly to accomplish my Goal.

Thanks in Advance.

Click to expand...

Something to consider is that if you plan on going at High Red time or greater then you cannot use saved points for high red, only red time so your plan may not work if you need high red or greater time all the time.

Looks like Aruba is high red time, ultra red and special season most of the year.
Regular red time is only weeks 41-45 and 48-50.
Buy in Aruba.

Here's the points grid to see your weeks.
http://www.bluegreenonline.com/points.pdf

chriskre said:

Something to consider is that if you plan on going at High Red time or greater then you cannot use saved points for high red, only red time so your plan may not work if you need high red or greater time all the time.

Looks like Aruba is high red time, ultra red and special season most of the year.
Regular red time is only weeks 41-45 and 48-50.
Buy in Aruba.

Here's the points grid to see your weeks.
http://www.bluegreenonline.com/points.pdf

Click to expand...

The OP could work around this problem by buying an EOY where all the points become available the year the fees are paid and all can be used for the highest times.

As you mention though, if you want a hot property, buy there for the advanced priority.

Grandview Resort Las Vegas NV has Lowest MF for Highest Point Value in the US

check out my post here

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222578&highlight=grandview&page=2

for the resort with the highest point value & the lowest maint fee in the US.

Bluegreen is known industry wide for having one of the highest maint fees with little point value. It is what it is. If you're happy with it, that's all that matters.

GrandviewOwner said:

check out my post here

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222578&highlight=grandview&page=2

for the resort with the highest point value & the lowest maint fee in the US.

Bluegreen is known industry wide for having one of the highest maint fees with little point value. It is what it is. If you're happy with it, that's all that matters.

Click to expand...

Grandview is RCI points, OP is talking about Bluegreen points.
These are two totally different systems and currency.

Bluegreen has high MF's for small contracts because they have a base trust fee which is constant, so the more points you own, the more diluted the price per point becomes.

Another way to get "priority" with Bluegreen is to have enough points that you are premier - this would mean you can get on a waiting list and you clear earlier than someone booking at the 11 month out window. The higher premier level you are - the higher you are on the waiting list.

That being said - you would have to buy from Bluegreen or buy points from a qualified broker to get the premier status. And, you would need approximately 15,000 polnts (not sure exactly how many) to get in the lowest premiere tier.


As other posters said, if your polnts are attached to a deed for La Cabana- you can book your specific week and unit type 13 months out. But, it is difficult to get Bluegreen to deed your points to a certain resort as inventory can be low.

Facebook has a bluegreen owners buy, sell, and rent group and they are often mentioning aruba. have you looked there?

One thing I don't understand, someone on there says if you buy resale points, they can only be used at the resort you bought them, unless you have charter membership. I thought resale points could be used anywhere in the system, but no bonus time elsewhere. Am I wrong?

rapmarks said:

Facebook has a bluegreen owners buy, sell, and rent group and they are often mentioning aruba. have you looked there?

One thing I don't understand, someone on there says if you buy resale points, they can only be used at the resort you bought them, unless you have charter membership. I thought resale points could be used anywhere in the system, but no bonus time elsewhere. Am I wrong?

Click to expand...

All points can be used anywhere.

You can only get Bonus Time at the resort on your deed when buying resale.

Buy qualified points directly from BG or Their authorized re-seller, Pinnacle, and you get Bonus Time at all resorts.

Someone was confused.

Thanks For All The Help

I appreciate the insight that all of you have shared.