My survey. What should I buy?

1) Where do you want your home resort to be?
We're looking to go to Disney in Jan of 2017. But I don't Necessarily want to be tied to one location every year. I just started the timeshare search so I'm not sure if I'm looking for a points system or trading? But my Fl vacation will always be off peak in Jan.

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? I would say for the next couple years I would stay at my home resort of its Orlando. My kids are young and we would do Disney. Sea world. Lego land type things for the next few years.

3) What are your 5 top trade destinations?
No idea. I'm a planner so I'm sure I could find something interesting to do wherever I happen to trade to go so I'm not overly concert with where.

4) How many people do you usually travel with?
Right now. 2 adults. 5 children. Ages 14,7,6,4 and 2 months.

5) Can you travel any time, or are you locked into the school schedule?
Anytime in January or July/August.

6) Can you make firm plans 12 or more mos. in advance?
Yes. Prefer to actually.

7) Can you vacation for a full week at a time?
Yes. Up to 3 weeks. Or more unpaid. Which is an option also.

8) What level of accommodations do you prefer on a scale of 1 to 5 stars?

3+. Only big concern is that it sleeps 6 comfortably.

9) How much can you afford to spend upfront, without financing?
The less the better. Lol. Def not buying retail so I don't think I need financing? Correct me if I'm wrong here.

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?
1200ish? Can this be paid monthly or is this annual?

11) Are you a detail oriented planner?
Yes 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. I've read enough to know that this is not an investment and renting/trading can be a hassle to deal with scammers and whatnot. I'm just looking to take the lodging aspect out of vacation planning. Would like to vacation every year.

I am not really good at suggesting what people should buy, but being you live in Jersey and considering your kids ages you might want to try for Smugglers Notch in Vermont- a resort you can drive to. Orlando is fairly easy to get into as there are tons of timeshares there, so buying there might not be the best value.

The timeshares at Smuggs are varied- some are points, some are weeks, some are affiliated with Wyndham and some not. There are some really nice 3 bedroom units that sleep 10 with the pull-out. 2 bedrooms generally sleep 8 with the pull-out. But they are varied. Plenty of family fun and you can exchange to go elsewhere when you want to. We have owned there for 17 years. We have a fixed week 30 (that we can exchange if we want to) and a Floater (off-season-varies- which we have exchanged to go all over the country when our son was in school. Now we are older and usually use that one at the resort as well).

Just keep in mind that sometimes it is hard to exchange to certain resorts during prime time when school is out because that is when everyone wants to take vacation. But since you are a planner, you should be ok. Just keep your expectations realistic and flexible.

The way maintenance fees are collected varies with each resort. I pay mine in full when it comes due.Some people pay monthly.

I have no suggestions to give....but I want to caution you that the baby counts as well...I see SEVEN folks traveling with you, not six. Most, though certainly not all, 2 br's sleep 6 as a max. If you do buy a fixed unit somewhere, you'll want to buy something that sleeps 8 as a minimum.

Good luck as you work to figure it out!

Frankly, I am not sure that timeshare is all that good for a family of 7 people. Perhaps a Wyndham points package ( maybe 300,000 or so) so you can scale up or down depending on how many will be traveling. Also remember - as far off as it seems now, all those kiddos won't be home forever, so points allow you to s c ale down too. They can be bought resale very cheaply, and Bill monthly so you don't have that huge and shocking MF bill along with the Christmas bills.

As others have suggested, rent from an owner a few times before you commit.

Timeshares are maybe too easy to buy, and definitely too hard to sell.

Jim

You would need a 3br unit (minimum )(.. might be a good idea to buy two 2br units.. thr problem is that that you would be splitting the family up into different units..

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missyrcrews said:

I have no suggestions to give....but I want to caution you that the baby counts as well...I see SEVEN folks traveling with you, not six. Most, though certainly not all, 2 br's sleep 6 as a max. If you do buy a fixed unit somewhere, you'll want to buy something that sleeps 8 as a minimum.

Good luck as you work to figure it out!

Click to expand...

Ty! Baby is a co-sleeper. But we can always buy or bring a pack and play for sleeping and napping as well. At least for the first few years. And then if the younger 3 have to sleep 3 to a double bed that's fine as well.

Passepartout said:

Frankly, I am not sure that timeshare is all that good for a family of 7 people. Perhaps a Wyndham points package ( maybe 300,000 or so) so you can scale up or down depending on how many will be traveling. Also remember - as far off as it seems now, all those kiddos won't be home forever, so points allow you to s c ale down too. They can be bought resale very cheaply, and Bill monthly so you don't have that huge and shocking MF bill along with the Christmas bills.

As others have suggested, rent from an owner a few times before you commit.

Timeshares are maybe too easy to buy, and definitely too hard to sell.

Jim

Click to expand...

Ty! We have decided to rent this year for sure. I would have really research the different points systems as that may be the best option for us.

sarahnjess05 said:

Ty! Baby is a co-sleeper. But we can always buy or bring a pack and play for sleeping and napping as well. At least for the first few years. And then if the younger 3 have to sleep 3 to a double bed that's fine as well.

Click to expand...

You might be OK with that, but resorts have to abide by fire rules and those count babies as people. When they say 'Maximum occupancy 6' that is what they mean. This has been discussed several times when people have been asked to either get a larger unit or leave.

Sorry, but that is the way it is. We can't change it. If you are found to have more people in a unit than allowed, you will be asked to leave.

Jim

I wouldn't buy a timeshare at this time. You can easily rent a 3 bedroom unit for Orlando in January. After you do that a few times, you can decide if you want to make a purchase. Most 2 bedroom units only sleep 6. As it's been mentioned here, if you try to check in with 7, they will send you away or have a pay cash for another room. Timeshares are not like hotels.

Passepartout said:

Frankly, I am not sure that timeshare is all that good for a family of 7 people. Perhaps a Wyndham points package ( maybe 300,000 or so) so you can scale up or down depending on how many will be traveling.

Click to expand...

sarahnjess05 said:

Ty! We have decided to rent this year for sure. I would have really research the different points systems as that may be the best option for us.

Click to expand...

If you decide to go the points route, here is one way to think about it:

Club Wyndham Access offers 13 month priority reservations at many resorts in the system. You might need that access to reserve larger units during popular times of the year. There was a recent EBay auction for 205,000 Club Access points for $1280 including closing costs and the $299 transfer fee. EBay prices increase during the summer months, but then they decline again October - May, so there is no rush.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/205-000-Ann...410566?hash=item1a114d0786:g:9QYAAOSwAvJXBDU5

Maintenance fees are $100/month.

As an example, 189,000 points can get you into a 2 Bedroom Deluxe, Sleeps 8 unit at Bonnet Creek during the first 6 weeks of the year.

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/wyndham/plus_membersdirectory1415/#/92

If you can't vacation one year, you may Credit Pool that year's points and vacation twice another year, or once in a larger unit. That is the kind of low cost flexibility that points systems offer.

A Stawood Orlando in a mandatory phase (Bella or Key West) might be worth looking into. They have 2 br both lock off and non lock off units in their system that sleep 8. A king in the master, two queens in the second bedroom (dedicated) or a queen and an extra sofa bed (lock off), and a sofa bed in the living room. You wouldn't have enough Star Options for all of the 2 br resorts during summer but you could save up two years for places like Maui and Harborside. You would have enough points to book a sleeps 8 in both Orlando and Myrtle beach during the summer.

You could go for a non mandatory section of the resort and that would have a lower buy in cost (you could probably get one for free) and the MF would be slightly less. It would work for your Orlando trips but you would need to rely on exchanges when travelling elsewhere. Some sections only sleep 6 in the 2 br units. You would want to make sure you get one that sleeps 8.

sarahnjess05 said:

Baby is a co-sleeper. But we can always buy or bring a pack and play for sleeping and napping as well. At least for the first few years. And then if the younger 3 have to sleep 3 to a double bed that's fine as well.

Click to expand...

Just bear in mind that regardless of where the baby sleeps, he / she still counts as one person in your contingent for applicable maximum occupancy limits.
Generally speaking, a common 2BR occupancy limit is 6 persons, age and / or size of said persons notwithstanding.

Many of the Wyndham resorts (esp the newer resorts), the 2/2 units have a KING in the master, and 2 double beds in the 2nd bedroom plus the sleep sofa in the LR.

My Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort ... converted to timeshares in 1975 ... has KINGs in both of the 2 bedrooms PlUS a sofabed in the Living room and a MURPHY bed.

Has MFs under $875 yearly for the 2/2 unit and trades with RCI, II and VRI. And ALL the 2/2 units in the resort are lockoffs.

RCI Points weeks (ownerships converted to RCI points and not the defaulted RCI Weeks) can not be deposited to II.