Advice needed: first-time prospective TS resale buyer

[Jdubs1]

Hi there - wondered if someone could help someone considering purchasing a resale TS unit.

Background: We live in Seattle and enjoy skiing in Whistler, we try to get up for 1-2 trips a year, usually 5-6 nights each time. We've stayed at the Embarc Whistler 2x through their Passport program, which, after reading these forums, I understand is Embarc's branding of the Sampler from DRI. We got the heavy sales pitch from the Embarc salespeople, and since then I've spent time here and smts.com trying to learn as much as I could. (thank you all! TUG is incredible.)

We're considering purchasing 150-200 Embarc resale points to get us a week or two in a one-bedroom at Whistler during ski season. The only other Embarc resort we'd consider is Palm Desert, but our vacations as a pre-teen family of 4 are typically Hawaii (easy affordable direct flights from Seattle) or beaches of LA, and then skiing in the winter. We're comfortable with the $1500ish maintenance fee that comes with this amount of points.

After spending a ton of time on TUG, a few of the questions I still have are:

• Resale scams: On some of the resale websites I've seen posted here, I see the price range vary incredibly. Some as high as 66 cents/pt to 1 cent/pt. I've even seen some where people are selling their 120+ points for a dollar. Should I be worried about any of these being scams? I've been visiting sites similar to redweek.
• DRI acquisition: Should I be worried at all about the DRI acquisition of Embarc and any issues with maintenance fees increasing dramatically? I'm comfortable with the natural increase due to inflation but don't know if Embarc is due for some massive inflation as I understand DRI has significantly higher maintenance fees per point (which I know they are on a different kind of currency.)
• Rentability? We see ourselves using the Whistler property annually but in case of some odd situation where we can't travel, how rentable are these properties to recoup most if not all of our maintenance fee for the year?
  
• Ability to exchange: I've read various reports of resale point owners not being able to be enrolled into Extraordinary Escapes (which I think connects into II), but there is a way to pay to be an individual member and exchange my Embarc confirmed reservations into II weeks. Am I thinking about this right?
  
• Is Embarc/DRI the right one to go with? We really do enjoy the Embarc Whistler (easy drive from Seattle, great location and space) and it's one of our more reliable vacations, but I'm wondering if we should consider another timeshare group.
  
• Am I crazy for thinking buying a TS is a good idea? We really do enjoy skiing in Whistler, our kids are still quite young and we can see ourselves going here often. I know there are limited TS options in Whistler and renting/booking hotel rooms during the times we like to go tend to be $250+/night, so to have the extra room of a 1 or 2 bedroom really helps. But am I crazy to consider purchasing one of these? Anything else I'm missing?

Thank you all,

Jeff

 

[echino]

Embarc is the only high quality timeshare in Whistler, in my opinion. There are others, but you won't like them after staying at Embarc. We are a family of five, with three pre-teen kids, living in Vancouver, and we are a ski family, going to Whistler often, and the kids are in freestyle.

Having said that, I would never buy Embarc timeshare. There are several reasons:

1. No fixed weeks at Embarc. It's points, which results in a difficulty obtaining high demand ski reservations.

2. High maintenance fees. Calculate how much it would cost in maintenance fees for the points needed to reserve high demand ski periods. It's expensive.

3. No need to own as Embarc Whistler is often available as an exchange, II getaway, or owner rental at not much above maintenance fees.

Our strategy was to buy a 5-day Edge card early when it comes with unlimited early season skiing (maybe too late already for next season). Season starts in mid-late November, with free skiing with this deal until mid-December. Then we get one or two weeks at Embarc either buying getaways, or using II AC, costs about $300 per week using either of those methods. Then just using weekends, or maybe take a Friday and/or Monday off, discarding remaining weekdays. Very economical.

 

[Jdubs1]

Thanks! That's super helpful.
- we typically ski during non-holiday periods. Seattle-school mid-winter break (mid-feb) or spring break (2nd week of april), not sure how challenging it is to use the points during these periods
- MF would be roughly $1500 for a 2-bedroom during these times or $1000 for a one bedroom.
- If I don't currently own a TS, is there a way to get access to II getaway? I haven't seen much in owner rentals during weeks we want to go.

We've done the 5-day Edge and usually try to use them all in one trip. I've never seen $300 for the week in mid-Feb or mid-April but is that because I just haven't been looking hard enough? I looked at hotel rooms and they were typically almost $300 per night even in mid-Feb/April.

 

[echino]

I would guess that mid-February would be difficult to reserve, but April should be easy. BC spring break is usually the last two weeks in March.

If you are OK with the fees, and with the reservation procedure, then Embarc may be a good idea for you.

About $300 per week is early season, mid-November to mid-December. Either using II getaways, or II freebie Accommodation Certificates (AC).

 

[echino]

You need to own an II-affiliated timeshare to access II. There are plenty of free timeshares with low maintenance fees, but it is debatable whether it is worth getting such a timeshare just to access II.

I own Hyatt, and it's great for II. Low season Hyatt weeks can be obtained almost for free, and come with free Gold II membership. Even low season Hyatt timeshares come with enough points (1,300) to book high season two bedrooms anywhere in II. Hyatt has top trading power and can see everything in II, including Embarc Whistler ski weeks, if you put an ongoing search well in advance. Maintenance fees are about $1,200, and exchange fee is $209, so it's a reasonable cost, but of course no guarantee to get a particular week. Owning Embarc points maybe better in this situation.

 

[echino]

Deleted.