Do Maintenance fees increase after signing contract?

[cdnj]

Well whether you bought developer for tens of thousands of dollars or resale for far, far less, this really is true. We haven't paid for hotels, rented houses, etc. for over 15 years. Recently we got curious about the current prices and went online to see what they are. Needless to say we were shocked at the current prices of the places we used to stay before we bought the timeshare.

I agree. Every time we check to see if timeshare is still worth it, it always is. Maintenance fees and all.

 

[theo]

I agree. Every time we check to see if timeshare is still worth it, it always is. Maintenance fees and all.

Far be it from me to try to talk you out of pursuing timeshare ownership; we use and enjoy our owned intervals.

That said, it appears that you signed up for TUG just a few days ago. Before purchasing, I respectfully suggest looking at the cost of timeshare rentals in those areas and times you would visit and include those figures during any purchase comparison / consideration.

Rentals involve no acquisition cost --- and maintenance fees are forever. Buying just to "trade" (involving eternal maintenance fees, uncertainty, time consumption and exchange fees) is a fool's errand, at least in my personal opinion.

In short, I'm merely suggesting that you look long and hard at all the figures and factors before buying anything.
It's easy to acquire timeshare ownership, but divesting --- not so much. Just proceed carefully and thoughtfully.

 

[Panina]

Well, DUH! But many DO feel comfortable renting from private parties, or outfits with some rules- like VRBO or AirBnB. and again, even if the rental is more than just the MF, there's no buy-in, exchange fee or membership, or timeshare exit cost. All-in-all, I think renting makes (dollars &) sense in the current environment. Obviously there are exceptions either way, so my advice is to shop carefully, keep your pencil sharp, verify any agreements, and insure your travel if there is more money involved that would seriously impact your life or happiness.

I own many timeshares and for me it has always been cheaper to own ( even if I trade them) then rent plus I have the guarantee that what I own is available every year and has the view I want. For many timeshares the opposite is true. You advice to shop carefully is good.

 

[cdnj]

Far be it from me to try to talk you out of pursuing timeshare ownership; we use and enjoy our owned intervals.

That said, it appears that you signed up for TUG just a few days ago. Before purchasing, I respectfully suggest looking at the cost of timeshare rentals in those areas and times you would visit and include those figures during any purchase comparison / consideration.

Rentals involve no acquisition cost --- and maintenance fees are forever. Buying just to "trade" (still involving eternal maintenance fees, uncertainty, time consumption and exchange fees) is a fool's errand, at least in my personal opinion.

In short, I'm merely suggesting that you look long and hard at all figures and factors before buying anything.

I appreciate all advice, especially when it's going to save us money! I did look at renting in Orlando but what I found was very few weeks available in the summer (we have 2 young children) and more expensive than the cost of our maintenance fees. Does renting work out during peak seasons?

 

[LannyPC]

Does renting work out during peak seasons?

What you can try is to go to TUG's Last Minute Rentals (Rentals Offered) thread:

https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/timeshare-rentals-offered.45/

and scroll back to last summer's posts and see what Last Minute Rentals were offered during that time. I haven't checked but I vaguely recall during that time there were a number of LMRs available at $700/week ($100/night). Considering that many intervals in Orlando have MFs north of $850, things just might work out for you during peak season.

Of course the other option would be to post a want ad in the LMR section no more than 45 days before you want to check in. You just might get some owners desperate to rent out their week.

 

[chapjim]

What you can try is to go to TUG's Last Minute Rentals (Rentals Offered) thread:

https://tugbbs.com/forums/index.php?forums/timeshare-rentals-offered.45/

and scroll back to last summer's posts and see what Last Minute Rentals were offered during that time. I haven't checked but I vaguely recall during that time there were a number of LMRs available at $700/week ($100/night). Considering that many intervals in Orlando have MFs north of $850, things just might work out for you during peak season.

Of course the other option would be to post a want ad in the LMR section no more than 45 days before you want to check in. You just might get some owners desperate to rent out their week.

Last summer, June reservations and some July reservations (I think -- I don't recall when in May Wyndham's changes became effective) could have been priced after a cancel/re-book/upgrade. Comparisons might not be valid. We are unlikely to see consistently the same prices that we saw up to the summer of 2017.