LizC question from other post about scotland TS

[dayooper]

@LizC Hi Liz, I started a new thread from your question in another thread.

I’m thinking of buying set weeks of an HGVC owner and Wondering if the set weeks are all you can use or can you change to other weeks. Additionally can these weeks he used at other resorts just like points

Where are you thinking of buying?

All true HGVC deeds will either deposit points in your account or your week can be turned into points. There are a few exceptions. An original Westgate deed at Elara has no points associated with it. Grand Pacific Palisades and Carlsbad Seapointe were once sold as HGVC. They lose their points with resell. There are two SW Florida affiliates, Sunset Cove and Shell Island that choose not to be part of HGVC and the club memberships don’t transfer on resell either. Otherwise, each deed, including fixed weeks, are given a certain amount of points if they are “traded” back into HGVC.

 

[LizC]

I’m looking at Scotland. Don’t intend to use the owner site much it’s just do I can use in other places. Thanks

 

[Bill4728]

I changed the title so others could respond about your questions about the Scotland based HGVC TS

 

[dayooper]

I’m looking at Scotland. Don’t intend to use the owner site much it’s just do I can use in other places. Thanks

Others that own in Scotland can confirm, but I believe all you have to do is call the resort to release the week for that year back. Currently, Scotland is a great place to purchase for points. They have some of, if not the lowest MF’s in the system. They do fluctuate with the value of the dollar and the Sterling Pound so the MF per point can fluctuate.

 

[tombanjo]

You need to pay to convert a fixed week at Craigendarroch lodges to points, once converted into points, each year you can call and have your fixed week "released" and it becomes points. You do not need to do so if you do not wish to. Hilton also has Craigendarroch "Suites" which is a separate animal at the same location. It is more of the traditional HGVC property. People can buy resale directly from the sales people in Scotland and it counts towards elite. John Pringle has been used by others to achieve this. Email is john.pringle@hgv.com if you want to inquire about buying there.

 

[LizC]

Thank you. Any idea how much it costs to convert ie is it a cost per point or per week

 

[tombanjo]

277 pounds, which is about 358 dollars today. I think the fee if you go via american club is $399. That is per week

 

[dayooper]

I changed the title so others could respond about your questions about the Scotland based HGVC TS

Thank you Bill.

 

[GT75]

I’m looking at Scotland.

Which Scotland property?

 

[Sky313]

For Coylumbridge: http://www.coylumbridge.info/sales-and-rental/sales/

 

[Mosescan]

You don't actually pay to convert your points, you just have to pay to enroll your unit in HGVC. This is a one time fee. After that it is just like any other HGVC property. The only difference being that you automatically get the unit you own reserved for you every year automatically. You can cancel that reservation anywhere from 2 years to 31 days in advance with no penalty and the points will be deposited into your account immediately. I cancelled 2 tonight myself. My last one for this year and one of my 2020 reservations. The points were immediately available in my account. Timed my dues payment this year with some Brexit bad news, when the pound took a dive, and managed to save some money on maintenance fees!

Good luck and enjoy.

Tell John I said hello,

Victor

 

[LizC]

You don't actually pay to convert your points, you just have to pay to enroll your unit in HGVC. This is a one time fee. After that it is just like any other HGVC property. The only difference being that you automatically get the unit you own reserved for you every year automatically. You can cancel that reservation anywhere from 2 years to 31 days in advance with no penalty and the points will be deposited into your account immediately. I cancelled 2 tonight myself. My last one for this year and one of my 2020 reservations. The points were immediately available in my account. Timed my dues payment this year with some Brexit bad news, when the pound took a dive, and managed to save some money on maintenance fees!

Good luck and enjoy.

Tell John I said hello,

Victor

Victor, spoke to John and he seems to be doing us a good deal. Tried to barter a bit more with him but he says on resale there isn’t the same scope. So I’ll let you know if I go ahead with it. To be honest still a bit confused for example about buying points in gold season but being able to use them in platinum season. Why would you pay extra to buy in platinum season ?

 

[tombanjo]

Maintenance fees are based on size, not season. So one bedroom "bronze" is 1700 points for the same MF as 1 bedroom "platinum" at 4800 points. Conversely, 3 bedroom plus gold is 7000, and 2 bedroom platinum is 7000 points. So buying gold would allow you to book in platinum season. Since MF are independent of season, the price to buy would have to be much lower for the gold to make up for the fact that every year you pay higher MF for the same number of points. The best way to see whats going on is to look at total cost per point over ten years, for instance (made up numbers here) initial cost gold 3 bedroom is $5000, plus $1000 yr MF = $15,000 / 7000 = 2.14 per point. For platinum 2 bedroom, initial cost is $8000 plus (lower MF) $800 year = $16000 or $2.28 pp. You can get fancy and increase MF by 5%/year, add the cost of money for initial price difference, and assume you can sell for 80% of what you paid initially, etc. Compare to a vegas 7000 point contract. Generally, people like Scotland as the initial buy in and low MF for the number of points is better than other properties. There is no ROFR, so the deal you make will go through.

 

[Sandy VDH]

The longer you own your timeshare, the better off you are in having Platinum season, as your MF$ per point is lowest in Platinum. As @tombanjo said MF$ are based on room type not on season. So in platinum season you would 9600 points but if you owned gold season you would get 7000 for a 3 BR unit with the same MF$. So each year you would have an additional 2600 points for the same amount of money in MF.

The longer you own your timeshare the additional points per year will outweigh the benefit of the gold reduced price upon initial purchase. If you only plan on owning for 5-6 years and then dumping it, then gold might work better, but also might be harder to sell later.

 

[dayooper]

Victor, spoke to John and he seems to be doing us a good deal. Tried to barter a bit more with him but he says on resale there isn’t the same scope. So I’ll let you know if I go ahead with it. To be honest still a bit confused for example about buying points in gold season but being able to use them in platinum season. Why would you pay extra to buy in platinum season ?

First of all, the higher demand seasons cost more points. In a standard HGVC 2 bedroom, platinum season costs 7000 points, while in the gold season, it will run you 5000 and the silver will be 3500 points. When you get your points, you get enough to get you a week during that season. I own a 2 bedroom platinum interval at The Flamingo. I get a yearly deposit of 7000 points. If I owned gold, 5000 points and silver, HGVC would deposit 3500 into my account. You can use them in any season as long as you have enough points to book the room.

So why platinum even if you plan on only staying in the gold season? You get more bang for your buck. Except for a couple of SW Florida affiliates, the MF’s are the same per room size. Example, in my platinum season 2 bedroom interval at The Flamingo, my 2019 MF’s were $1049. Gold and silver 2 bedroom intervals also pay $1049. I get more points for the same MF’s.

If you look at it as a ratio and divide the MF’s by points, you get a MF per points ratio. I pay $0.15 per point. That same 2 bedroom at The Flamingo in the gold sason would be $0.21. With the silver, it’s even a bigger difference with a $0.30 MF per points. Since I don’t have to book my week (with a club booking), I can spread those points out in different seasons, room sizes and book shorter stays. I can make my points last two, even three trips. More points equal more flexibility. That’s why you pay more for a platinum interval.

 

[Mosescan]

Victor, spoke to John and he seems to be doing us a good deal. Tried to barter a bit more with him but he says on resale there isn’t the same scope. So I’ll let you know if I go ahead with it. To be honest still a bit confused for example about buying points in gold season but being able to use them in platinum season. Why would you pay extra to buy in platinum season ?

As the others have said it's about point to maintenance fee ratio and since you get more points for the same maintenance fees with a platinum contract in the long run, it's cheaper. You pay purchase price once but you pay maintenance fees forever.

Once you own, points are points. They all count the same when trying to book, season doesn't matter for a club booking. Season only matters for a home week booking but with Scotland your home week is set and the same week every year. That doesn't mean you can't trade your points in and go at a different time of year but that will depend on availability. If you are just using your points every year to stay at other resorts then the place/season you own doesn't matter. Home week matters if you own in places like Hawaii where 42 of 52 weeks are platinum. If you own a gold week then you can only book a home week booking 12 months in advance for one of the 10 gold weeks a year. If you want to book 9 months or less in advance then that is a club booking and as long as you have enough points, you can book whatever you want.

 

[LizC]

Thanks to all for the advise

 

[Hobokie]

@Sandy VDH or @dayooper or @Mosescan, question regarding your comments above about how pts per MF $ are more for Platinum vs Gold... might one buy (or receive for free as a gift, for example), a silver week and then put it in RCI and get good (better?) value...?

 

[Sandy VDH]

MF $ per point are higher for gold than platinum time. Just for clarification.

To illustrate, you have a 2 BR at a resort that has a $700 MF. If you own a Platinum week and get 7000 points than your MF per point are $0.10 that you pay, and if you owned a gold week and got 5000 points you are paying per point $0.14. I may seem trivial but you are paying 40% more per point.

As far as trading into RCI I suppose you MIGHT get better value, BUT you also have to pay an exchange fee $239 (international might be higher). So now you are again adding additional cost to the deal.

 

[dayooper]

@Sandy VDH or @dayooper or @Mosescan, question regarding your comments above about how pts per MF $ are more for Platinum vs Gold... might one buy (or receive for free as a gift, for example), a silver week and then put it in RCI and get good (better?) value...?

When you make an exchange via RCI, the points are deducted from your account. To get a 2 bedroom red season, it would cost you 4800 points. But then you have to pay the $239 exchange fee.

 

[GT75]

MF $ per point are higher for gold than platinum time. Just for clarification.

@Sandy VDH has done a very good job explaining why you need to at least factor in MFs for different season types. But, it really is even more complicated than that. In most HGVC resorts, there can be different 1 BR classifications (for example, 1 BR, 1 BR plus, 1 BR premium, 1 BR grand). Usually, these all have the same MFs but will have different point destinations for each. So you should also factor that into your decision making process. Now, it looks most of the affiliates such as Scotland properties don't really have these different room classifications.

That is why I like to look at the MFs/point ratio. That will give you a comparison to what you are paying for MFs. Of course, that doesn't matter if you are planning on always or mostly always booking this particular resort as a Home Week Booking.

So, there is always a lot to factor into a decision on what is best to purchase.