FF Points - Good deal?

[activia Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close activia]

I've been reading the forums and I think the Points system would be the way to go for us. Most years we would likely go to FL, DC, Utah, Nevada, California, Caribbean in a studio with average accomodations probably in "dark pink" time (For me the weather matters more then anything else, not confined to any other schedule) and once in awhile we'd like to go somewhere like Hawii, Australia, Europe in the summer for 2 weeks in a 1bdrm oceanview suite or take my lil sis & bro (later on my own family) to disney world in a 1bdrm in early June. I think the points system would give us the flexibility to do this and grow with the family. My understanding is that you can still trade with II too if you don't want to use a Fairfield Resort and that the trading power is not affected by which Fairfield resort you have. With this many points I figured I could easily get one vacation a year(233K/2=116500) and when I want to take one of the "bigger" trips I could skip going on a vacation for a year.

I found this on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/233-000-FAIRFIEL...QQcmdZViewItem

The maintenance per point is .0035 cents per/maintenance fee $. The final bid price is not yet known. I haven't decided how much I would pay for this yet or if I should even buy it.

Anything I should look out for here? Is this a good deal? I, like everyone, am looking for the best bang for my buck. I want to travel without having to pay an arm & leg. I wouldn't want to be in a "motel 6", I'm more used to Sheraton quality in a studio and I'd like to be able to be "on the beach". I could definitly see us breaking up our week and only going for 5 days (sun-thurs) farther away and use less points some years to save up points and do weekend "getaways" to places closer to us. I'm thinking we would also want to use points on car rentals, restuarants, and flights to be as economical as possible.

Do you think if I said, I want to go to Key West or Daytona (on the beach) this May that I'd be able to find something? Am I being unrealistic? Most of the time we would plan about a year in advance, but probably have a 2-3 month range that we'd want to go (weather is the most important factor!).

Thanks,
Activia

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

Activia,

This is not a bad FF point package at the right price. It being an EOY, I would not bid more that $.01 per point. The closing company is good as well as is it's quoted closing costs. Also, the MF quoted does not include a separate $73 tax bill every year.

You need to make sure that this offer is for points, either a converted week assigned to the FF FSP trust or a deed for UDI points at Star Island. What you will actually get is a deed (or assignment) worth 116,500 points every year that you will allow you to use 233,000 points every even year. FF bills you for MF on the 116,500 points every year. If it is a converted fixed week, you as an owner at Star Island will only be able to reserve that specific week at 10-13 months(Advance Reservation Priority or ARP). If it is a UDI deed, then you can reserve any week at Star Island at 10-13 months for the ARP.

Understand that this FF resort is associated with II. If you do not own any other FF point resort and this is your first ownership, you will be associated with II always. Even if you later add a FF resort affiliated with RCI, you will not be able to use RCI.

The advantage of RCI over II with FF resorts is that with RCI you can make uneven exchanges. For example, many FF owners will deposit a blue studio size of points, 28,000, into RCI and exchange for a high red 2BR GC when a bulk spacebank occurs. With II, you always have to deposit like for like.

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

This is eBay, most activities probably will around the last half hr or so. At this moment, it is very hard to determined how many people will actually bid on it. There still at least 5 days until finish.

It is Every other year contract, and start with Even year. So if you win, you have most of the time to plan to use your points.

When auction finishes, or like this that has a few days. Ask the seller the contract number, and check with FF or resort to make sure the MF, if this is converted week or UDI .... Resort will not give you any more detail unless you get a signed document from seller to release the information, so you will not be able to veify if all loan pay off or if all MF up to day. But that should be done by closing company. If you win, make sure ask the clsoing company to do estoppel not just a title search. Star Island is with II see Mike's message.

The point size is decent for 1 wk vacation inside FF for 2 BD at prime time. It will allow you make it to 3 1 BR vacation in II or inside FF exchange if you try to extend it. If you do that, realize that you may not get a prime week vacation. Since it is EOY, it means you are looking at around $550 every 2 years as your traveling cost.

The closing cost is in the low end (300 + 100 resort transfer fee).

If you want bid, set your max bid and enter it at the last say 20 sec or 35 sec depend on your internet connection speed.

Jya-Ning

[rklein01 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rklein01]

You need to make sure that this offer is for points, either a converted week assigned to the FF FSP trust or a deed for UDI points at Star Island.

I'm not the OP, but that raises a question.
I'm considering buying a fixed week at a Fairfield-operated resort, intending to use it some years, rent it others.

Do you know how my maintenance cost will compare to FSP owners in similar units. I've assumed it will be the same as theirs, less the Fairfield dues piece. Is that so?

Is there any reason I should hesitate to buy a fixed week? [I already own 140,000 Fairfield points in another resort, and I don't feel I need more.]

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

I'm not the OP, but that raises a question.
I'm considering buying a fixed week at a Fairfield-operated resort, intending to use it some years, rent it others.

Do you know how my maintenance cost will compare to FSP owners in similar units. I've assumed it will be the same as theirs, less the Fairfield dues piece. Is that so?

Is there any reason I should hesitate to buy a fixed week? [I already own 140,000 Fairfield points in another resort, and I don't feel I need more.]

If you buy an unconverted fixed week you will pay the same MF on the week as FSP owners but will NOT pay the FSP fee.

As to whether you should buy a fixed week or points, that's up to you. If you buy a fixed week converted to FSP points, you get the option of reserving that specific week and unit 10-13 months during the ARP period. If you decide you want to use the points instead to combine with the 140,000 points you own, then you can go somewhere else. Also, with a fixed week, you can only deposit that week into RCI (or II depending on the exchange company affiliation). With points, you can deposit point deposits that are less than the full week's point value.

To me, points from a converted fixed week give one more flexibility than a fixed week only. The only difference would be that you have to pay the FSP fee in addition to the MF. The best point and cost value for buying a converted fixed week is to make sure you get a red week.

[activia Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close activia]

Thanks for your advise. I decided to pass because of the trading with II and not RCI. I found two other timeshare's that are .034 per $ of maintenance which seems really good. They are in Williamsburg and quite frankly I can't imagine wanting to go there more then once. Is this a good trade on RCI, will exchanging be easy for me during prime time? Should I pass because I wouldn't want to get stuck with going to that resort? If you know anything about these resorts let me know.

http://cgi.ebay.com/FAIRFIELD-POINTS...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/FAIRFIELD-POINTS...QQcmdZViewItem

I'm thinking of getting the lower points one because it seems like a good starting point and the maintenance fee is low.

Thanks,
Activia

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I'm not the OP, but that raises a question.
I'm considering buying a fixed week at a Fairfield-operated resort, intending to use it some years, rent it others.

Do you know how my maintenance cost will compare to FSP owners in similar units. I've assumed it will be the same as theirs, less the Fairfield dues piece. Is that so?

Is there any reason I should hesitate to buy a fixed week? [I already own 140,000 Fairfield points in another resort, and I don't feel I need more.]

Nothing wrong with that. Make sure you find a week you like to use and if you want to rent, it will get take most of the time and the current rent market can cover at least 50% or more than your MF. You can use the on-line inventory to figure out which week is hot in that area.

Play with it, if it is with RCI, then chances are, you can convert it if you don't like your rental option or usuage option. It will increase your FSP program fee if you convert it, and it is $2,395 extra at this moment. But the best case in, from 13 to 10 month, none can touch that unit.

If you like the rental income, don't bother to bring in to FF, it will only increase your cost.

The fix week resort MF is based on room size. Usually bigger room will cost more but that is not proportion. And same size pay the same MF, so buy a hot week and bigger room since a very good chance you will rent to a family. If you do that, after converted, you will pay much less MF.

But make sure it is a resort you like to go and season you like to be there.

Jya-Ning

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I found two other timeshare's that are .034 per $ of maintenance which seems really good. They are in Williamsburg and quite frankly I can't imagine wanting to go there more then once. Is this a good trade on RCI, will exchanging be easy for me during prime time? Should I pass because I wouldn't want to get stuck with going to that resort? If you know anything about these resorts let me know.

I'm thinking of getting the lower points one because it seems like a good starting point and the maintenance fee is low.

Thanks,
Activia

FF trading to RCI is not depended on the underline resort. It is either a generic type of week that based on overall FF strength or a random real week FF throw to RCI week pool (it maybe any resort). Kingsgate are in the process of remodeling. It will have the SA for 3 years. It is the 2nd year (so if you got it, you will pay this and next year). The MF you quote is for regular MF only, the SA is close to 1/2 of that amount. But based on the proposed picture, the finished remodeling product will be good.

84k is good enough for 1 BR in summer primetime there. I think 126k is good size for you to pay a while. Even if you want to bring a family for 2 BR in area you want, it should give you 4 or 5 days.

Just fact in the SA, and set your final price accordingly. Then put it at the last 1/2 min.

Jya-Ning

[activia Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close activia]

Thanks, I'm still trying to understand the whole points system.

I actually found one that is a better deal(almost too good to be true actually) and I would enjoy actually using it. I read some reviews on it and everyone seemed to really like it, plus you can use the beach of the sister fairfield resort across the street. I'm not sure why the maintenance fee is so low? Any ideas?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Florida-FAIRFIEL...QQcmdZViewItem

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Thanks, I'm still trying to understand the whole points system.

I actually found one that is a better deal(almost too good to be true actually) and I would enjoy actually using it. I read some reviews on it and everyone seemed to really like it, plus you can use the beach of the sister fairfield resort across the street. I'm not sure why the maintenance fee is so low? Any ideas?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Florida-FAIRFIEL...QQcmdZViewItem

I'd guess that the MF has been misstated, probably accidentally, maybe they used the same form as for an EOY property... better check with the seller and confirm with FF by getting the account # before sending $... also ask about Special Assessments, some of these resorts had hurricane damage within the last year or two.

eta: also, you had mentioned trading into Key West earlier... that is a really tough trade I wouldn't count on at all, very little inventory. The nicest properties are Hyatts and most weeks go to Hyatt owners. There are sometimes a few hurricane weeks around at the Coconut Mallory on II, and on rare occasion at the Banyan, and some tiger traders get ongoing requests matched at the Galleon through RCI (maybe II too, not sure).

[activia Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close activia]

I emailed the seller. What other places are really tough trades? Is Hawii, California(LA, Lake Tahoe, near national parks), Utah, Colorado, Australia, France, Italy, other islands(aruba, virgin islands).. when weather is ideal also a tough trade?

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

I believe the Maintaince fee is low is because currently the resort is closed due to 2005's hurriance damage. Of course, I could mix this one with the other sister resort. It is not low when the resort was in operation.

Don't know the situation there. If all or most damage covered by insurance, it is a good buy, otherwise, you may looking at like over 1000 SA.

Jya-Ning

[activia Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close activia]

He claimed it was correct and that it wasn't closed, although I have my doubts.

How many FF points = an RCI point? I saw this one today: http://cgi.ebay.com/DISNEY-Sheraton-...QQcmdZViewItem

looks decent.

[EAM Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close EAM]

FF Santa Barbara has been closed since hurricane Wilima

Fairfield Santa Barbara has been closed since it suffered severe damage during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. I suggest you read the thread below for details. The maintenance fees were reduced since the resort was closed. Allegedly there will be a special assessment to cover repairs not covered by insurance.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthr...+santa+barbara

[Jya-Ning Silver Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Jya-Ning]

He claimed it was correct and that it wasn't closed, although I have my doubts.

Fairfield Santa Barbara has been closed since it suffered severe damage during Hurricane Wilma in 2005. I suggest you read the thread below for details. The maintenance fees were reduced since the resort was closed. Allegedly there will be a special assessment to cover repairs not covered by insurance.

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthr...+santa+barbara

Although it is closed, since it has been converted to point, you still get to use FSP point. So the only issue is how much the SA will be.

How many FF points = an RCI point? I saw this one today: http://cgi.ebay.com/DISNEY-Sheraton-...QQcmdZViewItem

looks decent.

FF point is not the same as RCI point. They can not mix together. Although, IMHO, I don't value RCI point high. I believe you still need to look at the underline property very carefully. If you buy resell FF, you will not use it to RCI nightly stay (or change to any RCI point program). FF does has a program to allow you to use RCI point program, you either has to pay $2,395 or purchase a week from developer. Both are not that value because FF's UDI MF is close to high end, thus make almost all other exchange not favorable, the only option that is worth is access RCI point resort and donightly stay. (I don't own that program, so it just an opion and has not experience to back it up)

If you pay FF to joint the program and access RCI point resort, it is through a generic grid. So it is very hard to say what is the ratio. But generally, people use 3 to 1 as avg..

Don't know Sheraton well. Are they part of Starwood? I think you can stat a new thread ask that program.

Jya-Ning

ps.
Actually, you may want to take a look at this thread