Is Timeshare right for us?

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

Hello everyone,

A little background: My husband and I (both 25) are ready to start traveling. We have our own business and have a relatively flexible schedule. We have around 3 weeks a year we could spend traveling. I've been researching the best way to do this, and timeshares came up in my search (and that's how I found this wonderful forum!). We would like a flexible system - we will most likely not want to stay anywhere more than twice, and most places only for a week and then try somewhere else next time. We have a flexible schedule and can plan up to a year in advance. I know we will purchase on the resale market (most likely ebay). We should have a long time to be using this, and are not purchasing it as any kind of investment. From what I've seen, if you work the point system correctly you can stay at nicer places for longer and cheaper than if you outright reserve a hotel.

From what I've read so far, the RCI or similar points system seems to be the best suited for us. For only having looked into this for the past month or so I still have so many questions. I appreciate your thought and opinions on any of my questions:

1. As I understand the points system, points are points. So if I purchase at a "home" resort that uses the RCI point system, they will transfer equally to another resort such as Manhattan Club if I have enough points. Is this correct? Does it matter where I purchase from a home resort? There are lots around Disneyworld available that are inexpensive with a good amount of points and low maintenance fees, but we have zero interest in Disneyland and I would most likely never use it. Do you have to use your home resort at least once or any similar requirement?

2. Purchasing resale on ebay - I have seen some auctions for 300,000 points every year. Any pitfalls or scams I should be aware of with these? I know I have to look to make sure it is an RCI points home resort, but I'm not sure if I should be looking for anything else.

3. If I purchase one of the aforementioned 300,000 point home resorts, am I still limited to one week per year? So if I have 300,000 points, can I take 4 separate vacations of varying lengths as long as I have enough points? Are there extra fees for each of these vacations then or are they all included in my home resort's maintenance fee? This is the only way I can see this being cost effective over renting out someone else's timeshare.

4. Are any other perks included in these timeshares? I read on another website that attraction tickets are sometimes included with the timeshare. In this case it was a waterpark in Wisconsin Dells and not a big park like Disney. Can anyone confirm if this is true with some places? I have read about the RCI program where you can buy tickets with your points but this doesn't usually seem very cost effective. However, with 300,000 points this could be worth it.

Thank you all for your help! I am hoping this works out well for us and I can continue on this forum as an owner. If I'm looking at the wrong setup and a week based system would be better I'm still open to ideas - I'm sure I have missed some things.

Thanks!

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

Be careful with what you are buying, alot of system use points, i'm betting those 300,000 points you see are for the Wyndham system, which IMO, is a great system....But if you want to use it outside the internal Wyndham system, like in RCI, there will be additional costs

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Check out craigslist vacation rentals, and other rental sites, for the places you want to travel to, and see if the investment, the ongoing obligation of Timeshare fees and the inability to get rid of them makes sense.

We have been timeshare owners of multiple weeks for over 20 years and never would have been if the facts of then were the same as the facts of today.

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

Be careful with what you are buying, alot of system use points, i'm betting those 300,000 points you see are for the Wyndham system, which IMO, is a great system....But if you want to use it outside the internal Wyndham system, like in RCI, there will be additional costs

You're right, they are with Wyndham. Are the costs marginal like a fee every time you use them or does it price it to the point that it's not worth it?

I'm seeing vacation rentals for a week to rent someone's timeshare for $500 a week and I'm wondering if that's just a better way to go. I like the idea of just paying the maintenance fees and other fees for 300,000 points (looks like I could get 3 or 4 weeks out of this if I'm reading everything correctly), but not if the RCI fees price it out of range to be worth it.

Thanks so much for your response!!

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

I would advise a non-points and non-RCI timeshare. If you dedcide to give timesharing a try, buy somewhere where you could spend more than one vacation with good trading ability, good non-developer controlled management and lower than the average annual costs.

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

You're right, they are with Wyndham. Are the costs marginal like a fee every time you use them or does it price it to the point that it's not worth it?

I'm seeing vacation rentals for a week to rent someone's timeshare for $500 a week and I'm wondering if that's just a better way to go. I like the idea of just paying the maintenance fees and other fees for 300,000 points (looks like I could get 3 or 4 weeks out of this if I'm reading everything correctly), but not if the RCI fees price it out of range to be worth it.
...IF I WERE YOU, i'd forget about RCI for now and buy into a 'mini system' like Wyndham and just work within that
Thanks so much for your response!!

IF, Big IF, you just use it within the Wyndham System at other wyndham locations(They have alot of nice places) there are NO other fees, IF you move the points out of the Wyndham System and into RCI and decide to Exchange(Trade your points for an RCI week) the fee is going to be around $189...RCI also has a very specific chart for Wyndham points, this isn't for the internal Wyndham system, this is for when you Move your Wyndham points INTO rci

[IMG]https://www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com/ffrweb/graphics/landing/***_chart_3.jpg[/IMG]

I'm a single father so i only book 2br places...300,000 is MAYBE two weeks for me, if i'm lucky...Depending on where you want to stay, how long and how big of a room you need...You may not get 3 weeks from it

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

IF, Big IF, you just use it within the Wyndham System at other wyndham locations(They have alot of nice places) there are NO other fees, IF you move the points out of the Wyndham System and into RCI and decide to Exchange(Trade your points for an RCI week) the fee is going to be around $189...RCI also has a very specific chart for Wyndham points, this isn't for the internal Wyndham system, this is for when you Move your Wyndham points INTO rci

[IMG]https://www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com/ffrweb/graphics/landing/***_chart_3.jpg[/IMG]

I'm a single father so i only book 2br places...300,000 is MAYBE two weeks for me, if i'm lucky...Depending on where you want to stay, how long and how big of a room you need...You may not get 3 weeks from it

Thank you for the chart, that is extremely helpful! Without being a member it's hard to find exact up to date numbers. I did find a pdf of RCI points but that must have been outdated because the numbers I found were a lot less (leading me to believe I could get 3 weeks out of 300,000 points). Seeing the chart you provided I am surprised by how many people purchase the point system timeshares that are only worth 50,000 points or so. Am I missing something here or do they just not travel outside of their home resort much?

[Ridewithme38 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ridewithme38]

Thank you for the chart, that is extremely helpful! Without being a member it's hard to find exact up to date numbers. I did find a pdf of RCI points but that must have been outdated because the numbers I found were a lot less (leading me to believe I could get 3 weeks out of 300,000 points). Seeing the chart you provided I am surprised by how many people purchase the point system timeshares that are only worth 50,000 points or so. Am I missing something here or do they just not travel outside of their home resort much?

Those points are ONLY for when you are transferring your points OUT of the Wyndham system into RCI...

Within the Wyndham system are 100+ resorts which all have different point values that you don't have to transfer your point to RCI for...This is the most recent Points charts i have for that...You will have to look at each location you want to stay and and look up the points needed
CLUB WYNDHAM® Plus Member's Directory 2011-2012

[aliikai2 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close aliikai2]

Maybe

Hello everyone,

A little background: My husband and I (both 25) are ready to start traveling. We have our own business and have a relatively flexible schedule. We have around 3 weeks a year we could spend traveling. I've been researching the best way to do this, and timeshares came up in my search (and that's how I found this wonderful forum!). We would like a flexible system - we will most likely not want to stay anywhere more than twice, and most places only for a week and then try somewhere else next time. We have a flexible schedule and can plan up to a year in advance. I know we will purchase on the resale market (most likely ebay). We should have a long time to be using this, and are not purchasing it as any kind of investment. From what I've seen, if you work the point system correctly you can stay at nicer places for longer and cheaper than if you outright reserve a hotel.

From what I've read so far, the RCI or similar points system seems to be the best suited for us. For only having looked into this for the past month or so I still have so many questions. I appreciate your thought and opinions on any of my questions:

1. As I understand the points system, points are points. So if I purchase at a "home" resort that uses the RCI point system, they will transfer equally to another resort such as Manhattan Club if I have enough points. Is this correct? Does it matter where I purchase from a home resort? There are lots around Disneyworld available that are inexpensive with a good amount of points and low maintenance fees, but we have zero interest in Disneyland and I would most likely never use it. Do you have to use your home resort at least once or any similar requirement?

You can use RCI points at any Rci points resort. No, you never need to use your resort. Few of the RCI points resorts allow less than full weeks, so keep that in mind.

2. Purchasing resale on ebay - I have seen some auctions for 300,000 points every year. Any pitfalls or scams I should be aware of with these? I know I have to look to make sure it is an RCI points home resort, but I'm not sure if I should be looking for anything else.

300 k sounds like Wyndham

3. If I purchase one of the aforementioned 300,000 point home resorts, am I still limited to one week per year? So if I have 300,000 points, can I take 4 separate vacations of varying lengths as long as I have enough points? Are there extra fees for each of these vacations then or are they all included in my home resort's maintenance fee? This is the only way I can see this being cost effective over renting out someone else's timeshare.

no, yes maybe, yes each has a reservation fee in Wyndham, or a trade fee if RCI.

4. Are any other perks included in these timeshares? I read on another website that attraction tickets are sometimes included with the timeshare. In this case it was a waterpark in Wisconsin Dells and not a big park like Disney. Can anyone confirm if this is true with some places? I have read about the RCI program where you can buy tickets with your points but this doesn't usually seem very cost effective. However, with 300,000 points this could be worth it.

Normall no
Thank you all for your help! I am hoping this works out well for us and I can continue on this forum as an owner. If I'm looking at the wrong setup and a week based system would be better I'm still open to ideas - I'm sure I have missed some things.

Thanks!

Greg

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

Thank you for the chart, that is extremely helpful! Without being a member it's hard to find exact up to date numbers. I did find a pdf of RCI points but that must have been outdated because the numbers I found were a lot less (leading me to believe I could get 3 weeks out of 300,000 points). Seeing the chart you provided I am surprised by how many people purchase the point system timeshares that are only worth 50,000 points or so. Am I missing something here or do they just not travel outside of their home resort much?

To clarify, RCI points are not the same as Wyndham points. They are apples and oranges. 300,000 RCI points would indeed get you alot of timeshare.
OTOH, 50,000 Wyndham points would only get you a week in a studio in quiet season in one of the older (but still nice) resorts.

One advantage of points I haven't seen mentioned on this thread is the ability to have shorter stays rather than a full week. Some people find this gives them more flexibility.

I am both a points owner (Wyndham) and a fixed week owner (Silverleaf, which exchanges through RCI). I find the best value with Wyndham is in internal exchanges within the Wyndham system and not in exchange through RCI.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

I'm seeing vacation rentals for a week to rent someone's timeshare for $500 a week and I'm wondering if that's just a better way to go.

Like I said in the post previous to this one of yours, if I had seen that back when we were getting started, we would never had gotten started. We would not be saddled with $3000 in annual fees, and an indifferent exchange company. Indifferent is being very polite.

Do what you want, but do you want to be married to something that will increase in expense, never in value, and that you cannot get rid of until death do you part?

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

Disclosure: I am biased.

If you are looking for a point system, check into Bluegreen. once you've paid your maint fees and annual club dues (~$130), there are no additional charges to use your points. while there are some rules, it's not a complex system, there aren't all kinds of hidden hoops to jump thru. There is a forum specifically for Bluegreen on this board.

As another poster mentioned, once you start involving RCI, the costs add up quickly. A big nickel there, a slim dime there ... and the ever-changing rules.

The flip side is that RCI has a ton of inventory, so, I do use them occasionally because of that. I don't like them, tho.

But mostly, I stay in the Bluegreen network, especially because tehy keep expanding it and offering new opportunities (mostly via Traveller's Plus) and I still haven't made it to all the resorts yet.

Check out bluegreenonline.com to see resorts.

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

Same note, one more time . . . I've found craigslist to be an excellent source for bluegreen stuff.

like Big Cedar Wilderness Club, for instance

springfield vacation rentals classifieds "big cedar" - craigslist

Again, why buy the cow?

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

I'll add a couple of additional points I have not seen mentioned here yet.

First and foremost, timesharing is most successful when you can plan far enough in advance. With most point systems, that means making your reservations as soon as you can, usually 10-12 months out, depending on the system. If you are expecting to make a reservation for that perfect 4th of July week at your favorite resort, you certainly won't find anything if you try to book it in April.

You don't mention where you live. If most of your travel is in the West, look into Worldmark. It is a point system that has a good sized network of internal resorts (priority booking) and you can also exchange out w/ RCI and II.

I personally own Hilton Grand Vacation Club (yet another point system), and have been very pleased with my usage. I own a 3BR high season, but have been able to stretch that out to about 2 1/2 weeks usage (on average) in 1BR and 2BR accomodations. In contrary to JLB's experiences, I would never have been able to stay at the same places for anywhere close to what I pay in MFs every year. But HGVC is a bit more upscale, if that is what you want.

Kurt

[JLB Please excuse me, I'm a Dick. Not a moron just a Dick Find all posts View Profile Close JLB]

In contrary to JLB's experiences, I would never have been able to stay at the same places for anywhere close to what I pay in MFs every year. But HGVC is a bit more upscale, if that is what you want.

Kurt

Contrary to this comment contrary to my comments, until recent years we could not have stayed at the same places for any where close to what we paid in maintenance fees, either.

But, we could now, if we needed to.

I have always been fond of HGVC . . . one of the better systems, maybe worth consideration.

Nah, not if you wanna keep the big bucks in your own pocket, and don't mind shopping around a bit when you wanna vacation.

& even HGVC is available if you shop a bit:

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/vac/2789714942.html

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/vac/2779884779.html