Question about NO MAINTENANCE FEE Palace resorts in Mexico

[Lisa P Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Lisa P]

I'd agree with the post suggesting eBay. There are plenty of resort weeks on there, listed for $1, where the seller will pay closing costs. Just look for something with low maint fees and located where you might actually use it once in a while. Some resorts are dual-affiliated. You could then join both, RCI and II, to access their rentals. Look online at the RCI and II resort directories to confirm that the resort you are considering is actually dual-affiliated (some only state one exchange company in the eBay ad, though they're affiliated with both). You may want to look for a studio week with maint fees under $275 or a 1BR week with maint fees under $350. They're definitely out there. And your $2700 saved on the purchase price will cover several years of exchange fees and maint fees.

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

Thanks again for the advice everyone, it's well appreciated!!

[Jim McLaren Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jim McLaren]

There's an ad OY for renting RCI points for cheap. I would probably consider that. The question I would have to ask is if an RCI points account has access to last call vacations. If that were the case you could get in cheap. RCI also has Instant Exchanges (I think that's the name) where you can get short notice exchanges for 7500-9000 points. In the end the cost comes out about the same as last call considering you pay an exchange fee and about $0.01 per point.

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

The question I would have to ask is if an RCI points account has access to last call vacations.

yes, RCI point account does come with free week account too. So you can get week's last call and ride on week side at 45 days.

I don't know what will happen when the short term lease period gone, if you still be able to keep the account, look like at this moment you do.

Jya-Ning

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Just to clarify the 'no MF if you don't use the week' scenario - I own at a DIVI resort - some of the DIVI properties require that you pay the MF only if u use a week - whether to stay in or exchange - exchange is considered 'use'.

So if you decide not to use or exchange for a particular year - then u don't pay the MF.
If you use one week in a year to stay or exchange, you pay the MF.
If you choose to 'accelerate' your contract or use 2 or 3 weeks in one year, you can but you pay the MF for each week used.
If your contract says you have 23 left on it, you are responsibe to pay 23 weeks MFs before you are out of that contract - so not using it a year wouldn't get you out of that obligation.

As for OP and his question - RUN away from this deal - those AI resorts in Mexico are not a good buy - and will not trade well.

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

We own at an AI in Mexico only because we use it every year, as the AI is optional for owners. We can also pay by the day, and at $42 it's pretty good. We were grandfathered in, since the resort has changed ownership and new owners have a mandatory AI. The exchangers' have the highest AI fee, thus I would not consider this resort as a trader.

Jana

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

We own at an AI in Mexico only because we use it every year, as the AI is optional for owners. We can also pay by the day, and at $42 it's pretty good. We were grandfathered in, since the resort has changed ownership and new owners have a mandatory AI. The exchangers' have the highest AI fee, thus I would not consider this resort as a trader.

Jana

This is a perfect example of AI being right for you - you use it every year, the owner rate for AI is reasonable and it is optional.
Another member of this board, iconnections - owns at a very nice resot in Nueva Vallarta that is AI - but she uses it every year and greatly enjoys it. There is also a reduced rate for owners.

At the Palace Resorts, it is not optional - and they market and rent the units there as a 'regular' AI hotel rooms to the public at a much cheaper rate then it would cost a timeshare exchanger to do AI there!
I was stayig at the Avalon Grand about 5 years ago and DDs friend and family were staying a short way down the beach at one of the 'Palaces' - they had purchased an AI package trip for their family of 5.