1ST TS Purchase, How did I do? Best Way to Use It?

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

Hello! I've been doing a lot of reading on this forum, but still not wraping my brain around it all. This is not my first nor last question (I'm sure) for those my knowledgeable than me. After visiting a timeshare my brother purchased from a developer with him I was hooked, but not enough to put my family in forever dept. So I started looking for alternative ways to have this awsome vacation place. I decided e-bay would be my way to get my foot in the door. Won a bid for...Annual deeded property @ Sunterra Resorts Plantation at Fall Creek (Branson) week #42, but reads floating red week's 21-43, with a MF of $489.10 It also says Resort also exchanges with RCI, Prime Location and Gold Crown status giving maximum trading ability. (not sure what all that means). This was sold by svacationman and my paperwork is being handled by timeshare freedom inc. I paid $120.00 for bid, $199.00 for closing, $100.00 for transfer fee, and this years maintence fee. HOW DID I DO? I have learned from here that they have points now that they will probably try to sell me. At this point any advice is good advice! Thanks ahead of time!

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

With numbers like that for the purchase it would be difficult to do badly. As for best way to use it, that's obviously up for discussion. Hopefully it's in an area that you would like to visit so then you can get genuinely cheap vacations. Once you start adding in exchange fees etc the costs can add up.
Look at the independents such as Dial an Exchange, SFX and TPI before you pay for membership of RCI or II. The independents have less inventory, but if you ask about specific resorts they can often source them.

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

What are your vacation goals?

Branson is nice, summer is when schools are out and your unit floats during the summer.

How do you plan to use this ?

For your own use?

Trade to Orlando?

The trade power of any Branson week is just below average, as there are so many units available.
That is part of th reason that $500 bought you a unit including closing and transfer fees.
If you give us an idea what you are hoping for, we can give you more insight.

Also, the conversion cost to points if available is from $3000-$5000, not worth the cost for a $500 week.
fwiw, Greg

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

Thank you for the information. My full intent upon purchase was to go to Branson for the next couple of years at least, we have 2 small children and don't live but several hours away so the drive time is not to bad, and after some research it looks to have a least a couple of vacations worth of enjoyment. After they get older we may want to travel a little more at that point, but am a little confused to if that is an option with what I have purchased? May want to sell at that point or exchange? Thanks again

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

OK, so for now you want to use this unit

The best reason to own a timeshare is to use it, so you have done very well.

You don't need to join any trade groups( RCI, II, Etc) until you want to trade your unit to another area.

A year or so ahead of that time, come on back and ask about trading, until then, just enjoy your week in Branson.

Greg

Thank you for the information. My full intent upon purchase was to go to Branson for the next couple of years at least, we have 2 small children and don't live but several hours away so the drive time is not to bad, and after some research it looks to have a least a couple of vacations worth of enjoyment. After they get older we may want to travel a little more at that point, but am a little confused to if that is an option with what I have purchased? May want to sell at that point or exchange? Thanks again

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

I paid $120.00 for bid, $199.00 for closing, $100.00 for transfer fee, and this years maintence fee. HOW DID I DO? I have learned from here that they have points now that they will probably try to sell me. At this point any advice is good advice! Thanks ahead of time!

This is very good for a first purchase! The purchase price is fine, and the annual fee probably isn't too bad, depending on the size the unit -- how big is this?

One thing I would suggest is to talk to the seller immediately to see about reserving something for this year. By the time this closes, it may be too late to use the 2008 week otherwise.

....It also says Resort also exchanges with RCI, Prime Location and Gold Crown status giving maximum trading ability. (not sure what all that means)....

Well, what the seller is claiming here is that this will trade well in RCI, meaning that RCI will offer you a wide variety of units in exchange for this one. Much of what the seller says isn't true -- Branson is not a prime location and "Gold Crown status" (which means that RCI rates this resort as high quality) does not help you get good trades. If you can reserve and deposit a peak summer week, especially July 4th week, and deposit it into RCI at least one year in advance, I would expect decent but not great trade power in RCI. However, if you plan to use this rather than trading this, then trade power doesn't matter. Also, there are trading companies that you can use other than RCI.

As for converting to points, I assume those would be Sunterra points? I believe that converting to Sunterra points is very expensive, and therefore probably not worth doing. However, Spence would be the expert here on this.

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

Good Morning! This is a 2 Bedroom 2 bath, which is just fine. A lockout would have been preferred but was selling at a higher cost & we did this on a pretty tight budget. Our intent was to go to Branson for a least a couple of years, we find there is much to do there with our little ones. After a few years we may look at what other options are out there. (maybe sell and buy something different or exchange, I will probably need to do more research at that time). I've already decided to stand my ground and say no to sunpoints (to stay out of overextending ourselves financially). I really want to book a week for my daughters 4th b-day (my whole reason for buying). How can I make this happen without having all the paperwork/transfers done? Will the resort allow me to hold a room without being the owner yet?

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

I think your best bet would be to ask the current owner to reserve the week for you. When the deeds transfer, the week will transfer with them.

Welcome to TS4M's, and good luck on your new purchase. Enjoy!!!

Good Morning! This is a 2 Bedroom 2 bath, which is just fine. A lockout would have been preferred but was selling at a higher cost & we did this on a pretty tight budget. Our intent was to go to Branson for a least a couple of years, we find there is much to do there with our little ones. After a few years we may look at what other options are out there. (maybe sell and buy something different or exchange, I will probably need to do more research at that time). I've already decided to stand my ground and say no to sunpoints (to stay out of overextending ourselves financially). I really want to book a week for my daughters 4th b-day (my whole reason for buying). How can I make this happen without having all the paperwork/transfers done? Will the resort allow me to hold a room without being the owner yet?

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

Well the cost of getting into timesharing couldn't have been much lower. After a couple of years at Branson, you may want to try trading. If you reserve a July week when that time comes, you should be able to trade fairly well. Overbuilt locations like Orlando and Williamsburg should be an easy trade- tho it will cost you extra for exchange company membership and exchanging fees. So enjoy Branson for now and keep watching and learning to see what you can find out for exchanges down the road.

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

Yes get going with the reservation for 2008. You may have success talking with the seller but I think with svacationman's sold timeshares that Timeshare Freedom makes the reservation. So get hold of your transfer agent right away and pester him/her to get you the week you want. And you may have to pester.

[Gil Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gil]

Branson ? well ?

That was the location of our first TS that we still own and use - and we have a fixed week #32 from a facility comparable to yours - we have been able to exchange into other overbuilt locations like Orlando (once - that was enough) and Williamsburg (3 times) very easily - plus Hilton Head several times (3) - Cocao Beach FL (Jan)- Maine at Samoset(June) - Vermont at Smuggs (sept) - New Hamshire at Attatish Bear Mountain (Sept) - Sedona (Feb) - Rudisdo, NM (July) - Governors Crossing, Sevierville TN (Sept) -Massuehutten in VA (Sept)-Lawrence Welk in Escondito CA (Nov) - Tahoe something or other (Nov) - Daytonna Beach for Spring Break '08 -plus summer or high leave beeper season in MN and WI for multi weeks - oh - Grand Mayan Puerto Vallarta (June 08) - with a quality but certain wasn't a Starwood or Marriott TS - and gosh - you bought it right compared to our not so intelligent developer purchase - (heck -I hadn't been off the farm long enough to know that there was any other way ! ) - Don't think of those 'decent' Branson TS as dogs-

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

Wow, you have a god memory. But I guess vacations are suppose to be memorable! Thanks for the info., but I've not been off the farm long either seeings how I've never even heard of most of these locations, maybe some day I will be able to write a list like yours. I think we will get a lot out of our resort. There is one thread under DRI that talks very highly of this resort & has great pictures. This has helped calm my nerves about this new purchase. Thanks for all!

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

Wow, you have a good memory. But I guess vacations are suppose to be memorable! Thanks for the info., but I've not been off the farm long either seeings how I've never even heard of most of these locations, maybe some day I will be able to write a list like yours. I think we will get a lot out of our resort. There is one thread under DRI that talks very highly of this resort & has great pictures. This has helped calm my nerves about this new purchase. Thanks for all!

I think you did great for your first purchase - you bought at a resort in a location you will be happy to visit every year for the foreseeable future.
Do find out WHEN u can reserve for 2009 - 12 months ahead, 10 months ahead - so u can call on the first day your week/date becomes available.