Latest Conversion info

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

've never seen or heard of a Blue Book. Maybe it's some inventory book they have, it's certainly not promulgated to members.

The rep (las vegas ofc) made it sound like it should be in some new member packet...I will call back Monday AM to see if I can get clarity what this book is. It would be very nice to have as reference when planning trips.

...and you're first in the queue to get it with an ongoing request (or you get lucky and see it online).

Well, if you are 5th (or 6th or 7th, etc.) in the II line for a given resort, you can still get in. It just takes the ones ahead of you to get filled first. Of course, someone with higher trading power may come by and bump you down the waiting list.

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

Where can I get these publications? Are they online or do I need to go to Sunterra?

see the sticky on top of this Sunterra forum.

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

Club Sunterra

Latest info from Sunterra Corporate is that ALL conversions of resales, deeds or Trust, to full Club Sunterra must be done through a Sunterra Sales Center. This means you have to dicker with them. I believe the ultimate bottom line could still be $2995 and no additional points but my guess is that will be hard to get and the 2000 extra SunOptions for $5000 will be the 'norm.'

I'm relatively new to the timeshare world (1999). We upgraded in August 2007 and have Home Club Advantage in Kauai and now in Maui, HI. We converted our week worth 10,000 to 15,000 SunOptions. The 10% discounted upgrade price was $13K and the sales agent waived the $2,995 converson fee, other fees, and provided 5,000 additional points to use within 18 months from activation. I think we did the right thing.

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

I'm relatively new to the timeshare world (1999). We upgraded in August 2007 and have Home Club Advantage in Kauai and now in Maui, HI. We converted our week worth 10,000 to 15,000 SunOptions. The 10% discounted upgrade price was $13K and the sales agent waived the $2,995 converson fee, other fees, and provided 5,000 additional points to use within 18 months from activation. I think we did the right thing.

Oakridger, Welcome. Only you can decide if you did the right thing. If you're only interested in going to Hawaii and that's what makes you happy, great. Otherwise here are a few points to ponder.

You're paying Hawaii Maintenance fees, so when you book elsewhere, you're probably paying too much, Maintenance Fees for the Florida Trust are currently 7.3¢/pt, what are yours? You're paying for that HCA for Hawaii and it can be worth it... I'm almost never able to book a 2BR at Kaanapali in prime seasons.

You paid what you paid. 10% discount is baloney, they got what they wanted to get from you. Waiving $2995 conversion fee is baloney, they got what they wanted from you for the conversion through your purchase.

You can value the extra/bonus one time use 5000 points a couple ways, either by the MF it would cost you for those points or the rental income you might get from those points; $400 - $1000.

[d0ugie_fresh Member Find all posts View Profile Close d0ugie_fresh]

... I'm almost never able to book a 2BR at Kaanapali in prime seasons.

Spence - My understanding is that there are very few 2 bedroom units at Kaanapali. Are you saying that you have been able to land a 2 bedroom unit in the past?

I'm an owner at Kaanapali and am hoping to get the week of New Year's 08 - 09 there. I've been looking to get one of the 2 bedroom units even 12 months out from now and it seems almost impossible. Any pointers?

Also, the reason I own in Hawaii versus a Florida resort is because then I at least have the option every year to go to Hawaii (which I love) versus the difficulty of trading for a week that would fit my schedule. Yes, I agree, I'm probably paying a little bit of a premium to have that option, but it is an option I like having.

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

Spence - My understanding is that there are very few 2 bedroom units at Kaanapali. Are you saying that you have been able to land a 2 bedroom unit in the past?

I'm an owner at Kaanapali and am hoping to get the week of New Year's 08 - 09 there. I've been looking to get one of the 2 bedroom units even 12 months out from now and it seems almost impossible. Any pointers?

Also, the reason I own in Hawaii versus a Florida resort is because then I at least have the option every year to go to Hawaii (which I love) versus the difficulty of trading for a week that would fit my schedule. Yes, I agree, I'm probably paying a little bit of a premium to have that option, but it is an option I like having.

That reason is a perfectly good one to pay that premium. I have a Mar08 2BR booked right now but was unable to get a Jun08 2BR that I wanted. I have seen 2BRs available often at the 10month window when I can 'see' them, but they're gone very quickly. I've ven seen the 2BR Presidential. You need to book at the instant your availability opens.

[Schooner Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schooner]

Hi folks, being new to this forum and DRI/Sunterra, I need all the advice I can get. I have read and re-read most everything on this site about buying resale and converting to club. It has been an education!

I currently have deeded weeks at Powhatan, Greensprings and PT as well as a float week at Ridge on Sedona ... all in escrow. I also have CSV-1 points contracts in escrow. I have no idea which will come out of escrow first. Ideally I would like to convert a deeded week with the option of bringing in other weeks/points as they clear escrow to avoid carrying the base trust fee but I understand I may not have this option if the CSV-1 is registered in my name before other titles. Is that correct?

As a way around this and to expedite membership to Club has anyone ever tried to negotiate with DRI Sales to buy say 2000pts for $5K with the option of keeping the door open to add properties as they exit escrow? Do you foresee pitfalls with this approach? Any advice would be most welcome!

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

Hi folks, being new to this forum and DRI/Sunterra, I need all the advice I can get. I have read and re-read most everything on this site about buying resale and converting to club. It has been an education!

I currently have deeded weeks at Powhatan, Greensprings and PT as well as a float week at Ridge on Sedona ... all in escrow. I also have CSV-1 points contracts in escrow. I have no idea which will come out of escrow first. Ideally I would like to convert a deeded week with the option of bringing in other weeks/points as they clear escrow to avoid carrying the base trust fee but I understand I may not have this option if the CSV-1 is registered in my name before other titles. Is that correct?

As a way around this and to expedite membership to Club has anyone ever tried to negotiate with DRI Sales to buy say 2000pts for $5K with the option of keeping the door open to add properties as they exit escrow? Do you foresee pitfalls with this approach? Any advice would be most welcome!

From your question, It is obvious that you indeed did some reading, thanks.

It is indeed a crapshoot whether your Club account gets charged the Base Trust fee; whether the account gets based on a deed or based on a Trust ownership if you add averything at once.

Your proposed approach is one that has been used with Sunterra in the past, how quickly Diamond may change some of these policies is unknown. Negotiate at the end of a month and your position may be stronger (quotas?) but in the recent past people have reported negotiating for addition of maybe two more additional properties.

When you do it, please let us know how you came out. There has been information posted on which Sales Center they felt was most accommodating.

[Schooner Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schooner]

Thanks Spence, I will give it a shot and let you know how it comes out!

By the way, you have my vote for the Board next time around too!

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

Converting time to points in future for no addit. cost.

They let us buy 3,000 for 10K. It was a long document where they started at 22K then gave us trade-in value blah blah blah. I was confused with the paperwork but ultimately got to the bottom line of 10K.
Reading some of the posts it sounds like I paid too much but I didn't go into it informed.
The sales person did have the manager write in the contract I can buy more points or weeks and convert into my SunOptions for free.
I've been looking around e-bay for an EOY or 1,500 to 2,500 to get to the 10K SunOptions.
For now 8,500 is enough.

I am in the process of converting my weeks at PT to points in DRI for $2,995.
I read last week about you getting the manager to put in your contact that you can convert future purchases on the open market to points for free.

My salesman said he wrote that into the contract yesterday and got a call today. He says the VP said NO. How did you get them to do that for you? Where did they do it and who said OK? I am convinced I want to convert, at this point, but really want that option so I wont' have to pay the $2,995 again!

Please tell me what you said to bargain hard with these guys by tomorrow!
Thanks and Happy Holidays!

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

I am in the process of converting my weeks at PT to points in DRI for $2,995.
I read last week about you getting the manager to put in your contact that you can convert future purchases on the open market to points for free.

My salesman said he wrote that into the contract yesterday and got a call today. He says the VP said NO. How did you get them to do that for you? Where did they do it and who said OK? I am convinced I want to convert, at this point, but really want that option so I wont' have to pay the $2,995 again!

Please tell me what you said to bargain hard with these guys by tomorrow!
Thanks and Happy Holidays!

I wish I had the magic bullet to give you, I don't, maybe someone else does.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

I am in the process of converting my weeks at PT to points in DRI for $2,995.
I read last week about you getting the manager to put in your contact that you can convert future purchases on the open market to points for free.

My salesman said he wrote that into the contract yesterday and got a call today. He says the VP said NO. How did you get them to do that for you? Where did they do it and who said OK? I am convinced I want to convert, at this point, but really want that option so I wont' have to pay the $2,995 again!

Please tell me what you said to bargain hard with these guys by tomorrow!
Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Looks as if that window of opportunity has closed. DRI doesn't usually like to give up money. Plus, there has been a bidder under the name of devbuyback that most are assuming is DRI buying up resale invtory so they can sell it retail all over again. Chances are they're not going to allow any more "free" conversions after the fact.

[richardr Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardr]

Looks as if that window of opportunity has closed. DRI doesn't usually like to give up money. Plus, there has been a bidder under the name of devbuyback that most are assuming is DRI buying up resale invtory so they can sell it retail all over again. Chances are they're not going to allow any more "free" conversions after the fact.

For another example of DRI not wanting to give up money, in last month we were told at the sales centre at Sedonna Summit that the new policy is that purchasers will now pay the entire closing costs in addition to the purchase price. Also the price per point is soon to increase again.

[dougp26364 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dougp26364]

For another example of DRI not wanting to give up money, in last month we were told at the sales centre at Sedonna Summit that the new policy is that purchasers will now pay the entire closing costs in addition to the purchase price. Also the price per point is soon to increase again.

Keep in mind the object of development and sales is to make money, not give away the farm. I can't say that I blame them and I don't know that any week we've ever purchased we didn't have to pay the entire closing costs.

As far as prices increasing, Marriott will be opening a new resort for pre-sales on Singer Island, FL. Initial sales offers are going out to Ocean Pointe owners only and general sales will open to the public Jan, 3 2008. After the first 200 units are sold the price will increase.

Every timeshare I know of has price increases, even if they are very modest, 3 to 5 times per year. By having small increases of $50 or more they can add sales pressure by saying that the price is going to increase very soon. It's not a lie but that price increase isn't always very much either and it might not be across all units or seasons. Price increases are there more to create buyer urgency more than anything else.

[richardr Member Find all posts View Profile Close richardr]

Keep in mind the object of development and sales is to make money, not give away the farm. I can't say that I blame them and I don't know that any week we've ever purchased we didn't have to pay the entire closing costs.

As far as prices increasing, Marriott will be opening a new resort for pre-sales on Singer Island, FL. Initial sales offers are going out to Ocean Pointe owners only and general sales will open to the public Jan, 3 2008. After the first 200 units are sold the price will increase.

Every timeshare I know of has price increases, even if they are very modest, 3 to 5 times per year. By having small increases of $50 or more they can add sales pressure by saying that the price is going to increase very soon. It's not a lie but that price increase isn't always very much either and it might not be across all units or seasons. Price increases are there more to create buyer urgency more than anything else.

ON past purchases from Sunterra we did not pay the closing costs.Of course like everything else inthe end it was buried inthe price.