BrandNewbie Says "Thanks"

[hooknslice19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hooknslice19]

I am not (yet) a TS owner and just joined this Forum tonight to gather information before buying. In reviewing just a few threads on the FF section (which is where I am leaning for a resale purchase), I have been BLOWN AWAY by the helpfulness and intelligence of the postings and the obvious consideration shown by Forum members for others in need of assistance. You have all instilled in me a confidence in using this as a primary source of information in an area that I gather can be a "minefield" to navigate.

I look forward to the day when I can be as helpful as I know all of you will be as I go through the initial TS purchase process. Thanks in advance.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Welcome to timeshareforums. Keep reading and asking questions. Soon you will be answering questions too and helping others. We all like to help each other. The hand of giving is always full.

Have fun. Take your time.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

Welcome Hook!

I've been here a while and I've learned so much. You may have noticed that people ask questions about all kinds of topics and they get great answers back. Over the weekend I was telling my in-laws about things that I learned about one of the places that they want to visit. I told them I learned it all here.

But be careful.... TS4MS is addictive.

Sue

[hooknslice19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hooknslice19]

But be careful.... TS4MS is addictive.

Sue

No Kidding!! I am also afflicted with "MyrtleBeachGolf-Itis" and this diagnosis on top of that could prove fatal!

Seriously, I am looking at Fairfield Sea Watch in Myrtle Beach and will welcome comments on such things as what I can expect to pay per point (resale - I have an eBay account) and how many points I will realistically need to ensure a 2 BR in late March / early April every year. We have a group of golfers that's considering TS purchase as an alternative to hotel for our annual "pilgrimage". Exchange is an unlikely consideration.

Since our "membership" is fluid, is there any problem with TS ownership in the name of a corp/p'ship/LLC, especially if it is a cash deal??

Thanks again.
Kevin

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

hooknslice

No Kidding!! I am also afflicted with "MyrtleBeachGolf-Itis" and this diagnosis on top of that could prove fatal!

Yes, this could be a very serious condition, indeed! The good news is that you will probably live.....Welcome to TS4M's.

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

Sea Watch point requirements

Kevin,

Here are the point requirements for different weeks and units at Sea Watch.

Sea Watch Villas:

Weeks 1-4 (Quiet)
1BR 77,000
2BR 112,000
3BR 133,000

Weeks 5-13 (Value)
1BR 94,500
2BR 140,000
3BR 168,000

Weeks 14-22 (High)
1BR 112,000
2BR 161,000
3BR 203,000

Weeks 23-35 (Prime)
1BR 140,000
2BR 189,000
3BR 238,000

Sea Watch Towers

Weeks 1-4 (Quiet)
1BR 84,000
2BR 126,000
3BR 154,000

Weeks 5-13 (Value)
1BR 105,000
2BR 154,000
3BR 189,000

Weeks 14-22 (High)
1BR 126,000
2BR 175,000
3BR 231,000

Weeks 23-35 (Prime)
1BR 154,000
2BR 203,000
3BR 266,000

All weeks for the rest of the year will be Quiet, Value, High or Prime. These are all of the point requirements you will need to know by "season".

There are some 3BR lockoffs, 3BR and 4BR presidential units but I did not list them. The 3BR lockoffs would be the sum of a 1BR and 2BR.

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

Since our "membership" is fluid, is there any problem with TS ownership in the name of a corp/p'ship/LLC, especially if it is a cash deal??

Welcome

Nope. You can also put into trust if you like. FF will only allow 2 owners in that account though, so only these 2 people can call. But the rest can all sign in to the on-line account. There may have some confusion about Guest, may sure when you record with FF, all people's name is in the transfer document, then if they want to charge you Guest Certification fee, you can fax them the transfer document and tell them it is really their system can not support and have it waived.

If you visit Mytel Beach on March/April and not in Easter/Spring Break, you very likely will not need to buy there unless you really like Seawatch. They also from time to time has discount at that time frame, and you may find RCI exchange is more benefits if you can take 4 or 5 days off.

Jya-Ning

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

By the way, 4/18 will have a chat session talking about FF. You may want to joint the chat.

Jya-Ning

[hooknslice19 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hooknslice19]

Thanks to all who have replied - the depth of your answers and the speed with which they were made confirmed my very positive thoughts about this forum in my first post.

Your answers and my homework haave led me to a few conclusions about Fairfield generally and buying FF points in particular. I welcome anyone pointing out errors in my thinking:

1. Fairfield generally is well-regarded both in terms of the facilities it operates and the TS system it employs.

2. Resale (such as eBay, but not necessarily exclusively) is the way to go to acquire FF points. Ideally, larger blocks are cheaper on a per point basis, but the monthly MF must be factored in in evaluating the desirability of a particular block.

3. A "block" of points acquired with a particular "home" resort will have a MF. Thus, multiple blocks acquired at different resorts will incur a separate MF fee for each block.

4. Points are points, regardless of where the home resort is. For example, a pool of 300,000 points total, accumulated from two or three resorts, can be combined for 1 vacation if desired, whether at one of the home resorts or a completely different one.

5. Staying at a FF resort which is NOT a "home" resort does not require utilizing RCI to exchange, but can be booked - based on availability -directly through FF. (although with a shorter advance "window" than at a "home" resort).

6. Unlike deeded weeks, one does not need to be as concerned about the desirability of the "home" resort or the time of year owned or the type of unit when dealing with a points-based system such as FF.

Any "wrong thoughts" here? Thanks again.

Kevin

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

I'm not a FF owner, but would add that the home resort comes into play in the event of Special Assessments. For that reason, I would personally avoid buying in the hurricane belt, despite the cheap deals available there...

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

My comments are in red.

Thanks to all who have replied - the depth of your answers and the speed with which they were made confirmed my very positive thoughts about this forum in my first post.

Your answers and my homework haave led me to a few conclusions about Fairfield generally and buying FF points in particular. I welcome anyone pointing out errors in my thinking:

1. Fairfield generally is well-regarded both in terms of the facilities it operates and the TS system it employs.

2. Resale (such as eBay, but not necessarily exclusively) is the way to go to acquire FF points. Ideally, larger blocks are cheaper on a per point basis, but the monthly MF must be factored in in evaluating the desirability of a particular block. Yes. There is a wide range of MF. A good resource is a data base that is part of the Yahoo Fairfield_timeshare group. It has a historical database of MF for all resorts. In general, the cheapest and best FF point buys are large Prime BR units that are converted fixed weeks. The reason is that no matter the season, the MF are fixed for the size unit. So if you have a Prime season (Red) vs. a Quiet season (Blue) your MF are the same. However the points for the Prime season will be much higher than the Quiet season. A MF of $3.50 or less for MF and FSP fee is very good.

3. A "block" of points acquired with a particular "home" resort will have a MF. Thus, multiple blocks acquired at different resorts will incur a separate MF fee for each block. True. However, all of your MF will be rolled into one bill,annual or monthly. Also, your FSP fee will be based on the total amount of points you own; not charged at the amount you have at each resort.

4. Points are points, regardless of where the home resort is. For example, a pool of 300,000 points total, accumulated from two or three resorts, can be combined for 1 vacation if desired, whether at one of the home resorts or a completely different one. True within the Standard Reservation period, 10 months or less to check in. Not in the ARP period, 10 to 13 months to check in. You can only ARP a reservation with the number of points you have at that home resort.

5. Staying at a FF resort which is NOT a "home" resort does not require utilizing RCI to exchange, but can be booked - based on availability -directly through FF. (although with a shorter advance "window" than at a "home" resort). Correct.

6. Unlike deeded weeks, one does not need to be as concerned about the desirability of the "home" resort or the time of year owned or the type of unit when dealing with a points-based system such as FF. Essentally, all FF resorts give you a deed. It may be a fixed week, float week or a UDI deed where you own 154,000 out of 100,000,000 points. The ownership is perpetual. The desirability of a "home" resort comes into play if you want the ARP reservation preference. If you want a 4BR penthouse at a resort, you will probably need the ARP ability. Myrtle Beach is a difficult exchange for July 4th week if you don't have ARP ability. Holiday weeks are also difficult to reserve at some locations, not all. If you do not have ARP ability at a resort that is popular or for a holiday week, you would want to book at 10 months, 8 a.m.

Any "wrong thoughts" here? Thanks again.

Kevin