Buying points for internal exchange only ?s

[jamstew Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamstew]

I think I've decided to buy a relatively small points package for internal exchange only. I've read the Wyndham Primer, but I still need to clarify a few things in my mind:

Does home resort really matter or should I strictly be looking at the MF? If it's still important with Points to "buy where you want to stay close to home," the only ones that fit for me are in San Antonio. These are newer resorts with higher point requirements and higher MF.

Should there be any variation in MF in the same resort with the same number of points? There are a couple of eBay auctions where they differ:
Auction # 200355257021, 105K points Wyndham Pagosa, MF $588
Auction # 250448039415, 105K points Wyndham Pagosa, MF $672

I think MF's include an RCI membership. What if I'm already a member?

TIA

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

In my opinion, home resort only matters if you anticipate needing ARP. And, there are very few situations in which ARP is required---race week in Daytona, summer in the older (and lower point-cost) Myrtle Beach resorts, cherry-blossom time and/or summer in Alexandria, summer in the older (and lower point-cost) Florida panhandle resorts. A few people will tell you to buy at a close-by resort in case the Wyndham point system completely collapses, but I consider that to be a low-probability event.

MFs can vary at a single resort for two reasons. One: the resort was built in different phases, and is governed by different HOAs with different budgets. Two: resorts that were originally sold as fixed weeks vary MF/K by season. Every owner pays the same MFs for, say, a 2BR week, but peak season 2BR weeks generate more points than low season 2BR weeks, and so peak weeks have better MF/K ratios.

My home resort, Sea Gardens, has both of these situations---there are something like 4 phases, each with their own budgets, and at least 3 of those phases were sold as fixed weeks, not UDI.

[jamstew Member Find all posts View Profile Close jamstew]

Thanks! I'm sure Pagosa was built in phases.

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

If you have read the primer you can also play around with the MF calculator. Is a good tool to check the veracity of an ad and see if the MF are stated correctly, even given all the possible variations.

Re the RCI current membership, since the Wyndham one will be "free" you should be able to cancel and receive a refund. However since I may not see your full ownership profile in the message response window you may want to follow up on that aspect.