Best TS to supplement my DVC (170 points at BLT)

[JimMIA]

If you are going to try eBay, go to TUG and do a search for eBay. There are sometimes problems with eBay listings, and you'll find those detailed on TUG.

If you are comfortable with a broker, and the price is not TOO much higher, that will undoubtedly be simpler and easier. You can also find brokers on TUG, but I have never used any of them.

 

[myxdvz]

Since you live in Chicago, I think the one exception to that general strategy might be one of the Wyndham Wisconsin Dells resorts. They are +/-190 miles from Chicago.

I know they draw rave reviews and are difficult to get into during the summer, but that's about all I know. If you wanted that as an option -- especially for several long weekend trips a year -- owning there might make sense for you.

I think Brian has stayed there, and may be able to give you better advice on that particular location.

Yes, that property is glacier canyon and ideally I'd like to own there since do the dells every year.

MF for Dells is 5.65/pt

 

[JimMIA]

And some very good brokers sell reasonable properties for reduced or zero closing for Wyndham.

If Dean or Brian, or someone else can recommend a broker they've dealt with, that might really be a better option than eBay. I bought through eBay, but it was nerve-wracking and I actually bought "Buy It Now" when another auction I was watching went too high.

 

[JimMIA]

Yes, that property is glacier canyon and ideally I'd like to own there since do the dells every year.

MF for Dells is 5.65/pt

Be sure that includes the program fee.

My total MF's at Smoky Mountains, including program fee, are $4.73 per K ($4.19 MF and $.54 program fee). But I own 501K, which yields a somewhat lower program fee than you would pay for a smaller contract anywhere.

But even if your MF's are $1 higher than mine, for 164 K, you're talking less than $200 per year difference.

If the Dells meet your family's needs better, it's well worth the difference.

 

[Dean]

If Dean or Brian, or someone else can recommend a broker they've dealt with, that might really be a better option than eBay. I bought through eBay, but it was nerve-wracking and I actually bought "Buy It Now" when another auction I was watching went too high.

I've had good luck with ebay but some of them also sell privately as well. I've had 2 recent problems with ebay timeshare purchases (same purchase, different problems). One was that there were unpaid maint fees not disclosed and by report (which I truly believe) were not known to the broker. The other, the names were not transcribed correctly. When the fees came up I called and spoke with the broker who said they'd get back to me. They checked, got back to me quickly and sent me a check (without me asking) which arrived in a few days. The other, once I contacted them about the error, the closing company dropped what they were doing, got it corrected, recorded and to the company within a week. Both times I was impressed and appreciative. Things happen and I don't feel they could have done more or better and only one of the issues was truly under their control.

I'd be happy to share privately who I have used in the past and whether I was happy or not.

 

[JimMIA]

I'd be happy to share privately who I have used in the past and whether I was happy or not.

Dean is a great resource, and I'd certainly take him up on this offer.

He and Brian (and a couple of others) were incredibly helpful to me a couple of years ago when I was going through the same process you're going through.

 

[littlestar]

Besides DVC points, we own 280,000 Wyndham points at Wyndham Smoky Mountain resort in Sevierville (low fees). Got carried away when I first bought my Wyndham contracts on Ebay and I've ended up downsizing about 154,000 of them and I think the amount I have now is about right for our family. I really like my resale Wyndham points - we've used them at Wyndham Waikiki Beachwalk (loved it), Wyndham Bonnet Creek in Orlando several times, and at our home resort in Sevierville. Wyndham has a nice collection of resorts where I want to travel.

Good luck with your search on what home resort.

We used to own Marriott, but I don't think their point system they created is that great compared to Hilton's or Wyndham's. I still stay at Marriott resorts because of their quality (I trade into Marriott with another week's ownership that I trade through Interval) but I sold my Marriott after they created their new points system.

 

[myxdvz]

Be sure that includes the program fee.

My total MF's at Smoky Mountains, including program fee, are $4.73 per K ($4.19 MF and $.54 program fee). But I own 501K, which yields a somewhat lower program fee than you would pay for a smaller contract anywhere.

But even if your MF's are $1 higher than mine, for 164 K, you're talking less than $200 per year difference.

If the Dells meet your family's needs better, it's well worth the difference.

I think you're right in that I have to add the $.54 program fee. So Glacier Canyon would be $5.98 - $6.19 (depending on Std or Designated).

If I stick with 164K, that's about ~$1K in MFs. If I do go bigger in points, say for a 2BR-presidential at peak, 308K points, that will put me at ~$2K in MFs.

I'd be happy to share privately who I have used in the past and whether I was happy or not.

That would be great Dean! If you could PM me if you prefer, that would be great. Currently, I am working with Shawn with Fidelity (same Fidelity that does DVCs, they have a separate team that does the rest of the TSs). But if there's one that specializes on Wyndham properties, or maybe have no closing cost (or seller absorbs) - that would be better.

My budget is: Purchase Price + Closing Cost (~$400) + Transfer Fee ($299) + any MF due.

I've been looking at closed ebay purchases and while there are listings that closed under $1K for similar points (300K), the range is so big ($200-$900) that it's difficult to gauge what's "fair".


Thanks again to everyone who have helped me in this quest! Sooo close!



It's really weird how wide the ranges of the resale listings are:

- Glacier Canyon 265K points for $5,000
- And then there's the adds about 500,000 Platinum Annual points that have NO Annual Fees... is this real? possible? Do platinum points transfer? I will pay a premium upfront if it means I never have to pay MFs as those are really where the cost of TS's come from.

 

[Dean]

That would be great Dean! If you could PM me if you prefer, that would be great. Currently, I am working with Shawn with Fidelity (same Fidelity that does DVCs, they have a separate team that does the rest of the TSs). But if there's one that specializes on Wyndham properties, or maybe have no closing cost (or seller absorbs) - that would be better.

My budget is: Purchase Price + Closing Cost (~$400) + Transfer Fee ($299) + any MF due.

I've been looking at closed ebay purchases and while there are listings that closed under $1K for similar points (300K), the range is so big ($200-$900) that it's difficult to gauge what's "fair".


Thanks again to everyone who have helped me in this quest! Sooo close!



It's really weird how wide the ranges of the resale listings are:

- Glacier Canyon 265K points for $5,000
- And then there's the adds about 500,000 Platinum Annual points that have NO Annual Fees... is this real? possible? Do platinum points transfer? I will pay a premium upfront if it means I never have to pay MFs as those are really where the cost of TS's come from.

I sent you a PM. Realize that the VIP benefits don't transfer for Wyndham or Bluegreen. Some of the better sellers also will have no closing/transfer fee auctions. Just look at the overall costs because sometimes the best one's get somewhat high, esp if no closing and no fees this year. Decide what you want and get the best deal you can but don't be in a rush. There are some pretty decent options there now for Wyndham on ebay. With your situation I'd likely look close to home at the resorts you'd use routinely assuming you can plan 13 months in advance.

 

[JimMIA]

It's really weird how wide the ranges of the resale listings are:

- Glacier Canyon 265K points for $5,000

Those prices are usually caused by people getting caught up in the excitement of an eBay auction. When I bought my contract, there was an auction for 500K Smoky Mountains points. I decided on a price I would pay for that contract and just watched the bidding.

About 4 hours before the end of the auction, the bids passed my limit...so I bought a "Buy It Now" 501K contract at the same resort for a little less than $2000, including all closing and transfer costs. The auction closed at over $5,000.

And then there's the adds about 500,000 Platinum Annual points that have NO Annual Fees... is this real? possible?

No there's no such thing. That might be a mistake, or a typo. Or someone not understanding what they have or what they are selling.

 

[myxdvz]

Updates on my attempts to supplement my 170 BLT points

• 259K Wyndham points (ebay) : Outbid by $5 ($320 won, my max was $315)
• 150 OKW $50/pt Oct UY : Disney exercised ROFR
• 77K Wyndham Kingsgate (ebay) : Outbid ($ 191 won, my max was $77), I should have gone higher with this one, but I was out when I got the Outbid alert.

Maybe it's not meant to be?

This exercise requires LOTS of patience... and luck. How did y'all ever do it? This impulse buyer is getting impatient

Remind me again why Biennial is bad? Is it because you're paying Program fees for the years that you won't get any points deposited? Why is an annual 77K not the same as a Biennial 154K?

 

[Dean]

Updates on my attempts to supplement my 170 BLT points

• 259K Wyndham points (ebay) : Outbid by $5 ($320 won, my max was $315)
• 150 OKW $50/pt Oct UY : Disney exercised ROFR
• 77K Wyndham Kingsgate (ebay) : Outbid ($ 191 won, my max was $77), I should have gone higher with this one, but I was out when I got the Outbid alert.

Maybe it's not meant to be?

This exercise requires LOTS of patience... and luck. How did y'all ever do it? This impulse buyer is getting impatient

Remind me again why Biennial is bad? Is it because you're paying Program fees for the years that you won't get any points deposited? Why is an annual 77K not the same as a Biennial 154K?

I'll defer to those more experiences with Wyndham but my understanding is that you'll lose some ability to aggregate points for a larger trip and you pay the program fee yearly. In many ways twice the points EOY is roughly equivalent to half every year with the limitation of the way the pooled points work EOY, as I understand it.

 

[JimMIA]

Updates on my attempts to supplement my 170 BLT points

• 259K Wyndham points (ebay) : Outbid by $5 ($320 won, my max was $315)
• 150 OKW $50/pt Oct UY : Disney exercised ROFR
• 77K Wyndham Kingsgate (ebay) : Outbid ($ 191 won, my max was $77), I should have gone higher with this one, but I was out when I got the Outbid alert.

Maybe it's not meant to be?

This exercise requires LOTS of patience... and luck. How did y'all ever do it? This impulse buyer is getting impatient

Remind me again why Biennial is bad? Is it because you're paying Program fees for the years that you won't get any points deposited? Why is an annual 77K not the same as a Biennial 154K?

These questions are MUCH better addressed over on the TUG Wyndham board, but I'll take a stab at some of the eBay issues.

First of all -- if you lost an eBay auction, congratulations! You set a max bid and the auction went too high. You WON...not lost. You did NOT spend too much.

With eBay auctions, you really have to set a limit and then submit automatic bids to your top price. All of the action takes place in the last 10-15 seconds of the auction.

If the auction goes $5 too high, it went too high. If it stays in your range, you may well win.

The other thing I would suggest is to research ALL offerings on eBay that meet your needs. There might be one auction that gets a lot of attention and either others which slip under the radar or "Buy It Now" offerings may give you a great deal. Look at ALL the opportunities, not just auctions that are expiring soon.

There are also "services" out there that will do your eBay auctions for you. You seem to have good discipline and may not need them, but even so they know the system and how to play it...and might be worth considering.

 

[myxdvz]

These questions are MUCH better addressed over on the TUG Wyndham board, but I'll take a stab at some of the eBay issues.

I COULD put them there, but you guys are not there and have been VERY helpful. I was avoiding double posting I also snuck in my OKW resale loss in there... Trifecta! I will bring over the question about biennial though.

With eBay auctions, you really have to set a limit and then submit automatic bids to your top price. All of the action takes place in the last 10-15 seconds of the auction.

OK. I haven't done that yet. I am using a "service" but am not using any bid enhancement options.

The other thing I would suggest is to research ALL offerings on eBay that meet your needs. There might be one auction that gets a lot of attention and either others which slip under the radar or "Buy It Now" offerings may give you a great deal. Look at ALL the opportunities, not just auctions that are expiring soon.

I haven't been doing a daily search and instead following a couple of sellers I like and only bidding on specific properties I want (low MFs or Glacier Canyon) or reasonable club points. But it is not limited to expiring soon, I have one that still have 25d to go in my watch/bid list

On the one side, losing is good in that I've gotten some practice - hopefully when the right contract comes along, I'll be in the right place at the right time with the right bid.

OTOH, I was hoping I'll win one in time for a summer trip to the Dells

 

[JimMIA]

I COULD put them there, but you guys are not there and have been VERY helpful.

Actually, a lot of us are, but more importantly there are some very knowledgeable folks over there who are not here.

TUG is not always the most friendly place, but there is expertise there. You will also run into some strong opinions and you have to weigh the strength of those opinions against the wisdom therein.

 

[littlestar]

Keep at it. You'll get one. Personally, for Wyndham points I like the annuals best.

I own an EOY (every other year) Fairways of the Mountains Week 27 lock-off unit that I'm very happy with that I use to trade in Interval International (II). I lock it off into two one bedrooms (as it has two full kitchens in it). And Interval gives me a bonus week for each one bedroom too. Those hardly ever come up for sale. Although, there is a Week 20 Fairways of the Mountains annual being offered for free on the TUG bargain board right now.

Good luck with your search.

 

[myxdvz]

Keep at it. You'll get one. Personally, for Wyndham points I like the annuals best.

I own an EOY (every other year) Fairways of the Mountains Week 27 lock-off unit that I'm very happy with that I use to trade in Interval International (II). I lock it off into two one bedrooms (as it has two full kitchens in it). And Interval gives me a bonus week for each one bedroom too. Those hardly ever come up for sale. Although, there is a Week 20 Fairways of the Mountains annual being offered for free on the TUG bargain board right now.

Good luck with your search.

Thanks littstar! Lost another one today. Could have won 1 for $1 but I realized that it was a high MF resort (Wyndham Tamarack) so I pulled out my snipe just in time about 2 hours before auction ended (auction ended without anyone bidding).

I posted my EY vs EOY question on Tug if interested: Wyndham: EY vs EOY

 

[myxdvz]

w00t!!!! I finally won an auction.

It is for 549K points, which is a LOT more than I wanted, but I remembered that I was actually adviced to buy bigger because of the vacation time we have (4 weeks). This should give us about 1 week in Glacier Canyon (308K), with room to spare for a week in Galena (164K) and still have 77K left for long weekends.

I was a bit worried, because NO ONE was bidding, until the last few seconds. I started with what I normally bid which is $1/1000 points, and I've lost a few because of that, so I bumped my bid up.

This one has transfer and closing costs, but the total is still only about $1500, < $3/pt. I hope that's a good buy (basing this off of Jim and Deans past purchases)! MF is about $5.42/pt including the program fee.

So excited. I might actually have to stop with the DVC add-on (my ROFR'd contract was $7,500), because I can use this for Bonnet Creek! And these are Club access points so I do get ARP for Glacier Canyon, Bonnet Creek and others.

Yay! Supplemental TS purchase, done!

 

[Dean]

w00t!!!! I finally won an auction.

It is for 549K points, which is a LOT more than I wanted, but I remembered that I was actually adviced to buy bigger because of the vacation time we have (4 weeks). This should give us about 1 week in Glacier Canyon (308K), with room to spare for a week in Galena (164K) and still have 77K left for long weekends.

I was a bit worried, because NO ONE was bidding, until the last few seconds. I started with what I normally bid which is $1/1000 points, and I've lost a few because of that, so I bumped my bid up.

This one has transfer and closing costs, but the total is still only about $1500, < $3/pt. I hope that's a good buy (basing this off of Jim and Deans past purchases)! MF is about $5.42/pt including the program fee.

So excited. I might actually have to stop with the DVC add-on (my ROFR'd contract was $7,500), because I can use this for Bonnet Creek! And these are Club access points so I do get ARP for Glacier Canyon, Bonnet Creek and others.

Yay! Supplemental TS purchase, done!

Congratulations, now it's time to better learn their system so you can use it to your best advantage.

 

[myxdvz]

Congratulations, now it's time to better learn their system so you can use it to your best advantage.

Yup!!! It's too late to pool points this year, so I have to find a way to use these points and maybe try 1 RCI exchange as well.

Thanks everyone! You all made this possible for me...