Considering Buyin into DVC and am looking for some information.

[Dean]

Back to the questions of non-DVC properties. The primary properties I have been able to find in Florida are Hilton Grand Vacations, Marriott Vacation Club, and Fairfield. Can anyone that uses one of these / has one of these, give me a little info on how they work. Are they points based systems as well? Can you bank and borrow like DVC? Are they typically fixed weeks? Cost comparison?

Marriott's for the most part are floating week/floating unit resorts that you can reserve within a season. Some are lockoff's, others are not. Hilton is a points based system with great quality resorts but I don't know enough about their points system to say much about it. FF and Bluegreen are a step below but have very good and inexpensive systems one can get into and play around with for a modest investment. $4-5K will get you something in either system you can do well trading with or using yourself but you could easily get started with either system for less than half that. Worldmark is another points system, somewhere in between the two levels above (FF & BG on the lower side, MVCI & HGVC on the high side) in terms of quality and price. Don't forget Starwood and Hyatt as well as a number of individual resorts and smaller systems and I'm sure many I've left out.

Since we're really talking Orlando stays for Disney and the like, lets talk cost. One could easily buy a resort for $500-1000 total with yearly fees of $500 or less and trade in to 2 BR units at Hilton, Hyatt, Vistana, Marriott essentially any week of the year in Orlando except maybe Xmas and Easter. Add a yearly membership fee and exchange fee together around $200 per year, less per exchange if you do multiple trades in a year. And buying in to an Orlando resort is usually not the best choice. It's usually better to buy elsewhere and trade in. And if you're selective, get a unit that trades as well or better than DVC if trading is the issue.

 

[mbrittb00]

All, Thanks for the great info. I was about a fraction from going ahead with buying into DVC, but I think at this time we are going to hold off though.

I talked with my father last night. They have 308k points with Fairfield (essentially enough for two weeks). He told me that we were more than welcome to use there points at anytime, and that they had planned to gift there timeshare deed to us in 5-7 years (when they are 70-75 ish) anyway. While the Fairfield resorts may not be as nice as DVC and some of the others, its hard to beat free.

Thanks again,

Britt

 

[Deb & Bill]

Britt, never look at gift horse in the mouth. I've heard lots of nice things about the Fairfield resort and it's close to WDW. I think you got very lucky.