DVC or Wyndham

[culli]

We are looking into buying into DVC...but everyone is saying it is not good for RCI exchanges...because of the value
If Wyndam is not great at allowing you to get into a DVC resort...then what is the top ones for allowing you the Disney experience for when you want to go to Orlando, but is also easy to trade to other locations as well??

My folks have the Sheraton Vistana and it was impossible to trade! We couldnt get into Myrtle, Hilton Head, Charelston or Hershey (can you tell we were really flexible??) We ended up having to stay...in ORLANDO not DVC

On top of what Dean states, I find not one timeshare does all things well. Trying to keep on top of what trades into DVC might work this year but not next. DVC was in II and people got things to trade into it, then last year or so DVC goes with RCI and all of that is out the window. For people to get into DVC with RCI that all could change next year - you never know.

I for one have a few different timeshare options to fit specific needs. I own DVC for complete control of my Disney trips. I own Wyndham for their strengths and I own a trader to round it off. If you really want to take full advantage of any system you have to learn it by research and some trial and error. Then keep in mind things will change and you will have to learn how to navigate the change. A good trader in one exchange company could be a dog in another or even within the same exchange company it could become almost worthless. Does this happen - YOU BET, I had RCI do it to me literly over night. One of many reasons I'm not a big fan of RCI but I changed course and feel I got RCI and II somewhat figured out. If you are not willing to do these things you will not be able to take full advantage of any timeshare system. The good news is DVC is probably one of the easiest to use and understand (or at least IMHO). However, I also feel it is a huge waste of money to use it for any non DVC resorts.....and I think it is actually best for only WDW/WDL visits but many will disagree with that one.

I strongly urge anyone wanting to know more about timeshares to venture outside disboards and go to http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/index.php
The enviornment is not quite as nice and friendly as the dis community but everyone has the purpose to help people learn. Loads of info if you are willing to poke around. They have resort system specific fourms such as Marriott and Wyndham...and yes even one for DVC.

 

[mintee]

Thanks for your responses!
I have been doing so much research, but it is hard to make an educated descion. The bottom line for my family is I want to be able to stay on a DVC property when we visit Disney, BUT I also want the option to go to Myrtle (which is only a few hours from us). It is so confusing because looking at the point book from DVC it looks like it doesnt require many points for a trade....
The DVC guide stated that it is very easy to trade your DVC because it is considered a high value trade. I just wanted to confirm that if we go this route over Wyndam or Marriott that our trade would easily be accepted...
I love disboards...such a great community...thanks all

 

[JBx3]

Thanks for your responses!
I have been doing so much research, but it is hard to make an educated descion. The bottom line for my family is I want to be able to stay on a DVC property when we visit Disney, BUT I also want the option to go to Myrtle (which is only a few hours from us). It is so confusing because looking at the point book from DVC it looks like it doesnt require many points for a trade....
The DVC guide stated that it is very easy to trade your DVC because it is considered a high value trade. I just wanted to confirm that if we go this route over Wyndam or Marriott that our trade would easily be accepted...
I love disboards...such a great community...thanks all

Trade or deposit point to RCI for a Myrtle trip, can you clarify?
As others have posted, dropping 160 point into an RCI deposit is easy, the problem lies in what you get in return. Value, quality, of your stay in RCI selections that are offered is the issue. Many have said the quality or value of the selections offered in RCI and 2nd rate for lack of better words.

When Disney was linked to Interval, we thought our deposit for a week in Los Cabos and the Villa Del Palmer was just terrific with beach front and view of the famous rocks at sea.

I have shopped the whole Carribean and find very little that i would take a chance on with the RCI/ Disney thing?

 

[JBx3]

Do you know what locations are offered at Myrtle thru the RCI deposit thing. If you are fimiliar with the locations and are happy with the selection offered then I think you would be fine buying DVC.

Also, you mentioned "your guide". Right now the DVC resale market looks pretty good in terms of pricing. Remember your DVC guide is trying to sell you DVC direct!

 

[JimMIA]

The DVC guide stated that it is very easy to trade your DVC because it is considered a high value trade. I just wanted to confirm that if we go this route over Wyndam or Marriott that our trade would easily be accepted...

Of course, your DVC guide 1) probably doesn't own DVC, 2) doesn't own any other timeshares either, 3) has never attempted to exchange to another timeshare, and 4) will say whatever he needs to say to get you to sign on the dotted line.

I don't know much about timeshares other than DVC, but I know enough not to believe a word a DVC guide says about any other option when trying to sell DVC. At their best, they will try to put DVC in the best possible light. At their worst...look out!

Your guide probably doesn't even know that you can buy excellent timeshares on eBay for less than $1,000 total cost, including closing - many less than $500. If they did, the certainly would NOT tell you, any more than they'd tell you that DVC resales may save you a bunch of money.

I have much more confidence in what DIS folks knowledgeable in the general timeshare picture say. And what I've heard most of them say is own DVC for stays at DVC and own something else for options other than DVC.

 

[culli]

Thanks for your responses!
I have been doing so much research, but it is hard to make an educated descion. The bottom line for my family is I want to be able to stay on a DVC property when we visit Disney, BUT I also want the option to go to Myrtle (which is only a few hours from us). It is so confusing because looking at the point book from DVC it looks like it doesnt require many points for a trade....
The DVC guide stated that it is very easy to trade your DVC because it is considered a high value trade. I just wanted to confirm that if we go this route over Wyndam or Marriott that our trade would easily be accepted...
I love disboards...such a great community...thanks all

In this case I would get DVC and get something else for Myrtle beach. MB can be a difficult summer trade and I honestly know little more than that for the area. I do notice that Wyndham for instance has a few properties in the MB area and have a good presence on the East coast. There could be better MB or east coast options and Wyndham is just one of them. But if you search and are patient you could find a nice cheap Wyndham contract for under $500 (if not much less) including your closing and transfer fees. Then use you DVC only for your WDW trips utilize the max of that purchase. DVC is VERY EXPENSIVE but works great for our families WDW trips.

I just don't see the value of using your DVC pts to trade ever - much less on a regular basis. DVC controls your trades you don't get an RCI membership, you can't search onliine etc. I will admit I have never traded my DVC so I'm not sure how smooth or what kind of luck you will get. Another option is renting timeshares when you want to go, then you don't have to worry about learning the systems and much less initial outlay.

Whatever you decide good luck and asking questions is definately a good thing!!!! Remember that buying a timeshare is a long term commitment and is not very liquid.

 

[JBx3]

Of course, your DVC guide 1) probably doesn't own DVC, 2) doesn't own any other timeshares either, 3) has never attempted to exchange to another timeshare, and 4) will say whatever he needs to say to get you to sign on the dotted line.

I don't know much about timeshares other than DVC, but I know enough not to believe a word a DVC guide says about any other option when trying to sell DVC. At their best, they will try to put DVC in the best possible light. At their worst...look out!

Your guide probably doesn't even know that you can buy excellent timeshares on eBay for less than $1,000 total cost, including closing - many less than $500. If they did, the certainly would NOT tell you, any more than they'd tell you that DVC resales may save you a bunch of money.

I have much more confidence in what DIS folks knowledgeable in the general timeshare picture say. And what I've heard most of them say is own DVC for stays at DVC and own something else for options other than DVC.

Kind of what I was trying to say except you did it much much better!

 

[Brian Noble]

Brian is well versed in Wyndham

Sorry, folks. I was at Williamsburg last week (at Powhatan Plantation in a 4BR that I got for a high-season studio Wyndham deposit!) Looks like most of the questions have been answered, but I'll add my thoughts. Provided you have time for more than one vacation per year or so, you typically want a "portfolio" of different ownerships for different purposes. DVC points are great for staying at DVC. It's foolish to use them for almost anything else.

There are two different "Wyndham" systems: WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts. Most people mean WVR when they say "Wyndham", and if they mean WM, they usually say "WorldMark".

Wyndham points (purchase resale) are outstanding deals for two purposes, IMO: booking Wyndham properties internally during peak seasons; and exchanging into overbuilt areas and some other Wyndham resorts anytime, or most areas during shoulder season or below. Our experience in Wyndham resorts has been similar to Daddio's---the units themselves are typically very very nice, and extremely well equipped and laid out. In my experience, the *units themselves* are typically more comfortable than the average DVC unit. But, with the exception of Bonnet Creek, they are not surrounded by Walt Disney World.

Wyndham is a more of an a la carte system than DVC---you pay additional fees proportionally to your demand on reservations, housekeeping, etc. However, it is easy to avoid these nuisance fees if you plan ahead just a little bit, and most DISers are accustomed to the sort of planning that would be required. The point system is not quite as flexible as DVC, but more flexible than, say, WorldMark. For example, you generally can't book single night stays unless a single night is "orphaned" somewhere by other stays that have already been booked. And, during peak seasons, you can only book stays of 3, 4, or 7 nights at a time until 90 days prior to use.

Wyndham's trade power in RCI is relatively weak. But, you can deposit units that are extremely inexpensive and use them for eaiser-to-get trades. For example, I booked a 2BR in northern lower Michigan last MLK weekend for a ski trip. We only used the unit for three nights, and threw the other four away. But, the unit only cost us $300 total (including amortized purchase costs, exchange fees, etc.) so I didn't mind in the least. It was around half what it would have cost me to rent the same unit from most Bluegreen owners and about 1/3 of what it would be from the resort itself. Plus we had the unit for the duration of our checkout day, which gave us a little extra time to ski.

Wyndham purchased resale generally won't get you back into DVC. For the moment, to do that you would need to enroll your account in "PlusPartners" for a fee. This is an add-on program that is generally worthless *except* that it gets you access to RCI Points inventory at a fixed crossover exchange grid. This grid is very favorable to Wyndham owners exchanging into high-value properties, including DVC. I have not yet enrolled my account. I have some fixed weeks that are already able to get many of the DVC units I need, and there are some very credible rumors that RCI is going to change the way Weeks exchanges work that will make it possible to combine deposits for more "credit" in the Weeks exchange bank.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for your responses!
I have been doing so much research, but it is hard to make an educated descion. The bottom line for my family is I want to be able to stay on a DVC property when we visit Disney, BUT I also want the option to go to Myrtle (which is only a few hours from us). It is so confusing because looking at the point book from DVC it looks like it doesnt require many points for a trade....
The DVC guide stated that it is very easy to trade your DVC because it is considered a high value trade. I just wanted to confirm that if we go this route over Wyndam or Marriott that our trade would easily be accepted...
I love disboards...such a great community...thanks all

DVC combined with Bluegreen or Starwood would do well for this option, esp BG as they have several good to great resorts there. A week at the Marriott there might be a better option for many as it's nicer and more luxurious but is a more expensive option though less so now that a couple of years ago. I find he guides not very knowledgeable about timeshare exchanges and make a lot of erroneous statements including the idea that DVC is the top of the heap and will get you anything, that is incorrect on both counts. Spend 6 months or more getting comfortable with the systems that appear to be good considerations for you. BG will be a MUCH cheaper option than DVC but there's no way to guarantee that ANYTHING will trade in to DVC or at least for when/what you want. For your situation I'd decide on ONE none DVC options that seems the best for non DVC trips and see how that goes THEN reconsider whether DVC is needed or not. You could pick up Wyndham or BG for $1K or less that will get you into Orlando and MB consistently and with fees much less than you could even think about doing using DVC.

Trade or deposit point to RCI for a Myrtle trip, can you clarify?
As others have posted, dropping 160 point into an RCI deposit is easy, the problem lies in what you get in return. Value, quality, of your stay in RCI selections that are offered is the issue. Many have said the quality or value of the selections offered in RCI and 2nd rate for lack of better words.

When Disney was linked to Interval, we thought our deposit for a week in Los Cabos and the Villa Del Palmer was just terrific with beach front and view of the famous rocks at sea.

I have shopped the whole Carribean and find very little that i would take a chance on with the RCI/ Disney thing?

While I think RCI has less overall of the good stuff than did II, that's mainly because of Marriott and I think you'll see that changing. One thing about DVC that's different than every other system is that the points are liquid. Some may or may not want to deal with rentals but it's feasible and relatively easy and safe to do so. While there are weeks at other timeshares that can easily be rented as the owner, there is not another system I can think of where you can essentially guarantee the option of a fair return if you rent. No doubt the 1 BR exchange is a better value than a studio or 2 BR but there are still precious few options that are a fair exchange with RCI and that was true with II as well as it is with RCI.

 

[nickspace]

Honestly all of this is so confusing to me. I understand DVC very well and am comfortable with it but I want to broaden my timeshare horizons. I just need a solid starting point. I studied DVC for 2 years before I purchased and am very happy with my purchases. I just want to be sure I have the same feeling if I buy an additional timeshare.

DVC will work well for us especially when we no longer need large accommodations. My wife and I would be happy in a studio and with our current points we are in good shape for DVC stays. However as the family grows with Grandkids we will need larger accommodations for family vacations and I don't want to use all my points for Grand Villas. I would ideally like large 3 bedroom units or larger on the Atlantic Coast... NC or SC.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

I ONLY use Disney at Disney. I did trade Worldmark into BWV once before I owned DVC.:

In my opinion you get the best value using your DVC points at the DVC resorts.

I am also impressed that you would able to trade into DVC from non Disney resort.

Jason

 

[JBx3]

Honestly all of this is so confusing to me. I understand DVC very well and am comfortable with it but I want to broaden my timeshare horizons. I just need a solid starting point. I studied DVC for 2 years before I purchased and am very happy with my purchases. I just want to be sure I have the same feeling if I buy an additional timeshare.

DVC will work well for us especially when we no longer need large accommodations. My wife and I would be happy in a studio and with our current points we are in good shape for DVC stays. However as the family grows with Grandkids we will need larger accommodations for family vacations and I don't want to use all my points for Grand Villas. I would ideally like large 3 bedroom units or larger on the Atlantic Coast... NC or SC.

I understand what you are saying and feel the same way, the group of posters that have replied are well educated on many varieties of timeshares. Each have their niche and there is not doubt a learning, I am sure one you studied, you would be fine.

With that be said, I have tried hard to do exactly what you are doing and expand my horizons. Was very close to Marriott resale but am struggling with their "new system" Have look at Spinnaker out of HHI as well.

When all said and done, I know there are better deals there and DVC is generally on the expensive side, however, their system is very easy to learn and use and no doubt a comfort level is there.

Not sure at this point is I want to or need to study and work and figuring out how to go somewhere for a vacation. There is something said for having an easy system I guess.

 

[5forDiz]

We are looking into buying into DVC...but everyone is saying it is not good for RCI exchanges...because of the value
If Wyndam is not great at allowing you to get into a DVC resort...then what is the top ones for allowing you the Disney experience for when you want to go to Orlando, but is also easy to trade to other locations as well??

My folks have the Sheraton Vistana and it was impossible to trade! We couldnt get into Myrtle, Hilton Head, Charelston or Hershey (can you tell we were really flexible??) We ended up having to stay...in ORLANDO not DVC

Keep in mind that if you want to use DVC points to trade out of DVC resorts portfolio that you must make that reservation in the first 8 months of your Use Year because you cannot both book and travel during the last 4 months of your Use Year, so if you typically don't plan vacations more than 4 months in advance this could make trading out of DVC difficult.

Using DVC points to book MB you'd want to take a good look at properties that are currently available and that could change so I'd not consider DVC for MB an option and there are so many great options at MB that you can do via cash.

 

[culli]

I understand what you are saying and feel the same way, the group of posters that have replied are well educated on many varieties of timeshares. Each have their niche and there is not doubt a learning, I am sure one you studied, you would be fine.

With that be said, I have tried hard to do exactly what you are doing and expand my horizons. Was very close to Marriott resale but am struggling with their "new system" Have look at Spinnaker out of HHI as well.

When all said and done, I know there are better deals there and DVC is generally on the expensive side, however, their system is very easy to learn and use and no doubt a comfort level is there.

Not sure at this point is I want to or need to study and work and figuring out how to go somewhere for a vacation. There is something said for having an easy system I guess.

One thing to keep as an option is rent a timeshare instead of buying. No ongoing costs and no upfront fees plus you don't have to know much about a system. Many timeshares are renting for about what the MFs are and maybe a little more for peak time.

DVC is very simple as TS go, but also expensive and really not that easy to use compared to others when it comes to trading outside of the DVC resort family. I really would look into renting but if you do STAY AWAY from any and all timeshare presentations.

 

[JimMIA]

Brian (or Culli, or anyone else knowledgeable!), I'm not sure I even know enough to ask questions about Wyndham, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway.

Wyndham points (purchase resale) are outstanding deals for two purposes, IMO: booking Wyndham properties internally during peak seasons; and exchanging into overbuilt areas and some other Wyndham resorts anytime, or most areas during shoulder season or below. ...The point system is not quite as flexible as DVC, but more flexible than, say, WorldMark. For example, you generally can't book single night stays unless a single night is "orphaned" somewhere by other stays that have already been booked. And, during peak seasons, you can only book stays of 3, 4, or 7 nights at a time until 90 days prior to use.

First of all, I am talking about just Wyndham here -- not exchanging through RCI.

First Question: Is there more than one kind of Wyndham points??? (not talking about Worldmark v. Fairfield) Some of the info I've seen looks like there are at least two types -- points only with no specific week attached, and points that are the points equivalent assigned to a specific week at a specific resort.

And a followup if that's true...are those points equal in value? In other words, if I have points from each type, does 1,000 points in one = 1,000 points in the other?

Second Question: Can Wyndham points (the old Fairfield) be used to book Worldmark reservations within the Wyndham system? Or do you exchange through RCI...or what?

I have lots of other questions, but I'll leave it at that for now. I read as much of the Primer on WyndhamOwners as I could stand and it really didn't help much. I've also read info on the Wyndham group at TUG, which was much better, but I'm still not getting the basics yet.

Thanks for your help -- and thanks to nickspace for starting this interesting thread!

 

[Brian Noble]

1: There is only one "Points currency". But, you can obtain that currency in three different ways: you can own a fixed week that has been converted to points; you can own an "Undivided Interest", a deeded fraction of some collection of units/buildings (much as the DVC deeded leaseholds work); and a "trust" which is not backed by a deed at all---you buy a (fractional) unit, and assign the deed for that unit to the trust, in which you own a (non-voting) share. The third option is called "Wyndham Access", and is relatively new. It is the only flavor of Wyndham points that has ROFR; the other two do not.

(There is actually a fourth way, Presidential Reserve, but we can leave it aside for now, because it's really a separate "points currency" that happens to exchange one for one with "Wyndham Points" and can only be bought from the developer. There are also converted floating weeks, but they behave similarly to converted fixed weeks.)

For the most part, Points are Points. The only difference between the three flavors of Points are what the "home resort" equivalent is. In Wyndham's system, the booking windows are 13 months at your "home", and 10 months system-wide. If you own a converted fixed week, your "home" is *your specific week*. You have exclusive access to that week between 13 and 10 months, but nothing else. If your deed is UDI, then your home is the resort at which you own---again, much as DVC works. If your deed is in the Trust, then your home is the entire collection of inventory that backs the Trust.

That sounds more complicated than it is in practice, because realistically there are very few times/places which require home priority: Speed Week in Daytona, Cherry Blossom and July 4th in Washington DC, peak summer at the less-expensive Myrtle Beach/Florida Panhandle resorts, Mardi Gras in NOLA, etc. And, no matter how you get your points, they are all part of the same currency---a point is a point.

2: WorldMark is a completely separate system. The two systems exchange a token amount of inventory between them, but it's nearly impossible to book because there's very little that crosses over. It's done to make each system's list of "resorts" longer, and that's about it. There are a few exceptions where the two systems each own a nice chunk of inventory at a single resort---Dolphin's Cove in Anaheim and the new Steamboat Springs resort come to mind---but they are the exception rather than the rule. The easiest way to go between them is to probably find an owner in the other system willing to do a direct exchange. In general, Wyndham (the old Fairfield) is stronger East of the Mississippi, and WorldMark is stronger in the West.

 

[culli]

Brian knows more than I do but I will give you my 2 cents:

Brian (or Culli, or anyone else knowledgeable!), I'm not sure I even know enough to ask questions about Wyndham, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway. First of all, I am talking about just Wyndham here -- not exchanging through RCI.

First Question: Is there more than one kind of Wyndham points??? Some of the info I've seen looks like there are at least two types -- points only with no specific week attached, and points that are the points equivalent assigned to a specific week at a specific resort.

And a followup if that's true...are those points equal in value? In other words, if I have points from each type, does 1,000 points in one = 1,000 points in the other?
There are UDI pts and converted weeks pts. This is the reason (or one reason) why some MFs for the same resort are sometimes different. The main thing it will effect is your 13 month booking window. If you have a converted week you can only book that week at the 13 month but with UDI you can book anytime at the 13 month week.

At the the 10month window pts are pts and the only thing that matters in what MFs you pay. Similar to the 11/7 of DVC.
Second Question: Can Wyndham points (the old Fairfield) be used to book Worldmark reservations within the Wyndham system? Or do you exchange through RCI...or what?

Look at this site https://www.wyndhamvacationresorts.com/ffr/index.do and go to explore resorts. It has all the resorts that can be booked by using your Wyndham pts. This is the owner site but you can see the resorts and different classifications. I know there are some worldmark resorts but I'm not sure about the specifics.

I have lots of other questions, but I'll leave it at that for now. I read as much of the Primer on WyndhamOwners as I could stand and it really didn't help much. I've also read info on the Wyndham group at TUG, which was much better, but I'm still not getting the basics yet.

I know Wyndham sounds complicated and when I bought my head was spinning. I thought the more I read the less I really knew about the system. We have a Wyndham within an hour drive so that is the main reason I bought. Then I saw how easy it was and the prices WOW they are giving them away almost. I now have 4 contracts all bought through ebay. It was rough at times but not bad and I figure the est $60k I saved it was worth it. Now it has been a few years and I have figured out better than the average person. Their online system is AWESOME especially compared to DVC site. It is at least worth learning for people who will do non DVC trips.

Thanks for your help -- and thanks to nickspace for starting this interesting thread!

 

[bwvBound]

2: WorldMark is a completely separate system. The two systems exchange a token amount of inventory between them, but it's nearly impossible to book because there's very little that crosses over. It's done to make each system's list of "resorts" longer, and that's about it. There are a few exceptions where the two systems each own a nice chunk of inventory at a single resort---Dolphin's Cove in Anaheim and the new Steamboat Springs resort come to mind---but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Agreed! From the Worldmark perspective, we are usually restricted to two 2BR units in each of the select Wyndham properties currently offered to us. I'd expect that Wyndham has access to similar quantity/size in each of the specific Worldmark properties offered to them.

 

[JimMIA]

Great answers, folks...THANKS!

I think I understand the basics of Wyndham points, but what is Wyndham Plus? Is that just a meaningless marketing thing...or does it mean something. I guess what I'm asking is whether there is some kind of VIP thing like Fairfield used to have.

Also, with Wyndham (one seriously hard word to keep typing!), I assume at 10 months you just go online and if there is availability where you want to go and you have enough points in your account, you just make the reservation. Is it that simple?

And then, there's RCI (I'll ignore II for now, because I think almost all of the Wyndham properties use RCI).

To me, it seems like RCI is where which resort you own really matters because one Wyndham home resort trades differently than another (the dreaded trading power issue). First of all...is that correct?

And secondly, how do you determine what kind of trading power your resort has?

(I'm betting the answers to those last two are not quite so simple!)

Thanks again for the help.

 

[culli]

Here is my 2 cents in red

Great answers, folks...THANKS!

I think I understand the basics of Wyndham points, but what is Wyndham Plus? Is that just a meaningless marketing thing...or does it mean something. I guess what I'm asking is whether there is some kind of VIP thing like Fairfield used to have.
Doesn't mean anything and is not like VIP. VIP is not necessarily worthless but not worth paying developer prices vs getting it for 99% off that price.

Also, with Wyndham (one seriously hard word to keep typing!), I assume at 10 months you just go online and if there is availability where you want to go and you have enough points in your account, you just make the reservation. Is it that simple?

Yes that is pretty much it and that simple. The system will have a calendar and won't let you pick past the 10 months out. I find there online system to work great.

And then, there's RCI (I'll ignore II for now, because I think almost all of the Wyndham properties use RCI).

To me, it seems like RCI is where which resort you own really matters because one Wyndham home resort trades differently than another (the dreaded trading power issue). First of all...is that correct?
Wyndham and RCI are owned by the same parent company, probably why you get a "free" RCI account with your wyndham account. However, you don't deposit a certain home resort or week to RCI. You tell them I want to deposit a visable 1 br Red Studio to RCI they will pull out 105k of your pts. They will either give a specific week and resort or what they call a generic deposit. Your trade power is based on this within RCI, it doesn't matter where you own. This can get somewhat confusing but really it isn't. Trade power of Wyndham is generally so so within RCI. However if you want to travel in "shoulder" season you can get some great deals and it does allow you to extend your pts. Exchanging in RCI with Wyndham is kind of an art but it is not that bad to learn.

Not to confuse you but there a few Wyndham resorts that only trade through II or dual affiliated. I wouldn't worry about this now but if you hear it don't get confused.

And secondly, how do you determine what kind of trading power your resort has?
See above
(I'm betting the answers to those last two are not quite so simple!)

Thanks again for the help.