Thinking of buying resale timeshare...

[chrisann]

just have a few questions. Which one is better.. Orange lakes or Sheraton Vistana? Also, what types of questions should I be asking and what does floating week mean? Thanks!!

 

[mbb]

buying DVC, a wonderful DISer told us to go "read, read, and more read"

So we did..
www.tug2.net is a great resource for timeshare owners, timeshare renters, and timeshare "we're thinking about it" folks

Which resort or development is "better" is a question best left to you and yours to decide, IMHO..I think they're both lovely spots Amenities, trading power, managment/development companies, historical cost of maintenance fees, any special assessments, every year ownership, every other year ownership, fixed and floating week, points allocations - these are all things you may want to have a "grasp" on before you sign your cheque

Timeshares are a wonderful way to vacation, a great thing to own for some, and a great thing to rent for others!!

HTH!

 

[ctc917]

we own one of those in my home state and what it means is you are buying a block of time not a certain week.

We own Summer which goes from the middle of May to the middle of September so we can put in a request for a week anywhere in that timeframe, the other way to own is you own a certain week, like week 33. I'm not quite sure how they would be blocking off their time in Flordia since all the time is good.

I hope that helps, we also brought a resale timeshare, off e-bay, and while the price was great we were surprised to find out after that we had to belong to a different exchange company with it, so we were not happy with that. So I would say do a lot of homework and call the resort it self and ask them some questions too.

If you have any other questions that I can help with e-mail me

ctc917

 

[mrsstats]

I 2nd the suggestion to read on tug. I also took the advise of my brother who bought timeshare 15 years ago from a developer. He told me to buy in a place that I would like to go each year in case trading didnt work out. I took his advise, bought at a place I would go back to each year (Orlando). I bought Westgate Villas, resale. To answer your question about the 2 places you are considering, I can only tell you I have stayed at Orange Lake and the resort is great. You can spend a week there with enough to do without even leaving the property. They have older & newer units. The older being single level buildings.

 

[spiceycat]

definitely go visit tug.

join it best $15 you will ever spend.

I would not buy in orlando....Yes I know I love Orlando. but it is a easy trade.

you can buy outside of orlando and trade to it each year.

now with RCI there is a 1 in 4 rule - you can't trade back until 4 years later after your first trade to that ONE resort.

there are a ton of resorts in Orlando and each one is special.

Orlando has higher than average maintence fees - they have too - too much competition....very timeshares has to look it best - this cost money.

so you could find another timeshare closer to you for less money and probably less maintence fees and trade to Orlando....

that say if you want something special - like a pet accessible timeshares - I might buy in Orlando again....

 

[TravelinGal]

Just wanted to agree with the TUG group recomendations! They were an awesome support when I was looking to sell. I'm sure they are great at buying support too!!!

 

[swilshire]

I'm another TUG fan.

Before choosing between the two resorts, I would try to stay at both. Some are just a better fit for you. My family stayed once at Orange Lake and spent the whole week whining because they would have preferred to be at Vistana. Others love OLCC.

Buying Orlando does make sense if you're buying it to use most years and need prime seasons. If you travel mostly in the off season or want to trade your week frequently, buy somewhere else for more bang for your buck.

Sheila

 

[spiceycat]

I do love tug and participate. that say - there are some tuggers who hate and I mean hate DVC.

I don't know why.

I think it is because they were wrong and some people don't like to admit to being wrong.

they kept saying that DVC will be like the other timeshares - it is not - they say it would decrease in value - it has increased.

they forgot one thing. DVC is on Disney property. Disney resort have ALWAYS gone up in value not down. It is not like the ones offsite. Disney has the option to buy back DVC and it DOES.

some people don't like it because it is a lease (it has a deed) - for 2042 or 2054. Disney doesn't like let their land go. even the DD and SOG are leased property....

Disney because it is leased will not allow the property values to go down. they can definitely rent the villas for alot more money....I am always amazed that it is a good bargin. It is if you stay in onsite moderates or deluxe resorts. A very good bargin.

 

[magiroux]

Another plug for TUG here

It is the best $15 I have EVER spent. The key to making a purchase that is right for you and your family is research, research and more research. I read for about six months before I finally jumped in and bought a timeshare (ended up with 4, but that's another story )

Pat, I have never got that vibe that people hated DVC, although I don't visit that particular forum much.Actually, I would love to own DVC if I could afford it. If you *have* to spend your WDW vacations on-site you can not beat DVC for value. If staying off-site to save a few bucks is how you would rather vacation then there are plenty of much cheaper options for timeshare in Orlando than DVC. Basically, it depends on how your family is able/willing to vacation at WDW.

 

[spiceycat]

i don't know about that.

I have owned a long time so my original investment got paid back long ago.

I can get a studio in off season for 8 points * $4.24 = $33.92 per night for onsite at WDW. (not including fri/sat) - Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan are mostly offseason. I don't use all my points up - so I hardly every stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom....I can then rent the rest of my points and pay my annual fees...I rent at $10 a point.

I stay offsite to try new things/resorts and for Spicey. At 19 years old I hate putting him in the WDW kennel. Now he still loves it - but I want him closer to me....

this year I am doing one stay with Spicey in the room with me - and later in the year he is going to the kennel....I think I will miss him badly....

so I am waiting patience for next year CWR to be released to RCI.....

 

[In Luv with Disney]

Hi! I own timeshare at Vistana Resort and it is ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Another thumbs up to to TUG . You should check it out, there is so much info on there! Info I wish I had before I bought my 3 weeks of timeshare.

If you want to buy Vistana Resort, I suggest buying Cascades or Lakes, as those are the two newest sections of the resort. Although Vistana is part of the Starwood Vacation Network (SVN), it is NOT a SVN MANDATORY resort and if you buy resale, you would NOT be entitled to exchange withing SVN. However, if you buy VISTANA VILLAGES RESALE, you WOULD be entitled to join SVN and exchange within SVN since Vistana Villages is a SVN MANDATORY resort. There are great perks to being in SVN. You can make INTERNAL EXCHANGES to any resort in the network, based on availability as far as 8 months out. There are amazing resorts, such as Harborside at Atlantis (my favorite place to vacation ever!), Westin St. John, Westin Kanapali in Maui, and more.

For more information on STARWOOD VACATION OWNERSHIP, click here:

http://www.starwoodvo.com/index.jsp

If you have any questions about it, don't hesitate to PM me. And definitely check out TUG!!!

 

[DianeV]

I dont see alot of people hating DVC on TUG..I do see one poster who owns DVC in particular seeming to hate any others ;-)

But I think the main point many on TUG make is that it seems that Disney artificially keeps the value of DVC up by not allowing anyone to sell for below a certain point. Some may not feel its "worth" that however Disney wont allow it to be any lower..hope you understand what I mean

 

[spiceycat]

Yes I do.

but they are forgetting onsite at WDW.

many, many people want to stay onsite at Disney. Otherwise do you think they could charge $435 for the Polyn for one night - it is a HOTEL room....

some of the tuggers (and I think you know the two that I mean) refuse to consider this.

they want DVC to be like the other timeshare - well sorry it won't ever be...

Disney will buy back DVC - they can easily rent the extra rooms.

some of the DVC member had to become DVC member to get these villa...

Anyway time will tell who is right.

I might be completely wrong - but my DVC is my only timeshare I can rent for more than my fees....

of course I haven't tried to rent my Landmark in Panama City Beach yet...

Westgate - well you don't want me to talk about them....

 

[magiroux]

i don't know about that.


I can get a studio in off season for 8 points * $4.24 = $33.92 per night for onsite at WDW. (not including fri/sat) - Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan are mostly offseason. I don't use all my points up - so I hardly every stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom....I can then rent the rest of my points and pay my annual fees...I rent at $10 a point.

Well, points are going for $80-90 per on resale, in *addition* to those yearly fees you noted (I assume that is what your $4.24 fiqure is that you noted), so in the spirit of providing the OP with accurate info I don't think you can throw out $33.92/night Mon-Fri. to stay in a studio at a DVC Resort. At face value, that statement could be a bit misleading.

 

[spiceycat]

if you are gonna quote how about the entire statement....

I say that I had paid off my DVC long ago.

I have owned since 1993 - I got my investment out in 1997. Why still count something that was gone long, long ago....

I really need to take out the property tax (since I write them off on my taxes).

I happen to love WDW so I brought DVC.

Now with Westgate I got taken - I can NEVER - no matter how long I kept this thing even get my money out of it. Impossible. Not when Westgate kepts undercutting the owners...

 

[spiceycat]

i don't know about that.

I have owned a long time so my original investment got paid back long ago. I can get a studio in off season for 8 points * $4.24 = $33.92 per night for onsite at WDW. (not including fri/sat) - Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec and Jan are mostly offseason. I don't use all my points up - so I hardly every stay in a 1 or 2 bedroom....I can then rent the rest of my points and pay my annual fees...I rent at $10 a point.

that is what I wrote.

but as I have already say. If you aren't going to buy DVC - don't and I mean don't buy Orlando.

Orlando timeshare are very expensive. They have a very high maintence fee.
and the maintence fees is what you have to paid as long as you have this timeshare.

plus because there are so many Orlando timeshares when you want to exchange it - you might be disappointed.

if you get a non-Orlando timeshares you will pay less for it and the maintence fees should be less.

 

[magiroux]

if you are gonna quote how about the entire statement....

I say that I had paid off my DVC long ago.

I have owned since 1993 - I got my investment out in 1997. Why still count something that was gone long, long ago....

I really need to take out the property tax (since I write them off on my taxes).

I happen to love WDW so I brought DVC.

Now with Westgate I got taken - I can NEVER - no matter how long I kept this thing even get my money out of it. Impossible. Not when Westgate kepts undercutting the owners...

Sorry Spiceycat, you're right. I should not have cut out that line that implied that your points are paid for and you don't have to shell out that big $$$$$ anymore.

However, the purpose of your post was to demonstrate how cheap it CAN be to stay in WDW with DVC. So, I stand by my post, that posting that you pay 33.92/night for a DVC property without eluding to all other costs associated with it is, at face value, a little misleading.

 

[spiceycat]

I pay $7,000 for a 2-bedroom Westgate every other year - the fees started out as $245, now they are $620 (last year).

when they allow outsiders to stay in the same place for under $50 a night....sometimes $30 a night....

Now that I call stealing....

I have not done the numbers on the new resorts - but since you asked I will.

I will compare SSR to a moderate POR and a deluxe Polyn and itself...

I only use studio since I am comparing to a room.

 

[mbb]

Lots of great advice for the OP, and anyone else thinking of "taking the plunge" into owning a timeshare

Again, why we - and lots of others, too! - love vacationing in Orlando...accomodation options for everyone.

 

[chrisann]

You've been very helpful!!! Now I just have to convince hubby that it's something he wants!!!