Timeshare Ownership vs. Auction Sites

[tjlamphere]

I was strongly considering buying a WDW timeshare. The cost was going to be very reasonable, less than $ 2,000 for a 2-BR unit near WDW. But the annual maint. fee is about $ 600. And then, I see postings that some similar type timeshares were being rented for a week from auction sites for around $ 300. So why buy a timeshare and be locked into a $ 600 annual fee when you can get a timeshare for a week at an auction site for 1/2 the price? I know I'd be able to deed the property, and give it to my kids, but if these auction sites have availability, why buy ????

 

[spiceycat]

don't buy in Orlando.

the only timeshare to buy in Orlando is DVC - but it will never be cheap.

buy in an area you enjoy and like to visit - preferable close to your home.

I like skyauction for Orlando visits (when not staying on-site at WDW).

www.skyauction.com

please kept in mind that the resorts get nothing. this money only goes to skyauction and RCI.

you can get one for $211 to $300 - most of the time.

now this only works mostly with RCI timeshares. If you happen to love the Marriott timeshares - well they trade with II. you can go here for most of the II timeshare - but not Marriott or DVC - you need to be a member of II to get those at good prices.

www.condodirect.com

you can definitely get them for less than the maintence fees.

Orlando has very high maintence fees!!!!

 

[mbb]

Head to www.tug2.net and poke around over there - lots of great posters, with lots of really helpful info/advice/opinions

HTH!!

 

[Brian Noble]

Each time I look into Orlando, I come to the same conclusion---the annual fees are always in the neighborhood of what I can rent the property for without using an auction site---and we go during peak spring season. My conclusion is that Orlando is overbuilt. I can rent for even less if I use the auction sites.

I can't seem to justify DVC to myself, as the annual fees on the points we'd need for a 2BR in the season we go would be about 3x what we can rent similar offsite accomodations for, and the difference more than pays for our tickets and a good chunk of our food. If we were more flexible about when we could go, it might work out better for us, but we've decided to follow the school vacation calendar.

 

[Lucky4me]

Orlando has too many timeshare resorts. This means there will always be discounted units and several ways to rent them. We sold our timeshare last year because maintenance went up to $750. DH bought it 25 years ago and was able to sell it for half of what he paid for it.
We stayed in the same unit through Skyauction for $300 last spring. If that didn't come through, we could have rented through the resort itself for $700.
If you're flexible and don't care about staying onsite, renting condos makes better financial sense than buying a share of one.

 

[spiceycat]

DVC is only a good choice for Disney nuts who MUST stay onsite.

it is expensive - but still if you go to WDW enough it can be a bargin in the long run.

certainly is for me.

for a 2-bedroom during summer or spring break time - it will be 150 points Sun-thurs (leaving on Friday) - if you want the entire week (which is silly with DVC points ) it will be 296 (BIG DIFFERENCE). this is for OKW only! if you want to leave on sat (sun-sat) - it would be 223 points - silly too expensive for me.

I brought at $57.50 per point and got free tickets too!!! so it was a bargin for me.

now I rent most of my points - except for the few points for ME!!!!

I still need my WDW fix..... I stay in studio so it is very cheap point wise - OKW can be 8 points per night when I go...

all the other DVC resorts are more expensive point wise than OKW - although the standard view at BWV is a bargin too.

DVC is not a good buy unless you MUST stay onsite.

It is consider a WDW resort and has all the onsite priviliges.

 

[disneysteve]

I agree with the others. Lots of people ask me why we haven't bought a timeshare since we go to Orlando so often. I always explain that we pay less for our week stay than the annual maintenance fee on a timeshare. I've really pissed off a few people who own timeshares in Orlando when I've said that, but such is life.

 

[Time4Orlando]

No reason to buy a timeshare in Orlando when there are sites like www.doorlando.com and www.skyauction.com that sell weekly rentals for cheap prices.

 

[crjack]

Spicey, do you usually stay for a whole week when you visit? I was wondering if you mind changing hotels for the weekend part of your stay?

My DH does not want to change accomodations when we go which is typically for a week so I haven't bothered to consider renting DVC points, although I would love, love to stay at any one of them.

The weekend points are just so incredibly high it puts the cost of the whole trip into a different level if I were to do it. Still much better than regular rates but tough if you want to stay for 7 nights.

Thank goodness for Skyauction, Tug and VRBO.

 

[Julia M]

We love, love, love our timeshares. Having said that, I wouldn't own in Orlando. For one thing, maintnance is too high, and I like the variety of trying different locations.

But keep in mind, for alot of people, owning a timshare isn't about having the cheapest vacations. For some people, it makes them take a vacation. For people like me, it's knowing we will stay in a place with space (a hotel room gets crowded with three kids!!)

Julia

 

[disneysteve]

For people like me, it's knowing we will stay in a place with space (a hotel room gets crowded with three kids!!)

You don't need to own a timeshare to do this, especially in Orlando, but other places too. We've stayed at Residence Inns on numerous trips in a 1 or 2 bedroom unit. Other chains offer similar accomodations. And in Orlando, the choices are almost unlimited - timeshare rentals, condos, pool homes, suite hotels, etc.