Why the high maint. fees at Vero Beach?

[Alexander]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I didn't find anything in the searches I ran. We were considered buying some points for VB, but the maintenance fees are the highest. Does anybody know why? Too much hurricane damage, or have they always been high?

 

[BillPA]

Much of the originally planned Vero resort was never built and the property was sold to another developer. The common areas were to be divided by all the resort units. Since many were not built, the per point sold cost is higher than originally planned. I'm sure someone will post a better explination but that is basicly why.

Hope this helps.

 

[DrBond007]

Hurricane repairs have also jacked the fees up.

 

[drusba]

Vero has traditionally been higher than the others. Haven't personally seen the breakdown of Vero Beach's dues so I am making an educated guess: (a) insurance cost is probably obscene in comparison to other resorts because of the beach front location and hurricane threat; (b) property taxes are also likely much higher per square footage because it is beach front property; (c) maintenance costs per square foot are likely significantly higher because of the salt water air and spray (causes faster erosion of structural materials and high maintenance for structures and plant life); (d) it is a small resort in comparison to others, there are fixed costs for which each of the resorts pay about the same, and, unlike resorts at WDW close in size (BCV and VWL), the owners have no other non-DVC entity that pays a large share of the costs of maintaining common elements like pools (BCV has Beach Club and VWL has WL), and thus you can get higher costs overall per owner.

 

[PamOKW]

I agree that one of the major factors is that it's a smaller resort dividing up the costs. Another consideration is that it doesn't benefit from the economies of scale the resorts at WDW have. Disney has to use outside providers for things like cable, phone, power, laundry, etc., etc.

The hurricane damage costs are not included in the current dues. Once DVC determines the relief they'll get from insurance and government sources they expect to levy a special assessment.