FL Owners - Trading Power?

[mhiggi02]

Hello. I'm a Cocoa Beach resident looking to buy our first timeshare. We're a family of four (two young girls) that like to vacation near the beach. I'd be interested in hearing from other FL owners (especially Orlando/Disney area owners) on your ability to trade on your FL property to other beachfront locations. I like the idea of owning in FL for local trips when we don't want to trade but am also concerned about the large supply. Thanks for helping this NOOB.

[Glitter Brunello]

I would not buy Orlando for trading.

If you want Florida beach, you should buy Florida beach, supply is limited. Unlike Orlando, which is glutted with timeshares.

[riverdees05]

I agree, Orlando is over built and unless you want to vacation there every year, I wouldn't have it on my list to buy. The results I have had with Orange Lake is so - so. There is always resorts to tade into in the Orlando area.

If you decide to buy near where you live, you might want to check out day use options? Some resorts allow owners to use the resort facilities even when they are not staying there.

[rapmarks]

when we stayed at Resort at cocoa Beach, we met many local residents who owned a week and came to the resort for day privileges, either to enjoy the beach, or to use the pool and hot tub or exercise room. If I lived nearby, it seems like a good idea to own at the Resort for day use and trade it for other beach destinations.

[MargeS]

...and you are thinking resale, right??

[mhiggi02]

Originally Posted by MargeS

...and you are thinking resale, right??

Thanks all. Yes, DEFINITELY resale.

[mhiggi02]

Originally Posted by rapmarks

when we stayed at Resort at cocoa Beach, we met many local residents who owned a week and came to the resort for day privileges, either to enjoy the beach, or to use the pool and hot tub or exercise room. If I lived nearby, it seems like a good idea to own at the Resort for day use and trade it for other beach destinations.

rapmarks, I think you really may have hit on the ideal solution for us! I actually live about 1/2 mile from the Resort at Cocoa Beach. I went by after work this evening to check it out. Looks like a very nice place! If I can get a week there for next to nothing, the maintenance fee would be less than a swimming pool membership at a country club - PLUS a week of vacation elsewhere via a trade. Do you think it would give us good trading flexibility?

Thanks all.

[Glitter Brunello]

Originally Posted by mhiggi02

rapmarks, I think you really may have hit on the ideal solution for us! I actually live about 1/2 mile from the Resort at Cocoa Beach. I went by after work this evening to check it out. Looks like a very nice place! If I can get a week there for next to nothing, the maintenance fee would be less than a swimming pool membership at a country club - PLUS a week of vacation elsewhere via a trade. Do you think it would give us good trading flexibility?

Thanks all.

I would bet that the cheap weeks will be off season, which will not get you great trading power. But might still be worth it for the day use. You might check with the HOA to see what they have for sale. Here's an off-season float on ebay that looks like it can't be given away (no bids with 9 minutes in, starting bid is $49), but if you want to buy to trade you need to buy good weeks:

2BR THE RESORT ON COCOA BEACH, GOLD CROWN, TIMESHARE - eBay (item 250500320548 end time Sep-22-09 18:00:44 PDT)

[mhiggi02]

Originally Posted by Glitter Brunello

I would bet that the cheap weeks will be off season, which will not get you great trading power. But might still be worth it for the day use. You might check with the HOA to see what they have for sale. Here's an off-season float on ebay that looks like it can't be given away (no bids with 9 minutes in, starting bid is $49), but if you want to buy to trade you need to buy good weeks:

2BR THE RESORT ON COCOA BEACH, GOLD CROWN, TIMESHARE - eBay (item 250500320548 end time Sep-22-09 18:00:44 PDT)

Thanks. Since those are "red" weeks how do you know if they are "good" red weeks or not? I saw another for week 40 with Sumday Vacations for even less.

[SteveChapin]

Originally Posted by mhiggi02

Thanks. Since those are "red" weeks how do you know if they are "good" red weeks or not? I saw another for week 40 with Sumday Vacations for even less.

For a good general picture of demand, click on over to Interval International (Interval International | Resort, Timeshare, Exchange, Getaways, Vacation), and go to their resort directory. Click on the map for the region you're thinking about, and then select the area. Pick any resort at random in that area. Then, look in the upper right quadrant of the screen for a link to the "travel demand index" and click on it. That will open a popup window showing you demand, by week, for that region.

Now, that's just a guideline, because some resorts are better than others, and some places have festivals and other special situations not reflected in the region at large. For example, Lodge Alley Inn in Charleston, SC is in the "South, Atlantic Coast" region, which has only modest trading power in week 21 (+1 on a -10 to +10 scale, with 0 being neutral). However, that happened to be when the Spoleto Festival was taking place this year (22 May-7 June), and so demand was maxed out then (combine that with there being only 2 timeshares in Charleston as another special situation).

Living in Cocoa Beach, you'll have an idea when festivals, etc., are.

Looking quickly at Cooca Beach, it's in the "Northern Coasts" region of Florida, which has strong trading during the following weeks:

5: +6
6: +7
7: +10
8: +6
9: +10
10: +6

Can you say "Spring Break?" Yes, I thought you could! So, you want a Spring Break week, if you can find one.

Beyond that, only weeks 13, 26,and 27 even make it to +5.

Week 40 is a "0," a true neutral. Week 41 pops up to +3 (is there some local event? It's a pretty innocuous looking early/mid-october week.).

sc
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