New Members - Please Introduce Yourself!

[tonik]

I bought mine on e-bay and it seems like it took 4 ever! Mine took about 6 months. The regular weeks only took a few months but Wyndham is slow.

[jamstew]

Hi, my name is Jamie. My ex and I bought our first TS at Sunbay Resort on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs AR pre-construction 25 years ago. It was the perfect week (31) and resort for us--lakefront penthouse nearest the pool and restaurant, 4 hour drive from home, great location. We didn't buy it with the intention of trading, but, as the kids got older, the week didn't work so well (football 2-a-days), and we started trading. It has been a really good trader--Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, South Padre, Utah mountains, Orlando multiple times...I'm sure I'm forgetting some. We added a cheap second week during racing season a few years later (another penthouse unit), which we were sometimes able to rent out but has basically been worthless MFs have gone from $249 to $395 in 25 years--pretty good, huh? We've only had one special assessment, and I think it was about $300. I haven't been to Sunbay in several years, so I can't comment on what it's like now. It was a gold crown at one time, but is now silver. They sold off some of the land (which lost us a great picnic/play/beach area) and converted the hotel building to TS, which I thought was a big mistake. If anyone is interested in staying there, be sure you get a unit in the "A" or "B" building rather than the Lodge (the hotel building) When I got a divorce, I kept the summer week, which I now use to exchange.

I also own Disney Beach Club Villas and Villas at Wilderness Lodge and like to go twice a year. I recently bought an October week at Sundial at Mustang Towers in Port Aransas, TX on eBay. Port A is a 4-hour drive from where I live now, and I vacation there in October every year anyway, so it was a great deal for me. MFs are much less than what a week has been costing me for the last several years.

I noticed an earlier poster had mentioned the Jockey Club in Las Vegas. My first trip to Vegas was in about 1974 with my mom and a couple of friends, and we stayed at JC on a promotional deal. At that time, they were selling whole ownership in a 2BR for $40K. I didn't have any money back then, but my mom immediately went home and started talking to some of her friends who went to Vegas fairly often to get them to go in for $10K each. Nobody was interested.

Jamie (who will do a signature at some point)

[thelodge]

Hello all. Just signed up. BG owner in Charleston and Westgate (every other year) Gatlinburg.

[lovethecountry]

Hello-

Recently found your site. I am new to forums etc, and am having a difficult time navigating around, so please be patient! Own 2 weeks in Kauai (Red) through RCI and 1 week through Bluegreen. Looking to rent out the BG week; also may want to rent out RCI week, as each year we are having a difficult time getting a week. At this season in our lives, we have a 3 week window, with kids in summer school and the beginning of fall sports. It seems no matter how early I put in a request, I can't get a week. Wondering if I should rent ours out, then rent from someone else. Anyway, where do I start? Thank you for your assistance.

[bezerk]

lovethecountry...welcome!!!!!

Do not worry, when I first dound this site I was like a fish out of water trying to navigate around it.....sometimes I still am LOL. Very patient, great folks on here.

Sorry I can't help u with renting as I have never done so.....maybe try putting your info in regards to renting on a seperate post....might get better response....

again...welcome...

[nlbrown]

My name is Nicki and my husband Kurt. We went to Virginia to a friend's wedding in April 2 years ago. We had been given invites to Massanutten resort by an uncle who owns there for two years before that and always declined. But this particular time we thought we'd take advantage of the free weekend since the wedding was only 40 minutes away, and yes my husband got sucked in by the developer, purchasing one week Upper and lower units locked, fixed week #43 which we can split into two, and also they gave us 2 "bonus" weeks, so we have up to 4 weeks of vac to use each year which is crazy!!!

I remember my family going through the whole sales pitch in Florida when I was in 9th grade and was exposed to it briefly on our honeymoon in Aruba. At first, we didn't understand how it would really benefit us and were curious to do the tour, but we hadn't done our research prior, so we probably didn't make the smartest choice b/c now we are a bit frustrated with it and are not sure we will get our money's worth, so that's why I googled for help and found YOU! I need to learn more so I can get the best of what we want for what we have. I am more conservative, so spending all this money is hard! I only look at the bottom line and just see $$$$$.

We have two small children, 18mon and 5 who will be starting Kgarten in the fall, so it is hard to vacation with them and now will be entering the school calendar as well! My husband loves the mountains and I love the beach, so I wish we wouldn't have bought so much time so I could still rent a condo at the beach and not feel guilty about the extra $ we're putting out!

On the other hand, in just two years we have had some nice vacations to our home resort Massanutten, VA, and then to New Bern NC, and Lodges at Cresthaven Lake George. We did have a 10 year anniversary trip planned without kids in July to St. Maartin, but realized we just can't put out that much money this year, so we cancelled.

[rikkis_playpen]

Welcome.. You've found a great site to lean to use and exchange your ownership! Don't feel bad about buying from the developer- most people do with their first purchase!

Again- welcome and congrats on some great upcoming vacations!

[hotwired]

Greetings!
My name is Ken LaVoie -- My wife Deb and I endured a pretty pleasant 50 minute spiel today, -- we were strong and united enough to say no, but we also felt, after talking to a couple of friends, that htere might indeed be some benefits to owning, at a reasonable price, as well as being a member of RCI.

We did leave today with 4 free round trip airline tickets (with restrictions of course), $50 home depot card, $300 grocery gift certificate and $100 "fun cash" to spend on any vacation booked using the 4 airline tickets. What we got, that might've been the MOST valuable was a crash course in how it all works, how it all comes together.

I'm going to regurgitate them all here in shorthand, and maybe you can let me know if I'm on the right track and maybe give some feedback on how best to approach the secondary market?

1. Okay, so you buy your points -- all resorts are graded by 4 basic things
-- location, time of year, number of people that it will sleep, quality of resort (0-5 star). You buy "points" and these 4 criteria are assessed together to determine how many "points" each week sells for, or is worth.
For our particular spiel we were offered 21,000 points for $10,900 financed at 15.9% (ouch!). This assumed a "4 sleeper" unit with annual maintenance of $295. A 40,000 point would be $395 per year. In addition, if you want to swap, there is a $138 fee to RCI to do so.

2. What is different about THESE new ones is that you can break up your week. So you can take 4 days in one place, 3 days in another. from what I can see, this is the ONLY difference between buying at a "spiel" and buying on the secondary market.

3. By being a member of RCI, you get to choose special deals from the "last call" inventory of unused weeks. These are available ONLY 0-45 days in advance, and cost the LESSER of 9,000 points or the lowest number of points that the resort charges -- so if the Palms Resort in Orlando is 21,000 points for a 2 BR in January, you still only pay 9,000 points. There is also a cash price alternative, usually $200-$300. So you can just pay that and STILL have all your points for another vacation.

4. On a side note, We live in rural Maine, 90 minutes from coast, and one advantage that I can see in owning locally is that if you want to take a cruise or another vacation that you cannot use your points for, you still have a "cheap" local vacation you can take any time at the coast of Maine -- just gas and groceries.

5. Are there any other fees, like for being member of RCI?

6. How does typical time share stack up agains DVC?

7. What is the typical fee increases? Maintenance and swap?

Thanks VERY much! I hope to be an owner SOON!

[rikkis_playpen]

Welcome..

This area is primarily for new members to have a chance to say "Hi" and simply introduce themselves.

I recommend you post your question in either the "points" thread All Points Here - Timeshare Forums

or in the "rci exchange" thread
RCI - Timeshare Forums

Again- Welcome and I'm confident you'll find plenty of answers inside!

[hotwired]

Done!
I just posted it in the first one you mentioned.