Updates on Christmas Mountain Special Assessments

[chriskre]

I just got the first week in June in door County at the Rushes. This year i am going to Little gull on Longboat Key and the Galleon in Key West and Solara Surfside. I used red weeks from the UDI to exchange there and have lots of tpus left over (which i will combine in June when the first of them runs out. I still have a search for Bonnet Creek, and i have 32 leftover tpus. I have 13 full deposits too. I closed in May of 2011 and have booked 22 weeks, with the possibility of 3 more reservations on Friday. I get lazy about making the reservations, don't use it optimally. We did 7 exchanges last year.

And you regret this purchase?
Have you done the math on all this?
For someone who has the time to work this and also vacation alot this is a great deal.
Yeah, it's a little more work than just using straight points systems but it's quite rewarding.

Now all you need is a small RCI points account so you can do PFD and really get some of the goodies.

[gandalf252002]

Yeah, I am looking forward to mine. Just doing basic math, of $4500 total cost over 4 years if you ONLY get 5 reservations a year, and pay exchange fees on all of these you are looking at roughly $450 per week. Now I realize there are other fee's I am not including such as reservation, cancellation, cleaning, etc. over the long haul the longer you own it the better it becomes. Keeping in mind this will get some 2 bedrooms, and so very popular resorts, or peak period times I think that is quite the value. So with 22 weeks already in just over a year, you'll do fine with this even if you aren't using it "optimally". It is easy to regret some purchases, when you feel so overwhelmed by the amount of vacation you have available for the taking.

[JLB]

Why the SA?

Just asking again.
- - - - - -
There is something that folks still in the midst of working the deal, making the system work to their advantage, so that they can travel, etc., to their heart's content, don't seem to understand about those who are no longer in the midst of working the deal, because they no longer desire to travel to their heart's content, etc., such that the ownerships that allowed them to work the deal, are little more than an expensive burden that they cannot shake.

I will hold to my position that that day will arrive for every timeshare owner.

[rapmarks]

SA is to totally redo the insides of the various timeshares, new electrical, kitchens, baths, and reroof and side as necessary. really bad accounting over the last 20 plus years.

When I posted I forgot about three other vacations i have taken. The trouble is we miss out on a lot of stuff whenever we go away. We live at Christmas Mountain for 5 months and at a nice community in Florida with lots of amenitites and activities for 7 months a year

I gave DAE three weeks, and am considering giving two weeks to Platinum. Neither has a yearly fee and the exchange fee is a lot lower, but not that many exchanges available..

[chriskre]

SA is to totally redo the insides of the various timeshares, new electrical, kitchens, baths, and reroof and side as necessary. really bad accounting over the last 20 plus years.

When I posted I forgot about three other vacations i have taken. The trouble is we miss out on a lot of stuff whenever we go away. We live at Christmas Mountain for 5 months and at a nice community in Florida with lots of amenitites and activities for 7 months a year

I gave DAE three weeks, and am considering giving two weeks to Platinum. Neither has a yearly fee and the exchange fee is a lot lower, but not that many exchanges available..

With Platinum you need to call them and let them know what you are looking for.
They will then call you with options.
I had them give me several options in Hawaii this year but couldn't make it.
There is no trade power in Platinum so that's a plus for us CMV users.

[MaryH]

If you count the 3 SA years, SA is over 1K each for cottages and I think MF was 1K so 6K for 3 years approx. or 2K per year?

[rapmarks]

The 4500 number for 4 years doesn't compute . It is about 1000 a year and 65 every time you make a reservation, plus the 1000 special assessment ( I am just rounding numbers here) so you are spending about 2650 or more per year.

[gandalf252002]

Yes, sorry I forgot to include the additional two years of MF’s in my calculation. However I left out all the other fees, since they are variable but the $65 reservation / cleaning isn’t really so it should be included as well.

However, the $2650 number would assume 10 reservations a year meaning each would have an approximate value of $265 before exchange fee. I doubt there are very few individuals who can say they pay that much for a 1 bedroom in MF’s each year.

Obviously this property is not for everyone, and I’m not saying if you don’t own one that is a bad thing. You’re not wrong, if you feel like you may have made a mistake in buying one. Just trying to help you feel a little better about your purchase!

The 4500 number for 4 years doesn't compute . It is about 1000 a year and 65 every time you make a reservation, plus the 1000 special assessment ( I am just rounding numbers here) so you are spending about 2650 or more per year.

[rapmarks]

Yes, sorry I forgot to include the additional two years of MF’s in my calculation. However I left out all the other fees, since they are variable but the $65 reservation / cleaning isn’t really so it should be included as well.

However, the $2650 number would assume 10 reservations a year meaning each would have an approximate value of $265 before exchange fee. I doubt there are very few individuals who can say they pay that much for a 1 bedroom in MF’s each year.

Obviously this property is not for everyone, and I’m not saying if you don’t own one that is a bad thing. You’re not wrong, if you feel like you may have made a mistake in buying one. Just trying to help you feel a little better about your purchase!

I have more weeks than i can use, I work on it, but I probably have enough to last til the end of my life right now. i was suppoderd to call Friday to book three weeks and i didin't.

[chriskre]

I have more weeks than i can use, I work on it, but I probably have enough to last til the end of my life right now. i was suppoderd to call Friday to book three weeks and i didin't.

Well now you might try renting some of those ressies to subsidize those vacation costs.
You don't pay the reservation fees until check in and if you cancel 3 days in advance it costs you nothing to try to rent those.
I haven't started renting yet since I am trying to build up deposits but once I do I am going to jump into the rental pool with a few weeks.
That's what's good about this ownership. It's very versatile.