Trying to get in...NC or TN

[tscary79]

I am looking very diligently to find the right time share for my family. I have two young children and need something that is family oriented. I have been looking in Gatlinburg and the NC mountains for I live in eastern NC. I think I would like to get a TM on the point system b/c we do live so close to the beach and would like that flexibility. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good TM and where should I look for one? I need to keep it relatively inexpensive as well as low maintenance fees but would like to take several long weekend trips if we choose. I know what I want it is just finding the right one.

[falmouth3]

Have you read the resort reviews on TUG or RCI? I find them incredibly useful. Read all of the comments and decide if the things the reviewer likes or dislikes is important to you.

I was reading some the other night and one reviewer gave a resort a 1.5 rating, but the review was glowing with praise. I don't know what they were thinking when they typed in the rating.

I also saw a review where someone gave the resort a bad rating because someone crashed into the reviewer's car and the reviewer didn't like how the resort handled the sitation.

After getting some idea of where you might want to buy, spend some time watching the auctions on eBay and visit redweek.com and some other sites to see what asking prices are, what selling prices are (on eBay). Get an idea of what you can expect to pay for the various resorts and narrow down your possibilies.

Sue

[tonyg]

You might also want to look at the NC shore, like Atlantic Beach or even think about Williamsburg.

[BoardGirl]

Check out Bluegreen Vacation Club. Points system with resorts in NC, Gatlinburg, Atlantic City, Williamsburg, beaches galore....

bluegreenonline.com

[bnoble]

In addition to Bluegreen, you might also consider Wyndham's point system. The mountain resorts are very nice, though the beach resorts are a bit farther south, and a bit harder to book in prime time.

[lnelson]

I just did some research on some of the same area you are mentioning. I live in Greensboro and was looking for something to add to my Wyndham points out in that area. take a look at Reviews of vacations, hotels, resorts, vacation and travel packages - TripAdvisor they have some reviews that are helpful. Sapphire seemed to be the best Wyndham NC resort from my research. The others (Lake Lure and New Bern) had a lot of comments about the rooms being dated. The Smoky Mountains facility in TN seemed to have even better reviews than Sapphire if you don't mind driving a little further. In the end, I bought 182,000 annual points on EBay for about $100.

[tscary79]

How much time does 182,000 points get you with Wyndham? I know it depends on the season and other factors also, but just an estimate... So I guess I have got it down to Bluegreen and Wyndham. Between the two for NC, TN, SC, and VA which do you guys prefer? Thanks to all for your input!!

[Lisa P]

I prefer the Wyndham resorts to the Bluegreen resorts in those areas. This is just personal preference.

For 182,000 pts, you'll usually get a 2BR in prime season - at some resorts, you'll have a few points leftover. If you only need a 1BR standard unit (not the deluxe), you may be able to get 1.5-2 weeks in prime/high season.

For offseason travel, you'd get several weeks.

[tscary79]

What are biannual points, eg. 8000 biannual points? Do you get 8000 points twice a year?

[Spence]

Originally Posted by tscary79

What are biannual points, eg. 8000 biannual points? Do you get 8000 points twice a year?

EOY - Every Other Year
you're thinking semi-annual and they don't happen that way.