Posts: 3419
From: Penn. Owner-Melia Playa-CostaRica, Sandcastle-Cape Cod,Mayan Palace, Apple Valley-Ohio, FF Patriot's Place-Wmsbg, Dikhololo-SA
Registered: DEC 2000

Depositing my thnx advance

Posts: 283
From: Ashburn, VA, USA. Owner: 1) Villa del Palmar Cabo
Registered: JAN 2001

posted 06-13-2001 11:57            

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Well, I think the Marriotts have the overall trade power to beat anyone, but that is II. For RCI, I would bank on Myrtle Beach or NC Outer Banks Summer weeks. Hawaii carries lots of power, but also high maintenance fees. In Myrtle Beach, standard resorts with summer weeks can carry a lot of trade power within RCI.

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Radman

Posts: 7189
From: Add another 2500 posts!!! Table Rock Lake, Branson. Registered Dec. 2000
Registered: MAR 2002

posted 06-13-2001 12:12            

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South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island

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Jim Beasley
KC/Table Rock/Branson

Posts: 2138
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 12:44            

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These days the power resorts are those developed by the big guys...Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, Hilton, etc. With these you can get top priority for internal trading at super resorts located in various worldwide prime locations. Obviously you can trade thru RCI and II, but that is really a crap shoot with all sorts of unknowns and politics working. Buy a good sized unit in a good season to solidify your options.

Buy on RESALE for the best bang for the $$$.

Posts: 392
From: add another 300 posts Schenectady, NY,USA Lawai Beach Resort registered Dec. 2000
Registered: APR 2002

Posts: 493
From: Houston
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 14:13            

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Hilton Head, Summer, Marriott--hands down.
Frank

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Frank Billingsley
http://www.frankbillingsley.com

Posts: 6257
From: Boston, MA
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 1072
From: Truckee, CA USA, Owner; Powell Place City Shares/SF, La Casa del Sol/Corpus Christi/TX, So Cal Beach Club,Shanty Creek Lodges/MI, Villa del Palmar/PV,
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 15:43            

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IMHO, So Calif, Aquamarine Villas summer carries the most bang for the buck. MF are only $280 for TOP trading power. The resort offers a program called "adopt a weeks" where you can purchase for the cost of the mf weeks that owners did not pay their MF. I picked up 2 June weeks and an Easter. You used to be able to purchase this resort cheap, but I think that the prices have been driven up by all the hoopla about this resort.
It outtrades my 2 bed red GC/RID, SA, Hawaii, Whistler, and the MF are a heck of alot cheaper.

Dani, what do you think?

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Lisa DeSchryver

Posts: 505
From: Lexington, KY
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 17:26            

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I agree with Lisa...So Cal Summer..is as good as it gets in my book...Great value...For TOP TIER trade week...if trading is what you are looking at...I would look real strong at one of these weeks...

PS...I have seen Lisa's account...If she says thats the best.. Then you can bank on it...cause she has tried them all ...LOL

Posts: 2011
From: Wrightwood, CA, USA
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 3103
From: B.C. Canada
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 18:47            

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Liz:

Sorry, I'm not Lisa, but since I sold my AV week to Dani (hey, everybody's allowed one newbie mistake, right?), I can answer this question. Yes, once a year a list of unpaid-for weeks is provided to owners. You can then phone in, first come, first serve, plunk down maintenance fee only and the week is yours.

Some of them are dogs, of course, but there are a few gems.

Bev

Posts: 4974
From: New York
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 19:23            

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Lisa and Bev,

You do know that my timesharing life hasn't been the same since I purchased Aqua don't you ? I completely agree with Lisa..the trade power is tops, the maintenance fees are cheap, and the Adopt-A-Week program can't be beat. In fact, I bet that because of the Adopt-A-Week program the resort will stay in the black for a long time to come. This program is also one of the reasons the maintenance fees are probably so inexpensive.

I should add that just like it was once thought by many that the Blue Whale was the only game in town, Aqua isn't the only gem in So. Cal. Lisa sussed this one out. We are now finding out from other Tuggers that other So. Cal weeks are trading the same way as the Blue Whale and Aqua in the summer. Bev has a Winner's Circle summer studio for example that trades the same..at least on-line ..as Aqua..I tested it myself and did the comparisons. I would also add that a summer Cape Cod week is another week that hard's to beat for trade power.

Bev..now I feel bad!!! Maybe that Winner's Circle week has lightened your burden just a little!! LOL

Dani

[This message has been edited by Dani (edited 06-13-2001).]

Posts: 472
From: Southern Jersey--Own: LaCabana in Aruba;Royal Islander in SXM;Aquamarine Villas in S. Cal
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 3103
From: B.C. Canada
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 19:45            

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Dani:

I'm learning to live with the pain - plus we would have never been making arrangements to meet in Seattle this fall if we hadn't done that little bit of business, right? One of the other great perks of TUG - new friends.

Bev

Posts: 1445
From: Carlsbad, CA, USA Carlsbad Inn, Trendwest , Marriott DSV & Newp, Westin MissionHills, Whaler/Maui & PonoKai/Kauai
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 6990
From: East Canaan, CT -- Own at:Royal Mayan, Seapointer
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 19:51            

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What's hot now, might not be tomorrow. If you asked the question 2 years ago-many would have said "Blue Whale". Things change, spots get hot, spots get cold. Buy somewhere you want to go if it trades well. You may not need the best trader in the world to go where you want. If there's no availability it doesn't matter how strong your trade power is.

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I have six locks on my door, all in a row. When I go out,
I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there
picking the locks, they are always locking three of them.

Posts: 4974
From: New York
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 20:03            

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Tom- As far as Adopt-A-Weeks, you essentially are buying a single week (not deeded)that can be deposited with RCI, rented, or used for your own personal use. You have to watch the Aqua mailings for these offers (West-Coasters have the advantage). The best Adopt-A-Weeks weeks go fast so you have to act quickly. You will be able to get a week though which can come in handy if you need a reliable spacebanked week. Last year they offered these weeks around November for 2001, and this March for 2002 weeks.

Cathy- I have no clue as to the trade power of Tammarack in the summer or Carlsbad in the fall. If I had to guess, I would say that Carlsbad in the fall is not a good trader..I know that Aqua fall weeks are not great traders. I would think that Tammarck in the summer would be a good to great trader, but I do not know.

Bev- Can't wait

Tony- I agree with you...if I had known what I know now I would have purchased a summer Cape Cod week..It's a place I would want to go to and it trades great.

[This message has been edited by Dani (edited 06-13-2001).]

Posts: 1072
From: Truckee, CA USA, Owner; Powell Place City Shares/SF, La Casa del Sol/Corpus Christi/TX, So Cal Beach Club,Shanty Creek Lodges/MI, Villa del Palmar/PV,
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 20:29            

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Hi Cathy, I know for a fact that summer at Tamarack trades the same as Aquamarine Villas, meybe better, if that is possible:-)

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Lisa DeSchryver

Posts: 493
From: Houston
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-13-2001 21:15            

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Can't argue with success! I guess it will boil down to whether you want to trade with RCI or II--and if you can't decide, buy a dual affiliated resort!
Frank

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Frank Billingsley
http://www.frankbillingsley.com

Posts: 595
From: 1 in Branson, 2 in SA, & always looking for #4
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-14-2001 10:52            

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quote:

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South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island

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I'm with JLB on this one. IMHO, I think anything on Sanibel or Captiva would trade great, especially if it's a November-April week.

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Melinda Boeh
Timeshare groupie since 1996

Posts: 595
From: 1 in Branson, 2 in SA, & always looking for #4
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 4227
From: Fairfield County, CT --Owner - Smugglers' Notch - 2 bedroom, week 33 plus float-- --- I remember PJ ---
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-15-2001 05:55            

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I would vote for Southern Cal. also, if you are using primarily for trading purposes. Sanibel/Captiva would be a great trade, but with the high purchase prices, and maintenance fees in the $500-600 (or higher) range, it's just not worth it to buy there unless you are going to use it. (I feel the same way about my own resort, where a summer week would pull just about anything, but you just don't buy there to trade your prime week.)

Good luck!

Sharon

Posts: 2138
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: DEC 2000

posted 06-15-2001 07:09            

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Sharon makes a good point. There are T/S's to trade and T/S's to use. The rule for me on T/S traders is to only buy units that I want to stay at, then if something doesn't work to my satisfcation on a trade, I have the unit to use.

For T/S's to use, I own at Hyatt Key West and even when I receive 2 weeks for every week I trade out, that is still not enough incentive to trade them. That's probably why you rarely if ever see the quality Key West resorts available.

Posts: 633
From: Northern VA
Registered: DEC 2000

Posts: 633
From: Northern VA
Registered: DEC 2000