posted 06-04-2005 04:39               

One of the things we noticed is that many of you have many weeks at different locations. We were wondering if you actually use all these weeks? Do you rent them out?

posted 06-04-2005 05:33               

Some of the benefits include:

- more vacations
- owning eliminates the dependency on exchange companies to go where we want to go
- rent out where we don't go and use a different place each year
- some trade better than others when we do go that route
- let family and friends use some of the weeks we don't use

Just curious, would you mind sharing the season and price you've been quoted for that Aruba Surf week?

posted 06-04-2005 05:56               

FYI - the 1BR are reselling at $7-8k and the 2BR at $14-15k for the Marriott Ocean Club, Gold Season

posted 06-04-2005 07:50               

Seriously, we have used or exchanged every week we own since buying over 10 years ago. It's been an amazing way to build memories with our children, extended family and friends.

For us, buying 6 weeks was an alternative to buying a full-ownership vacation home, which was our original plan. Since neither of us particularly enjoys home maintenance the ts have been a much better choice than owning a second home.

Kris

posted 06-04-2005 10:06               

A couple years ago I was looking for a timeshare with low maintenance fees(sub $350.00)at a good price but, I came across a no reserve auction of a 2br unit that no one had bid on so I proxy bid up to $250.00. The MF was higher than I wanted - $400.00. I ended up winning the auction for $1.00 plus closing ($376.00). The 37,000 points per year (RCI points for deposit) yeilded me 4 or 5 weeks of vacation over the past two years I recently put the week up for sale because I've bought a 3 br unit that yeilds 56,000 points and has a MF of $314.00.

I'm probably an average Tugger - more ownership than available vacation time.

posted 06-04-2005 11:52               

Edye

posted 06-04-2005 14:11               

quote:

---

Originally posted by boyblue:

I recently put the week up for sale because I've bought a 3 br unit that yeilds 56,000 points and has a MF of $314.00.

I'm probably an average Tugger - more ownership than available vacation time.

---

I am quite curious about this. Would you tell us what unit has such a low MF for 56,000 points?

Barbara

posted 06-04-2005 14:52               

We think timeshare is the best way to vacation with a family, and because we have always taken our kids (we take them sometimes even now that they are grown), they will not stay in hotels and are a bit spoiled on the full kitchen, multiple bedrooms and baths, and space to be alone.

Owning additional weeks has given them opportunities to travel as adults as well as with us. Our daughter and son-in-law went to Aruba for their honeymoon last year. Our younger son has taken two trips to Florida with friends, while our oldest son has visited Napa Valley and San Diego with his friends. It is something that we can all use, whether we take trips together or apart.

Our younger son (26 now) charges his friends more than is necessary to cover our maintenance and trade fees, which is always enough to help with his own airfare. We like the idea of helping our kids enjoy life with vacations because we did not have that at their ages. It's not been a big expense because most of the timeshares that we own were resales or were purchased/given away by two of our home resorts in Colorado. Maintenance fees would seem very high, if we weren't getting reimbursed for some by the kids.

How much would two hotel rooms be (though our first two purchases were from the developers at rip-off prices)? That was the question we would ask when we got involved with timeshare 24 years ago. That is still the basic reason why timeshare is better than a hotel.

Most of our friends who scoff at timeshare (partly because of their negative experiences at timeshare presentations) either do not travel at all, or they cram their families into a single hotel room to save money. It's ridiculous to fit four or five people into a hotel room for a week. And as your kids get older, it is impossible, so why scoff at us because we choose timeshare over paying hotel rooms + tax for a family of five? It's the negativity associated with timeshare that keeps them skeptical.

posted 06-04-2005 16:58               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marty:
I am quite curious about this. Would you tell us what unit has such a low MF for 56,000 points?

Barbara

---

You have mail!

posted 06-04-2005 19:01               

quote:

---

Originally posted by boyblue:
You have mail!

---