[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Wondering..................how many years have you owned and what was your estimated annual percentage increase for maint fees??? (increasing maint fees is the biggest complain)

Sorry, late replying to this thread.

We have owned DVC for at least 15 years and are very happy with it. We enjoy using it ourselves plus we often host family.

The initial investment was high but spread out over the years it isn't bad at all. Adding in annual maintenance fees then calculating the cost I figure I'm saving well over 50% off the cost of the room.

For example, I calculate that we are paying the equivalent of $2,500 total for a week in a two-bedroom villa. For the same week, a hotel room (single room, no sofa, no kitchen) is going for $850 per night and another site lists a price of $2,200/night for the two-bedroom. Without DVC there is no way we would be staying at that particular resort, and probably not on Disney property at all.

Over the last six years our maintenance fees have increased about 5% per year. The increases have not been uniform: prior to COVID they were about 3%, in 202 they actually decreased, and in the two years since COVID the increases have averaged 10%.

For us, DVC is a very good value. If we stopped enjoying Disney the value would plummet. We *might* be able to find more affordable accommodations but not with the location and amenities (room size) that we have now. Maintenance fees increase most years but so does the price of renting a room.

[Robbb]

I've rented many times at Westgate and did enjoy it, especially when the kids were young. Never understood why anyone would buy one when a very nice unit could be rented for about $150 per night. I never had any problem getting a unit, even over Christmas and New years.

[Robbb]

Originally Posted by tjdmlhw

I've owned a 1 bedroom unit in Kissimmee for 40 years. I paid $3000 for it and my maintenance dues have risen from $400 to just under $600. I've traded it for a weeks in Europe, Vermont, and I traded for a week in Hawaii for our honeymoon, but mostly we've used the week at our home resort because my family liked amusement parks.

Now that we own a home in The Villages, we may rejoin the trading organization and start using the week for vacations in other areas.

If someone buys a timeshare as an investment property, they will be sorely disappointed. Used timeshares are almost impossible to sell, some of them you can't even give away. If on the other hand you find one at a reasonable price in a location that you want to visit on a regular basis it can be a good purchase.

Just curious, why not rent at the locations you want to visit? There are literally thousands of rentals both the US and Europe. No purchase cost, no yearly maintenance fees, just a daily fee to rent.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Robbb

I've rented many times at Westgate and did enjoy it, especially when the kids were young. Never understood why anyone would buy one when a very nice unit could be rented for about $150 per night. I never had any problem getting a unit, even over Christmas and New years.

Some people are intimidated by high pressure sales people, that's why.

[MrChip72]

You can "buy" timeshares on eBay for $1 or slightly more. That shows you how undesirable many of them are to own. You cannot compare a timeshare to owning a condo or home. The timeshare you don't really own anything except a contract to pay maintenance fees every year.

[Robbb]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

The key word is WEALTHY.

Example:

Initial buy-in $25k to $35. (there are more, there are less)
Gets you one week usage (annually) at any of their locations.
Annual fees $2k. (there are more, there are less)

So if you use it for 10 years you have paid $50k to $70k for ten weeks of vacation in a condo......full kitchen, two bedroom, living room, with resort grounds.

So to wealthy people..............fifty grand, nice place to stay...........why not.

Because you can rent the same place for a fraction of the cost.

$150 per day X7 X10=$10,500. So for less than 11 grand you can have the same experience.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Robbb

Because you can rent the same place for a fraction of the cost.

$150 per day X7 X10=$10,500. So for less than 11 grand you can have the same experience.

Where can you rent a two-bedroom apartment in a destination location for $150/day? Most hotels I've stayed at lately charge more than that for a single room.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Robbb

Because you can rent the same place for a fraction of the cost.

$150 per day X7 X10=$10,500. So for less than 11 grand you can have the same experience.

I was not talking about that type of stay.

At a nice place, resort style, quality......Here is the Marriott Grand in Hilton Head:

Two bed room, Kitchen, Living room: $430 to $640 per night.

[mrf0151]

Like both of ours until the maintenance fees went out of site. Sold them privately for a song years ago.
It is amazing that I still get phone calls from those Timeshare companies that have popped up all over wanting you to sell yours to them. Must be big money in resales.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by mrf0151

Like both of ours until the maintenance fees went out of site. Sold them privately for a song years ago.
It is amazing that I still get phone calls from those Timeshare companies that have popped up all over wanting you to sell yours to them. Must be big money in resales.

Question: Does a timeshare owner have any control over the increase in the maintenance fees, or is the sky the limit?

[Garywt]

We have a week in Aruba in December and we love it. We have owned it for 6 years and enjoy just going and sitting on the beach. Also the food in Aruba is excellent.

[Tommyc6]

We’ve owned a total of 12 over the years all in Aruba we are now down to 3 and plan on keeping them. For us they’ve been great and don’t regret owning them.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Question: Does a timeshare owner have any control over the increase in the maintenance fees, or is the sky the limit?

Depends.

Some have annual inflation limits.

Most, once sold out, are run/controlled by an owner committee.
Maint Fees go right back into the property..............there is no profit component.

Since units are sold "by the week".......it's easy for the site can have 5,000, 6,000, 8,000 owners..............so the committee could have a ton of whiners and headaches.

They operate like mini CDD's.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Depends.

Some have annual inflation limits.

Most, once sold out, are run/controlled by an owner committee.
Maint Fees go right back into the property..............there is no profit component.

Since units are sold "by the week".......it's easy for the site can have 5,000, 6,000, 8,000 owners..............so the committee could have a ton of whiners and headaches.

They operate like mini CDD's.

The owner committee and inflation limits sound fine, if they are mandated in the original timeshare contract. But, if not, an original buyer is basically signing a blank check to the developer for future assessments and maintenance fee increases. I think that is why some owners actually need to pay a law firm to get rid of their timeshare.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

The owner committee and inflation limits sound fine, if they are mandated in the original timeshare contract. But, if not, an original buyer is basically signing a blank check to the developer for future assessments and maintenance fee increases. I think that is why some owners actually need to pay a law firm to get rid of their timeshare.

It's called Due Diligence.

Too much law firm advertising.

Like buying into TV (or any real estate), read all documents, understand restrictions, learn about fees.....and buy if you like.
(& no, it's really not high pressure)

Look at real examples.............look at many posters on this site......buying and selling and happy.