Frustrated With Doing a Timeshare Exchange

I just got this question from Gary who just purchased my Timeshare Exchange Bible – II Edition.

Jeff,

Reading through your guides. Quick question. You mention this: Owner Occupancy Level:

This is the percentage of timeshare owners preferring to stay in their Home Resort as opposed to doing a timeshare exchange through Interval International. Worldwide, 80% of timeshare owners timeshare exchange their week through Interval International and 20% use their week in their Home Resort.
This is, however, just an average. At some resorts these numbers are just the opposite, resulting in a high owner occupancy level and therefore making it much more difficult in getting a timeshare exchange.

Thinking out loud here: Is there a chart, table, reporting database, resort info, etc where this can be pulled from? I know about the Demand Index.

I want to do a timeshare exchange to Myrtle Beach, SC. The Marriot Ocean Watch is where we want to stay. If this is a timeshare resort where 80% use the home resort, and other Marriott timeshare owners get first crack at the open 20%, then others like me have a so-so chance. (obviously this is the opposite of your #’s above) Pulling those numbers would give me a better idea what timeshare resorts in Myrtle Beach I would have a chance at.

Thanks.

Gary

Timeshare Exchange: The answer

Hi Gary,

You have very good timeshare instincts.  You should do great getting a timeshare exchange into the best resorts.

You’re right, the 80/20 ratio is a world wide average and certain resorts and resort areas have much higher owner occupancy levels (OOL) than 20%.  Unfortunately, I know of no chart or report that gives this information on timeshare exchange.

Interval International’s (II) Demand Index, while a very handy tool for understanding the hardest weeks to get on exchange, really only reflects demand-not supply of timeshare exchange weeks being deposited.

You can count on  high owner occupancy in high priced and top of the line timeshares, especially in the peak seasons, and any timeshare that’s part of a club e.g. Hyatt, Hilton, Westin/Starwood Vacation Club, Disney Vacation Club, Welk Platinum Resorts, Diamond, VRI, Wyndham/World Mark and Marriott now that they have launched their points program.

For instance, you can expect very a high OOL when a person pays $50,000-$60,000 a week in Maui.  That owner is less likely to want to do a timeshare exchange to another resort because of what they paid – at least for the first 4-5 years or so.  But after flying the entire family to Hawaii for 5 years they may be more likely to trying out the exchange system opening up more availability.

But purchase price isn’t the only factor in a high OOL. A very nice resort like the Boyne Mountain in Michigan will have very a very high OOL both in the summer and winter even
though the weeks aren’t as pricey as a Maui week.

The owners in Boyne Mountain Resort will want to use it in the summer because it’s on a lake and has an 88,000 square foot indoor water park, and in the winter for skiing on the
61 downhill slopes and the numerous cross country trails. In addition, because it’s one of only 2 timeshare resorts in the entire state of Michigan in Interval International and you have the perfect storm of a high OOL. But some of those winter and summer weeks will make it into Interval International for you and I to do a timeshare exchange if we know what we’re doing.

Timeshare Exchange: Why Timeshare Clubs are so much harder to exchange to

Timeshare clubs are even harder to do a timeshare exchange. The reason clubs have a much higher OOL is that the members don’t have to use RCI or II to do a timeshare exchange to other resorts within the club. So far less inventory makes it into the exchange companies pools.

For instance, if you bought a fixed week at the beautiful Welk Resort in Escondido, CA some years ago, and wanted to use it in the Welk’s Desert Oasis in Cathedral City ( the Palm Springs area), you’d have to deposit or bank your week with either RCI or Interval Internatioal, get on the waiting list for the dates you want and pay them their exchange fee.

If, however, you purchased your timeshare from Welk after late 2006, you purchased points in their Platinum Club points system instead of a week.  A Welk Platinum owner simply calls Welk directly to make their reservation at any of their resorts in Escondido, Cathedral City, Branson, MO or Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s an easier process for the owner, there are no exchange fees and the owner knows immediately if there is availability. This is a much more attractive way for the owner to use his timeshare therefore fewer weeks get deposited with the exchange companies.

So how does one determine how much availability there is in any particular resort at a specific time of year if there is no chart or report?  Easy. All you have to do is ask. You can ask RCI or II this question but depending on which exchange councilor you’re talking with, they might not give you the answer.  If that happens you can try again later or simply call the resort itself and find out.  If II tells you that typically only four 2 bedroom units come out of Boyne Mountain Resort in July, you had better expand your search to include more dates or add other resorts to you request.

Now, to answer your question about availability in Marriott’s Ocean Watch in Myrtle Beach. Recently I was talking with an RCI exchange councilor and, to my utter shock, he told me that Myrtle Beach is one of the most demanded and has one of the highest OOL’s in RCI. (I know that Marriott is in II but I’m certain they’d say the same) He said it’s because it’s so close to so many large metropolitan areas and timeshare owners in the past few years are sticking closer to home for their vacations.

So call II and the front desk of the Marriott to find out.  If you use my suggestions in the Bible and plan far enough in advance you should have a good shot at getting it.  You can always start your search for just that resort and add more later if you don’t get results.  The important thing is to start your search immediately.

Thanks for the question and your purchase.  I’ll be submitting this reply to article directories and on my blog to help others.

All the best,

Jeff Pierce – The Timeshare Expert

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 22 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

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timeshare exchange

Cabo San Lucas' El Arco

Katharine McPhee, runner up in Season 5 of American Idol, says her favorite places to relax are Cabo San Lucas, Mexico timeshares. Her heavy-duty travel schedule keeps her in and out of hotels, many of which this self-professed “clean freak” says she re-cleans herself because they do not meet her standards. Explaining that she always removes the spreads and blankets and relegate them to the closet, McPhee adds that she sometimes uses the hotel towels to cover a dirty floor or carpet.

It seems, however, that timeshares suit the singing star much better. In an article published by Showbiz Spy, McPhee says her favorite resort destination is, “Cabo (San Lucas, Mexico) because it’s two hours from my home in Los Angeles and you feel like you are in a different world. It’s quick and easy and I love the restaurants. My family has a timeshare so I try and get down there at least once per year.”

“Lying on the beach or sitting by the pool is so amazing. Every once in a while I will rent jet skis. There is nothing quite like jet skiing on the open ocean.”

Katharine is not alone in her love of Mexico timeshares; many vacationers believe them to be some of the most beautiful resorts in the world. And you have it straight from a clean freak that although many hotels fail to live up to her standards, her favorite Mexico timeshare is an ideal place to vacation and relax.

The newest resort to open in Cabo is Welk Resorts “Sirena del Mar”.  They grabbed about the last piece of ocean front left in the coveted corridor area some years ago and just opened 35 of 200 units.  It sits 3 miles from the town of Cabo San Lucas and all of the first phase units have ocean front views.  In fact, because of its location, not only can you hear whales spout from the pool area, but at this time of year you can see both sunrise and sunset.

Welk has deposited some exchange weeks into Interval International but don’t expect them to last long.  Nor will there be many weeks from their Cabo resort deposited in the future since Welk went to a club system with internal points like Disney Vacation Club and Hyatt Vacation Club.

Make sure you maximize your exchange power and request far in advance if you want to get a timeshare exchange into the beautiful new resort.

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Jeff Pierce The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos, a $97 value, on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:  Twitter FaceBook LinkedIn

As I mentioned earlier, I like to drive so I’m looking forward to the 8 1/2 hour trip through Tuba City, the Navajo Nation and the Four Corners region from my home in Scottsdale, AZ.   If time permits I may take a day on my return to stop at Canyon de Chelly.

Canyon de Chelly

The San Juan Mountain and Golf Resort is new having just opened in June of 2009.  Interval International has rated it as a Premier resort, its highest category.  There are 20 units open now with room for 200 total at build out.  The timeshare consists of 2 properties; The Timbers, stand alone 2 and 3 bedroom homes and The Links consisting of 1,2 and 3 bedroom condos.

The Links at San Juan Mountain Golf Resort

According to the website,

“The Links is a beautiful vacation ownership community located on the Pagosa Springs 27-hole Championship Golf Course. Guests and owners are within walking distance to shopping and dining. In the winter, the Links provides cross country ski-in/ski-out services on the groomed golf course track as well as downhill sledding in front of the building. Some of the extras include:”

• Panoramic Views of the San Juan Mountains
• Gourmet kitchen with stainless appliances, granite countertops, garbage disposal, and tile floors
• Cable TV and High Speed Internet Access
• Double insulated, sound proof common walls
• Luxurious bathrooms with granite counter tops, walk-in shower, and garden tub

Living Room

Disney's Old Key West Resort

The theory is that RCI and II hold out the best timeshare exchange inventory to give to the owners in these high end properties. Also, if the owners in the high end properties don’t use or exchange their weeks, they rent them out – so nothing good ever gets to the rest of us.

Interval International seems to get the worst press regarding this, so I looked at my last 10 timeshare exchanges with them to get a better perspective.

The fixed week I exchange in II is a 2 bedroom on Hilton Head Island,  SC at the Swallowtail at Sea Pines Resort. Hilton Head has good exchange power but the Red week I own in October is one of the weakest exchanging Red weeks. The resort is 30 years old and although it has been updated and is in good condition, it no longer has the 5 Star rating it once had.

It was built, like many of the older timeshare resorts, more like a full ownership condominium project than a “resort”. It has a swimming pool, tennis court and a few bar-b-ques but that’s it. It certainly doesn’t compare to the newer resorts like Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort or Marriott’s Grand Ocean Resort, but it is a very pleasant place to stay.

Golf on Hilton Head

Today, Interval International has 3 ratings for the resorts affiliated with them. They are Premier, Select and all the rest. My resort fall into the “all the rest” category. Based on all the criteria of my timeshare, you wouldn’t think I’d be able to get good timeshare exchanges. Especially if you believed that only owners of high end properties do.

Here’s a list of my last 10 II timeshare exchanges:

Capistrano Surfside Inn, San Juan Capistrano, CA, Labor Day Week, 1 Bedroom unit
Westin Kaanapali Beach, Maui, HI, Week 50, Studio unit
Hanalei Bay Resort, Princeville, HI Week 7, 1 Bedroom AND Sands of Kahana, Maui HI, Week 8, 2 Bedroom unit
Marriott’s Ocean Point, Singer Island, FL Week 18, 2 Bedroom unit
Grand Timber Lodge, Breckenridge, CO, Week 37, 3 Bedroom unit
Westin Kierland Villas, Scottsdale, AZ, Week 18 1 Bedroom unit
Marriott’s Newport Coast, Newport Beach, CA, Week 19 2 Bedroom unit
Marriott’s Summit Watch, Park City, UT Wk 23 2 Bedroom unit
Marriott’s Cypress Harbor, Orlando, FL, Week 23 2 Bedroom unit

Hanalei Bay Resort

So part of the theory at least – that you can’t exchange into the high end resorts unless you own one – is proved false in my case. All of the resorts listed are ranked by Interval International as Premier Resorts, the highest rank they give, while my resort is ranked the lowest. The other part of the speculation about exchanging into high end resorts, that all of the Prime weeks are used, rented out or given to other high end timeshare owners for exchange, can’t be so easily determined by my exchanges. That’s because other than 2 back to back, prime winter weeks in Hawaii (the very definition of a difficult exchange), the rest of my timeshare exchanges were in the off peak times. This was, however, by design on my part and not just taking anything that became available. I generally avoid traveling during peak season.

Many timeshare owners don’t realize that success in exchanging a timeshare is determined by actions they have power over as well as the built in exchange power of where and when they own. 2 people owning the exact same thing in the same resort can experience completely different results when exchanging in either RCI or Interval International. To get a look what you can do significantly enhance your exchange power and get better exchanges, go to http://TheTimeshareExpert.com

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 10 FREE videos on getting better timeshare exchanges in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

Join me on:

Twitter: My Space http://twitter.com/TimeshareExpert

There will be three new Central Florida properties along with 50 new units that will open later this year at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

Sales prices are starting at about $18,000, plus a monthly maintenance fee. It is the first time Disney has been selling interests in four time shares at once.

According to the Orlando Sentinel,

“Although the resorts are opening within 100 days of one another, each is unique:

•At Kidani Village, which will eventually have 340 units, walls are decorated with African proverbs and artifacts such as a Bamileke king’s belt and Cameroon royal drinking horns. Most rooms overlook a re-created savanna complete with giraffes, zebras, ostriches and other wildlife.

•The 60 Treehouse Villas stand on pedestals and stilts in a forested wetland. The octagonal suites replace earlier lodging originally built in 1975, and designers say the new units use 70 percent less impervious concrete.

•Bay Lake Tower rises 15 stories just outside the gates of the Magic Kingdom and is linked to Disney’s Contemporary Resort by a pedestrian bridge. The sales pitch centers around the views; the largest suites have windows two stories tall.

Disney is also building more time shares beyond Central Florida. In addition to the Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which are scheduled to open late this year, Disney this year began construction of an 830-room resort in Hawaii, in which more than half of the rooms will be time shares. That resort will open in 2011.

And earlier this month, Disney announced the purchase of 15 acres just outside Washington with plans to build a family resort. Although Disney has not released details, it is likely that project will also include Vacation Club villas.”

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Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only books of their kind in the timeshare industry and designed to help you  master at the very complicated art of getting good exchanges.

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 3 FREE tips on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

So why the change back to RCI?  I was just looking on the RCI website at Getaways and noticed that Disney Vacation Club  has its very own separate listing and tab to click. 

The lowest price for a “Getaway” is  $503.99  for a studio for 3 nights in the Disney Old Key West Resort.  There’s only one at that price and check is May 27.  That’s a great deal and I hope one of my reader’s grabs it.

Disney Key West Resort

There are 428 Getaways in Disney Resorts at the time of this post, but only a few are really good deals because they are last minute.  If you want anything other than last minute then 3 nights will cost you $1,100-$1400 for a 1 bedroom, $2,000-$2,400 for  a 2 bedroom and $3,300 for a 2 bedroom  checking in December 20 and checking out December 24.  These are all in the Disney Old Key West Resort.

You want a week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom over Christmas?  Then be prepared to fork over $8,171.99 for a 2 bedroom.  I’d like to know who RCI thinks will buy these expensive weeks and where they’re getting all this inventory from since most of it is from sold out resorts like the Old Key West?

My suspicion is that RCI made a deal with Disney Vacation Clubs to not only give them prominent advertising but to also rent out their owners week and might be one of the reasons they left Interval International.  Who knows?

Keep your eyes peeled for more cheap, last minute getaways in the Disney Resorts now that they’re part of RCI.  I’ve always found the extra vacations in Interval International to be more expensive.  But you’ll have to act fast when you see something like 3 nights for $500.

Jeff Pierce, The Timeshare Expert, has taught thousands of timeshare owners the secrets to getting the best exchanges with both RCI and Interval International for over 21 years.

His two books, The Timeshare Exchange Bible – RCI Weeks Edition, and The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International, are the only and most authoritative in the timeshare industry today. 

I would love to have you share your opinions and personal insights on this blog.

For 3 free tips on getting a better exchange in RCI and II, go to TheTimeshareExpert.com.

There are plans for an 18,000 square-foot spa, 8,000 square feet of convention and banquet space, two restaurants, a kids club and a wedding lawn. Water features include an inland saltwater lagoon, quiet pool and a water park with slides, rapids and waterfalls. The resort will sit on one of the beautiful crescent lagoons along the Ko Olina shoreline.

I’m assuming that it will be listed in Interval International like the other Disney properties. While 480 timeshare rooms is large by any standard, only the most knowledgeable timeshare owners can expect to get an exchange there.

With 480 timeshare condos there are a maximum potential of 24,480 weeks to be deposited in Interval International. Currently Disney has 350,000 vacation club members and one can only guess how many of them will be vying for one of the Hawaii weeks.

It’s likely that at most, only 10% of the total number of weeks available, or 2,448, will ever make into Interval International in the first 4-5 years that the Disney Vacation Club Hawaii is open. After that you can expect more inventory to show up in II.

To get in you’ll need to own a very powerful exchanging timeshare, book 1-2 years in advance and apply all of the secrets found in The Timeshare Exchange Bible – Interval International Edition. So take a look at it now. Click Here now to read about it.

To read Disney’s press release Click Here.