Buying Advice

I am considering buying a 2BD lockout (Marriott Hawaii) for my family for around $33,000 (from Marriott). I plan on using the lockout so I can get two weeks in Hawaii or elsewhere every year. Sounds like a pretty good deal. Two weeks in Hawaii or elsewhere every year. When the kids leave I can exchange the lockout every year. Marriott is also offering 50,000 points and a platinum 1 week in a 2bd for financing.

Have you checked the resale market for this resort? You can save a ton of money by buying resale. There's not a dime's worth of difference in a developer bought and a resale timeshare except the expensive incentives and the marked up developer price. You are paying big bucks for those incentives and buying from the developer (re: 50,000 points and a platinum 1 week in a 2bd for financing).

when buying a timeshare, what does "right to use" mean- as well as- "floating"??? Is "deeded" a better way to go if we want the same week every year?

carolf78 wrote:

when buying a timeshare, what does "right to use" mean- as well as- "floating"??? Is "deeded" a better way to go if we want the same week every year?

Hi. "Right to Use" means you do not have an ownership interest forever. It means you can use the property for a fixed number of years and then your interest terminates. "Floating" means you do not have a fixed week but you can choose a week within a certain time frame within the year. Sometimes the floating period is the entire year. To me deeded perpetual ownership is better, since I have an ownership interest which is unlimited in time. Stan.

Unless you just want to buy directly from Marriott to get the small perks they offer and money is not an issue then by all means buy from the developer, however, if money IS an issue then I would check all the resale sites for a Mariott resale in Hawaii. You could possibly save a ton of money.

Personally, and this is just me, I would never pay $33k for any timeshare anywhere even if I had the money. I would much rather rent and not be saddled with the rising costs related to timesharing.

BTW, many Marriott maintenance fees rose substantially this year and a lot of Marriott owners are not happy campers about that situation, so beware.

williaml168I am considering buying a 2BD lockout (Marriott Hawaii) for my family for around $33,000 (from Marriott). I plan on using the lockout so I can get two weeks in Hawaii or elsewhere every year. Sounds like a pretty good deal. Two weeks in Hawaii or elsewhere every year. When the kids leave I can exchange the lockout every year. Marriott is also offering 50,000 points and a platinum 1 week in a 2bd for financing.[/Q