Review of Vistana Resort/Villages, Florida

[Bubbles4572]

I need assistance with this particular timeshare group located in Orlando, Florida.

I spoke with a representative today on the phone, as I'm interested in purchasing a timeshare at one of the Sheraton Vistana timeshares. There are two: Resort and Villages.

I had located two timeshares for sale online, and sent the links to the representative at Starwood. Each timeshare was very inexpensive, and when I asked him why, he stated they were in the "older" section of the resort.

Has anyone ever stayed there, and despite their ages, are they in good condition, well maintained? While I'm able to spend more than the asking price of the two I looked at online, I'm wondering if these would still be a good deal. I am posting the links to the two ads I found.

I am new to the idea of timeshares. I know very little about the pros and cons, what reasonable expectations are, etc.

If anyone has any experience with Vistana in Orlando, please respond. Thank you. I am excited to be a member of this forum.

[GateKeeper]

You spoke with a representative of the resort? I wonder what their interest is in helping with resales? Are they still selling new units?
I would look at other aspects of the units. What is RCI's or II's exchange value? Many folks will buy inexpensive timeshare simply because it has a high exchange value, and they end up never using the original. Also look at the annual maintenance fee. This is what this timeshare is really going to cost you, not the original purchase.
Just some food for thought.

[Bubbles4572]

Originally Posted by GateKeeper

You spoke with a representative of the resort? I wonder what their interest is in helping with resales? Are they still selling new units?
I would look at other aspects of the units. What is RCI's or II's exchange value? Many folks will buy inexpensive timeshare simply because it has a high exchange value, and they end up never using the original. Also look at the annual maintenance fee. This is what this timeshare is really going to cost you, not the original purchase.
Just some food for thought.

Yes, they are still selling new units, as the Vistana is expanding with a new phase. They do sell resales.

Explain to me what RCI and II exchange values are. I would be happy to forward the representatives e-mail that he sent to me on to you. Would you be willing to look at that for me?

I truly appreciate your help and guidance, as I am very new to this kind of thing.

Thank you so much.

[GateKeeper]

Bubbles,
Let's take each of your points one at a time.

They do sell resales.

I can't tell you how a resale department works within a particular resort, but I have personal experience with Suntera in Sedona, that, through a third party repurchased timeshare, but did not appear on any "resale" list. From what we could gather, it just became inventory that they could market anew. I don't know what the laws are for this sort of activity, but in order for a resale department to function, the pricing of these units, and the costs incured by the resale department to buy the unit must be in question. What are they selling their resales for? Are they simply acting as an agent for the original owner and offering this information to those who ask? You have to wonder what's in it for them to be involved in this aspect of the business.

Explain to me what RCI and II exchange values are.

RCI and II are two of the primary exchange companies that server timeshare owners, for a fee, to accept owners' weeks in exchange for some other week at a different resort. In order to offer some kind of equity in what is exchanged, the exchange company assigns a rating to the resort, and in addition value for the number of bedrooms, baths, overall unit and resort amenities, and the season during which you can use your timeshare (different seasons have different values in themselves), amoungst other things. You should look up the exchange value for the units you are considering buying to
be sure you know what you can exchange these specific units for. They may not be any different than a new phase unit, but I cannot speak to that specifically. What I can advise is that depending on the value given these units, they may be a good value strictly from their exchange value with RCI and II.

I would be happy to forward the representatives e-mail that he sent to me on to you. Would you be willing to look at that for me?

We'll be happy to comment on anything you want to share, but please keep in mind we are not an agency, and any advice we offer would be merely our opinion. We also would not want to offer any serious legal advice, as this would be best coming from someone familiar with the laws in the Florida, or where ever you are considering purchasing your timeshare. You can either post them here, as others may not only be interested in reading this, but they may have some input to offer as well.

[GateKeeper]

In following the links you posted, the site hosting these ads is a full service broker. Hmmmmm. I wonder if they couldn't answer your questions? Have you asked? I would hate to think that the post is just a waste of our time here and just a way of pulling in readers from this site. I'll give this a few days and remove this whole thread if it starts to smell of rotten fish!

[Bubbles4572]

I am forwarding you the e-mail that was sent to me from the Starwood representative for your perusal. It should be in your personal e-mail. That way, we can discuss this privately rather than on the forum if you would be more comfortable with that. Again, thanks for your time and effort to assist me.

This is not an effort on my part to draw attention to this particular broker affiliated with Vistana Resorts. In the meantime, I will approach the brokers of the ads in the links I posted.

I had approached another broker requesting information I received from two other websites. This particular broker warned me that the two other websites I sent to him consisted of 'unlicensed' brokers. I prefer not to mention those websites here in a public forum. It is not my goal to damage their reputations based on limited information.

There are many websites that have timeshares for sale in the Orlando area, resales from the Vistana that are not affiliated with Starwood. I have only spoken with the Starwood broker, but I will contact the brokers from the links I posted.

Thanks for helping me out with this. The amount of information/websites selling timeshares is overwhelming, and I'm just trying to find the best way to proceed on this with the limited knowledge I have about these things.

Sincerely,

Bubbles4572

[GateKeeper]

Bubbles,
I have received your personal email and will look at the information you sent over tomorrow. The best advice you could take right now is not to rush into anything. Timeshare is a lot more like used cars than it is real estate, even though you have to treat as real estate from a title perspective. There will be another one tomorrow if you don't buy one today.
I will send a private email with any input on the information you sent.

[GateKeeper]

Hello Bubbles,
You certainly have a lot of information to look over! Oddly, this is exactly what anyone should do before they commit to owning timeshare. It is easy to see how the variety of programs offered by developers can be overwhelming, and the lure of the luxury vacations they offer year after year mesmerizing.
If you are committed to the idea of owning timeshare at Vistana, you most definitely want to look at resales as a viable alternative to buying into a new program. You have the information about the new programs, and how the various points and reward systems work, so when shopping the resale market, you want to be sure to verify with the current owner (and call the resort if you must), to ensure the specific timeshare you are considering is included in these programs, or at least know the limitations so you can make an eduated decision if the program the unit is included in meets your needs.
On a more general note, be very sure of any financial obligation you make. Borrowing money to own timeshare, i.e. pre-paid vacations, can rapidly diminish any monetary benefit of having pre-paid vacations, and can actually make them very expensive.
The more you know about the timeshare you are considering buying, the better and more educated decision you will be able to make. I would, personally, not be disuaded from looking at timeshare resales at Vistana simply because the units are said to be "older" or in a different phase; they may very well carry the same value at the resort with regards to access to their facilities, so if the unit is acceptable, you could end up at Vistana at a very significant savings.

[GateKeeper]

You may find this link useful in your quest. About.com clearly has compiled a wealth of information, just weed through the ads!
Good luck with your search:
http://homebuying.about.com/c/ht/01/...1001806125.htm

[Bubbles4572]

Originally Posted by GateKeeper

You may find this link useful in your quest. About.com clearly has compiled a wealth of information, just weed through the ads!
Good luck with your search:
http://homebuying.about.com/c/ht/01/...1001806125.htm

GateKeeper, you have truly been a godsend.

I've been very busy getting ready for my youngest to attend college this Fall. Once the dust dies down, I will be spending more time on the timeshare search.

I will definitely let you know if/when the big purchase takes place! You will be the absolute first to know! I will post pictures as well.

Have a great summer, and once again, thank you!

[carollia]

this is interesting!