Maintenance Fees

cassandrac12 has stated : >> Everyone is saying that the maintenance fee's are too high. I actually purchased a package recently and the fee's are very reasonable.<< ====================================== There really is NO universal pattern to changes in maintenance fees. In Florida, for one specific example, skyrocketing insurance costs and rising property taxes are getting passed on directly to timeshare users there. So, maintenance fees there are headed nowhere but UP for the foreseeable future. Yet, on the other hand, you can buy a "points" ownerhip in "Birdbath", Texas for "short" money and low maintenance fees (many owners don't want to even see the place --- they are just buying for the annual "points" to then use elsewhere). Low usage, decreased "wear and tear" in such instances translates into lower maintenance fees.

Just pointing out that there is no "one size fits all" all-inclusive statement about maintenance fees. Geography and usage level also play a part.......

I am looking into a Bahama timeshare. Does anyone feel it is worth buying on a resale(Redweek) vs. through a salesperson? Maybe then the maint. fees would not feel so outrageous.

Kevin 225 states: >> I am looking into a Bahama timeshare. Does anyone feel it is worth buying on a resale(Redweek) vs. through a salesperson? Maybe then the maint. fees would not feel so outrageous.<< ======================================

Maintenance fees will, of course, always be exactly the same regardless of the actual source of your purchase. That said, you'll still ALWAYS do much better on purchase price in a private transaction in the resale market than in dealing with a developer representative, but you need to exercise due diligence to ensure that what you THINK you're buying is, in fact, exactly the same as what is being proferred for sale. You also need to ensure that there are no outsrtanding liens, encumbrances, unpaid special assessments or maintenance fees, etc. My recommendation is to use a legitimate closing company to do all this homework on your behalf --- including obtaining an estoppel letter from the resort (confirming the absence of unpaid fees) and taking care of all deed details and recording. It will cost you about $350, but the potential cost of inadequate homework is far greater than that........

ken1193 wrote:

Kevin 225 states: >> I am looking into a Bahama timeshare. Does anyone feel it is worth buying on a resale(Redweek) vs. through a salesperson? Maybe then the maint. fees would not feel so outrageous.<< ======================================

The maintenance fees will, of course, always be exactly the same regardless of the actual source of your purchase. That said, you'll still ALWAYS do much better on purchase price in a private transaction in the resale market than in dealing with a developer representative, but you need to exercise due diligence to ensure that what you THINK you're buying is, in fact, exactly the same as what is being proferred for sale. You also need to ensure that there are no outsrtanding liens, encumbrances, unpaid special assessments or maintenance fees, etc. My recommendation is to use a legitimate closing company to do all this homework on your behalf --- including obtaining an estoppel letter from the resort (confirming the absence of unpaid fees) and taking care of all deed details and recording. It will cost you about $350, but the potential cost of inadequate homework is far greater than that........

anyone having trouble with celebrity resorts charging owners 5 times for property taxes from 2004 to 2007 which is a 4 year time period?? joem168

joem168 asks: >> anyone having trouble with celebrity resorts charging owners 5 times for property taxes from 2004 to 2007 which is a 4 year time period?? <<

Hi Joe: In order to get a much wider exposure to your (very specific subject) inquiry, I'd respectfully suggest starting a brand new thread with a "Celebrity overcharges?" type subject line. Just tacking such a very specific inquiry onto an ongoing thread about maintenance fees, as you've done, will likely get a whole lot less "viewing" than if you posted a new, subject specific thread.

Just a suggestion --- to follow or ignore as you see fit.

ken1193 wrote:

Hi Joe: In order to get a much wider exposure to your (very specific subject) inquiry, I'd respectfully suggest starting a brand new thread with a "Celebrity overcharges?" type subject line. Just tacking such a very specific inquiry onto an ongoing thread about maintenance fees, as you've done, will likely get a whole lot less "viewing" than if you posted a new, subject specific thread.

Just a suggestion --- to follow or ignore as you see fit.

Ditto to what Ken said above. Until Redweek intergrates a search feature in their forums, it is wise to start a new thread concerning specific questions relating to a specific resort, otherwise your question can get buried amongst all the other posts in a thread.

After reading all of the discussions regarding maintenance fees, thought I would add mine. Our fee was $455 per year in 2000 and in 2007 is $525 for a 2 bedroom condo. While there has been some maintenance problems, there has been improvements. All the furniture has been recovered, the counter tops have been replaced with granit surfaces, the counter top microwave has been replaced with an much nicer under the counter one, most of the applicances have been replaced, the living area TV has been upgraded to a 37 inch flat wall mounted TV, many of the units have been repainted and the grounds are keep up extremely well. The condo is in the Bahamas and they repaired all the hurricane damage very quickly and you would not even know there was any. Are there maintenace problems, yes. Replacement of light bulbs seems to be the biggest problem. I am also amazed at what people do when they are at the resorts. Whoever occupied our condo before, actually pulled the towel rack in the master bedroom bath, completely out of the wall. We had just moved in and maintenance came, fixed the wall and came back while were gone and painted the wall. No the towel rack was not replaced, but at least we did not have holes in the wall. Do we like the increase in fees, no, but maybe the users are part of the problem with the damage the do while staying there. I do know other owners in other resorts on the island that are very upset because their annual fess have incresed a lot or they are getting run down due to lack of maintenance, so guess we are lucky in that area. Also, maybe right now there are a lot of great deals out there, but when we bought, I calculated it would take 13-15 years to break even based on the average cost of a rental. I also beleive that those great deals won't last forever.

davidreazor wrote:

Whoever occupied our condo before, actually pulled the towel rack in the master bedroom bath, completely out of the wall. We had just moved in and maintenance came, fixed the wall and came back while were gone and painted the wall. No the towel rack was not replaced, but at least we did not have holes in the wall. Do we like the increase in fees, no, but maybe the users are part of the problem with the damage the do while staying there. .

======= Ouch! Missing or insufficient towel bars are a sore point with me. I regularly campaign for enough so that damp towels can actually hang to DRY instead of being tossed in a corner to mold. But I have had reps show me where towel bars have been pulled off the wall as you mention. He said they just repair the wall. Still, if a bar is attached to the studs as it should be, why shouldn't it be just as stable as a grab bar? A yank on the towel should not dislodge a properly installed bar. I really doubt that people are chinning themselves.

MD

It looks like many people are using towel racks for support when getting out of the shower. If resorts would install a support handle outside of the shower then people wouldn't have to use a towel rack for support. I think support handles should be mandatory for bathrooms with tub/shower combinations.

The towel bar was above the toilet with a shelf and bar. It is used to hold clean towels. It would be impossible to hold onto getting out of the shower. As for doing damage, I understand a broken dish or glass, but I have seen shower curtains pulled out of the wall, people not understanding what a cutting board is and cut into the counter tops (most likely why they were replaced with granit), burn marks on the counter tops, cuts in the frabic and funiture, etc. All this cost money to replair. I often wonder if people live like this at home or will have a fit it happens in their own house.

jayjay wrote:

It looks like many people are using towel racks for support when getting out of the shower. If resorts would install a support handle outside of the shower then people wouldn't have to use a towel rack for support. I think support handles should be mandatory for bathrooms with tub/shower combinations.

===

Grab bars would also be very very helpful by whirlpool bathtubs. Some are quite large and there is no place to get purchase when entering or exiting. This is doubly important, because--frankly--many of us who can afford timeshares are not exactly spring chickens! This is a genuine safety issue. I'd volunteer a few bucks from our maintenance fees for that!

MD

adahiscout wrote:

Grab bars would also be very very helpful by whirlpool bathtubs. Some are quite large and there is no place to get purchase when entering or exiting. This is doubly important, because--frankly--many of us who can afford timeshares are not exactly spring chickens! This is a genuine safety issue. I'd volunteer a few bucks from our maintenance fees for that!MD

I completely agree ... with babyboomers getting older, resorts need to upgrade their bathroom facilities with grab bars .... that would be much cheaper than multiple lawsuits due to falls.

I was trying to point out that in this case, you could not reach the towel rack and discuss the damage people do when they stay. Specifcally in response regarding the amount of maintenance fees. But guess this went into a dicsussion regarding grab rails.

Thanks for making me lauph, David. I too wonder where some of these vacationers come from. Maybe people's wild kids or drunken friends. It's no wonder our fees keep rising.

I'm not sure how most resorts decide how to increase their maintenance fees, but I do know that they are not the same for everyone. I've found that the resales I've purchased had lower maintenance fees that the current resort sold timeshares. One of the resorts in Mexico actually has a formula that ties into our inflation rate.

Yeh, I'm just thinking the same here. I think that is why developers love to build and sell them as a timeshare; they made money through our financing. That's sure a great business, don't you think?

orvillef2 wrote:

Thanks for making me lauph, David. I too wonder where some of these vacationers come from. Maybe people's wild kids or drunken friends. It's no wonder our fees keep rising.

I'm not sure how most resorts decide how to increase their maintenance fees, but I do know that they are not the same for everyone. I've found that the resales I've purchased had lower maintenance fees that the current resort sold timeshares. One of the resorts in Mexico actually has a formula that ties into our inflation rate.

If you own a home, a townhome, a mobile home or a timeshare where there are resort-type amenties, there will be a maintenance fee similar to those with timeshares.

It's no surprise, and certainly not a ripoff, if there is good maintenance.

For some places, membership in the golf club, although an equity investment, can run up to $250K plus monthly fees.

carries25 wrote:

If you own a home, a townhome, a mobile home or a timeshare where there are resort-type amenties, there will be a maintenance fee similar to those with timeshares.

It's no surprise, and certainly not a ripoff, if there is good maintenance.

For some places, membership in the golf club, although an equity investment, can run up to $250K plus monthly fees.

---

Guess we'd all prefer that "Cost of living increases" referred to our paychecks, not our expenses! MD

When I look at Redweek sale postings for identical units, in identical weeks, I often notice the reported maintenace fees can vary. Is this accurate that different owners are charged different fees or are sellers misrepresenting actual current maintenance charges ?