Buying resale will not qualify you for any Starwood status. However, you will be saving up to 75% of the purchase price! With the price of rentals over the last 5 years hovering close to what owners pay for maintenance fees, why even bother buying? I paid $45,000 for my unit in 2004. If I just rented instead of buying, I would still have my $45,000 :-(
Francis L.