Original Message:
Re: Resort West new points system - good deal for owners???????>? (by Larry E.):
One difference was noted in an earlier response: Deeded means you own part of the property. If you have a deeded week, you are the owner of that unit in that week and have the unquestionable right to use it - if your maintenance fees are paid.
Another is that you can deduct the property taxes on your income tax return, if you itemize deductions, for a second home. This Deeded property would qualify, making part of your 'maintenance' payment deductible on your return.
A POINTS week is not deductible. It does not involve deeded ownership (usually) and is only a right to use - if maintenance fees are paid.
We own serveral weeks, most deeded, some points and right to use, some for a specific number of years. (Yeah we own that many!)
Points work for short stays in multiple locations, or for resorts that you can 'buy' with the points but couldn't trade in to. Floating weeks, in my humble opinion are trash - you can use your resort IF (and sometimes that is a BIG if) the resort has vacancies. This has proven to be a problem more often than not, even though we make our request for a specific week a year out.
Our happiest moments are when we can return to our resort each year, during our preferred week. It allows us to plan our vacations, get to know people from the resort, and exchange when we want. Our fixed, deeded weeks we rarely exchange. The others are almost always exchanged.
One final thought: the vacation sales and use are designed primarily for the sales staff and profit. Deeded property is your security that they won't oversell your unit in their eagerness to make money. If they can put you in any unit (not the one you bought for) they can count on a vacancy factor that they can't use when selling actual weeks. It doesn't lower your cost to purchase, it increases their profits.
I think you made the right choice. The resort is desirable and has good trade, but is a great place to spend your vacation.