DVC Hilton Head vs. buying other HH villas

[JBx3]

After 2 years of going to DVC Hilton Head, it has become a craving for our family. We like everything HH has to offer and the Disney HH resort is just perfect.

With the economy driving villa prices down outside of the DVC HH resort, our family feels we would like to own and buy. Cons are regime fees, insurance, taxes, and all the other stuff. However, our only con with the DVC HH resort is the weekend summer points. Outrageous compared to peak season at other DVC resorts!!!! It has the largest point jump of all DVC resorts for Fri. and Sat. use.

How many of you have gone down the road of really enjoying DVC HH but felt like now is a good time to buy a 2 or 3 bdr. villa outside of DVC since pricing has fallen on these so much with the economy.

Please help with pros and cons.

We prefer marsh view over ocean view.
We would only be able to traqvel to HH maybe 4 weeks a year.

If the weekend points during summer were not so nuts, we would just add on to our current contract.

Our plan right now is to do 5 nights at DVC HH and 7 nights at an outside villa when we go during summer, just to avoid the high weekend points at DVC HH

Thank you in advance for thoughts and ideas.

 

[quentina]

LOVE HHI. I have 225 points there, enough for a 2 bedroom in prime time. THis resort is our favorite out of all the resorts. VWL does run a close second.

 

[MinnieGi]

We also love Disney HHI during summer.

We usually always stay a week so I always just look at the weekly amount needed for points and if you compare that figure to WDW's premier season or even dream season, HHI is a bargain. For instance we have rented the grand villa for a week at 579 points that same GV at BWV in premier season would be 950 and even in dream would cost 800 points. The same is true of the other room categories.

While we are down there I always pick up their real estate guides and dream. But it doesn't take me long to figure it would be a huge, huge expense and headache with upkeep for just a few weeks a year that we could actually enjoy it. Plus our family really likes the resort atmosphere with Disney's activities programs for the kids and you wouldn't get that in many other HHI communities.

Now some day DH and I have talked about retiring down to HHI that would be another story as we would be there most of the year.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

We've been going to HH since the late 70's and truly enjoy the area. We bought at the DVC resort in 1995 while it was under contruction and our family looks forward to getting back there every year.

A few years ago we purchased a quartershare (across from the DVC resort on the harbour) which gave us 13 weeks each year. In anticipation of retirement, we bought a 2nd quartershare at the same location a year later so we'd have 6 months each year - and last year we purchased a condo (also across from the DVC resort and on the harbour) since the real estate market was still very much a buyers marrket.

The quartershares have done pretty well with rentals and the buyers market for real estate continues (prices have probably bottomed out, but have not yet started back up).

There are 7 condo buildings, 1 quartershare resort and 2 timeshares (in addition to DVC) - all on the Shelter Cove harbour area ... and many, many other options all over HH including single family homes.

HH is a great destination and worth a look around to see if there is anything to your liking. We're heading down there today for another extended stay!

 

[JBx3]

All great points. Thanks

 

[JBx3]

Doc. Also great insight. With us looking for about 4 weeks a year, we are looking hard at quartershare as well. Thanks for letting us know they rent pretty well. My family got spoiled with the view from captains quarters when we tried a week there. They want to see the marsh entrance not so much the harbor, but I am still trying to sell them on harbourside III. If you are harbour front there, can you see the Marsh at all?.
I have also thought of the idea of getting 1 quartershare to start then adding another at some point. That would really do.it for us.

Is shuttle to the beach convenient from harbourside III.?

 

[Simba's Mom]

We also looked a little into quartershares as we wanted to stay for a longer period of time, and we needed a place that was pet-friendly, which Disney HHI isn't. However, it appeared to us that all the quartershares were rotating weeks. We were looking for a place where we could go for the same time every year. I guess you'd say we wanted to become "Winter HHI-ers" for 1-2 months a year. From what we saw, it may be that our best option is to look into long-term winter rentals.

 

[ldo]

there are also lots of great deals on other HHI timeshares right now. We own DVC points and love DVC-HHI, but we also own at Waterside by Spinnaker, where we have a 3 BR which is a FIXED week which falls the last week of June every year. No calling at 11 or 7 months, no waiting list, etc.! We have added DVC-HHI stays onto this week.
I suggest you start with just a 2nd week at a good timeshare---find a great deal--just make sure to check what the annual fees are--they vary from $700-$1500 per week owned. Tug2.net is a great resource to ask about prices and what owners like/dislike about their resorts.
For next summer, you could combine a timeshare week with your DVC-HHI stay and maybe do a rental for a 3rd week.
I have heard that Quartershares are hard to sell--and the annual fees can be high---so maybe dip your toe in for the next year with just a single week timeshare. good luck.
It's funny how life evolves--my kids (11, 15) are now tiring of HHI and we just banked our 3BR week which fell over 4th of July 2012 with RCI! Someone got a great trade! Elaine

 

[cvjw]

I don't have any HH information, but we did look into buying a condo at Cape San Blas, FL, while we were vacationing there this July. The condo was for sale for around $300,000, but the big expense was the monthly dues, insurance and taxes. We added all of the extra monthly fees up, and they came to over $1300 per month, not counting any mortgage that you might need for the condo! That made our maintenance fees on our DVC points look really good!

 

[JBx3]

there are also lots of great deals on other HHI timeshares right now. We own DVC points and love DVC-HHI, but we also own at Waterside by Spinnaker, where we have a 3 BR which is a FIXED week which falls the last week of June every year. No calling at 11 or 7 months, no waiting list, etc.! We have added DVC-HHI stays onto this week.
I suggest you start with just a 2nd week at a good timeshare---find a great deal--just make sure to check what the annual fees are--they vary from $700-$1500 per week owned. Tug2.net is a great resource to ask about prices and what owners like/dislike about their resorts.
For next summer, you could combine a timeshare week with your DVC-HHI stay and maybe do a rental for a 3rd week.
I have heard that Quartershares are hard to sell--and the annual fees can be high---so maybe dip your toe in for the next year with just a single week timeshare. good luck.
It's funny how life evolves--my kids (11, 15) are now tiring of HHI and we just banked our 3BR week which fell over 4th of July 2012 with RCI! Someone got a great trade! Elaine

Not a bad idea, I guess my whole hang up is 66 point per Fri and Sat at Disney HHI summer, multiply that by maintenance fee per point and you are paying almost $400.oo per night on weekend x 2 is about $800.00 in cost. You can find many weekly villas for around $1,000.00 per week so it just has become a mental issue with our family of paying about $800.00 for 2 weekend nights vs. $1,000.00 for a whole week off DVC property. We really do not want to do 5 DVC nights M-Th. then checkout for 2 nights and then back in for 5 more DVC nights. Too many moves. So last year we stayed at DVC for 5 nights then crossed over to the other side of Shelter Cove and stayed at Captains Quarters for another 7 nights for only $1075. tax and all included last August.

We travel 12 hours to get there so 1 week was just not doing it, we really never want to leave. Now that we tried 12 night stay it was just terrific, thus begins the hunt for the perfect solution.

 

[JBx3]

I don't have any HH information, but we did look into buying a condo at Cape San Blas, FL, while we were vacationing there this July. The condo was for sale for around $300,000, but the big expense was the monthly dues, insurance and taxes. We added all of the extra monthly fees up, and they came to over $1300 per month, not counting any mortgage that you might need for the condo! That made our maintenance fees on our DVC points look really good!

And yes, pretty easy viewpoint when you look at it all. If I can mentally begin to view DVC HH points as weekly versus per night, that could help but because DVC lists them M-Th then Fri & Sat, you can't help but add up weekend cost!

 

[WebmasterDoc]

Doc. Also great insight. With us looking for about 4 weeks a year, we are looking hard at quartershare as well. Thanks for letting us know they rent pretty well. My family got spoiled with the view from captains quarters when we tried a week there. They want to see the marsh entrance not so much the harbor, but I am still trying to sell them on harbourside III. If you are harbour front there, can you see the Marsh at all?.
I have also thought of the idea of getting 1 quartershare to start then adding another at some point. That would really do.it for us.

Is shuttle to the beach convenient from harbourside III.?

Yes, our HBSIII units are harbour front with a marsh view out thru the inlet where Captain's Quarters is located. We are located directly above San Miguel's. Our condo is at Yacht Club and we can also see the marsh out thru the inlet from there too. There are a number of units at HBSIII listed for sale at this time too with some great pricing (far lower than what we paid 4 years ago). HBSIII annual fees are just under $6500 which comes out to about $500 per week. The 13 weeks rotate each year, so every 4 years owners will have had opportunity to go all 52 weeks (except for the 1st 2 weeks in January which are maintenance weeks). Owners get 1 week in January and then 2 weeks (together) out of every 8 weeks.

There is a free local shuttle, the Dunes Buggy, available to all guests staying in the Palmetto Dunes area including Shelter Cove (and DVC). It runs from April thru October and is very convenient from HBSIII and all other locations within Palmetto Dunes. It will take guests to any location within Palmetto Dunes (restaurants, Mall, Piggly Wiggly, Beach House, Dunes House, tennis center, etc.). It is paid for by the local merchants in the Palmetto Dunes area - with one exception. It does not serve the Marriott since they chose not to participate in the program.

 

[DVCconvert]

...didn't want to be seen as sending a personal message which is a violation of board guidelines....I hope the OP gets more good comments here!

 

[WebmasterDoc]

Doc...you're there now, right?
You shouldn't be spending time on the boards...enjoy the surrounds!
I thought I read on a post today that you where traveling there.
Please don't hit me with a warning or points for this as I am only trying to say that you (like all people) need a break from work from time to time!

We're enroute- will arrive tomorrow early afternoon for 3 weeks!

 

[DVCconvert]

will arrive tomorrow early afternoon for 3 weeks!

Kewl!

 

[Dean]

We love HH and besides DVC, it's the only place we go routinely, which is to say most years. We own Summer Marriott's and recently bought a condo also. IMO, DVC isn't a good vehicle for summer HH trips if one is looking at approx full week intervals but it can be a good option for HH sometimes and other DVC options other times. I'd spend some time researching. A condo is a big commitment but if one has the resources and long term plan appropriate for that type of investment, now might be a good time. For timeshares and quartershares I'd spend time on TUG (Timeshare Users Group) as well as places like redweeks and ebay for listings. There are other fractionals besides quartershares and there are other points systems that are seated in the area. If I were looking to go to HH for one or two weeks in the summer between mid June and late August, I'd look for TWO Marriott weeks that float during that time with at least one of them in HH and Grande Ocean being my first choice.

 

[JBx3]

I'd spend some time researching. A condo is a big commitment but if one has the resources and long term plan appropriate for that type of investment, now might be a good time. For timeshares and quartershares I'd spend time on TUG (Timeshare Users Group) as well as places like redweeks and ebay for listings. There are other fractionals besides quartershares and there are other points systems that are seated in the area. If I were looking to go to HH for one or two weeks in the summer between mid June and late August, I'd look for TWO Marriott weeks that float during that time with at least one of them in HH and Grande Ocean being my first choice.

I think we are evolving in this process, looking for more than a week at DVC HH and possibly having 4 or more weeks for a retirement move, and as I see the help from people on this thread, I may be trying to combine my 2 thoughts above, and that may be hard to do. Buying outright a villas is what we really want to do to have the advantage of going whenever the urge or opportunity is there but that plan would involve us renting and right now with rentals so low for a week, our outlay to maintain is one issue, the other issue is if we do not ever have more time than 4 weeks or so a year, we may struggle with reality and ask why did we do this!

 

[JBx3]

Yes, our HBSIII units are harbour front with a marsh view out thru the inlet where Captain's Quarters is located. We are located directly above San Miguel's. Our condo is at Yacht Club and we can also see the marsh out thru the inlet from there too. There are a number of units at HBSIII listed for sale at this time too with some great pricing (far lower than what we paid 4 years ago). HBSIII annual fees are just under $6500 which comes out to about $500 per week. The 13 weeks rotate each year, so every 4 years owners will have had opportunity to go all 52 weeks (except for the 1st 2 weeks in January which are maintenance weeks). Owners get 1 week in January and then 2 weeks (together) out of every 8 weeks.

There is a free local shuttle, the Dunes Buggy, available to all guests staying in the Palmetto Dunes area including Shelter Cove (and DVC). It runs from April thru October and is very convenient from HBSIII and all other locations within Palmetto Dunes. It will take guests to any location within Palmetto Dunes (restaurants, Mall, Piggly Wiggly, Beach House, Dunes House, tennis center, etc.). It is paid for by the local merchants in the Palmetto Dunes area - with one exception. It does not serve the Marriott since they chose not to participate in the program.

That is great info for us to digest, it appears HBIII can compliment our DVC for more time and also hold onto some of the great views! Right know we always bike to the beach from DVC and we really enjoy it, we only ever used the DVC shuttle one time and it was excellent. Good to know that HBIII provides that similar service! Spent time yesterday thinking adding a week or 2 at Marriott Harbour Pointe or Sunset would have been the least expensive option however we did find out that shuttle service to the beach was not available so the bike rides from there are a little further. We have not ruled that out but right now HBIII looks like a very nice option to add to our DVC stays.

Enjoy that great 3 weeks you are doing right now.

 

[Dean]

I think we are evolving in this process, looking for more than a week at DVC HH and possibly having 4 or more weeks for a retirement move, and as I see the help from people on this thread, I may be trying to combine my 2 thoughts above, and that may be hard to do. Buying outright a villas is what we really want to do to have the advantage of going whenever the urge or opportunity is there but that plan would involve us renting and right now with rentals so low for a week, our outlay to maintain is one issue, the other issue is if we do not ever have more time than 4 weeks or so a year, we may struggle with reality and ask why did we do this!

The fees, taxes, etc for a HH condo can be quite significant. I know I could not reasonably swing it without renting it out. I bought it for retirement, not for a couple of weeks a year because I have that covered already. My suggestion is to spend a LOT of time, like 6-12 months, digesting your thoughts and educating yourself in this area.

 

[JBx3]

The fees, taxes, etc for a HH condo can be quite significant. I know I could not reasonably swing it without renting it out. I bought it for retirement, not for a couple of weeks a year because I have that covered already. My suggestion is to spend a LOT of time, like 6-12 months, digesting your thoughts and educating yourself in this area.

agreed. gott stay away from a buy based on emotion! We are on about month 6 on our process and feel by this summer, we can logically make a move based on educating ourselves. appreciate the advise. looking at tug it seems on fractional ownership that the Ocean Palms and the Carolina Club rate a bit higher than Harborside III, wondering if it is based on closer to ocean? Hope it is not based on quality only.