The members of High Country Club are currently being showered with offers from all sides. Two other destination clubs have made direct offers to the members and the club continues to revise its own plans.
In the current economy, High Country Club was forced to announce a restructuring plan in October. The members have been voting on the plan to gauge the level of interest in moving it forwards. Just today the club announced a further revision, which increases the number of club homes to 23. This will ease the availability a little at club homes a major issue with the earlier plan.
In the meantime Distinctive Holiday Homes has made an offer to build a portfolio of $1m homes. The first homes, which will be ready in the next few months, are in Florida, South Carolina, New York, Utah, Hawaii and the Bahamas, with Mexico, Colorado and another Caribbean location to follow. Distinctive is offering two special membership plans which will give members about two weeks or four weeks of vacations a year in these $1m homes. Or they can be used in Distinctives current $3m homes. An interesting feature of the plans is that the initial membership deposit, of $30,000 or $60,000, is paid quarterly over five years. High Country members have until December 31st to register for the offer.
Ultimate Escapes special offer is an initial discount off their membership fees. The discount varies by the club that you join, with $20,000 discount off the Premiere Club (with $1m homes), $30,000 discount off the Signature Club ($2m homes) and a $40,000 discount off the Elite Club (with $3m homes). Each club offer several membership levels providing from 14 to 60 days a year of vacations. There is also a special 7 day Premiere Club Affiliate Membership which has a annual dues of $4,000 and an initial fee of $30,000. High Country members have until December 12th to take up this offer.
Abercrombie & Kent Residence Club also announced an offer to members of other destination clubs, which lets members defer payment of 80% of the initial membership fee for 6 months. This one isnt directly targeted at High Country and is less likely to be appealing to them given the large price differential at A&K which has $3m homes.
I dont think the dust has settled as yet, and Im expecting other revisions or offers before the High Country Club members finally decide which way to go.