Use Year Question

[Angela0917]

Hello! We've been looking to buy into DVC and I have a question about the use years. If you don't have a preferred time to go, does it matter what your use year is? The past couple years we've gone in April/May, 2 November trips, and we're going back this April. We also have been wanting to go in October. The only times we definitely wouldn't travel right now is over Christmas and during summer, however that may change as our kids are older and in school. So does use year really matter then?

 

[Kidanifan08]

If you don't have a set pattern of travel, then it becomes difficult to choose a UY that gives you the advantage of planning travel during the timeframe when your points are able to be banked. We are kind of that way, in that we have travelled every month except Sept and Nov. Going forward, we will probably travel mostly in the summer, as we have a school age child, but occasionally Oct or Dec. We have a Dec UY, which is really only good for those summer and Dec trips.

When you can't choose a UY that works best for you because your year-to-year travel schedule is erratic, then you may want to choose a UY that is in abundance in the resale market, if you ever see yourself purchasing additional points after your initial purchase. Here is a link to a site that shows the distribution of points by UY for each resort:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/owning-dvc/2014-updated-points-distribution-by-use-year

I would probably be inclined to avoid buying a contract with less than 10% of the points in that UY month, simply because it may be difficult to find add-ons in the future with that UY. If you don't see yourself ever buying another contract after your first purchase, then it probably does not matter.

Good luck hunting for that perfect contract!

 

[Illini Al]

If you don't have a set pattern of travel, then it becomes difficult to choose a UY that gives you the advantage of planning travel during the timeframe when your points are able to be banked. We are kind of that way, in that we have travelled every month except Sept and Nov. Going forward, we will probably travel mostly in the summer, as we have a school age child, but occasionally Oct or Dec. We have a Dec UY, which is really only good for those summer and Dec trips.

When you can't choose a UY that works best for you because your year-to-year travel schedule is erratic, then you may want to choose a UY that is in abundance in the resale market, if you ever see yourself purchasing additional points after your initial purchase. Here is a link to a site that shows the distribution of points by UY for each resort:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/owning-dvc/2014-updated-points-distribution-by-use-year

I would probably be inclined to avoid buying a contract with less than 10% of the points in that UY month, simply because it may be difficult to find add-ons in the future with that UY. If you don't see yourself ever buying another contract after your first purchase, then it probably does not matter.

Good luck hunting for that perfect contract!

Great point. I'm hunting for my first contract, and I, too, expect to have erratic and inconsistent trip dates. Therefore, I'm giving strong consideration to the most prevalent UY's at my desired resort -- SSR.

 

[Kidanifan08]

Great point. I'm hunting for my first contract, and I, too, expect to have erratic and inconsistent trip dates. Therefore, I'm giving strong consideration to the most prevalent UY's at my desired resort -- SSR.

We bought our first contract direct and we ended up with a December UY. I think the main reason is that we bought in Oct and that was the only UY where we would get current UY points (2008). Of course, since Kidani was not open yet, we got developer points to use at SSR, which is a very nice resort.

The more I learn about DVC and specifically about UY, the more I realize that UY doesn't matter to my situation at this time. If I was approaching retirement and knew that I was always going to go to F&W and spend 2-4 weeks at WDW in Jan or Feb, then I would probably want a Sept or Oct UY. But in my current state of existence, it doesn't matter to me.

Fortunately, DW and I have careers that allow for advanced planning and little risk of canceling a vacation, so we generally don't need to worry about our banking deadline with regards to risk of canceling.

 

[intertile]

When we purchased, we stressed about UY and ended up taking September. Back then the banking rules were much more difficult, and UY actually made a difference, but now it doesn't really matter that much.

The one thing I did learn today about UY has to do with adding-on. Thanks to the TTS for the info. When adding-on you should pick contracts with the same UY, because if you don't then its like having 2 seperate contracts and the points can't be used together without transferring. So if your buying a contract retail or resale, its best to choose a UY that has a high percentage relative to the rest of the community. It will make it easier to add-on later.

 

[tlh]

I have been looking and it seems like the small October use years haven't came around lately for AKV. Maybe I just need to be more patient, but I thought since we will travel in mainly Dec. and March and occasionally in Nov. maybe start out with the many Dec. contracts i see with 100 and add on later with a 100 for maybe August or September. Is this a bad idea? Wouldn't those use years cover us all year around? Is it a big hassle and trouble transferring and managing the two? Just would like some advice from the pros!

 

[ELMC]

When we purchased, we stressed about UY and ended up taking September. Back then the banking rules were much more difficult, and UY actually made a difference, but now it doesn't really matter that much.

The one thing I did learn today about UY has to do with adding-on. Thanks to the TTS for the info. When adding-on you should pick contracts with the same UY, because if you don't then its like having 2 seperate contracts and the points can't be used together without transferring. So if your buying a contract retail or resale, its best to choose a UY that has a high percentage relative to the rest of the community. It will make it easier to add-on later.

It certainly is easier to have multiple contracts with the same use year, just make sure that the contracts are titled the same. I wouldn't say that UY doesn't really matter that much, however. If you consistently travel within the last four months of your use year, your points are at risk should you have to cancel within that time frame. It is a concern that one should be aware of.

While what the good folks at The Timeshare Store said was true, there are also advantages of having multiple use years. Depending on when you travel, you can use one contract or another to avoid the possibility of having points expire. Also, locking yourself into one use year limits your options as far as resale contracts to buy, and you will often find yourself paying extra for that "perfect" contract. Again, that might not be a bad thing, but it is a consideration. Overall I'd say that buying the same use year definitely has its advantages, and probably more advantages than having multiple use years. But multiple use years can work for the right owner.

I have been looking and it seems like the small October use years haven't came around lately for AKV. Maybe I just need to be more patient, but I thought since we will travel in mainly Dec. and March and occasionally in Nov. maybe start out with the many Dec. contracts i see with 100 and add on later with a 100 for maybe August or September. Is this a bad idea? Wouldn't those use years cover us all year around? Is it a big hassle and trouble transferring and managing the two? Just would like some advice from the pros!

Given your travel patterns, I would recommend looking at the best deal you can find in any of the following use years:

AUG, SEPT, OCT, DEC

I don't think it really matters which one (with the exception of possible November trips with a December UY) and I don't think it matters which UY you buy first. You may also want to consider having a second home resort so you can have the 11 month advantage at two resorts. As far as managing the two contracts, I don't see it as a big problem. You can easily do transfers. You can also alternate the years you use each contract. For example, if you owned two contracts now, you could use the 2012 and 2013 points from one contract for your current stay. Then next year you can use the 2013 and 2014 points for that stay. It's the equivalent number of points, it's just that you're using two year's worth of points from each contract in alternating years. If you can balance a checkbook, you can mange multiple use years. It's really not that tricky. Good luck with your purchases!