One get access to DVC resorts via II - paying much less than purchasing DVC points

[seema]

I own a resort - it is not even classified by (Interval International) II as a 5 star resort. One can get (as I have obtained for later this month) DVC resorts easily enough (if one knows how to strategize and get those available DVC weeks) by owning and exchanging through II, a week at DVC resorts.

One basically has to buy a week (preferably a high demand week) at one of the 500 II resorts listed in the DVC booklet, that a DVC member can oneself get in exchange.

PS-Many of the weeks at those other resorts can be deeded to the customer - ie one can own the weeks in perpetuity - this is more advantageous than owning DVC points for a maximum of 50 years.

 

[cymomtx]

I own 4 weeks at a 5* resort and searched endlessly one year for my WDW vacation. We finally pulled a 1BR at OKW one week before our trip, and ended up using that as a day room and staying off-site at Marriott in a 2BR (that sucked). That is why we purchased DVC so that we would have guaranteed rooms when we needed them.

 

[dianeschlicht]

You might have been lucky, but it's not as easy as you might think. I for one like the flexibility to just call member services and book anything from 1 day to 14 days or more when I want and at the resort I want. If I am limited to a week's exchange and have no real control over which resort or unit size....nope, I'll take my DVC ownership over that any day.

 

[Chuck S]

PS-Many of the weeks at those other resorts can be deeded to the customer - ie one can own the weeks in perpetuity - this is more advantageous than owning DVC points for a maximum of 50 years.

Advantageous to whom? Your kids who may not want it. Who will basically pay to rebuild those resorts when the buildings reach the end of their useful life, as all buildings eventually will?

I don't have to hope my desired week or accomodation size becomes available through II, then pay an II exchange fee and another $95 resort fee to DVC. I can stay 9 days or 12 days without having to use 2 full weeks of points, like with an II trade.

 

[littlestar]

Most of the stuff in II is for OKW or SSR and the majority is in off season. If you are retired or have a lot of travel flexibility, that might work, but even then it's not guaranteed. Most people I know that own DVC would not be satisfied with "waiting" for scraps to fall off the table from II.

We own our DVC points because when I want to pick up the phone and book VWL, BWV, or BCV, I can do it. I've got 3 studios for New Years week booked right now for family members that have small kids in school. I'm sorry, but trading through Interval would NEVER have allowed me to do this. Not for New Years, not for the smaller DVC's, and not three of them at the same time. That's why I own DVC.

Not all II resorts pull DVC, by the way. Your resort must have a pretty high quality rating to pull it.

If you want the ultimate ability to go to a certain resort at a certain time of year, you own it. Most people have such busy lives with kids and family, plus work, that they don't have time to mess with working out some grand strategy on trading with II for scraps. Plus, I put my vacation time in at work in early January for the entire year. My boss wouldn't appreciate me constantly changing my vacation time based on a II week popping up.

Honestly, when a timeshare gets so old, you might as well count on having some major "special assessments" to either rebuild it or totally gut it. So maybe that's an asset and maybe it's not? It could be really bad if where you own is not managed properly. I just opened up my property tax bill here in Indianapolis and about fainted. It went up almost 30 percent! And these are my elected officials doing this - arghh. I'm starting to wonder if I want to own any property anywhere forever - even my personal residence. It's like they know they have you trapped. Ugh.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) It is not as hard as people think.
2) We have lots of folks from II checking in at SSR and OKW.
3) They paid the $95 transfer fee, and voilà.
4) other resorts are much tougher.

 

[Inkmahm]

1) It is not as hard as people think.
2) We have lots of folks from II checking in at SSR and OKW.
3) They paid the $95 transfer fee, and voilà.
4) other resorts are much tougher.

Exactly. I bought where I want to stay. That's neither SSR or OKW.

 

[bwvBound]

One get access to DVC resorts via II - paying much less than purchasing DVC points

While we do trade into DVC regularly -- we also own DVC points to help shape the reservation (adding days before or behind the exchange) or to guarantee our stay if the exchange fails to materialize.

Owning DVC points is essentially our back-up strategy with benefits. So far, it works for us.

 

[JLitfin]

I also exchange in through II each time at OKW during the month of January. I use my exchanges when I travel with my sister, so I don't have to use my pts. OKW is very nice and we really enjoy our trips during this time of year. Also we need a 2-BR and receiving a 2-BR at any of the smaller resorts is very difficult. I recently purchased pts at BCV so I can stay near EPCOT. This way I don't have to worry about an II exchange in a 2-BR coming through, I can just call and book the room myself.

 

[Dean]

I own a resort - it is not even classified by (Interval International) II as a 5 star resort. One can get (as I have obtained for later this month) DVC resorts easily enough (if one knows how to strategize and get those available DVC weeks) by owning and exchanging through II, a week at DVC resorts.

One basically has to buy a week (preferably a high demand week) at one of the 500 II resorts listed in the DVC booklet, that a DVC member can oneself get in exchange.

PS-Many of the weeks at those other resorts can be deeded to the customer - ie one can own the weeks in perpetuity - this is more advantageous than owning DVC points for a maximum of 50 years.

I would agree that it can be easy to trade in to DVC if one can accept a one bedroom or smaller and travel off season such as January February May September or early December. In my experience, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs are by for the most likely resorts to be available. I would correct one thing above, and that is one does not need to own a resort that DVC trades to in order to trade back to DVC. As a matter fact, owning one of the resorts on the list gives one absolute no advantage to trading in other then the idea that those are highly rated resorts overall.

Other times and resorts will be available from time to time but are more likely be studios and more likely to be Relatively short notice. It does require some advance planning can somewhat of a gamblers mentality to trade in.

While we do trade into DVC regularly -- we also own DVC points to help shape the reservation (adding days before or behind the exchange) or to guarantee our stay if the exchange fails to materialize.

Owning DVC points is essentially our back-up strategy with benefits. So far, it works for us.

This has essentially been our approach the last few years as well.

 

[JimC]

Any timeshare that is properly built and maintained is going to last way longer than you will. But you need to buy quality if you want long term quality. So the argument that a deed in perpetuity is a problem is one I do not quite follow.

One strategy if you need to always own a newer timeshare is to buy early and sell after ten years.