Be careful of making sweeping generalizations. A lot of the time, they are just not accurate.
First of all, the differences here apply only to Saratoga Springs. They would be
way off base, for example, if the prospective buyer was comparing OKW resale with OKW through Disney.
Specifically, in your example
cdpa4d said:
Currently here is what you lose when buying resale vs. direct from Disney.
You don't get the $8 per point incentive
Right. However, most of the SSR resales on the TTS list above are between $80-82...which would be $13-15 less than the basic price.
You have to pay closing costs when buying resale.
No you don't. Closing costs, like everything else in a resale, are negotiable.
Disney is currently paying 2005 maintenance fees
Right...but understand that those fees are only going to be 3-4 months worth, not a full year. So you're talking hundreds of dollars, but not huge bucks.
vs. buying resale you will pay maintenance for 2005 depending on when you get your points
Again,
everything in a resale is negotiable. You might pay the whole year, you might pro-rate from when you close, you might pay nothing. That's for you and the seller to work out.
When you figure these incentives in to the cost equation you may realize that buing direct is a better deal.
Not necessarily. It might be or it might not be.
Frankly, if it was within a few hundred dollars, I'd buy direct from Disney just because of the slowness, frustration, and uncertainty of the resale process. If I were buying SSR, I almost certainly would buy direct, unless I saw a contract that was loaded with banked (or bankable) points.
But you have to evaluate each resale contract on its own merits. Some are better than others, and some are better than buying direct. And often, whether one alternative or the other is better doesn't hinge on the financial calculations; it depends on how well a particular contract meets your unique needs.
!
.
