Advice needed - buy now or wait?

[BarryS]

I have been researching DVC for the past 5 years. With a family of 6, the high buy-in cost to get the points needed for 2BR villas has thus far prevented us from buying in. For our family trips we have been renting 2BR units at Wyndham Bonnet Creek instead.

Now my DW has become an avid runner and just completed the 2017 Princess Half Marathon. For that trip, since it was just the two of us, I rented points for a studio to try out DVC. SSR was the only resort available at the time we booked, but it exceeded our expectations. We really enjoyed being in the preferred location near the main building, and just a short walk to Disney Springs. DW was impressed enough to tell me to look at DVC, because she wants to continue doing the runDisney races.

Long story short, I am now considering a much smaller DVC purchase to get a studio during these runDisney weekends. I like the resale price/point at SSR along with the low MFs and the low points/night. It's without question the most affordable option for us.

However, I'm hesitating on putting in an offer because we have not stayed at any of the other deluxe resorts. So, while SSR was great, we really have nothing else to compare it to. We've visited BC, GF, AK, CR and Poly, but have never stayed there or seen the rooms for ourselves. They are of course significantly more expensive than SSR (possible exception of AK).

I have two questions for you:
1. Would you recommend DVC at all for this purpose (couple nights in a studio every year)?
2. If so, would you recommend the SSR purchase now, or waiting and renting points to stay at some of the other resorts to see if we like them better?

Thanks in advance!

 

[disneynutz]

Buy SSR now, use the points to stay at all of the resorts. Later you might buy another resort once you know which are your favorites. Who knows running may not in the future and your vacation patterns may change.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'll note that for a studio, for a race weekend, you will most likely be staying at your home resort. So if you buy SSR, you will be staying at SSR for a race.

Your best chances of staying elsewhere on SSR points would be to go for a non-race weekend between mid-January and August.

 

[BarryS]

Buy SSR now, use the points to stay at all of the resorts. Later you might buy another resort once you know which are your favorites. Who knows running may not in the future and your vacation patterns may change.

Bill

DW is quite addicted to the running now, but you're right that might change in the future. Part of me agrees with what you're saying. We could certainly add on at a different place or sell SSR and buy something else in the future. I'm trying to hold to the "buy where you want to stay" mantra, the only problem is that I'm not sure which resort that is

I'll note that for a studio, for a race weekend, you will most likely be staying at your home resort. So if you buy SSR, you will be staying at SSR for a race.

Your best chances of staying elsewhere on SSR points would be to go for a non-race weekend between mid-January and August.

Exactly. Part of me is ok with only being able to stay at SSR. Since we aren't planning on having park tickets for these trips, the ability to walk to Disney Springs is a nice perk for SSR that we took advantage of several times this past trip. The other part of me wants to try the other resorts, and it seems like we have a better chance of getting into SSR at 7 months if we bought elsewhere, than getting anything else at 7 months if we bought SSR.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

We bought SSR having never been there because we knew we wanted to try out several different resorts so didn't want to pay a premium, Point cost or maintenance fee wise, when we didn't have a clear favorite. We now love SSR and would never be sad to be "stuck" there, especially with the walk to DS. At 7 months when we can get elsewhere we are excited to try new places but still love our home resort. If we want to try somewhere new we travel a less popular time like end Jan or Sept. Race weekends, fall, or early Dec are harder to trade out at 7 months.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Exactly. Part of me is ok with only being able to stay at SSR. Since we aren't planning on having park tickets for these trips, the ability to walk to Disney Springs is a nice perk for SSR that we took advantage of several times this past trip. The other part of me wants to try the other resorts, and it seems like we have a better chance of getting into SSR at 7 months if we bought elsewhere, than getting anything else at 7 months if we bought SSR.

If it would only be for the studio for marathon weekend then whereever you were to buy is likely where you're going to stay. But if there are other times you might use the points then owning SSR certainly doesn't need to mean it's the only location you'll be able to stay. Summer, Spring, Winter will all have other possibilities if you have flexibility. Fall gets tighter but still you can have chances to stay elsewhere.

 

[jerseyduke]

I have two questions for you:
1. Would you recommend DVC at all for this purpose (couple nights in a studio every year)?

This is probably the best way to use DVC, that is, yearly. Lowest chance of Breakage, and since you know when the races are, you will be using the 11 month window, and DVC is (usually) best for booking well in advance.

2. If so, would you recommend the SSR purchase now, or waiting and renting points to stay at some of the other resorts to see if we like them better?

Pull the trigger! One of the nice things in my eyes about DVC is that despite it's upfront cost, it does not depreciate horribly; contracts tend to have a darn good resale value. If availability permits, try other resorts. If you decide you like one even better, then sell and buy. In reality, the WORST case is a few years down the road you have decided another resort would have been better, so you sell. You will be out your closing fees from the SSR contract, plus the commission you pay the broker to sell. This loss will probably be significantly offset by what you save by not renting. (The contract may depreciate, but that would most likely mean the other resort you buy in this scenario depreciated too, so call that a wash)

The one flaw in the buy where you want to stay mantra is, you can easily enjoy(love) staying at more places than you can afford to buy into!

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm trying to hold to the "buy where you want to stay" mantra

I have a slightly different version: "Don't buy where you wouldn't be happy staying." You like SSR, you know you like SSR, so it fits. If she sees herself going to several races over the next several years, then buying makes sense.

Another option: I've done a couple of races, and one was in a Preferred CSR room w/ a generous AP discount. If she might not be doing this for the next several years, staying in a Mod could be a nice alternative.

 

[BarryS]

Thanks for all your replies! I have signed up for the mailing lists from a couple of resale brokers, so hopefully a suitable contract will appear soon!

 

[BarryS]

I've been hunting resale sites for three weeks looking for ~50 points at SSR with a Sep/Oct UY, but so far no luck. I saw one or two contracts, but they were already sale pending. I'm not in a huge rush or anything, but I have to admit I'm starting to get impatient. And then the direct price went up $5/point to $145 in the meantime.

How long did you guys look before you found a contract to make an offer on?

 

[disneynutz]

It's all in the numbers. Waiting for a small contract can be a challenge, our 50 pointers sold in 1 day.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

50-point contracts are one of the cases where going direct can make sense, as they typically sell within a day (or less) in resale. Many are taken to the broker and are never even listed because they have users with ongoing searches who get offered the contract for bid.

 

[D-Trick]

I've been hunting resale sites for three weeks looking for ~50 points at SSR with a Sep/Oct UY, but so far no luck. I saw one or two contracts, but they were already sale pending. I'm not in a huge rush or anything, but I have to admit I'm starting to get impatient. And then the direct price went up $5/point to $145 in the meantime.

How long did you guys look before you found a contract to make an offer on?

I was in the market for the same as you. 50-75 points, SSR, October/Dec use year. I'd been looking for a while (2 months). Similarly, every contract I found was already sale pending. I had a shortcut to the DVC search engine on my phone, so I can easily check new postings. One morning an 80 point contract for October was posted, and I called right away. The broker said it hadn't been posted for more than 30 minutes. I offered the asking price, so I knew I could get it.

It was also on the higher end of my limit and a cheaper price most likely would have passed ROFR, but hey, it was mine. It was stripped, but I plan on buying a 25 point direct contract and using those points for an upcoming trip.

You can play the game and try and get a good deal, but as others have mentioned, the small contracts go really really fast.

 

[BarryS]

...I had a shortcut to the DVC search engine on my phone, so I can easily check new postings...

THANK YOU! I did not know about the DVC Search Engine. I've been checking each broker's site individually!

 

[D-Trick]

THANK YOU! I did not know about the DVC Search Engine. I've been checking each broker's site individually!

I dont think it has ALL the resellers, but at the very least I don't think I've seen a listing from a non reputable seller on there.

 

[BarryS]

50-point contracts are one of the cases where going direct can make sense, as they typically sell within a day (or less) in resale. Many are taken to the broker and are never even listed because they have users with ongoing searches who get offered the contract for bid.

Thanks for that advice! I'm figuring direct would be about $2-3K more than resale even for a 50-point contract, so resale is still a significant savings IF I can find a suitable contract. I suppose that $2-3K could possibly be recovered at least partially by AP and shopping discounts over time, so it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It may be that you would find more success with a larger contract, certainly.

 

[kboo]

I was just looking at the ages of your kids ... experienced DVCers, help me out - BarryS could actually fit in a Poly studio, right? With a crib for the baby? Direct Poly prices are not bad once you're looking at the markup and difficulty of getting smaller resale contracts, and then you'd have direct perks as well. And if your needs changed, you could bank and borrow enough to stay in a 2BR (not the bungalows, but other 2BRs) or rent the points out? Then the contract could work for both RunDisney AND the family...?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wouldn't buy at a resort where I couldn't get Home Resort advantage if needed, especially wanting space for marathon.

An infant in a studio only works until the kid turns 3. On a 50-year contract, that ain't much.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'll note that for a studio, for a race weekend, you will most likely be staying at your home resort. So if you buy SSR, you will be staying at SSR for a race.

Your best chances of staying elsewhere on SSR points would be to go for a non-race weekend between mid-January and August.

Yes.

What's funny is that at this point we are mainly usin Dvc for rundisney and me, and I feel like it's a poor use of it! I feel like it's a way to use it until we cave and sell it.

Interesting how one use can have two different perspectives.


I'm not sure the OP is bringing his family on the rundisney trips fwiw. Good call. Having to be mom and runner is a pain in the patootie, especially with those early morning wake ups. I assume the op is lucky with his kidcare situation at home! I'm not lucky like that. If I want a no-kid trip it means that it's a no-hubby trip as well.