Buying resale: private sale vs. timeshare specialist?

[Sandy22]

I'm looking into buying into DVC through the resale market (I want less than 150 points) and am wondering what the difference is between purchasing from a real timeshare agent vs. purchasing directly from the seller.

 

[Boas]

resale expert will help you navigate the DVC ROFR process.

recommend the sponsor (Timeshare Store)... that is where I got mine (100 pnts) and they were very helpful.

 

[simzac]

I also recommend the Timeshare Store. Christie is fantastic and will answer all of your questions.

 

[dvc at last !]

Just closed May 25 - 150 pts. OKW from The Timeshare Store.
I recommend Jamie Carr at The Timeshare Store. Good Luck !

 

[ACDSNY]

Another vote for the The Timeshare Store. Since you want less than 150 points it's then only way to go. We did the same thing last Sept. Then they came out with a promo we couldn't pass up and added on Directly through Disney.

The main difference I noticed was when the points became available to make reservations. The resale process took about 6 weeks where as the direct through Disney was immediately upon making a deposit.

 

[LisaS]

I'm looking into buying into DVC through the resale market (I want less than 150 points) and am wondering what the difference is between purchasing from a real timeshare agent vs. purchasing directly from the seller.

From a buyer's perspective, the big difference would be that a resale broker with experience selling DVC contracts will know exactly what to do at every step in the process to ensure a smooth transaction. Plus, if you're buying from someone you have never met, it is good to have someone in the middle handling the transfer of funds between parties.

From the seller's perspective, the seller will owe a commission to the resale broker resulting in a loss of 10%-15% of the sales price. You might think that this could mean a slightly lower price for the buyer, but because of ROFR if the price drops below Disney's target range for that resort, Disney will buy the contract and the original buyer will lose out.

So as a buyer, I can't really see any advantage to buying privately vs. through a resale broker, but perhaps some other DVC owners will weigh in here with a different perspective.

 

[JimMIA]

From a buyer's perspective, the big difference would be that a resale broker with experience selling DVC contracts will know exactly what to do at every step in the process to ensure a smooth transaction. Plus, if you're buying from someone you have never met, it is good to have someone in the middle handling the transfer of funds between parties.

From the seller's perspective, the seller will owe a commission to the resale broker resulting in a loss of 10%-15% of the sales price. You might think that this could mean a slightly lower price for the buyer, but because of ROFR if the price drops below Disney's target range for that resort, Disney will buy the contract and the original buyer will lose out.

So as a buyer, I can't really see any advantage to buying privately vs. through a resale broker, but perhaps some other DVC owners will weigh in here with a different perspective.

Yep. What she said. It's a no-brainer for a buyer to get the best help you can.

 

[Sandy22]

So as a buyer, I can't really see any advantage to buying privately vs. through a resale broker,

I don't really see an advantage either. I'm wondering what to do if the "perfect" contract becomes available from a private owner (I've got a specific set of criteria which I know will be hard to find). Do I pass it over because of the extra hassle and hope a similar one shows up on the resale listings?

 

[RobDoc]

I'd echo the comments above regarding buyers. Because of ROFR, it's unlikely a buyer can save much (if any) with a private seller. Usually, the advantage of the private sale is that the seller will not have any commission to pay and is willing to pass along some of that savings to the buyer- a win-win situation for both. Because of ROFR, the lowest price will be determined by Disney and the buyer may be shut out of the private deal even though the seller still gets the amount agreed upon in the offer and loses nothing.

In the scenario you mention, where you could find the "perfect" contract via a private sale- the advantage to you would be the exact details you are looking for and , as long as you make sure your offer will be above ROFR, you will get what you're after. However, if your offer doesn't clear ROFR, you still end up back at square one. The negatives with the private sale, as outlined above, are that you will have to cover all of the closing details yourself - which is certainly doable.

In most cases, I'd bet you can still find that "perfect" contract thru a resale broker and have all of the advantages with none of the disadvantages with the process.

Good luck with your decision.