Contract Regret (Home Resort)

[DizBub]

Selling now - I am only going to get about half of what I put in. ($65ish resale I am guessing) So that would be about $7,500 that I could purchase another contract with, minus the broker fees.

Will selling now, and purchasing a SSR contract save me in the long run? Or will I pretty much break even?
[/QUOTE

Am I missing something?
Save you from what? Sounds like if you sell you will be taking a big loss. Why not just use the points you have and enjoy them?

 

[zavandor]

When considering DVC for the first time I was leaning toward BWV, for location and for the cheap Standard booking category.
However I realized that I would have tried to use to book different DVC resorts over time and since my travel dates are flexible and I like to travel during low demand DVC periods (like September and end of January), buying the cheaper resort was the way to go.
In two years of ownership I booked 2 consecutive weeks in a value AKV studio, and two studios at VGC. Both are among the most difficult rooms to get.

Next year I'm going to book during the marathon week end, that's in high demand. I know I won't get any cheap room, I'll try BLT lake view, but if I end up to stay at SSR I'll be happy anyway.

SSR works for me very well. Expecially in January when I pay dues

Of course, if I knew I regularly wanted a room during the F&W at the BCV or the first 2 weeks in December at VWL my choice would have been completely different.
So the best tip is: whatever you read, investigate all the details of DVC ownership and make an informed choice based on YOUR needs.

 

[DizMagic]

Honestly, this thread should be required reading for potential new members. We are in the "buy where you want to stay camp". This works extremely well for us - so much so that even when we book other resorts at 7 months we usually end up changing back to VWL because we love it so much. However, seeing both sides of the fence is awesome. I have been considering a small add on at AKL because we like it so much too, but reading this I think I might try HHI (because we live in SC and could get there more often) instead and use those points for AKL when we want.

 

[MrsDuck]

We bought both of our contracts on crusies... we opted for homes at Grand Cali and Aulani even though we've never been to either and live in FL. It just made more sense in the scheme of things - we don't care about the 11 mo home advantage and just wanted as many points as we could get.

 

[Msmithmd]

We bought both of our contracts on crusies... we opted for homes at Grand Cali and Aulani even though we've never been to either and live in FL. It just made more sense in the scheme of things - we don't care about the 11 mo home advantage and just wanted as many points as we could get.

Those two resorts are quite a premium to not care about the eleven month advantage.

And of course, you could have gotten more than double the amount of points you purchased, for the same money, via resale if you truly didn't care where you owned.

But likely you realize this already. Yours isn't a strategy toward point ownership that I believe makes sense for most buyers; however it's your money and always your call.

 

[barngro]

I unfortunately bought at SSR and AKV several years ago with my guide telling me I would have first chance at VGC. Although we have stayed at VGC many times I have yet to stay in Florida and don't foresee myself doing so much in the future. Being from Calif. I wish all my 545 points were there because the 7 month window is so tough at VGC. I now realize I could have waited and got as many points as I wanted at VGC! Oh well, live and learn. Only 245 of my points are there and I wish they all were !!

 

[DisneyDiana]

I have to add that owning at AKV is important to us. We love the value studios and one bedrooms. Also, I am a teacher in Jersey so we like to go during the break in November. Since, generally, it is just my son and I we usually book studios. Right now, I would not be able to get any type of studio for all my nights in November and we are not at the 7 month window yet. We are not happy staying anywhere so, in our case, owning at AkV is necessary and we don't regret it a bit.

 

[MrsDuck]

Those two resorts are quite a premium to not care about the eleven month advantage.

And of course, you could have gotten more than double the amount of points you purchased, for the same money, via resale if you truly didn't care where you owned.

But likely you realize this already. Yours isn't a strategy toward point ownership that I believe makes sense for most buyers; however it's your money and always your call.

We had major incentives to purchase at Grand Cali/Aulani while on our DCL.

And, we had no interest in buying resale.

 

[glamdring269]

I have to add that owning at AKV is important to us. We love the value studios and one bedrooms. Also, I am a teacher in Jersey so we like to go during the break in November. Since, generally, it is just my son and I we usually book studios. Right now, I would not be able to get any type of studio for all my nights in November and we are not at the 7 month window yet. We are not happy staying anywhere so, in our case, owning at AkV is necessary and we don't regret it a bit.

We stayed at Jambo last year and loved it. I think reflecting upon that stay when making our first 7-month decision is what prompted me to start having second thoughts to begin with. AK is a great resort. I'm really looking forward to comparing our time last October vs. staying at BWV this October. Our VWL contract is only 75 points. We went low for a reason as we wanted to buy 2 smaller contracts. I think this trip at BWV will help us decide if we want BWV as the other small contract or if it will end up being either SSR or AKV.

 

[DisneyDiana]

We stayed at Jambo last year and loved it. I think reflecting upon that stay when making our first 7-month decision is what prompted me to start having second thoughts to begin with. AK is a great resort. I'm really looking forward to comparing our time last October vs. staying at BWV this October. Our VWL contract is only 75 points. We went low for a reason as we wanted to buy 2 smaller contracts. I think this trip at BWV will help us decide if we want BWV as the other small contract or if it will end up being either SSR or AKV.

We love Jambo!!! That is why we had to buy AKV points. When people say AKV usually has availability, that is true if you don't mind Kidani. Kidani is nice but we much prefer Jambo and it is tougher to book than Kidani.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

We love Jambo!!! That is why we had to buy AKV points. When people say AKV usually has availability, that is true if you don't mind Kidani. Kidani is nice but we much prefer Jambo and it is tougher to book than Kidani.

Club and value villas aside, owning at AKV is advantageous if you prefer staying at Jambo House; it has been our experience that studios and 1-bedrooms book faster at Jambo House.

Regarding why this is the case, Jambo House is less than half the size of Kidani Village (134 villas vs. 324 villas), it offers a large quick service dining location and standard villas afford an obstructed savanna or pool view.

 

[bakerworld]

We went with AK even with the higher dues because of 2 items: concierge and room service. We bought before we could 'use' our points so we were given developer pts that were only good at SSR. My son decided visit during the points restricted to SSR period. He did nothing but complain and will never return because of the food situation. The whole 'pizza delivery' solution was a non-starter. So there you are. Different strokes for different folks. We're all fine staying in a studio because none of us like to cook and we all want the ability to pick up the phone to get a sandwich.

We now own 3 venues - all with room service.